​Since our last posting, our attempts to question and challenge the DOTHD and the Director of DOT regarding why they made the decision they did to withdraw the FOCI contract got no substantive response. With the clock ticking to the November election, it was clear that the outgoing administration could not take any adverse action. Our hope was that the new administration would listen to our arguments and those of FOCI to get the plan back on track. Ideally, since FOCI was vetted for the project, some negotiation between DOTHD and FOCI regarding changes resulting from the delay caused by the withdrawal could be worked out.
FFOC has scheduled a meeting in early January with the new Harbors Division leadership. Our purpose is to show how the former DOTHD failed to honestly respond to our questions that could have avoided the cancellation of the contract. We are hopeful that a review of the process will open the way for direct communication and negotiation with FOCI leadership.
FFOC believes that our mission can be fulfilled with the return of Falls of Clyde to Scotland where the FOCI plan will give her a 21st Century life and purpose before she reaches her 145th birthday in December 2023. 

1 December 2021-3 May 2022
We have not had anything to post over the past few months because the FOCI plan to move Falls of Clyde to Scotland was accepted by the State DOT Harbors Division. After months of bureaucratic hoops, it appeared FOCI was home free. At the 11th hour, DOTHD raised the performance bond issue, which derailed their previous auction attempt and which our organization advised them was a non-starter for any organization, which, of course, they ignored. Notice of the withdrawal of the contract was a shock to FFOC and FOCI and totally unjustified in our opinion. Having a requirement that cannot be met is an ingenuous position and unfair to any organization that wants to accomplish a positive goal.
Our historic ship cannot be lost because of the insensitivity of this bureaucracy, They continue to hide behind statutes that they interpret and try to convince people that they are just doing their job and protecting the harbor, in this case. It doesn’t take much questioning, if you can get straight answers, to see behind the shibai they put out.
It is time to rally and make the State DOTHD own up to its shortcomings and failure to protect a historic vessel and National Historic Landmark by not allowing the FOCI plan to proceed. 

​Much time has gone by since we sent out the plea for support for the Falls of Clyde International’s (FOCI) proposal to move Falls of Clyde from Honolulu Harbor to Scotland. We stressed that their plan was the only one that the Harbors Division could accept because it met their goal of having the ship removed from the harbor and our goal, as owner, to make sure the ship was preserved for her continued role as a unique maritime artefact. We are happy to report that Harbors Division has used common sense and is in the process of awarding the removal contract to FOCI. At this time, it is only a matter of meeting some administrative requirements. Hopefully, the official announcement will be made by the ship’s 143rd birthday on December 12, 2021. We applaud David O’Neill and Travis Middleton for their work and perseverance in putting together a plan that was successful in overcoming the hurdles presented by the Harbors Division bureaucratic process.
Falls of Clyde, according to their long-term plan, will become an eco-friendly 21st century seagoing vessel, which will again attest to the shipbuilding expertise of the Scots.

​The new RFP was issued in July and there were two proposals submitted by the August 2 deadline. The Harbors Division has not made any public comments about the proposals, but we know Falls of Clyde International did submit their proposal to bring Falls of Clyde back to Scotland to be restored for a 21st Century life. We believe that the second proposal was from a local group that wants to use the ship in a dive site off Waikiki and to create an underwater museum with high tech access via cameras that can give access through the Internet.
In response to the proposals, FFOC submitted the following Letter to the Editor in the Honolulu Star Advertiser:
Falls of Clyde Can Be Saved
The two proposals submitted to DOT Harbors to remove the National Historic Landmark ship Falls of Clyde from Honolulu Harbor show that there is support for making sure that the historic ship is not lost to posterity. However, only one is focused on ensuring that the ship has a new life where she is certain to be preserved and restored for another role in her 142 years as an invaluable part of maritime history.
 
DOT Harbors can only choose the Falls of Clyde International proposal to safely return the ship to Scotland where their plan for her future is one that understands how an historic vessel can be relevant in the 21st Century.
 
As legal owners of the Falls of Clyde, we endorse their proposal.
 
Sincerely
 
Bruce McEwan, President
 
The letter was published in the paper on August 9. While it is probable that there will be no announcement of the acceptance of one of the proposals, if they do find them acceptable, until sometime in September, FFOC believes that support for the Falls of Clyde International proposal from the local and national and international community is needed now. The contact person at the DOT Harbors Division is Jeffrey Prather (jeffrey.s.prather@hawaii.gov), so any correspondence should initially go to him. The decision to move Falls of Clyde to Scotland should be an easy one for the Harbors Division, since the goals to remove the ship from Honolulu Harbor and save her by returning her to Scotland are not mutually exclusive. Public support can hopefully make the decision even easier, so please feel free to show that support.
When you send a support, please send us a copy to Contact Us at our website www.friendsoffallsofclyde.org.

Friends of Falls of Clyde, as well as others monitoring the Harbors Division and the RFP process to remove Falls of Clyde from Honolulu Harbor, were surprised when the RFP was cancelled at the last minute with only a vague explanation. On the positive side, it gives those who want to save the ship, Save Falls of Clyde International, an opportunity to make sure their proposal is a winning one. FFOC believes that the proposal to remove the ship and take her back to Scotland with the appropriate plan details should be the only proposal considered by the Harbors Division.
We understand that a new RFP will most likely be issued in July.
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Friends of Falls of Clyde is saddened by the passing of Christine Woolaway, our Vice President and an original member of the board of directors. Chris provided guidance and wisdom over the years and was dedicated to our mission of preserving Falls of Clyde for her importance to the worldwide maritime community.  

​While Friends of Falls of Clyde (FFOC) has monitored the Harbors Division to make sure our ownership interests are protected, we were surprised when Derek Chow, Deputy Director od the Harbors Division sent us the Request for Proposal (RFP) notice titled “Removal of the Derelict Sailing Vessel Falls of Clyde (FOC) from Honolulu Harbor, Oahu.” Two things jumped out. First, FFOC does not consider the ship to be a derelict and we have put Harbors Division on notice of our position. We have never given up ownership and have always been available to care for the ship until Harbors Division unilaterally banned us from access to the ship in 2019. In our minds, taking away the owner’s access just so they can call the ship a derelict is unconscionable. The other thing is the use of the phrase “disposing of the FOC.” The text of the RFP requires a contractor to meet all legal requirements for removal, which includes acknowledging the National Historic Landmark status of Falls of Clyde. Removing the ship from Honolulu Harbor other than returning her to Scotland or finding her another safe berth until she can return to Scotland are the only results that are acceptable for our historic ship. 

​We are able to report that there has been positive communication from Save Falls of Clyde International showing Friends of Falls of Clyde that there are more people involved advising on the plan to save Falls of Clyde and by returning her to Scotland and giving her a future role in the maritime world. We now know that there is support for the plan from experienced resources in the U.S. Forward movement means that success is on the horizon. 

​The board of Friends of Falls of Clyde had to celebrate the 142nd birthday of Falls of Clyde virtually on December 12. We have been monitoring Facebook posts from Save Falls of Clyde International to find that there is an advisory board to give guidance that we hope will lead to a practical plan to move the ship to Scotland as soon as possible in 2021. We hope for the best for everyone in 2021, most importantly a positive future for our historic ship.

​During this period, we asked the Harbors Division leadership what steps were being taken to look after and maintain Falls of Clyde. What we received was a statement that Harbors Division was responsible for the care of the ship and they referenced their contractor as the one who inspected the ship on an “as needed” basis, which is a far cry from bi-monthly work that Friends of Falls of Clyde had tried to maintain when we still had access to the ship. When asked about what kind of reports Harbors Division received from their contractor, we were told that no reporting was requested from the contractor, which means there is no paper trail regarding on the ongoing condition status of the ship. This begs the question as to what they understand as the standard of care necessary to protect a national historic landmark.
We still are hopeful that Save Falls of Clyde International will finalize their plan to remove Falls of Clyde and transport her to Scotland in a post-COVID period.