Falls of Clyde – August 2025 Update
But time ’e keeps on movin’ too, an’ them ol’ days are past,
An’ the ol’ ship’s gone for ever, like we all must go at last,
Like the ships that made a forest on the ’Frisco waterside,
The slashin’ big fourmasters from the Mersey and the Clyde…
The Cape Horner (1931)
Cicely Fox Smith
Work to prepare the former National Historic Landmark ship, Falls of Clyde (1878), for disposal continues.
Compare the following two photos of the ship. The first one was taken on 20 July 2025 and the second one on 31 August 2025.
Falls of Clyde at Pier 7, Honolulu Harbor. 20 July 2025.
Falls of Clyde at Pier 7. 31 August 2025.
A grey, overcast day makes a gloomy scene much worse.
Some obvious changes are the removal of the forward deckhouse, which was located on the main deck between the foremast and mainmast, and the house on the poop deck.
Detail of the forward part of Falls of Clyde. 31 August 2025.
Detail of the aft part of Falls of Clyde. 31 August 2025.
When I zoomed in to look at details in the photos, memories intruded…good ones of the hours I spent working on the ship. However, it was also painful to see how much worse her current condition is from what I remember. Sigh.
It looks like the aft cabins have been gutted, with the bulkheads removed. I do hope that at least some of the historic fittings that remained were saved.
Detail of the forward part of the aft cabins on Falls of Clyde. 31 August 2025.
Looking aft at Falls of Clyde’s poop deck and the hollow space where the cabins used to be. 31 August 2025.
Falls of Clyde at Pier 7. 31 August 2025.
Thank you for providing photographic documentation of the changes being made to the vessel, which are now apparent and disappointing for anyone who spent significant time working aboard those decks.
Yes, thank you for enduring the pain of documenting this process, and your detailed explanation. It’s like watching an old friend or relative declining and getting near the end, and I’m amazed you have the heart to watch and document it. Thank you!
I watched the house I grew up in get torn down, so I have some idea how this might feel. But such a historic vessel! Very sad. I’m glad that someone who loves her is documenting this. Thank you for sharing.