David,
A potted history of the City of Adelaide in recent decades:-
While serving as the RNVR club in Glasgow the CoA sank at her moorings (more than?) once. An indication perhaps of her condition at that time, although she did achieve 'Listed Building' status. After disposal by the RNVR, the CoA was moored further down the Clyde where she again sank and lay submerged rotting for some 15 months. Raised in 1992, she was taken to the Scottish Maritime Musem at Irvine, placed in a dry berth and the City of Adelaide Charitable Trust was formed.
Over the years, lacking the funds to provide effective conservation, the Trust could only watch the CoA decline. Of course, support for the idea of preservation and restoration was not in short supply but hard cash most certainly was. In an attempt to force the pace, the Trust applied for permission to demolish the vessel (not Recorded Deconstruction) and waited to see what would happen.
As expected, there was no shortage of people and bodies both in the UK and Australia to object to the proposal and, as expected, the proposal was denied. Everybody agreed the CoA must be preserved but not one brass farthing was offered by any of the objecting bodies either to conserve or restore the CoA.
The CoA continued to deteriorate where she sat in her berth It is worth noting that the berth is not owned by the Trust but rather by a third party with whom the lease expired in 2006 and since that time has denied access to the vessel.
In 2005, a potential White Knight arrived in the shape of the CE of a well-known travel company who was prepared to invest almost unlimited funds in order not only to restore the vessel but put it back into service. Perhaps a better fate than the Cutty Sark? The downside to this was that ownership would transfer to the CE. The Trust was in a dilemma. Was it to retain ownership and hang on waiting for a benefactor who probably would never appear or was it to bite the bullet, see the CoA restored and lose possession? It was decided to chose the second option as being best for the vessel.
The first move was to establish the actual condition of the CoA and here it was that the whole plan fell apart. Quite apart from the fact that the MCA would have demanded many modifications to permit the vessel to return to service, the condition survey showed that the fabric was even worse than expected with considerable rot in the timber and corrosion of the iron frames. The CE of the travel company withdrew his offer although he followed through on his funding of a Goretex-type cover for the upper decks.
Another offer was made by a (Falmouth?) based businessman who went as far as advising the local press that he had purchased the vessel. Unfortunately this was untrue and he never offered a penny of hard cash.
Still the CoA sat mouldering on her berth while every last avenue was explored and found to be a cul de sac. At last, the Trust decided on the only route open to them of Recorded Deconstruction. Selected portions of the hull indicating her build would be preserved. The hull would be photographed, measured, filmed and in every was documented to record her history and construction.
An approach was made to the Council for permission for Recorded Deconstruction and this was granted subject to conditions which required consultation with and the approval of, certain named Heritage bodies.
Where are we now? Well the CoA still sits on her berth and the Trust struggles to find the funds to proceed. Meanwhile, the same Australian, Sunderland etc., interests put forward their plans to take the CoA away and rebuild it. The same Heritage and ship preservation bodies cry foul but NOBODY has put forward the cash that will supposedly save the vessel. NOTHING has changed in 18 years and, barring a miracle, it seems nothing will.
Thus reading your statement "...in this case there's more fabric of the original ship surviving than needed to qualify as a reconstruction. Please look again at my photo - a complete clipper ship, the oldest in the world, just sitting there in the open air.", I have to ask what facts - rather than feelings - you base it on? I'm sure she looks fine from several thousand feet but at ground level the status is completely different.
As for a "Get out of Jail free card for various bureaucracies who should be protecting the ship", I'm not sure which 'bureaucracies' you are referring to but as the money for any action is still absent, it has yet to be played.
Regarding my final statement, this was not a "brickbat" but a simple query as to whether your support for the CoA's replication extended to hard cash or whether you belonged with all those who demand that 'something must be done' but cannot raise the wherewithall to do it.
Regards,
Barry M