Clipper Ship 'City of Adelaide'

The Adelaide team have prefabricated a A$1.1million steel cradle, weighing 100 tonnes, to move the 'City of Adelaide'. The cradle has been shipped to Scotland in five 40' shipping containers.

The steel cradle has been prefabricated with design and engineering support from many firms in Adelaide and regional South Australia. The cradle will enable the ship to be lifted and moved safely.

A CSCOAL engineer flew from Adelaide to Scotland in February to oversee the assembly of the cradle, and its technical certification for load lifting.

Scottish Culture Minister Fiona Hyslop arranged for a full assessment of all options by DTZ in 2010, the outcome of which was that the Adelaide based not for profit Clipper Ship City of Adelaide Ltd (CSCOAL) was identified as clearly the only viable organisation with the financial capacity and necessary engineering expertise to manage the project. While recognising that others have an interest in saving and acquiring the ship, the DTZ Report found that only our Adelaide bid had the capacity to succeed.

There is very strong support for this project in South Australia, from individuals, business, community organisations and Government.

Support is also strong from South Australia's large Scottish community. CSCOAL has already paid the costs of the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) to inspect the ship in Scotland late 2011 to report on the neccessary actions to prepare for the importation of the ship into Australia. CSCOAL is in the process of satisfying the AQIS requirements.

It is planned that the 'City of Adelaide' will be the centre-piece of a seaport village in Port Adelaide.

Port Adelaide is a relatively central suburb of Adelaide - a city that spawls 100km north to south. Port Adelaide lies about 14 kilometres (20 minutes) northwest of the central business district of Adelaide. Port Adelaide played an important role in the formative decades of South Australia, with the port being early-Adelaide's main supply and information link to the rest of the world. Today, it is important for multi-billion dollar submarine and destroyer shipbuilding projects undertaken there, and as the main shipping port for the state.

Port Adelaide was the destination for all of the voyages of the ‘City of Adelaide’ to South Australia for a quarter century. Some of the clipper’s founding owners were based there, and one of its Scottish captains retired there.

The Adelaide group has also received major support from South Australian businesses and the community, as well as the Adelaide City Council and the Port Adelaide Enfield Council. CSCOAL's financial position is very healthy and CSCOAL is on track to raise all of the necessary funds to return the clipper to Port Adelaide as planned.

More information on the process of transportation to South Australia can be found here.

Cradle Design by Aztec Analysis (Adelaide, South Australia) - mid 2011

3D image of Cradle

Cradle 'Launch' and 'Delivery' Events at Samaras Structural Engineers in South Australia - late 2011

Cradle 'launch' ceremony

Senator the Hon Don Farrell at ceremony to mark initial cradle assembly. Photo: courtesy The Advertiser.

891 ABC Adelaide - City of Adelaide Ceremony

To see the YouTube video click on the image below.

Cradle Certification Assembly in Scotland - March 2012

BBC News broadcast about the progress of the certification assembly
of the South Australian built cradle on site in Irvine, Scotland

To see the YouTube video click twice on the image below.

Erecting cradle bilge supports, March 2012.

Cradle assembly progress at Irvine, March 2012.

Assembly of cradle side trusses at Irvine, March 2012.

Cradle assembly team at Irvine, March 2012.

Side Trusses being erected on Cradle. Photo: Hugh Dougherty.

Side Trusses being erected on Cradle. Photo: Hugh Dougherty.

Bilge Support being erected on Cradle

Completing the cradle - 'City of Adelaide'. Photo: Scottish Maritime Museum.

In the preceding image, please note the locus of the cradle's timber hull-supports that suggest the beautiful clipper hull lines. The cradle was designed using laser survey data that provided milimetre precision for determining the shape of the City of Adelaide. With additional timber packers, fabrication tolerances are also allowed for.

Asssembled Cradle. Photo: © 197 aerial photography (www.197aerial.co.uk)