'Carrick' Clipper

NS33NW 63.04 31347 38655

Location formerly entered as NS 3135 3863.

See also:

NS33NW 63.00 Centred NS 31354 38542 Scottish Maritime Museum

NS33NW 63.01 NS 3148 3832 Linthouse Engine Shop (removed from NS 540 660: see also NS56NW 35).

NS33NW 63.02 NS c. 3140 3843 Shipyard worker's flat [museum display]

NS33NW 63.03 Centred NS 3110 3826 Slipway and pontoons (floating exhibits)

NS33NW 76.00 Centred NS 31382 38834 Ayrshire Metal Products

NS33NW 76.01 NS 3135 3863 Ayrshire Metal Products, patent slipway

The Carrick (ex-City of Adelaide) is the world's oldest existing 'colonial' clipper ship, being designed to make fast journeys over long distances. She was built for the passage to Adelaide (Australia) and made 22 such passages before being sold on as a cargo vessel. She was later used as an isolation hospital before being bult by bthe navy in 1921 for use as a training ship, being brought to the Clyde and named HMS Carrick. In 1947, she was sold to the RNVR for use as a clubhouse, and became a well-known sight in Glasgow. She sank at her moorings in 1991, but was rescued by the Scottish Maritime in 1992 and brought to Irvine for restoration.

She is a three-masted ship, 176ft [53.7m] long by 33ft [10.1m] wide, and weighs 900 tons [unspecified]. She is of composite construction (being originally planked on an iron frame) and had accommodation for 270 passengers as well as space for general cargo.

Source: [undated] information leaflet issued at Scottish Maritime Museum.

City of Adelaide (formerly Carrick). This ship-rigged sailing vessel was built in 1864 by W Pile Jr, of Sunderland for original owners Devitt and Moore. She was built to carry cargo and passengers between the British Isles and Australia, but was later used as a floating hospital, an accommodation hulk, and a Naval Reserve clubhouse at Glasgow. She has been moved to Irvine and placed ashore for full restoration to her original appearance, being owned by the Scottish Maritime Museum.

The vessel is of composite construction, having a wooden hull built on iron frames. Her dimensions are as follows:

Length [unspecified]: 176.67ft (53.85m)

Beam: 33.25ft (10.13m)

Depth: 18.5ft (5.64m)

Draught [condition unstated]: 18.5ft (5.64m).

Tonnage: 860grt

N J Brouwer 1999.

The Carrick is the only ship in Scotland with listed building status (Grade A). At the time of survey, it was situated on a slipway in Irvine, and having been refused UK Lottery funds for its restoration, its owners, The Scottish Maritime Museum, were having to apply for listed-building consent for it to be dismantled.

The ship was launched as the 'City of Adelaide' in 1864 from the yard of W. Pile, Hay & Co., of Sunderland, England. It was designed to carry both cargo and passengers, and was one of the sailing vessels which provided a regular annual service to the ports of South Australia during the latter part half of the 19th century.

In 1893, the ship was bought by Southampton Corporation, after which it never sailed again, commencing a period of almost 100 years during which it was converted for a wide variety of purposes. This included 30 years as a floating isolation hospital at Southampton, 23 years renamed HMS Carrick with the Admiralty as an RNVR drill ship and wartime DEMS training ship at Greenock on the Clyde, and 44 years as the "Carrick", the floating premises of the RNVR (Scotland) Club, moored on the Clyde at Glasgow.

By 1991, the ship had deteriorated into a very poor state. It was therefore salvaged and in 1992 removed to a privately-owned slipway adjacent to the Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine. After several failed attempts to acquire resources to fund repair and restoration work, the future of the ship remained uncertain in early 2002.

Information from RCAHMS (MKO), 2001.

This ship is important as one of the sailing vessels that provided an annual service to the ports of South Australia throughout the second half of the 19th century. She was launched (as the City of Adelaide) in 1864 from the Sunderland yard of W Pile, Hay and Co, being designed to carry both cargo and passengers. She was fitted with first class accommodation of the highest quality; second class passengers were also carried and basic emigrant accommodation was provided as necessary. In 1887, the ship (along with others of the type) was sold into service for bulk cargo transport, initially as a collier between the Tyne and Dover and later on the North Atlantic timber trade.

The ship's days under sail ended in 1893 when she was bought by Southampton Corporation, subsequently seeing almost a century of use for other purposes. Thirty years as a floating isolation hospital in Southampton were followed by 23 years (as HMS Carrick) as an RNVR drill ship and wartime training vessel at Greenock, and, finally, 44 years moored at Glasgow as the floating premises of the RNVR (Scotland) Club. She sank at her moorings in 1991 but was salvaged and taken to Irvine by the Scottish Maritime Museum. The first phase of restoration was taken in hand, but the future of the vessel remains in doubt with demolition threatened..

(This article is illustrated with historic photographs, and the preservation options are outlined).

J Tildesley 2003.

As a museum ship rather than a wreck, this vessel does not fall within the usual parameters of the NMRS database. She is included as a Listed building, rather than as an entry within the remit of the maritime project, and a number within the 'main' or 'terrestrial' sequence is thus assigned.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 19 May 2003.

[HMS] Carrick, ex-City of Adelaide, ex-hospital hulk. RNVR drillship. 860 tons. 176 1/2 x 33 1/2 ft [53.8 x 8.5m]. [Built] J and G Thomson, Glasgow, 1864. Purchased [by Admiralty] 27 March 1923, commissioned May 1925. Accommodation ship October 1940. Given away 1947 as club ship.

J J Colledge and B Warlow 2006.

There is no public access to this vessel.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 13 December 2006.

(Authoritative and detailed summary note on rudder of the City of Adelaide,with subsequent discussion. This rudder was apparently fitted in Australia in 1877 after the loss of that fitted on building, and is held with the ship but dismounted from it).

A Platt and R T Sexton 2008a; R Woodman 2008; A Platt and R T Sexton 2008b.

(Location cited as NS 31347 38655: GPS measurement to centre of main deck).

Information from Dr Dan Atkinson, Maritime Manager, Headland Archaeology Ltd (UK), 13 Jane Street, Edinburgh EH6 5HE, 13 July 2009.

A laser scan survey was carried out of the emigrant clipper ship City of Adelaide (RNVR vessel Carrick), currently located in Irvine and designated as a Category A Listed structure. The survey was carried out prior to the implementation of a plan for controlled deconstruction or removal of the vessel from the current site. The survey produced a full and accurate 3D archaeological record of the vessel in addition to the provision of data to help in the development of engineering strategies.

Information from OASIS ID: headland1-63358

The Trustees of the Scottish Maritime Museum were forced to apply, in May 2000, to North Ayrshire Council for listed building consent to demolish the "Carrick" - "City of Adelaide"

The forced application to demolish "Carrick" - "City of Adelaide" was the latest of a series of actions the museum has been compelled to take over the last five years as a result of the continued decline in public authority support. The public and world response to the application has been considerable. The majority of those objecting to the application to demolish such an important vessel have difficulty comprehending the lack of public financial support for a national museum which holds the most important collections of Scotland's maritime history when Scotland is known through out the world for that history.

The Trustees of the Museum had raised #1 million since they were asked, by Historic Scotland, to rescue the vessel after she had sunk in the Clyde in Glasgow. Those funds, which were from numerous sources including the European Regional Development Fund have been spent on the first phases of the restoration of the vessel. The appeal for additional funds launched by the Trustees in November 1999 failed to raise sufficient sums for the project to continue.

The Trustees received a report, commissioned by the Scottish Executive, in September 1999 which looked at the current structure and funding of the museum. "Carrick" - "City of Adelaide" was singled out in the consultants study as a "Scottish" project which required greater support than that of the museum alone.

The study recommended that, if the Trust failed to raise sufficient funds, the vessel should be offered for sale to other organisations with access to the resources to fund the restoration. "Carrick" - "City of Adelaide", has been offered for sale, at the original buying price, to Authorities and Museums in the UK, Australia and the USA. That process was commenced at the beginning of February 2000 and no buyer came forward.

The prime objective of the Trustees of the Scottish Maritime Museum is to safeguard the museum's collections. Priority in recent years has been given to raise funds to house, maintain and present the collections of national and international importance and it will be necessary for this emphasis to continue for the foreseeable future. Revenue support from public authorities has rapidly dwindled over recent years placing the museum in exceptional difficulties.

The Museum's revenue position resulted in the refusal of the Heritage Lottery Fund to consider grant applications which, in turn, led to other grant aiding organisations adopting a similar position. The museum continued to pursue an active fund raising and income earning policy. In the financial year 1999-2000 only 28% of the museum's income came from direct public authority grant.

In December 2000 the Scottish Executive announced that, together with the Scottish Fisheries and Scottish Mining Museum, the Scottish Maritime Museum would receive revenue funding from the Executive for a three year period commencing 1st April 2001. The funding was designed to ensure the survival of the three museums. In the case of the Scottish Maritime Museum the revenue funding was made available on the condition that none of the Scottish Executive's funds went towards the "Carrick" - "City of Adelaide".

With the Scottish Executive revenue funding securing the future of the museum an approach was made to the Heritage Lottery Fund to confirm that applications for support from the Scottish Maritime Museum would now be considered. The response was that applications would be accepted but that the Heritage Lottery Fund would not consider an application for "Carrick" - "City of Adelaide" and the Museum, a choice had to be made between the two. The Museum Trustees unanimously agreed that the future of the museum rested in the main display building and the national collections, therefore, any application would be for the museum project and not the vessel.

On 26th February 2001 North Ayrshire Council's Planning Committee considered the application to demolish the vessel. The application was refused on the grounds that lack of funds was not an acceptable reason to demolish an "A" listed structure. This still leaves the museum with an "A" listed vessel with no funds to restore the vessel and an inability to pay the rent for the restoration slipway. A demand for that rent will place the Scottish Maritime Museum in the hands of the liquidator.

The interest of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and his willingness to participate in a conference is welcome by the Trustees of the Scottish Maritime Museum. Their hope is that a positive outcome from the conference will save the vessel and secure the future of the Museum and its collections.

"Carrick" - "City of Adelaide" A Brief History

The ship was launched in 1864 from the yard of W. Pile, Hay & Co., of Sunderland. The owners were based in Britain but included former emigrants to South Australia who had returned and who still had business interests there. The "City of Adelaide" was designed to carry both cargo and passengers, and was fitted with the highest quality of first class accommodation for a sailing ship. Second class passengers were also carried and, when necessary, basic emigrant accommodation was provided. "City of Adelaide" was one of the sailing vessels which gave a regular annual service to the ports of South Australia over the second half of the nineteenth century and as such were of fundamental importance to the development of the colony.

"City of Adelaide" was sold in 1887 and like many vessels of a similar type was used for bulk cargo transporting, firstly, as a collier working between the Tyne and Dover, and secondly, on the North Atlantic timber trade. In 1893 the ship's days under sail ended when she was bought by Southampton Corporation, but this was, in fact, the beginning of a long period, lasting almost 100 years, during which the "City of Adelaide", was converted for several widely differing purposes. Thirty years as a floating isolation hospital at Southampton; twenty three years, renamed HMS "Carrick", with the Admiralty, as an RNVR drill ship and wartime DEMS training ship at Greenock on the Clyde; and finally forty four years as the "Carrick", the floating premises of the RNVR (Scotland) Club, moored on the Clyde at Glasgow.

The failure of an initial attempt to preserve the vessel by a newly established body, the Clyde Ship Trust, led to the involvement of the Scottish Maritime Museum. The ship, by 1991 in dire straits and at risk of total loss, was, through a very large scale operation, salvaged and removed in 1992 to Irvine, the headquarters of the Scottish Maritime Museum, for preservation and future restoration.

The vessel is the only vessel in Scotland to merit being listed by Historic Scotland as an "A" listed building. The vessel is one of 48 vessels identified by the National Historic Ships Committee as part of the UK Core Collection of vessels of major historical significance. She is the only sailing passenger ship from the 19th century on that list. She is the only vessel that has been both Royal Navy and Merchant. She is one of only six vessels in Scotland on the core collection list.

(Undated) information in NMRS.