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An aged Clydebuilt sailing ship has been taken out to sea and intentionally sunk near the coast of Hawaii, sparking anger from marine conservation organizations. Falls of Clyde, constructed in 1878, had been docked in Honolulu as a museum vessel since the 1960s but had deteriorated over time. The Honolulu Harbour Board verified that the ship was towed about 25 miles offshore and scuttled.
The decision to sink the historic ship has disappointed campaigners who had been advocating for over a decade to restore the ship to its original location. Falls of Clyde was the initial installment in a series of eight iron-hulled ships manufactured in the late 19th Century by the Port Glasgow shipbuilder Russell & Co. It had a lengthy career transporting various goods to and from the Far East and Australasia before moving to Hawaii.
In the early 20th Century, the ship was modified into a tanker to transport paraffin to the islands. It eventually transformed into a floating fuel depot before being obtained by a museum in Honolulu. Due to hurricane damage in the 1980s, the ship’s maritime section was closed, leading to its gradual decay. In Scotland, supporters have spent years trying to repatriate the ship for renovation but faced challenges in striking a deal with the harbour board. The Hawaii Department of Transportation detailed that the vessel’s name, wheel, and bell were preserved, alongside other artifacts for future exhibits.
The destruction of Falls of Clyde has sparked criticism from marine conservation groups in the UK and the USA. Friends of Falls of Clyde, a Hawaii-based support group, described the event as “a day that will go down in infamy.” The Tall Ship Glenlee, responsible for another Clydebuilt vessel in Glasgow, expressed deep sorrow at the news. Despite efforts to save the ship, negotiations failed, leading to its scuttling by a different company. The Hawaii Department of Transportation has yet to provide additional comments
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