State orders 138-year-old ship to leave Honolulu Harbor

HONOLULU (AP) — A 138-year-old sailing ship that has been moored in Honolulu Harbor for more than 50 years has been ordered to set sail for a new destination.

The state Harbors Division has ordered the “Falls of Clyde” to move out and has terminated the permit that allows the ship to moor at Pier 7, citing safety and security reasons.

The ship was supposed to have been scuttled — or deliberately sunk — in 2008 but managed to escape that fate. Now the ship has until Saturday to leave the harbor or be impounded by the state, at which time it could be sold to a new owner and sunk to become part of an artificial reef. Since the ship escaped scuttling in 2008 it has deteriorated. The beams that held the ship’s sails and rigging lie on a rusty deck. Supporters of the ship have recently replaced pumps to keep the ship level on the water.

Bruce McEwan, president of Friends of Falls of Clyde, said he and his group are fighting the order.

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