Last January we posted that the composite clipper ship City of Adelaide would begin her voyage by barge and then ship to her namesake city in Australia by March, “if all goes well.” As is not unusual is this sort of project, there have been delays. The new departure date from Scotland is now October. The ship, built in 1864, has been fumigated and is waiting on a barge to take her to Rotterdam, where she will be loaded onto a container ship for her return trip to Australia.
The City of Adelaide is the world’s oldest surviving composite clipper ship and is the only surviving sailing ship built to give regular passenger and cargo service between Europe and Australia. She is five years older than the composite clipper, Cutty Sark.
City of Adelaide to begin its trip to Port Adelaide from Scotland in October
I ckan remember the City of Aadelaide from my student days in Glasgow (early 1960s) when she was the Carrick, and have been following her recent tribulations with great interest: please keep me posted on her progress.
The City of Adelaide (Carrick) has NOT been fumigated, is NOT on a barge and is NOT heading for Australia.
She is sitting rotting on a slipway in Irvine, Ayrshire, and is fenced off from access by anyone trying to approach her.
The rig on which she is supposed to travel is sitting where it was built and has not been touched for months. The entire site is abandoned apart from a lone security guard.
I have no idea who has been feeding you information but your report above is just plain wrong.
The report was from the Australian newspaper website AdelaideNow.com which represents the Advertizer, Sunday Mail and the Messenger. The report was dated August 28th and included comments from Scottish Maritime Museum acting director David Mann. Interesting that the published reports are so far from what has happened on the slipway.
Rick, read the original report, it’s misleading at best.
It says “waiting on a barge”. Not ON a barge. Waiting FOR a barge is a much more accurate way to put it. Not that it will ever get onto a barge without weeks of hard work and effort. Even assuming they manage to get a legal right of access before she rots away and falls apart.
David Mann is quoted as saying “once she hits the water”. Next year?
Maybe never? He doesn’t give a date.
All that newspaper report does is help keep up the myth that she’s ready to be taken to Australia. Look out for the flying pigs.
I migrated to Adelaide in 1950 and visited Irvine in 2011, as my family came from Dreghorn and was particularly interested in this project. Could Alan Mackie please contact me on this address.
I have been watching the City of Adelaide for a long time now. I watched it when it was the Carrick moored in Glasgow, I watched it when it sank in Princess dock, I watched it when they raised it up, I watched it when they towed it down to Greenock Harbour. I went aboard her in Irvine and visited her several times there before she was closed off to the public.
Would someone please tell me what the true position is now?
Nick Skeates of the yacht Wylo ll tells me that she is in great danger of deliberately being put beyond repair by those who should be protecting her… it must not be allowed to happen; as he said, the Cutty Sark was saved by the passion of one man. The cause needs as much publicity as possible, so please pass the word to all classic boat lovers!
City of Adelaide is on the way to Australia at last. She is currently at Chatham. Then she goes to Rotterdam, then onward to Adelaide. See: http://www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/news.php/536/city-of-adelaide # http://cityofadelaide.org.au/ # http://cityofadelaide.org.au/our-news/our-news-articles/107-2013-news.html # http://cityofadelaide.org.au/our-news/our-news-articles/107-2013-news/814-duke-of-edinburgh-will-greet-clipper-city-of-adelaide-in-london-on-18-october-2013.html
This will be the last ever voyage of a 19th Clipper ship – EVER.
Latest news on City of Adelaide. She departed Irvine on a barge supported by a specially built cradle towed by the Dutch Tug “Dutch Pioneer at 1.17 PM 20th September and arrived at Chatham on the Thames on 25th September There she will be fumigated before being moved to a berth near the “Cutty Sark” at Greenwich where she will be renamed by HRH Prince Philip Then she will be loaded on to a ‘Heavy Lift’ ship, probably one of the Combi-Lift ships with 2 X 450 tonne cranes fore and aft, the load being 550 tonnes. ETA at Port Adelaide is Feb/March 2014 when she will be 150 years old.
Regards David Bowley Master Mariner Class 1. Australia
My family lived on the Carrick from about 1926 to the begining of the war
My cousin and myself are making the journey to Greenwich(my father and grandfather were at the Naval College there) to witness the re naming. I think it should have been preserved as part of our heritage.
My auntie in California , who lived on the Carrick for about 12 years wants me to take loads of photographs.
I have at home photos of the family on the ship when over 200 members of the services where stationed there until it became too dangerous when the war started. I have also a clock the shape of an anchor which my auntie had over her bed when she lived on the clipper ship
Fascinating. Thanks for the comment.