​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.

​Friends of Falls of Clyde (FFOC) was encouraged by the Scottish newspaper article that someone posted on the Friends of Falls of Clyde Facebook page recently. The article stated that Falls of Clyde International (FOCI) has found a company to design a power and propulsion system for Falls of Clyde, once she is restored and repurposed according to the plan developed by FOCI head David O’Neill. What the article lacked, however, was any information about how FOCI plans to move the ship from Honolulu to Scotland, which is a critical part of the success of the plan. The FFOC board is prepared to transfer ownership of Falls of Clyde to FOCI, if that will expedite the ability of FOCI to contract with a company to make the move. Saving Falls of Clyde is the mutual goal of our two organizations. 

The COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown here have change life as we knew it, at least for an extended period of time, as it has affected people throughout the world. We must rely on the Harbors Division’s vendor to be sure the Falls is kept safe.

Although we have had no direct communication with Save Falls of Clyde International, a supporter, John Ewald, has kept in contact with Friends of Falls of Clyde and has been active in letting us know that there are people who still want to see the historic ship saved. He has offered ideas and has agreed to help with communication with Save Falls of Clyde International to see how we can work together to make sure the ship is saved and moved to a safe haven outside of Hawaii. FFOC is still committed to providing whatever assistance we can to help with the plan to move the ship.

Another interested person with whom we have been communicating is Art Mitchell, who has a connection with Falls of Clyde, through his late brother, who was on the Ketchikan city council and was involved in bringing the ship from Alaska to Seattle in the 1950s. He was trying to raise the funds to restore the ship at the same time that Bob Krauss and John Wright were successful in purchasing the ship to come back to Hawaii. Art has contacted Harbors Division to determine what he could do save the ship by finding a place in the Northwest U.S. The Harbors Division was not open with him and suggested he contact FFOC or SFOCI. He plans on pressing them for details about what is needed to move the ship. Unfortunately, it appears that Harbors may have reinstituted the $1.5 million performance bond requirement that we already know is a non-starter for anyone who wants to move the ship. FFOC is also open to working with Art should a viable plan develop. He is currently trying to find an alternative site with accompanying funding and potential repurposing plan for the ship.
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FFOC continues to monitor the agencies that Harbors Division must contact before they can take any negative action against the ship. We do not know what Harbors Division will do after the pandemic is over, but we still are prepared to take legal action once the Harbors Division gives us cause. 

​February has been a quiet month. On the positive side, we found that the Harbors Division has dropped the $1.5 million performance bond requirement for anyone who wants to move the Falls of Clyde out of Honolulu Harbor. This is a new opening for Save Falls of Clyde International. Unfortunately, Save Falls of Clyde International’s owner, David O’Neill, tried to bully Governor Ige through Facebook, which was unfortunate.
FFOC was contacted by a writer from Honolulu Magazine about publishing an article in the next couple of months that will be a positive for the ship and our efforts to save her.