A detailed bathymetric / hydrographic survey of the River Irvine had been previously undertaken to develop the strategies for recovering City of Adelaide from the riverbank.
This was necessary as the river had silted up over the twenty years since the clipper was slipped.

In advance of the vessel's removal, the Scottish Maritime Museum commissioned Headland Archaeology to undertake a detailed 3D laser survey of City of Adelaide.
This serves as a detailed record of the ship, and enabled the transportation cradle to be designed and built with great precision in South Australia.
Virtual tours of the inside and outside of the clipper were also created during the laser survey.

An early stage in the preparatory work involved cleaning and treatment of the timbers.
This was completed by the Scottish Maritime Museum in December 2010.
A detailed bathymetric / hydrographic survey of the River Irvine had been previously undertaken to develop the strategies for recovering City of Adelaide from the riverbank. This was necessary as the river had silted up over the twenty years since the clipper was slipped.
In advance of the vessel's removal, the Scottish Maritime Museum commissioned Headland Archaeology to undertake a detailed 3D laser survey of City of Adelaide. This serves as a detailed record of the ship, and enabled the transportation cradle to be designed and built with great precision in South Australia. Virtual tours of the inside and outside of the clipper were also created during the laser survey.
An early stage in the preparatory work involved cleaning and treatment of the timbers. This was completed by the Scottish Maritime Museum in December 2010.
City of Adelaide (1864)