Oldest surviving clipper ship to be scrapped

Last year I spent some time at the Maritime Museum in Greenwich. It was poignant to see how many fine old ships had survived so long, only to be scrapped in the 1950s (I'll have to dig out my notes, but these would include warships blooded with distinction under Nelson). Which makes it all the more painful to see stories like this:

The City of Adelaide was built in 1864 by a Sunderland shipyard. It is the oldest surviving clipper in the world - the only other is the Cutty Sark.

It was hoped the vessel could return to Sunderland, from its current home in Scotland, as a floating museum. . .

But it now appears the vessel is beyond saving and is set to be broken up, although the Scottish Maritime Museum has hinted that sections of the vessel could be available to heritage groups.

From the BBC. The Scottish Maritime Museum website is here.

MORE, including pictures, at Barista -- including this:

From 1864 to 1887, this clipper ship carried migrants from Britain to Adelaide. Twenty two times she took the great circle route . . .

She was called The City of Adelaide, and sixty percent of South Australians are said to be related to people who sailed in her . . .

Posted by David on February 5, 2006 8:26 PM