So you thought the Cutty Sark was the last of her kind? Think again....

[Richard Mason]

I have just received a link to an e-petition from one of our dive club members who also happens to be a marine archaeologist.

It relates to the City of Adelaide, a sailing clipper that's 5 years older than the Cutty Sark; built in the NE of England, she plied the route from Britain to Australia and is the last surviving passenger clipper, which makes her just as significant as the Cutty Sark - she's also the only other surviving composite iron-timber constructed clipper ship in the world too.

Apparently she's owned by the Maritime Museum of Scotland and has sat on a slip in Scotland for some years. Faced with an eviction notice by the slip's owners, who are redeveloping the land, and lack of funding to relocate or restore the ship, the Museum have received planning consent from the local council to "deconstruct" the ship. This essentially means they will be tearing her apart, under the supervision of archaeologists, who will document her construction and perhaps retain or send the significant bits to other museums etc. The end result will be the same though, the irretrievable loss of another irreplaceable piece of our maritime history.

There are basically two petitions on the go; one in Aus, asking the Govt to fund her purchase and return to Adelaide for restoration and one in the UK asking the UK govt to save her.

I've signed both, (I hold dual citizenship), as I don't really mind whether it stays in the UK or comes to Australia, as long as she is saved.

Here's the website, have a look at it and if you think it's worth supporting, then sign the petition to his Gordonness.

Save the Clipper Ship 'City of Adelaide'

PS If this is old news to you lot in Blighty, I apologise but it was the first I'd heard about it.

[gwilson]

This was posted about the same time that the fire happened on the Cutty Sark. In their infinate wisdom the Maritime Musuem of Scotland have successfully applied to have her broken up and scrapped due to the lack of money and the amount required to restore her.

[rickles23]

Signed it.

Also added it to the 'Ships Nostalgia website.

It was good to see that Australians could sign it too...

[StuP]

It's an amazing coincidence that you've mentioned the City of Adelaide. I actually logged my dad onto the goverment website on Friday so he could fill in the petition.

The City of Adelaide was built in 1864 in Sunderland by William Pile, Hay & Co. at the time she held the record for the fastest crossing from the Uk to Adelaide.

Even though no ships are built in Sunderland these days. There is still an active organisation of people who used to work in the shipyards. They are pushing hard for the City of Adelaide to be brought back to the North East to be brought back to her former glory.

There's a group been formed called the Sunderland City of Adelaide Recovery Fund (SCARF) see link

http://www.sunderlandecho.com/audio-...icleid=2988694

Cheers

Stu

[triplefin]

done

anyone know why they were called clippers?

[thirtymetres]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A clipper was a very fast multiple-masted sailing ship of the 19th century. Generally narrow for their length, limited in their bulk freight carrying capacities, and small by later 19th century standards, the clippers had a large relative sail area.

The often quoted derivation of the word, that the vessels "clipped" time off a voyage, is probably incorrect. However, the example of the other class of vessel built for speed, the cutter, reminds us that the cutting notion may have been seen as relevant. Clipper bows were distinctively narrow and heavily raked forward which allowed them to rapidly cut or clip through the waves. One of the meanings of clip, from the seventeenth century onward, possibly from the sound of wings, is to fly or move quickly. The term clipper was originally applied to a fast horse and most likely derives from the term clip, meaning speed, as in "going at a good clip". The term clipper seems to be much the same as flier. The Oxford English Dictionary gives its earliest English quotation as from 1830. Cutler reports that the first newspaper appearance was in 1835, but that by then the term was apparently familiar.


Sorry its a bit long winded.

[thirtymetres]

If you ever fancy diving a clipper I have just found this...

The 'Smyrna' historic clipper ship lost in the English Channel 1888
Iron sailing ship of 1372 tons, sank in 1888 following collision. Upright wreck in 54 metres. Masts and spars lie on the seabed. Some rigging still stands on the port side. Lots of cargo. Classic clipper bow.

Background info:
Smyrna clipper ship

Taken from above link:
dive charter that dive the Smyrna is Wight Spirit
Wight Spirit Charters

[triplefin]

thx for info - to deep for me - just think they were lovely looking ships

[DanE]

Ahh, the Smyrna. That's twice now I've failed to dive her

edit: oops, someone already posted the link to deep image!

dan

[Richard Mason]

Did anyone else sign this e-petition - finally got a reply - what a weak load of sh!t.

Ah well, kiss it goodbye. I guess our grandkids can look at the butchered remains along with the salamied U-boat in Liverpool.