A guest post by Susan Yamamoto from her new and wonderful blog, Maritime Hawai‘i, on the latest developments to help save the four masted sailing ship, Falls of Clyde.   David O’Neill is leading the ‎Save The Tall Ship Falls of Clyde – International Group in its effort to bring the historic ship back to Scotland, where she was built in 1878. From Maritime Hawai‘i:

At the beginning of the month, David O’Neill met with Friends of Falls of Clyde (FFOC) president, Bruce McEwan. Mr. O’Neill tells Maritime Hawai‘i that the meeting was positive in general. Both parties recognize there is a tremendous amount of work that needs to be done in short order if they are to succeed in returning the Falls of Clyde to Scotland. Maritime Hawai‘i urges DOT Harbors to give both organizations the time they need.

Meanwhile, the FFOC intends to remove some of the ballast water from the ship in order to test the on board pumping system.

There was local TV news coverage by Hawaii News Now (KGMB/KHNL). According to Mr. O’Neill, the reporter had contacted him directly as a result of the growing amount of attention the plight of the ship has been receiving on social media. Positive publicity like this certainly helps.

Here is the link to the Hawaii News Now story, if you missed it when it aired last week:  Plans afoot to give historic Falls of Clyde a second life in its Scottish birthplace.

Captain Jonathan Boulware, executive director of the South Street Seaport Museum in New York City, was in town and was able to go aboard Falls of Clyde and have a look around. He understands the challenges Mr. O’Neill and the FFOC face all too well due to his experience with the four-masted barque Peking.

Peking was an important part of the South Street Seaport Museum’s collection of ships, which includes the iron-hulled, three-masted ship Wavertree. Due to the financial pressures on the organization associated with caring for two large historic sailing ships, Peking’s future was uncertain until the German government stepped in to support the effort to bring the ship to Hamburg, Germany.

Peking was built in Hamburg by Blohm & Voss for the shipping company F. Laeisz. She was one of the company’s famous Flying-P Liners.

After the necessary work on the ship is completed in New York, she will be transported home on a heavy-lift ship.

Maritime Hawai‘i hopes for an equally bright future for Falls of Clyde.

We at the Old Salt Blog share these hopes.  Falls of Clyde has had a fascinating history and does deserve a bright future.