This post involves the same vessel as did the previous one: the Santiago.
On 12 January 2023 – more than 166 years after the three-masted barque was launched – the Santiago suddenly lost its status as “probably the world’s oldest substantially intact iron-hulled sailing ship”.
For many years it had been patently obvious that the world’s last such hull would collapse – and restoration/preservation of the vessel would thereby become impracticable/impossible – unless timely (and expensive) efforts were made.
Governmental gestures were made, but the necessary actions were never undertaken.
For hunters of lost opportunities, Port Adelaide must be one of the world’s “richest” destinations; if “truth in labelling” ever became mandatory, Port Adelaide would be renamed “What If?ville” , or “Port If Only”.
This and the previous post’s photos were taken on the afternoon of 07 March 2024.
Click here to discover more about the Santiago.
The next post’s hero/ine was not abandoned in Port Adelaide’s ships’ graveyards.
The vessel in question played a key role in South Australia’s colonial history, but s/he very nearly “died”, far distant from Australia – in 21st century Scotland.
She is the older of the world’s two remaining clipper ships, and Port Adelaide is now her home!
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