It looks like moves to save the old vessel are to be abandoned following a consultant's report saying that she can not be restored to an acceptable level.
The Sunderland Maritime Heritage group has been seeking to acquire the vessel since 2000, after it was first announced that she was to be dismantled.The ship was built at Sunderland in 1864 at William Pile's shipyard for trade to Australia and it was hoped to restore her in Sunderland and make her the centrepiece of a local Maritime Centre, to commemorate the proud shipbuilding history of the River Wear.
She has been rotting away in Glasgow since sinking in 1991 and has listed building status. It is understood that the Scottish Maritime Museum will have to seek Government permission to dismanle her.
(Good news about this ship, see posts from 12th August 2006) (Applause)
Saw on the news the other night that she had been "occupied" in protest over the move. Irvine is just up the coast from me and unfortunately I think the museum's original plans just were not matched by their budget. Still, if they hadn't saved her at the time there would be no remains to argue over! Just a shame that the UK doesn't seem to value it's Maritime Heritage.
From a personal point of view I will be very sad to see her go. I remember her as the Carrick, RNVR club, moored at Glasgow and walked past her almost dailly when at Nautical College!
As some members have already pointed out, the money is not there for such projects. The bottom line really is that you cannot possibly save everything. Wherever could you put it all? And who would look after it?
For any restoration project there must be a realistic plan for its future so that the hopefully finished result (provided it does not run out of steam beforehand) does not merely become a sink demanding more and more money.
I live not far away and it has broken my heart to watch her deteriorate. I attended several RNVR functions on her in the 70's and 80's, the last being a week before her first sinking. The museum at Irvine are underfunded and lacking in professional management, they never had any chance of doing anything with this old lady. No-one else at that time wanted her so I suppose the very fact that she ended up in Irvine saved some of her.
If Adelaide do take her, I hope they do a complete restoration so that future generations can see the magnificence of British Naval architecture, technology of the time and the shipbuilding skills that we were once proud of. It seems that we Brits are incapable of doing it ourselves.
ps Imagine if a bank spent a few million on her instead of putting it into the pockets of their chief gambling staff. PR, job creation, inspiration of future generations - all things that create wealth - which can be put into a bank account.
Wow!! John. You got me all excited with the heading -- "Final voyage" ---immediately conjured up a vision of her running down her Easting, full and bye with stuns'ls set and a bone in her teeth. But if she can be saved the same way as the Cutty Sark, well jolly good show! Real nostalgia here! (Thumb)(Thumb)
I signed some petition regarding her preservation in Scotland some years ago . However her future looked excedingly gloomy and I thought she had been cut up and burnt by now.
good day john briggs,forever a seaman.24th aug,2013,11:48.re:city of Adelaide, worlds oldest clipper ship makes final voyage,thank you for posting the informative link.and thanks to all the volonteeres who made it possible.to preserve this historical vessel.regards ben27
I pass her every day and am familiar with her as the office of The Clyde Cruising Club in the 70's and 80's when she belonged to the RNVR.
In the 70's GlasgowCorporation tried to charge rates on her but David Shaw was able to argue that the ship could be ready to got sea in an hour but the only thing stopping it was the Corporation's Jamaica Bridge.
I was on board at a twenty first birthday party the week before she sank in 1989 and saw her after her second sinking in 1991. I pass her most days on the slip at Irvine and a sorry sight she is. I hope her future is secured but one thing is for sure, there will be a lot of new timber. The analogy of a wooden boat is "I have owned this brush for forty years. It has had five handles and forty brush heads but it is as good as the day I bought it."
not quite sure what forum to put this,but if this isn't the corect one maybe a moderater could move it,anyway its about the city of Adelaide,i put a couple of photos on and I see on some other photos that's been uploaded theres been some comments in the form of questions about the project,well I just thought this link would answer most of them plus any more that's in the offing http://cityofadelaide.org.au/
hope its is of interest
not quite sure what forum to put this,but if this isn't the corect one maybe a moderater could move it,anyway its about the city of Adelaide,i put a couple of photos on and I see on some other photos that's been uploaded theres been some comments in the form of questions about the project,well I just thought this link would answer most of them plus any more that's in the offing http://cityofadelaide.org.au/
hope its is of interest
Surprised that this post has not garnered more interest.
It is truly heartwarming that there are such selfless and dedicated people among us. Good luck with the nearly complete project Brvhrtjimmy.
On a lighter note, it is nice to know that some of the punters went willingly in those far off days.
barry mac.
(Applause)
thanks Biggles Waderi had no idea when i put my post on that this one was here so thanks again,i have photos of the work thats going on that i took a couple of day ago,i put one of the tug on here and one of her on the barge on here also.
City of Adelaide departed Irvine harbour at top of the tide this afternoon and is now passing the Heads of Ayr on her passage South. Kind of sad to see her leave, large crowd turned out again to witness this historic event.
She will not be under tow to Adelaide, only to the Thames area, or across to Holland, then loading on board a special heavy-lift ship for the oceanic transportation to Southern waters. Just now, i.e. 14:30 hours on Saturday, she is half way between Dublin and Holyhead and moving along at a credible 7.2 knots. (Applause)
some info for interested parties she wont be going to Holland, her first stop is chatham then on to greenich then back to chatham, for the heavy lift ship, as this site is full of seafarers I would be gratefull for any info as to why you think the tug took the channel between ierland and isle of man and not isle of man and uk coast is it because if you are traveling south down the irish sea you mast take the route between ierland and isle of man .
Note your info that the loading on heavy-lift vessel will take place on this side of the Channel and not the other side as was rumoured a few weeks back.
As for the choice of route, not aware of any protocol determining the optimum passage and, if not mistaken, when the Barge was delivered up to the Firth by the Dutch Pioneer, they came up North between on a course that took them between Ireland and the Isle of Man, which suggests it is optional?
There is no reason to go east of the Isle of Man when transiting southwards in the Irish Sea. The simple fact is that the distance is shorter going west of the Isle of Man.
The attached screen dump from SN's AIS feed clearly shows the tug's progress. (Thumb)
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