Historic Falls of Clyde towed out to sea to be sunk

The historic Falls of Clyde ship was removed from Honolulu Harbor early this morning for disposal at sea.

Two tug boats removed the 146-year-old ship from its berth at Pier 7 before the break of dawn, at about 5:30 a.m., then towed it out, where it is to be sunk at a deep-water site about 25 miles out from Oahu’s south shore later this afternoon.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation — which impounded the ship in 2016 — had awarded Shipwright LLC of Florida the contract to remove the Falls of Clyde at an estimated cost of $4.9 million, marking a final chapter in its history.

Shipwright began prepping the ship for removal in late July and was expected to tow it out to sea for disposal in late November, but finished its work ahead of schedule.

DOT deputy director for harbors Dre Kalili said the maritime consulting company was able to quickly secure all required approvals from the U.S. Coast Guard and Environmental Protection Agency.

State officials have attempted to remove the deteriorating ship for at least a decade, saying that it was necessary for safety as well as to improve port efficiency at Honolulu Harbor, which is slated for redevelopment.

For those who wanted to preserve the Falls of Clyde, it was a sad moment, as the ship’s disposal is considered a significant loss for maritime history.

The Falls of Clyde — built in 1878 in Port Glasgow, Scotland and named after a waterfall — was the last remaining example of an iron-hulled, four-masted sailing oil tanker.

It had ties to Hawaii as a Matson transport ship, and was also a floating museum that, in its heyday, hosted school field trips, birthday celebrations and weddings.

The nonprofit Friends of the Falls of Clyde, which took ownership of the ship in 2008 after it had suffered years of neglect, made numerous attempts to save it, at one point in partnership with a Scotland-based group that envisioned transporting it back to its birthplace for restoration.

The Historic Hawaii Foundation considers the Falls of Clyde to be the last of its kind, as both the oldest surviving member of the Matson fleet and the only surviving sailing oil tanker left afloat in the world.

It was previously listed on the Hawaii and National Register of Historic Places, and was designated a national historic landmark. It was delisted from both registers over the past two years.

The Falls of Clyde would have been 147 years old in December.