SS Nomadic

The **SS *Nomadic*** was a tender ship to RMS *Olympic* and RMS *Titanic*. She is the last surviving White Star Line ship in the world, and is docked in Belfast. She is open to the public as part of the Titanic Belfast Visitor Attraction.

## Construction

SS *Nomadic* was one of two tenders, the other being the SS *Traffic**,* built specifically to serve the needs of White Star's new Olympic-Class Liners, *Olympic* and *Titanic,* at Cherbourg, France. Because the harbour at Cherbourg was not deep enough for the huge new White Star ships, passengers had to be ferried out to the boats in tenders. In keeping with the luxury of the Olympic Class, *Nomadic* and her sister had interiors outfitted with some of the same luxurious fittings as the larger liners.

*Nomadic* had four working decks, one funnel, one mast, and twin screws. She was built in 1911 by Harland and Wolff, at Yard No. 422. She was designed by Thomas Andrews. Her launch date was 25 April, 1911.

On 29 May, 1911, *Nomadic* accompanied *Olympic* out of Belfastduring her sea trials. Following the launch of *Titanic* on 31 May, *Nomadic* and *Traffic* went directly to Cherbourg, while *Olympic* went on to Liverpool.

## Career

*Nomadic* served as a tender, bringing passengers and mail to *Titanic* and *Olympic.*

As she was built specifically to serve at Cherbourg, she and *Traffic* were registered under the French flag, and managed by A. Laniece, later by George A. Laniece.

On 13 November, 1911, *Nomadic's* bowwas damaged when she collided with the American Line ship, *Philadelphia.*

On 10 April, 1912, at 6:35pm, *Nomadic* carried passengers and mail out to *Titanic.* Benjamin Guggenheim, Molly Brown, and Dorothy Gibson were among the passengers who boarded *Titanic* via *Nomadic* in Cherbourg. All together, 274 passengers were ferried out to the new liner: 142 First class, 30 Second class, and 102 Third class.

In World War One, *Nomadic* was requisitioned by the French government for service at Brest. She served as a minesweeper and a troop carrier.

In 1931, she once again damaged her bow in a collision, this time with Atlantic Transport liner *Minnewaska.*

In 1934, after a merger with Cunard, *Nomadic* was sold to the Societie Cherbougeoise de Remorquage et Sauvetage. At this time, she was renamed *Ingenieur Minard.*

In 1940, she escaped Cherbourg at the time of German occupation of France. She spent World War Two serving in the same capacity she had in World War One. In 1945, following the war, she was returned to French owners and re-entered the commercial service. Because the port of Cherbourg had been damaged in the war, large ocean liners could not dock there. Due to this, *Nomadic* was able to serve as a tender for liners such as *Queen Mary* and *Queen Elizabeth.* She retired from these duties on 4 November 1968.

## Restoration

In 1970, *Nomadic* was the last vessel of the White Star fleet. She was sold to Somairee for demolition, but

escaped being destroyed. She spent many years as a floating restaurant, anchored in the River Seine at Paris.

Finally, in 2003, her superstructure was removed to enable her to pass under the bridges of the River Seine, and her hull was pushed by a tug to a boat yard at Le Havre. On 12 July 2006, *Nomadic* left Le Havre bound for Belfast, following her purchase at auction by the Northern Ireland Government Department for Social Development for €250,001. She arrived in Belfast on 18 July, 2006.

The Northern Ireland Department for Social Development set up a voluntary charitable trust, called the NomadicCharitable Trust (or NCT) on December 2006. The NCT took ownership of the vessel and was overseeing her conservation and restoration. Their aim was stated as being "To restore the SS *Nomadic* and to make her accessible to the public, to ensure she can play a key role in the ongoing celebration of *Titanic,* ensure a lasting legacy to celebrate our maritime and industrial heritage and as a catalyst for tourism, social and economic development".

In April of 2015, the NCT transferred *Nomadic's* ownership to the Titanic Foundation. Restoration complete, it is now run by Titanic Belfast Nomadic Limited and is part of the Titanic Belfast visitor attraction.

## Interesting Facts

* All of the panels, doors, units, etc sit at an angle to accommodate the curve of the ship's hull.
* SS *Nomadic* was the first tender to have electric lighting.
* The pattern of *Nomadic's* first class floor is the same as the pattern of the flooring for the First Class Dining Saloon on board *Titanic.*
* Lifeboat No. 2 of the *Nomadic* is the last White Star lifeboat in the world. It is currently with the Nomadic Preservation Society.
* During *Nomadic's* restoration, Harland and Wolff rebuilt her decks according to their 1911 specifications, meaning that she was the last ship built by the shipbuilders to this date.