The last time I was down at Irvine they were starting to build new houses in the area around the hulk so it probable that the builder wants rid of it.  

Houses.....how original.

If ever there was a story that refused to lie down quietly, it must surely be that of the City of Adelaide (or The Carrick if you are a Glaswegian and spent your life walking past it in that particular guise - I still can't get the hang of the Adelaide version).

It seems that every news story that suggests the end of the remains of this ship has arrived is followed by another that says not so, and that some sort of rescue is still possible.

The stories are beginning to lack however, and if the most recent is to be believed, then the remains should be in no danger of being lost, since it refers to a bid from Sunderland, in the north east of England, and a rival bid from Australia, which was the vessel's destination for 28 round trips.

With rival bids being tabled, surely the question should not be one of the recovery of the vessel, but who is going to win ownership of the remains.

Or, does the real problem actually lie with the Scottish Maritime Museum and/or Historic Scotland?

Campaigner Peter Maddison (a Sunderland councillor) has been quoted as saying: "I wish it could be straightforward, but it won't be. Every inch of the way we have to contend with awkwardness and obstruction."

He has said that he has an engineering firm willing to help, with a naval architect and engineers ready to plan the recovery. two hotels in Irvine ready to take 30 volunteers, former shipyard workers from Sunderland, and that half the bars and clubs in Sunderland are on stand-by, ready to hold fundraising events to support the volunteers in Irvine.

The museum appears to have just left the vessel to rot over the years, and I don't say that as mere criticism, as its masters may not have been able or willing to provide sufficient finance for it to do anything else once it had the remains on site.

However, Historic Scotland has now been quoted as follows:

Quoted Text

Following recent discussions, Historic Scotland said: "Sadly, and despite the recent widespread publicity about her future, no viable option for her restoration has yet been presented. Deconstruction is "the most appropriate conclusion", a spokeswoman added."

While I don't necessarily endorse the view, I have noted that Historic Scotland does receive adverse publicity in the media occasionally, for being obstructive and unhelpful, and if there are rival bidders looking to take over the remains of the City of Adelaide, and they are not asking Historic Scotland for money, then surely Historic Scotland should accept any bid for what has become little more than an embarrassing pile of scrap, and get if off their hands?

One might be tempted to think someone is exerting their authority merely because they can, and damn the consequences.

Surely it matters not if the remains go to Sunderland or Australia, so long as they are preserved in some way?

BBC News - Ship protester hails breakthrough

Well I know that the times I was in the Maritime Museum, albeit not very often in Irvine anyway, I wasn't too impressed with some of the attitudes.  A curator for instance that said there would be no military exhibits as long as hse was there being a prime example.  Though that must have been turned around as there eventually was an RAF launch.

It's probable with the Carrick that there was a lot of good intentions at the beginning but ambition outstripped their resources or will.  I mean if the Museum had the resources of something like, for example, the Imperial War Museum behind it, it might have been restored, maybe not.

Found a report to the effect that the City of Adelaide had been recorded by laser survey, carried out by a specialist company...

Headland Archaeology - News

Quoted Text

Jun 2009 - City of Adelaide Laser Survey - Undertaken by maritime specialist and in-house survey team on behalf of the Scottish Maritime Museum. The survey will provide a full archaeological record of the vessel and help inform engineering strategies in advance of possible deconstruction or removal of the vessel from the current slip in Irvine.

The (photo) survey results can be seen here...

Headland Archaeology - City of Adelaide