SS Nomadic

**SS _Nomadic**_ is a retired steam ship of the White Star Line. She was built as a tender to the ocean liners RMS _Olympic_ and RMS _Titanic_. SS Nomadic is the last remaining boat built for the White Star Line still afloat.

## History

The keel of _Nomadic_ was laid down in the Harland and Wolff shipyards, Belfast in 1910 (yard number 422). She was launched on 25 April 1911 and delivered to the White Star Line on the 27 May. The ship is 67 meters (220 ft) long and 11.3 meters (37 ft) wide, with a gross tonnage of 1,273 tons. She had two three-bladed screws, with a maximum speed of 12 knots.

With her sister ship SS _Traffic_, _Nomadic_ was used as a tender for _Titanic_ and _Olympic_ at Cherbourg in France. This meant she would taxi the second and first passengers from Cherbourg to_Titanic or_ _Olympic. SS Traffic however, was used to taxi third class passengers onto the Titanic or Olympic_

In 1927, she was sold to Compagnie Cherbourghoise de Transbordement and then sold again to the Société Cherbourghoise de Remorquage et de Sauvetage in 1934. Then she was changed to the name _Ingenieur Minard_, she again served as troop ship in World War II.

After the war she continued tendering Cunard White Star (White Star Lines and _Cunard_ merged in 1934) ships until November 1968. She then served RMS _Queen Elizabeth_ for the last time.

In 1974, _Nomadic_ was bought by a private individual and converted into a restaurant on the Seine in Paris, where she remained docked and semi-abandoned after the closure of the restaurant, until she was moved to the port of Le Havre in 2003.

## Preservation of _Nomadic_

A public appeal for donations to return _Nomadic_ to the Harland and Wolff shipyard for restoration was organised by Belfast Industrial Heritage, a non-profit organisation in Northern Ireland in collaboration with enthusiasts through the SaveNomadic.com Appeal.

On 26 January 2006, SS _Nomadic_ was purchased at auction in Paris by the Department for Social Development, part of the Northern Ireland Office. She cost £171,320 (the reserve price being £165,000).

SS _Nomadic_ left Le Havre to return to Belfast on 12 July, and arrived back close to where she was built on 18 July 2006. She was welcomed back by the Social Development Minister David Hanson MP and the Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Belfast, Councillor Ruth Patterson and a number of well wishers. The _Nomadic_ arrived "piggy backed" on a marine transportation barge, which had been contracted from Anchor Marine Transportation Limited.

A study by Belfast City Council estimated the cost of restoring _Nomadic_ at £7 million. Belfast Harbour Commissioners have agreed to provide a temporary berth for the ship, and a charitable trust to co-ordinate fundraising for the restoration has been set up. Now that the vessel is on the United Kingdom's National Register of Historic Vessels, the project should qualify for a National Lottery grant application, which should greatly enhance existing funds of £60,000 from a public appeal and £100,000 from Belfast City Council.

The Nomadic Appeal Public Website founded the Nomadic Preservation Society.

## Location

On her return to Belfast, SS _Nomadic_ was moored at Queen's Quay just outside the Odyssey Arena in Belfast and opened with a temporary exhibition. In late 2008 the ship was closed to the public and moved to Barnett's Dock for internal maintenance.

In January 2009, the company Frazer-Nash was appointed to manage the Conservation Management Plan.  The level of restoration will then be decided.It was planned that the restoration of SS _Nomadic_ will be completed in time for the 100th anniversary of the sinking of _Titanic_ in 2012.

## Nomadic today

SS Nomadic is now a museum ship restored back to her former glory in Belfast Hamilton dock. Her interiors were fitted and she was repainted back to the white star line livery. Even though nomadic will never set sail again, she will remain a tourist attraction and a Belfast landmark.

## Further reading

- Vanhoutte, Fabrice and Melia, Philippe (2004). _Le S/S Nomadic: Petit frère du Titanic_. Cherbourg: Editions Isoète.

## Other websites

- Nomadic Preservation Society
- Nomadic Charitable Trust
- SS Nomadic Forum, Run by The Nomadic Preservation Society
- SS Nomadic History
- SS Nomadic and her sister ship, SS Traffic
- Maritime Matters - Nomadic
- National Register of Historic Vessels
- BBC News - "Titanic link ship set for Belfast"
- Anchor Marine Transportation Limited
- Pictures of the Nomadic
- Department for Social Development
- Nomadic in 2000 - photo from 2000 with brief description
- Nomadic Home_ at Atlantic Liners
- French Titanic Society - Association Française du Titanic
- - The French book by P. Melia & F. Vanhoutte