St. George's landmark replica of the Deliverance sailing ship faces being torn down because no-one is able to afford its upkeep.

A desperate call for a buyer to come forward soon is being made by the Corporation of St. George.

If no one comes to secure the tourist attraction and bring it back to a safe condition, at an estimated cost of $175,000, the Corporation will have no other option but to pull it down.

See a further report in the business section, on Page 23.

Mayor Mariea Caisey said there is a fear the next powerful storm to hit the Island could rip the wooden replica apart, causing damage to nearby properties.

"We're making a plea to the community for either a group or an organisation to buy the ship," she said. "It has been on sale for some time and if no-one buys it, it will have to be torn down. The Corporation can't afford it. It needs to be refurbished and it would cost $175,000 to put it right."

Ms Caisey said the ship was now potentially "a disaster waiting to happen" because of its deteriorating condition and the increasing chance that a strong storm or hurricane could pull it apart sending damaging debris flying across Town Square.

Without a buyer the ship could be gone before the upcoming 400th anniversary of the original temporary settlement of Bermuda by those who were shipwrecked when the Sea Venture floundered in local waters in 1609 while on passage to Virginia.

Those survivors built the small sailing ship Deliverance and its sister ship Patience from cedar trees growing on the Island and sailed onwards to Jamestown in Virginia in 1610.

The replica Deliverance has been in place on the exposed Ordnance Island since July 1968 after it was constructed by the Junior Service League.

Over the past 39 years it has been a tourist attraction with visitors paying a few dollars to walk onboard. But the ship has been closed to visitors for some time and is presently owned by Nick Duffy.

He bought it in the mid-1990s and used it as an attraction combined with a ticket office for boat trips he offered through his company Adventure Enterprises.

The Corporation of St. George will put any interested buyer or organisation in touch with Mr. Duffy, who moved to France although there are conflicting reports that Mr. Duffy may have since returned to Bermuda.

The Royal Gazette had been unable to contact him at press time.

The ship is on Corporation land, but although the land is leased by the town authority it does not own the ship or have funds to afford to buy it and pay for the repairs.

Ms Caisey does not know how much the ship is being sold for, but suspects any offer to Mr. Duffy would be considered.

When the attraction was first put up for sale there were a couple of interested callers but there has been nothing since, according to the Mayor.

Former mayor and current Tourism Board chairman E. Michael Jones said the ship had served the town well adding to the historical attraction of Town Square.

"It will be terribly missed. The visual impact of the ship is tremendous," he commented, adding that he recognised the challenge any future owner would have in making enough income from the attraction to pay for its upkeep and staff in attendance.

Former Corporation member Lance Furbert said: "It's a great shame. It was extremely well done, but perhaps it should have been in the water like those in Jamestown."

The St. George's Foundation is aware of the plight of the attraction, but it is not in a position to take on responsibility for its upkeep.

Executive director Sharon Jacobs said: "We'd love to see someone take it on as a project and restore it, perhaps a donor.

"It has been a landmark and it is part of our history and it particularly fits in around Town Square which also has the State House, Town Hall and other historic buildings."

The ship has been damaged by a number of small fires over the years and its exposure to the elements at its exposed site has also caused deterioration to the original wood construction.

Ms Jacobs said: "It would be very sad to see it come down but we understand the Corporation's concern."