The State of Hawaii is moving closer to removing the historic four-masted iron-hulled ship Falls of Clyde from Honolulu harbor, where it has languished since 2008. Though owned by the nonprofit Friends of the Falls of Clyde, the state government took over the vessel’s management seven years ago over safety concerns. Falls of Clyde is the only remaining iron-hulled four-masted full-rigged ship and the only surviving sail-driven oil tanker in the world.
A Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) statement notes that the ship is severely corroded, leaking, and has lost its structural and watertight integrity. It presents a risk of structural failure and sinking, threatening harbor safety and maritime operations.
The HDOT will issue a Request for Proposal (RFP)for removal of the ship; the method of removal is to be determined by the selected contractor.
The Falls of Clyde is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL). Due to deterioration, it has lost most of the qualities of historic significance and aspects of integrity. In November 2023, it was delisted from the Hawai‘i Register of Historic Places. Removal from the National Register and removal of its NHL status are pending.
HDOT spokesperson Jai Cunningham was quoted by Hawaii Public Radio saying, “We are still looking to remove the vessel. And in that way we make sure that really the primary port, the largest harbor in the state of Hawaiʻi — we need that to remain clear and navigable and obviously Falls of Clyde is a concern that we continue to have,”
The department recently announced it canceled a conditional award given to Save Falls of Clyde International, a group that sought to return the vessel to Glasgow, Scotland.
“There were several different conditions for compliance that were set forth in the request for proposal, and that included securing the performance bond. The conditions just were not met after five months. The important part moving forward is Harbors Division really wants to continue to try and pursue viable options for removing this vessel.”
The state has outlined five alternatives for dealing with the vessel: no action, drydock and repair, removal by dismantling, removal at sea by sinking, and third-party acquisition. Sadly, the first alternative is not considered safe given the condition of the ship. Despite the best efforts of volunteers in Hawaii and Scotland, the last alternative, third-party acquisition, seems unlikely, leaving only scrapping and sinking as the probable fates for the historic ship.
Falls of Clyde is the world’s only surviving iron-hulled, four-masted, fully-rigged ship. She was built in Glasgow in 1878, during a shipbuilding boom inspired by increased trade with the U.S., and she made several voyages to American ports while under the British flag. In 1898, she was purchased by Captain William Matson of the Matson Navigation Company and reregistered in Hawaii.
From 1899 to 1907, the ship was re-rigged as a bark for sailing with fewer crew, and she made over sixty voyages between Hawaii and San Francisco, carrying passengers, sugar, and general cargo. She was sold to San Francisco-based Associated Oil Company, which installed large steel tanks in the hull, allowing her to carry 750,000 gallons of liquid bulk. For decades, the ship would bring kerosene to Hawaii and molasses back from Hawaii to California.