SS Nomadic facts for kids
The SS Nomadic is a special steamship that was built for the famous White Star Line company. It was launched on 25 April 1911 in Belfast. This ship was designed to be a "tender" for huge ocean liners like the RMS Olympic and the RMS Titanic. A tender is a smaller boat that helps ferry passengers to and from a bigger ship. The Nomadic is the very last White Star Line ship still floating today!
Contents
The Story of the Nomadic
Building a Special Ship
The Nomadic's journey began in 1910 at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast. It was launched on 25 April 1911 and delivered to the White Star Line on 27 May that same year. The ship was about 67 meters (220 feet) long and 11.3 meters (37 feet) wide. It had two propellers that could push it to a top speed of 12 knots.
Helping the Giant Liners
Along with its sister ship, the SS Traffic, the Nomadic worked as a tender for the Titanic and Olympic in Cherbourg, France. These huge liners were too big to fit right into the port. So, the Nomadic would carry passengers from the dock out to the waiting ocean liners. The Nomadic was fancy inside and carried the first and second-class passengers. The Traffic carried the third-class passengers.
Nomadic During Wartime
During World War I, the Nomadic helped out by carrying American troops in Brest, France. Later, in World War II, it served as a troop ship again, this time under the name Ingenieur Minard.
A New Life as a Restaurant
After the wars, the Nomadic continued to help ships until 1968. In 1974, someone bought the Nomadic and turned it into a restaurant on the Seine River in Paris. It stayed there for many years, but eventually, the restaurant closed. The ship was left mostly abandoned until it was moved to the port of Le Havre in 2003.
Saving the Nomadic
Bringing Her Home
Many people wanted to save the Nomadic and bring her back to Belfast for restoration. A group called Belfast Industrial Heritage (BIH) and other enthusiasts started an appeal to raise money. On 26 January 2006, the Nomadic was bought at an auction in Paris by the Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland. It cost them £171,320.
The Nomadic began its journey home from Le Havre on 12 July and arrived back in Belfast on 18 July 2006. It was a big moment, and many people, including government officials, welcomed the ship back. The Nomadic was carried on a special marine barge to get it home safely.
Plans for Restoration
Restoring the Nomadic is a big job! Experts estimated it would cost about £7 million. The Belfast Harbour Commissioners agreed to give the ship a temporary place to dock. A special charity was also set up to help raise money for the restoration. Because the Nomadic is now on the United Kingdom's National Register of Historic Vessels, it can apply for a grant from the National Lottery. This will add to the money already raised from public appeals and the Belfast City Council.
A group called the Nomadic Preservation Society was also formed to help with the effort.
Where is the Nomadic Now?
When the Nomadic first returned to Belfast, it was docked at Queen's Quay and had a temporary exhibition. In late 2008, the ship closed to the public and moved for some internal work. The plan is for it to go into a dry dock for a full restoration.
In January 2009, a company was chosen to manage the restoration plan. The goal was to finish restoring the Nomadic by 2012, which was the 100th anniversary of the Titanic's sinking.
Images for kids
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Nomadic at Barnett Dock, before restoration.
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Nomadic during her restoration in November 2011
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Nomadic in March 2012, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, after the first phase of restoration
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Nomadic in dry dock in 2016
