4th July 2003 Press release by Scottish Maritime Museum
"THE CITY OF ADELAIDE" GETS POSSIBLE REPRIEVE
What should have been the star attraction of the Scottish Maritime Museum - the former clipper ship “City of Adelaide”, once better known on the Clyde as “HMS Carrick” - has lain rotten on a slipway at Irvine Harbour for the past 11 years. During that period, the ship, which the museum planned to restore as a static floating display at a cost of £5.4 million, has had minimal restoration work done with all of the efforts being towards simply preserving what is widely regarded as one of the UK's most significant 19th Century ships still in existence.
Now, the ship, which was the subject of an unsuccessful request for a Demolition Order two years ago, might possibly be saved, and along with it, the seriously endangered Scottish Maritime Museum, thanks to a benefactor who has come up with the most ambitious restoration plan of all. For Mike Edwards, a businessman from the Midlands, wants to see the former clipper ship not simply restored as a quayside visitor attraction but returned to her former glory, fully seaworthy and under full sail on the ocean.
But such is the state of the ship at present that it is far from certain if this dream, possibly the ship's last chance for survival, can be achieved.
A specially commissioned feasibility study will determine whether the ship can be made completely seaworthy again, and, in the meantime, Mr Edward has taken steps to ensure that City of Adelaide does not deteriorate further by funding protective works to the vessel, including erecting a canopy over the ship as a further protection from the elements. The donation will also contribute towards some of the Maritime Museum's existing slipway costs.
Mr Edward' donation, which is already in place following agreement with the Museum's Trustees, gives precedence to his submission over any other proposals until 1st April 2005. The Trustees have readily agreed to this proposal, subject to any submission taking due consideration of the historic merits of the vessel, which is of international significance.
Should the feasibility studies prove positive, Mike Edwards' plan would mean that City of Adelaide, fully restored, would once more be seen on the world's oceans, as one of the few genuinely authentic and historic Tall Ships of the maritime world.
Said Lord Maclay, Chairman of the Scottish Maritime Museum Trustees:
“In truth, the “City of Adelaide” would have been long since gone by now for, conscious that the ship was deteriorating rapidly and with no substantial funding being forthcoming for its restoration, we sought a Demolition Order from North Ayrshire Council. That was refused because Historic Scotland had deemed “City of Adelaide” to be of such historic merit that it designated it as a Listed Building, the only ship in Scotland to be covered by such a designation.”
“However, while that decision may have saved the ship, it almost closed the national maritime museum, which was left with the storage and preservation costs but with no income to be derived. Recently, we had come close to the point where we would have been faced with no alternative but to have closed down the Scottish Maritime Museum if Mike Edwards had not come along with his imaginative - and quite novel - proposals.”
“After a very difficult two years Mr Edwards' generosity has provided a much needed boost to the Scottish Maritime Museum and its work. For the first time - for a very long time - we can also feel optimistic about the future of the City of Adelaide, which after all is one of the ten most important historic vessels in the UK.”
Two years ago, the international outcry over the possible demolition of “City of Adelaide led to two other major conservation projects being initiated - one from Sunderland where the ship was built in 1864, the other from Adelaide, the Australian city to which she sailed regularly until 1887. Each of these schemes is largely dependent upon substantial public funding and government support, neither of which, so far, has materialised in either case.
Both of these proposal involved moving the old clipper ship either to its birthplace or to the antipodean port into which she had sailed regularly in her heyday. Sadly,neither of these has moved ahead, so far, and in the meantime, what should have been a major attraction at Irvine has become largely a white elephant for the Maritime Museum.
Mike Edwards also learned of the plight of the City of Adelaide at the same time and, being a highly successful leisure industry operator, immediately saw the huge operating potential of such a vessel in a fully restored and seaworthy condition.
Said Mike Edwards, a founding director of Travelsphere Limited, one of the UK's largest independent operators of full escorted touring holidays, based in Market Harborough:
“I am delighted to have been granted two years in which to consider thoroughly the various option which may - and I stress may - exist to save the City of Adelaide from the threat of demolition, and what financial and operational issues have to be considered.”
“Meanwhile, we can ensure that there is no further deterioration and I am very pleased that this arrangement with the Scottish Maritime Museum has also helped to ensure that the Museum can continue its excellent work, a benefit which will remain even if, sadly, we eventually have to face up to the reality that the City of Adelaide is beyond help.”
“I am looking forward to working closely with the Museum on this exciting feasibility study work on which will begin almost at once.”