Glennlee
In the press, they have been described as “sister ships” which is not literally true. Falls of Clyde, an iron-hulled four masted ship built in 1878 in Port Glasgow, is older and larger than Glennlee, a three masted steel-hulled barque, also built in Port Glasgow in 1896. In a non-technical sense, however, they could be called sisters, as they are both survivors, having each been declared derelict and destined for scrapping or scuttling. Now, Glennlee has been fully restored in Scotland and supporters are hard at work raising money to do the same to Falls of Clyde in Hawaii.
Glenlee, after a long career carrying cargo around the globe, served as a Spanish Navy training ship, before being abandoned in Seville. Shortly before the ship was scheduled to be scrapped, Glennlee was purchased by the Clyde Maritime Trust. After a six year restoration Glennlee returned to the River Clyde in 1993, where she began a new life as a museum ship. Glennlee has been alongside at Glasgow’s new Riverside Museum since 2011.
Falls of Clyde
Falls of Clyde, which is the only surviving iron-hulled four-masted full rigged ship and the only surviving sail-driven oil tanker in the world, also had a long commercial life. She circumnavigated the globe six times, rounded Cape Horn 12 times and crossed the Pacific 11 times. She also carried passengers between California and Hawaii. In 1907, she became a sailing oil tanker for the Associated Oil Company. She was later converted to a fuel oil barge and in 1963, was to be sunk as a breakwater at Vancouver, British Columbia. She was rescued and towed to Hawaii where she was given to the Bishop Museum. where she was partially restored.
Unfortunately, after a partial restoration, the ship was allowed to deteriorate and by 2008, the Bishop Museum announced plans to tow the ship to sea and scuttle her. A group of supporters banded together to once again save the ship. The organization they formed, Friends of Falls of Clyde, is now attempting to raise $3 million dollars to drydock the ship and move forward with her restoration.
The connection between Glennlee and Falls of Clyde extends beyond their common birthplace. Bruce McEwan, the president of the Friends of Falls of Clyde is of Scottish heritage and also the president of the local Caledonian Society.
McEwan was quoted by Scotland Now, saying “The Falls is a key part of Scottish Hawaiian history. It’s also part of my personal history as I met my wife Lilian on board at a Caledonian Society function in 1976 .
“Over the years many Scottish functions have been held on board the ship and Scottish country dancing was a regular feature on the deck and I would just love to see that happen again.
“There’s no doubt what has been achieved on Glenlee is an inspiration to all of us in Hawaii.”
Click here to donate to the restoration of Falls of Clyde.
Is there a specific name for a rig with 4 square rigged masts? Or is a ship rig 3 or more masts, all square rigged?
Ship rigged is three or more masts all square-rigged, so a four or even five masted ship-rigged ship is still just called a ship.
Hi,
I have been aboard both ships! I was in the U.S. Navy in Hawaii and would say that it would need both scotland and Hawaii to save the falls of clyde. scotland has done a remarkable restoration on the Glenlee! The falls of Clyde needs that kind of dedication! my ancestory is scotish so I look at the falls of clyde and weep! Aloha! MMC(ss) USN ret.
Falls of Clyde, so sad, my late husband spent several years in the 80s restoring the rigging and such then after he moved on some idiot sand blasted the hull and that’s all she wrote.