In the case of the Falls of Clyde, the community did take the helm and they have saved the ship. A local group is buying Falls of Clyde for a dollar and plans to restore it.

The Falls of Clyde was built 130 years ago and home ported here in Honolulu Harbor in the late 1800's. There is a lot of history in its iron hull.

The Falls carried people, cattle and freight to Hawaii until it was decommissioned in 1959. Ten years later it was given to the Bishop Museum which used the ship to educate school children about Hawaii's maritime history.

But time has taken its toll.

"It needs a lot of work. We've been talking about this pretty much all of 2008. The vessel is in critical condition," said museum Chief Operating Officer Blair Collis.

Bishop Museum estimated repairs would cost $30 to $40 million. That is more than the museum could spend. The Falls appeared headed for a watery grave.

Then in stepped the Friends of Falls of Clyde, a group of local residents who do not want to see the ship scuttled.

"We see preservation as basically stabilizing it. Finding a permanent place for it and doing some initial work on it and then move into a restoration phase," said Bruce McEwan, president of the Friends of Falls of Clyde.

The Friends secured insurance for the Falls and negotiated a deal with a local ship repair company to have it put in dry dock where it can be inspected and the damage can be assessed.

Once that work is done the friends will decide if the Falls can be fixed-up enough to go back in the water or if it will be moved on land. Either way they see the ship as an education piece.

"Historically there have been school classes from local elementary and high schools coming to visit the ship and taking tours. We want to put that back into place regardless of where it is. And ultimately we hope it will be back on the list of tourist attractions," McEwan said.

The Friends have target Nov. 17 as the date when the Falls will be towed out of Honolulu Harbor to dry dock at Barber's Point.

They hope by early December to have found a new permanent home for this piece of maritime history.

---