HDOT Awards $4.9M Contract To Remove 146-Year-Old Ship From Honolulu Harbor

The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT) has awarded a contract worth $4.9 million to Shipwright LLC for the removal of the 146-year-old ship Falls of Clyde from Honolulu Harbor. The removal plan involves ocean disposal of the vessel at a deep-water location situated at least 12 miles south of the harbor.

Shipwright LLC, a maritime consulting company based in Florida, has been selected for the job. The company has formed a team with experience in handling salvage operations, dead ship towing, derelict vessel removal, wreck assessments, and managing fragile ship structures.

Work is scheduled to begin on July 21, 2025. The first step will be removing any debris and restoring watertight conditions inside the ship’s subdivision bulkheads. After that, the company will carry out hull strength repairs to make sure the ship can be safely towed out of the harbor, especially if there is a storm or emergency.

Between August and November 2025, more structural strengthening work will take place. The vessel is expected to be removed and towed for final ocean disposal toward the end of November.

Shipwright will also be responsible for securing the necessary permissions from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Coast Guard before carrying out the disposal.

HDOT had issued a request for proposals in July 2024, inviting bids for the permanent removal of the vessel from the harbor. Bidders were required to suggest the method and process of removal as part of their proposals.

Before this contract was awarded, HDOT had already conducted a Final Environmental Assessment, published in June 2024, to study different removal options such as dismantling, ocean dumping, or transfer to a third party.

Alongside this, the department also made sure all related state and federal laws, including those related to historic preservation, were followed.

In 2023, HDOT worked with a maritime archaeologist to safely take out and document historical objects from the ship. These artifacts are now stored in a secure facility.

Falls of Clyde has been docked at Honolulu Harbor since 2008 and is currently berthed at Pier 7. It once served as a museum ship under the Hawai‘i Maritime Center.

However, in 2016, the ship was impounded when its permit was canceled and the owner did not remove it from the harbor. Since then, HDOT has had custody of the vessel.

For over ten years, HDOT has made it a priority to remove non-operational ships from Hawai‘i’s commercial ports to ensure port safety, improve operations, and support the flow of commerce.

Honolulu Harbor plays a vital role in Hawai‘i’s economy, handling more than 90% of the goods imported into the state.

References: Reuters, middleeastmonitor

Source: Maritime Shipping News