Tag: sailing ship

Sad end threatens for 1878-built sailing ship Falls of Clyde

The Falls of Clyde - An early oiltanker - panoramio

‘She is the last remaining ship of her class and a striking reminder of the golden age of sail.

‘But the Falls of Clyde, which was launched at Port Glasgow in 1878, looks set to be consigned to a watery grave somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.

‘The ship has been declared unsafe by Hawaii’s transport department.

‘The 137-year-old iron-hulled four-masted vessel was this week declared unsafe by Hawaii transport officials, who ordered she be removed from her permanent mooring in Honolulu harbour. It now looks likely the Falls will be towed into deep water and scuttled to become an attraction for divers – unless a last ditch campaign to save her is successful.’

Read more on The Scotsman website and on the Wikipedia.

1812 style warship will set sail this summer

New 1812 style warship to be launched this year Oliver Hazard Perry

There’s a new tall ship on the block – the Oliver Hazard Perry. Read all about it here.

Folks on my side of the pond may not know about Perry, and might even find it hard to believe that there has ever been serious naval combat on the Great Lakes – history being written and celebrated by the victors, not the losers.

Nevertheless, Perry was a US naval officer whose small fleet won a decisive victory against the Royal Navy on Lake Erie during the War of 1812.

The new steel-built ship was originally built as a kind of replica of a British warship captured by Perry and his men, but when the group behind the project ran out of money, folks from Perry’s native Rhode Island bought the unfinished 138-foot-long hull, named it after him and six years later, the three-masted, 20-sail 1812 style warship will set sail this summer from the Newport Shipyard.

In future, high-school, college and adult students can join expeditions to study underwater archaeology and maritime history, while working the ship under the direction of a permantent crew.

There is to be, however, one iron rule that students must observe: they are not permitted mobile phones. In this day and age, I’m not entirely sure I could live with that myself!

My thanks to Chris Brady for spotting this one!