Hawaii officials to auction 140-year-old Scottish ship

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii officials plan to auction a 140-year-old ship after repeated attempts to deliver it to its Scottish homeland failed.

The Falls of Clyde, the last surviving ship of a fleet named after Scottish waterfalls, will be on sale for the next three weeks.

Russell &Co. built the vessel in Port Glasgow in 1878. It came to the islands when Matson, Hawaii’s biggest shipping company, acquired it. It later became an oil tanker.

In Honolulu Harbor, the ship became a museum and hosted weddings, funerals, parties, military re-enlistment ceremonies and a re-enactment of the Boston Tea Party. It was also available for school tours.

The group Save Falls of Clyde International announced plans to bring the ship back to Scotland in 2017. But a plan to have a lift ship transport it fell through last summer. Another lift was canceled due to logistical problems.

The state Harbor Division said it has helped the ship’s
supporters by not charging any rent or fees for the use of its pier since April 2009.

The state said it was moving forward with auction proceedings in part to protect Honolulu Harbor.
Source: Hawaii Tribune Herald