By the summer of 2003 there was no sign that any of the schemes would reach fruition and there was rising concern that the contingent liability associated with the slipway was reaching unmanageable proportions. The Museum was approached by businessman Mike Edwards who wished to consider a restoration of the vessel to sailing condition. Mr. Edwards made a generous donation to the Museum that alleviated any immediate concern about liabilities and paid for a protective covering for the vessel. After two detailed and thorough surveys of the vessel Mr. Edwards withdrew his interest early in 2006. His decision was based solely on the requirements of the Marine Safety Agency which would have left too little of the original structure of the vessel intact.

In 2007, with no sign that any other alternative proposals would be forthcoming, the Museum applied again for listed building consent to deconstruct the vessel. By this time the Museum had dealt with and assisted eight different proposals to save the vessel none of which had given any indication that they could raise the funds required. The Museum’s application included proposals based on the Advisory Committee for Historic Ships guidelines to set up a panel of experts to devise the deconstruction plan. The Local Authority, after receiving advice from Historic Scotland, gave consent to deconstruct conditional on the approval of a deconstruction plan devised by the panel of experts.

The Panel of experts included the Advisory Committee on National Historic Ships and was facilitated by Historic Scotland. This was the first time that ACNHS had been involved since 2001. An agreed deconstruction plan was produced which received the formal approval of the Local Authority in April 2009. The first part of the plan required the survey of the vessel which was completed in August 2009. The plan recognised that it was not possible to follow the exact ACNHS guidelines but included break points in the plan where the implementation of the next stages required acceptance by North Ayrshire Council and Historic Scotland.