Falls of Clyde (ship) facts for kids
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Falls of Clyde at Honolulu in 2008
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| History | |
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| Name | Falls of Clyde |
| Namesake | Falls of Clyde, Lanarkshire |
| Port of registry |
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| Builder | Russell & Co, Port Glasgow |
| Yard number | 17 |
| Launched | 12 December 1878 |
| Completed | 13 February 1879 |
| Identification | IMO number: 8640313 |
| Status | Museum ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Iron-hulled sailing ship |
| Tonnage | 1,807 GRT, 1,741 NRT |
| Length | 266.1 ft (81.1 m) |
| Beam | 40.0 ft (12.2 m) |
| Depth | 23.5 ft (7.2 m) |
| Sail plan | 4-masted full-rig |
| Notes | Figurehead: a maiden |
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Falls of Clyde (Four-masted oil tanker)
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Formerly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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 Location in Oahu
Location in Hawaii
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| Location | Pier 7, Honolulu Harbor, Hawaii |
| Built | 1878 |
| Architect | William Lithgow |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000659 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | 2 July 1973 |
| Designated NHL | 11 April 1989 |
| Removed from NRHP | 2 February 2024 |
The Falls of Clyde is a very special ship. It is the last remaining full-rigged ship with an iron hull and four masts. It is also the only oil tanker that was powered by sails.
In 1989, this ship was named a U.S. National Historic Landmark. Today, it is a museum ship located in Honolulu, Hawaii. However, the ship is in poor condition and is not open for visitors.
In 2008, a new group called the Friends of Falls of Clyde took over the ship. They tried to raise money to fix it, but they couldn't get enough. In 2021, another group, Save Falls of Clyde – International (FOCI), made a plan. They want to move the ship back to Scotland, where it was built, to restore it.
Contents
The Ship's Early Life and Journeys
The Falls of Clyde was built in Port Glasgow, Scotland. A company called Russell and Company launched it on December 12, 1878. It was the first of nine large iron ships for a shipping line called the Falls Line.
The ship was named after the Falls of Clyde, which are waterfalls on the River Clyde in Scotland. It was built to be a very strong ship for trading goods all over the world.
Its first trip was to Karachi, which was then part of British India. For its first six years, the ship mainly traded goods with India. After that, it became a tramp ship. This means it carried different types of cargo, like wood, jute, cement, and wheat. It sailed to many places, including Australia, California, India, New Zealand, and the British Isles.
After 21 years as a British merchant ship, the Falls of Clyde was sold. Captain William Matson bought it for $25,000 in 1899. He took the ship to Honolulu and registered it under the Hawaiian flag.
When Hawaii became part of the United States in 1900, a special law was needed. This law allowed the Falls of Clyde, which was built in another country, to sail as an American ship.
To save money on crew members, Captain Matson changed the ship's sails. He turned it into a barque, which is a type of sailing ship. This made it easier to manage. He also added a deckhouse and rooms for passengers.
From 1899 to 1907, the ship made over 60 trips. It sailed between Hilo, Hawaii, and San Francisco, California. It carried goods to Hawaii and sugar back to California. It also carried passengers both ways. The ship was known for being fast and easy to handle. It usually took about 17 days for each trip.
Becoming an Oil Tanker
In 1907, the Associated Oil Company bought the Falls of Clyde. This company later became Tidewater Oil. They changed the ship into a bulk oil tanker. It could carry about 19,000 barrels of oil.
Workers built ten large steel tanks inside its hull. They also added a pump room, a boiler, and a generator. In this new setup, the ship brought kerosene to Hawaii. On its return trips to California, it carried molasses, which was used for cattle feed.
In 1927, the ship was sold again to the General Petroleum Company. Its masts were cut down, and it became a floating fuel storage place in Alaska.
In 1959, a man named William Mitchell bought the ship. He towed it to Seattle, Washington. He hoped to sell it to a group that wanted to save old ships. However, his plan did not work out. Other efforts to move the ship to places like Long Beach or Los Angeles also failed.
In 1963, the bank that owned the ship decided to sink it. They planned to use it as part of a breakwater in Vancouver, Canada. But people in Hawaii became very interested in saving the ship. They quickly raised money to buy it. In October 1963, the Falls of Clyde was towed to Honolulu.
Life as a Museum Ship
The Falls of Clyde was given to the Bishop Museum in Honolulu. It opened to the public as a museum ship in 1968. In 1970, a shipbuilder named Sir William Lithgow helped with its restoration. He was the grandson of the ship's original designer. His shipyard in Scotland donated new steel masts for the ship.
In 1973, the ship was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It was then named a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1989.
By 2008, the ship was in very bad condition. It had not been put into drydock for a long time, which is important for ship maintenance. Some people also said that sandblasting damaged the ship.
In 2008, the Bishop Museum announced they might sink the ship. This would happen unless private groups raised money to care for it forever. In September 2008, the museum agreed to give the ship to the Friends of Falls of Clyde group. This group wanted to restore the ship.
Many items from the ship had already been removed or lost. The Friends of Falls of Clyde received $350,000 from a foundation. However, they did not get money from federal programs they hoped for. Each year, they tried to get the ship into drydock, but they were not successful. In 2016, the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) took away the ship's permit to stay at Pier 7. They said it was a safety risk.
Efforts to Restore and Move the Ship
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In August 2016, a group from Glasgow, Scotland, started a campaign. It was called Save Falls of Clyde – International (FOCI). Their goal was to bring the ship back to Scotland, where it was built. They first helped the Friends of the Falls of Clyde group, who owned the ship and wanted to save it. FOCI created a plan to return the ship to Scotland.
In February 2019, HDOT tried to sell the ship at an auction. But no one offered a suitable bid.
In July 2021, HDOT asked for bids to remove the ship from Honolulu Harbor. They received two proposals. The Friends of Falls of Clyde group disagreed with HDOT's decision. They said they still owned the ship.
In November 2021, HDOT accepted a bid from FOCI. This bid was to transport the ship to either Greenock or Glasgow in Scotland. There, it would be restored and sail again. In March 2022, a FOCI representative said they were close to finalizing the contract.
However, HDOT canceled the bid in May 2022. They said FOCI did not meet the conditions of the contract. Since then, the state has started looking for bids to scrap (take apart) the ship. The ship has also been removed from Hawaii's list of historic places. In early 2024, it was also removed from the National Register of Historic Places.
