Is this the end for SA’s historic sailing ship Falie?

There are fears the 101-year-old sailing ship Falie may have reached the end of the line.

Volunteers are trying to save the 101-year-old historic ship Falie, after it began sinking.

The 34m long iron-hulled sailing ketch made it to dry dock earlier this month in Port Adelaide where Transport Department experts are assessing major hull rust repairs.

Historic Ketch Falie spokesman Ian Steel said the vessel had taken on water when crew tried to return it from dry dock to McLaren Wharf in the heart of Port Adelaide.

Mr Steel said the vessel had been owned by the State Government since it was bought from private operators in 1982, but had suffered from a lack of major maintenance works since 2006 when it lost the licence to operate in open water.

SA's 100-year-old Ketch Falie is in dry dock awaiting major repairs. Pictures: Historic Ketch Falie volunteers.

SA's 100-year-old Ketch Falie is in dry dock awaiting major repairs. Pictures: Historic Ketch Failie volunteers.

SA's 100-year-old Ketch Falie is in dry dock awaiting major repairs. Pictures: Historic Ketch Failie volunteers.

He said routine maintenance above the waterline is carried out by a small ageing volunteer base and Falie was now dry-docked in space donated by Adelaide Ship Construction International.

“We hope the SA Government will commit to doing what’s necessary,” Mr Steel said.

“Falie hasn’t been properly inspected or had major maintenance work inside the hull since 2006.

“The options are; fix it so it can sail the seven seas again, restore it to a floating museum as it was, or dry dock it permanently.”

Falie spent most of its life shipping grain from the Eyre and Yorke peninsulas.

As a navy vessel in WWII it also played a role in repulsing Japanese submarines from Sydney Harbour in 1942, running into one of the subs while on patrol.

Mr Steel said the inspections would reveal the full cost of the preferred option for restoring the Falie; to allow it to return to the wharf and again accept visitors.