|
|
|
| Launched 1878: SV FALLS OF CLYDE |
SV FALLS OF CLYDE
|
SV FALLS OF CLYDE
built by Russell & Co Port Glasgow,
Yard No 017
Last Name: FALLS OF CLYDE
Launched: Thursday, 12/12/1878
Built: 1878
Ship Type: 4 Masted Ship
Tonnage: 1809 grt 1741 nrt
Length: 266.1 feet
Breadth: 40 feet
Draught: 21 feet
Owner History:
Falls Line (Wright & Breakenridge), Glasgow
see below for later owners
Status: Preserved - 2006
Web site: http://www.cr.nps.gov/maritime/nhl/falls.htm
Remarks: From Wikipedia
Falls of Clyde is the only surviving iron hulled, four masted full rigged ship, and the only surviving saildriven oil tanker, in the world. She is presently a museum ship in Honolulu, Hawaii.
She was built in 1878 by Russell and Company in Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, Scotland, launched as the first of eight iron hulled four masted ships built for Wright and Breakenridge's Falls Line. She was named after the Falls of Clyde, a waterfall up the River Clyde. She was built to the highest standard Lloyd's Register A 1 for general worldwide trade. Her maiden voyage took her to Karachi, now in Pakistan, and her first six years were spent engaged in the India trade. She then became a tramp pursuing general cargo such as lumber, jute, cement, and wheat from ports in Australia, California, India, New Zealand, and the British Isles.
After 21 years under the Red Ensign, Falls of Clyde was purchased for US$25,000 by Captain William Matson of the Matson Navigation Company, taken to Honolulu, Hawaii in 1899, and registered under the Hawaiian flag. When the Republic of Hawaii was annexed by the United States in 1900, it took a special act of the United States Congress to secure the foreign
built ship the right to fly the Stars and Stripes.
To economize on crew, Matson rigged Falls of Clyde down as a barque, replacing the five yards on her aftermost (jigger) mast with two more easily managed fore and aft sails. At the same time, he added a deckhouse, charthouse, and rearranged the after quarters to accommodate paying passengers. From 1899 to 1907, she made over sixty voyages between Hilo, Hawaii, and San Francisco, California. She carried general merchandise from San Francisco and sugar from Hawaii, and passengers both ways. She developed a reputation as a handy, fast, and commodious vessel; her voyages averaged 17 days each way.
In 1907, the Associated Oil Company (which later became Tidewater Oil) bought Falls of Clyde and converted her to a bulk tanker with a capacity of 19,000 barrels (three million liters, 800,000 gallons). In this configuration she sailed from Gaviota, California, with kerosene, which she discharged in Honolulu at the Oahu Railway and Land Company's Pier 16. On her return voyages, she carried bulk molasses to California, where it was used for cattle feed.
In 1927, the bark was sold to the General Petroleum Company, her masts were cut down, and she served as a floating fuel depot in Alaska until 1959. She was sold to William Mitchell, who towed her to Seattle, Washington, intending to sell her to a preservation group. Mitchell's plan fell through and subsequent efforts by Karl Kortum, director of the San Francisco Maritime Museum, and Fred Klebingat, who had sailed in her as chief mate in 1915, to place her in Long Beach, California, or Los Angeles, California, were similarly disappointed.
In 1963, the bank holding the mortgage on Falls of Clyde decided to sell her to be sunk as part of a breakwater at Vancouver, British Columbia. Kortum and Klebingat aroused interest in the ship in Hawaii, and within days of the scheduled scuttling, raised funds to buy the ship. At the end of October 1963, Falls of Clyde was taken under tow by fleet tug USS Moctobi. In honor of their historic tow, the crew of the tug kept their logs in verse, the first entry reading
As we sail across the Sea
The Falls of Clyde keeps us company
Moctobi's engines grit and grind
To keep old Clyde close behind.
On 18 November, they arrived in Honolulu, recording
Today, hauling cargo to Hawaii was seen a proud white ship.
We couldn't help remembering Clyde and all her similar trips.
Yes this one is quite differenct than those of earlier times,
When she carried black oil and molasses to many different climes
Today the cargo is memories and sea stories yet untold
Which when moored tomorrow may be brought up from the hold.
Tomorrow at Honolulu her final trip will end,
And we will bid aloha to our gallant seagoing friend.
The crew was concerned about the reaction these verses might receive from Commander, Service Force, Pacific Fleet. Upon their arrival at Honolulu they received a message reading
Your towing debut is finally Pau
The Clyde's at home forever now.
Your sitreps were noted with interest each day
As Moctobi pulled the long, rough way.
This grand old lady is destined to be
A memorable relic for all Hawaii
By your fine effort the task is won.
Welcome home, and to all a well done.
VADM Roy Johnson, Deputy, CINCPACFLT
In May 1964, on behalf of his crew, the commanding officer of Moctobi, Lieutenant Leo Connolly, accepted the Distinguished Service Award for Community Relations from the Chamber of Commerce of Honolulu.
Falls of Clyde was given to the Bishop Museum. She opened to the public in 1968. Her restoration as a full
rigged ship was assisted by the grandson of the original 19th century designer, William Lithgow. Support came from Sir William Lithgow, the shipbuilder and industrialist, whose Port Glasgow shipyard donated masts and other fittings. In 1973 she was entered into the National Register of Historic Places. As of 2005, Falls of Clyde is still located at Pier 7, Honolulu Harbor, part of the Hawaii Maritime Center.
Photo from above web page
Previous update by Stuart Cameron
Last updated: by Bruce Allan from the original records by Stuart Cameron
View pictures here
<img src="http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/ships/1878/FALLS_OF_CLYDE_017.jpg" alt="SV FALLS OF CLYDE">
Press Back on your Browser to return to Search Results
|
|
Copyright http://www.clydebuiltships.co.uk
and http://www.clydesite.co.uk
(except where otherwise stated). Extracts from the database may be used
so long as credit is given to this website with a full url published in
printed material or embedded in your website, plus credit to the editor(s)
who supplied the information. Unfortunately we are unable to deal with requests
to research ships, any information found in the database is all the information
we have to date or are able to supply. |
Looking for Shipping News? Pay a visit to Shipping Times UK
|
| |