1-30 April 2021

​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.