Blog Posts - The Friends of Falls of Clyde

1-31 July 2019

8/3/2019

Our contact with the State oversight offices did get us responses from Harbors Division. Unfortunately the reply to our March 12 letter was not answers to the issues we raised, but only a comment that Harbors is following the procedures they have started. The request for the report on the bow repairs did come in once Harbors got the letter from the Office of Information Practices advising them that they violated the time to provide requested documents. A copy of what we received was sent to David O’Neill as he had requested.

Friends of Falls of Clyde’s board has been concerned that time is limited to protect the ship from adverse action by Harbors Division. We continue to communicate with the regulatory agencies that must give approval before Harbors can remove Falls of Clyde. We know that so far no contacts have been made, but the Scotland Plan for repatriation has got to be completed soon. We have sent O’Neill our position on how to finalize the move, but have had no reply. We have a letter from Harbors Division stating that they will release the ship from impoundment when there is a vessel here to remove the Falls..

1-30 June 2019

7/1/2019

We have been working to meet the requirements that David O’Neill of Save Falls of Clyde International needs to complete the repatriation plan. It appears that there needs to be communication between technical experts to determine the scope of a structural condition survey requested. Hopefully this will be worked out shortly.

We still have had no communication from Harbors Division. We have filed a complaint with the State Ombuds Office to investigate why we have not gotten replies to our communication going back to March 12, 2019. Hopefully that will get us the answers we need. We also had to file a complaint with the Office of Information Practices, because Harbors Division did not respond to our request for a copy of the repairs done in January when there were leaks in the bow. The work was done under Harbors Division’s emergency contract with PENCO, but as owner we have a right to the repair report, which hopefully will come shortly.

On the positive side, although Harbors Division has stated in their press release that Falls of Clydeis being prepared to be moved, there has been no contact with the EPA, Coast Guard or State Division of Historic Preservation. The disrespect that Harbors Division has shown is unbelievable for a State agency that is supposed to serve the citizens of Hawaii.

1-31 May 2019

6/4/2019

We have asked Harbors if we can move Falls of Clyde to the Diamond Head side of Pier 7 after Kulamanu is moved to give us a more solid area to move things on and off the ship.

Also, we are working with Save Falls of Clyde International to provide information so that a schedule can be set for repatriating Falls of Clyde.

1-30 April 2019

5/5/2019

.There is nothing material to report and we feel like we are in a state of limbo. The Harbors Division has still not responded to the questions we have asked nor has Save Falls of Clyde International been able to finalize the contract with a heavy lift company to move the ship. We continue to hope for the best, but time is running out for the Scotland Plan to be successful.

16-31 March 2019

4/2/2019

Since the last update, we have not received an answer to the legal and procedural concerns raised in the letter to Deputy Director Chow. However, the Harbors Division has taken another step against FFOC by removing our ability to access the pier and ship independently. We had to remove our locks and Harbors Division has hired a contractor to ostensibly maintain the ship, as he does with other vessels in the harbor under Harbors control. We are told that Harbors Division has not planned out their next steps and we have confirmed they have not approached any regulatory agencies.
We are consulting with the National Trust for Historic Preservation regarding the regulatory and legal issues we are following.
We have not received regular updates on progress being made by Save Falls of Clyde International to contract with a heavy lift ship or yacht transport with a date certain. We believe we can hold off Harbors Division if a definite removal date is confirmed. We must keep the faith.

1-15 March 2019

3/18/2019

After receiving a notice to remove the rest of our property, including historic documents, from the ship and to remove our lock from the Pier 7 gate, we sent a letter to Deputy Director Chow addressing the following issues:

Reaffirming our challenge to the auction and pointing out that the requirement for the $1.5 million performance bond effectively undermined their own auction process.
Asserting that our rights as owner are being violated by not allowing us regular ship access to conduct our monthly maintenance checks.
Asking for Harbors Division to confirm that they are aware of and have taken steps to meet all Federal and State requirements related to any proposed negative action toward a National Historic Landmark.
Asking for information related to their cost to remove the ship from the harbor as this would be expenditure of public funds.
We also advised that we are seeking legal advice on protecting pour ownership rights.

We have asked for complete answers to our issues.
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2-28 February 2019

3/3/2019

We waited patiently for the result of the auction. Only three parties attended the February 15 “open house” and only one person was not affiliated with the local Falls of Clyde supporters. On February 28, no qualified bidders had come in. The requirement for a $1.5 million performance bond was impossible for any party to acquire, which made the whole auction moot. This has now pushed the Harbors Division into their other options, which are to negotiate a sale, transfer the ship to another government organization, or remove and destroy the ship. Friends of Falls of Clyde is looking into legal options to forestall the last option. We fully believe that the Harbors Division should negotiate with Save Falls of Clyde International to achieve the repatriation to Scotland. Friends of Falls of Clyde is committed to maintaining the safety of the ship until she can be removed from the harbor and repatriated to Scotland.

16 January-1 February 2019

2/3/2019

The cancellation set the stage for a very stressful month and the deadline to move the ship set by Harbors Division as February 6, 2019.
Falls of Clyde began to ride low in the stern and a small hole was discovered, which was quickly patched and ballast moved in the tanks to raise the stern. Within two weeks she began to list abnormally to port. Investigation discovered a hole on the port three tank. FFOC brought in a contractor to repair the hole and again ballast was readjusted to get the ship back in trim. Finally, as the month came to a close, the ship took on water in the bow through some rusted areas and Harbors and the Coast Guard declared an emergency and brought in contractors to pump out water and patch the leaking areas. FFOC brought in a contractor to remove ballast in order to bring the ship up higher to move the water line above the leaking areas. Tens of thousands of gallons of water were removed and the ship is now back in stable condition. However, Harbors Division now considers that a state of emergency is ongoing, which means they have an urgency to move the ship for what they consider the safety of the harbor.
While this was going on, FFOC was working with Senator Hirono’s Chief of Staff to see if Falls of Clyde could be moved temporarily to Pearl Harbor until the Scotland move occurred. The problems cited above basically made this option no longer feasible.
Friends of Falls of Clyde board members met with Harbors administrators on February 1 as a post assessment following the emergency. Also attending was the local representative of Save Falls of Clyde International, whose input on the status of the repatriation to Scotland is at a critical juncture. It was reported that a substantial grant is pending that Save Falls of Clyde International may receive. We were also told that Sevenstar Yacht Transport is still interested in moving the ship back to Scotland, but it will be a couple of months to get scheduled. The Harbors administrators laid out three terms that must be met in order to reconsider the auction: Save Falls of Clyde International must have a signed and paid for contract with a carrier, a firm date for the move must be set before hurricane season begins June 1, and a plan to safely maintain Falls of Clyde until the move must be provided. Friends of Falls of Clyde is committed to comply with the third requirement. While there is some optimism that all will come together, time is short.

1-15 January 2019

1/16/2019

Unfortunately the report this period reverses the positive post at the end of 2018. The scheduled repatriation move for February 3, 2019 has been cancelled by Save the Falls of Clyde International. The following press release was issued by Friends of Falls of Clyde.

The Friends of Falls of Clyde (FoFOC) have learned that plans have fallen through to relocate the history Falls of Clyde ship to it original home in Scotland. Save the Falls of Clyde – International, the group endeavoring to move the historic ship from Hawaii back to Scotland for restoration, has cancelled the February 2019 move, citing that they are not yet ready.

“We were taken by surprise by this decision but remain hopeful that the Save the Falls of Clyde – International’s efforts can get back on track,” said Bruce McEwan, president of the Friends of Falls of Clyde. “Our concern is that time is running out, as the State DOT-Harbors Division has given a February 6, 2019 deadline to remove the ship.”

Save Falls of Clyde International issued their statement at:
http://www.oldsaltblog.com/2019/01/save-the-falls-of-clyde-international-postpones-ship-move/

16-31 December 2018

12/31/2018

As the year draws to a close, we are looking forward to February and our celebration of Falls of Clyde leaving for her new home and restoration in Scotland.
We had a positive meeting with Harbors Division, where Capt. Ed Enos, who is handling the logistics locally for Save Falls of Clyde International, was able to discuss what plans are being discussed with the Sevenstar operational personnel and the progress that has been made toward preparation for the move.
We had a visit from a naval architect student from Strathclyde University in Scotland, who wanted to spend time on the ship because he is part of a team that is working on a design project for the restoration of the ship once she is back in Scotland. He was impressed by our wonderful lady of the sea.
Friends of Falls of Clyde sends a Happy New Year wish for a prosperous and peaceful 2019!!!