SS Nomadic from Paper Shipwright - Page 7

**Bengt Fredén** · #61 10-12-2012, 07:04 AM

Still another newsletter from 'The Blue Star Line' today:

This is getting a bit tedious now, too many oysters and too much champagne - I would like to see some actual shipbuilding plans, or photos from the Jinling Shipyard in China, but I'll guess we'll have to wait until the 4th of December, at best, for that:

"Former Heads of State to Congregate at London’s Titanic II Dinner - MEDIA RELEASE
12 October 2012

Blue Star Line Chairman Professor Clive Palmer’s gala black-tie dinner in London later this year is beginning to take shape, with some of the world’s foremost former heads of state confirmed to attend. Set to congregate at the National History Museum on Saturday, December 1, 2012, in honour of The Titanic both past present and future is John Bruton former Prime Minister of Ireland, former President Ricardo Lagos of Chile and former Prime Minister Petre Roman of Romania. All three gentlemen, together with Professor Palmer, are Club de Madrid members, with President Lagos a former Club de Madrid President.

Professor Palmer said he was honoured that some of the world’s foremost heads of state will be attending the gala dinner in London. “The Titanic will be remembered when guests meet to enjoy the same menu as first class Titanic passengers did on April 14, 1912,” he said.

“A collection of original items salvaged from the Titanic will be on display at the Natural History Museum during the event and entertainment on the night will feature performances by the Metropolitan Police Service Band, the British Imperial Military Band and the Emerald Society Police Band.”

He said Titanic II is scheduled to set sail her from Southampton to New York on her maiden passenger voyage in 2016."

Yak, yak, yak...

/ Bengt

**Bengt Fredén** · #62 10-12-2012, 07:23 AM

I just sent this to the Blue Star Line:

"Forget about all the oysters, champagne, and black ties already! Enough!

If I receive ONE more newsletter about a black-tie gala dinner presentation, I will never again look at this project!

The whole world is waiting to hear about the 'Titanic II' project proper, and to see some ACTUAL shipbuilding plans from DeltaMarin and photos from Jinling Shipyard China, who is supposed to build the ship replica.

With Mr Hall and Mr Klistorner now aboard, many of the thousands of RMS Titanic enthusiasts all over the Globe will want to hear that Clive Palmer is now going to build a TRUE replica of the legendary liner, not some floating Queensland Circus, which hasn't even got the ship's authentic SHEER or upper hull curvature. This is most worrying in my opinion, because it would render a ship's replica which wouldn't at the the least look like the elegant original liner.

Please see to it that these points and suggestions are brought directly to Professor Palmer, Mr Steve Hall, and Mr Daniel Klistorner - thank you.

With the kindest regards - looking forward to hearing more from you - regarding THE SHIP,
Bengt Fredén,
professional photographer, model builder & Titanic enthusiast,
Stockholm, Sweden"

/ Bengt

**Bengt Fredén** · #63 10-12-2012, 11:13 AM

The current Titanic II discussion over at TRMA, for those of you who are interested:
TITANIC FORUM - Clive Palmer's "Titanic II"

Will she sail again from Southampton in 2016?

Time will tell,
Bengt

**Bengt Fredén** · #64 10-12-2012, 12:18 PM

Hi all RMS Titanic (and SS Nomadic) enthusiasts,

To follow up on the discussion of the very important 'sheer' or longitudal hull curvature of the 'Olympic Class' liners from Harland & Wolff, of which RMS Titanic was the second, take a look at this very short BBC video clip showing the (open) port side promenade deck (the Titanic's was partly enclosed forward) of the RMS Olympic, Titanic's sister ship - note especially the covered railing on the left side, where the curvature of the length of the ship can be fully appreciated. It certainly wouldn't be the same without it!

Second cabin promenade deck Stock Footage from BBC Motion Gallery

/ Bengt

PS.
This is what model builder 'Jason' has written on the TRMA discussion forum on the 'sheer' of the Olympic Class liners:

"Camber is the lateral curvature of the decks, as seen in cross-section. It dates back to wooden sailing vessels. The decks were arched to provide additional strength and also to allow water to run off. Titanic did not have a pronounced camber. If one compares Olympic ships to contemporary Cunard ships like Lusitania, there is a marked difference in camber. The early Cunard liners Campania and Lucania had very pronounced cambers. But in the case of Titanic the camber was so neglible as to allow it to be omitted in a model or copy without any noticeable detraction to the ship's aesthetic appearance.

Sheer is the longitudinal curvature of the ships lines, and removing this from a liner like Titanic will seriously detract from its aesthetic appearance. Regardless of how ships are constructed today, sheer, or at least the appearance of it, could be incorporated into a modern design, but it is an expensive detail."

**peter taft** · #65 10-12-2012, 03:16 PM

Totally agree... either build her properly {her original profile} or not at all. I am enthusiastic about the project, but let's get things right - lord there's enough money being thrown at this so why cut corners, especially in the most noticeable areas. It would be no real extra complication for the proper shape to be adhered to. Yes the internal structures should also be given the same amount of thought also. Can you imagine the main staircase being a "wood effect" piece of cheapo timber... NO ! and rightly so, anything other than the use of proper materials would be a cheap insult to this magnificent ship. I want to see this project go ahead, but get done properly... do the partying after the "job is done" at this rate they would have drank the equivalent of a replica rudder.

**Bengt Fredén** · #66 03-24-2013, 10:59 AM

NO - this is unfortunately not a posting of any advances on my long-lasting SS Nomadic build,

that project has come to a tempoary stand-still, due to extensive rearrangements in our house. Instead, since I started a discussion inside this thread re. the upcoming Titanic II replica cruiser, I'd like to comment on the recent presentation by Prof. Clive Palmer on the outline and features of this planned project:

At the web site of 'The Blue Star Line', there is now extensive visual information regarding both the exterior and grand interiors of the proposed replica cruise ship, in computer generated photos as well as small animated video clips - just click on the ship photo on the left and step into a 360° view of the Titanic II, with highlighted areas presented in great detail, if you click further - it's quite enjoyable:
Titanic II
Mind you, nothing is as yet signed and sealed with the Jinling Shipyard in China (but that is said to happen in late March 2013). That will probbaly be when and if Prof. Palmer & Co are finished eating oysters and drinking champagne at all the gala dinners around the world...

(The photo above is taken from the Blue Star web site, but I have taken the liberty of brightening it, correcting the slanting horizon, correcting to some extent the 'White Star Buff' funnel color, and concealing, as much as I could, the hideous signal-colored life-rafts behind the openings along the port side)

As you will all no doubt notice, there are some major changes taking place, that evidently has to be accepted due to modern shipping and safety standards, for example a wider hull (by 4 meters, giving a 'fatter' hull appearance), a new safety deck is added, making a total of 10 decks (with openings for big life rafts for ALL passengers along both hull sides), a modern, though concealed, larger and longer wheel-house, (behind a replica front, now seemingly closed on both sides to the boat deck), a radar in the crow's nest, radar and NAV-SAT openings in the first two 'funnels' (clearly visible from a top angle) with access stairways running up both funnels on the port side from the boat deck to 'viewing platforms', larger deck-housings - especially the first one just aft of the new longer bridge and wheel-house, connected to the 1st Class Grand Staircase. And - for obvious reasons, there are no Marconi antennae cables or lines in the air between the two first funnels. However, the rat lines up the Fore and Main masts have been kept, which adds to the realism of the rigging.

However, the most noticable change is the area of the stern; due partly to the wider hull (by 4 meters) but mainly to the drive system (by Delta-Marin of Finland) of the three forward-facing Azipod-steering propellers directly under the stern, the original sleek and elegant design has apparently been scrapped in favor of a much heavier and 'fatter' appearance, especially close to the waterline but also above it in the hull. This is compensated in part by retaining half of the original rudder design, above the waterline. This is a great pity, because this is an area where the original ship received much of it's gentle elegance and grace.

You will also no doubt be aware of the fact that the docking bridge on top of the Poop Deck is not there at all - instead, there is a helicopter landing platform very near the tip of the stern. That was probably the only logical place, if the modern safety rules at sea prescribes such a landing place, which would probably be very unsafe to land on in high seas or in a rescue situation. Hence, the large life rafts are there. And there will be a Chinese military ship following the Titanic II on the maiden voyage in 2016, just before Christmas (!)

To sum up, the look of this CGI presentation of the Titanic II clearly favors the bow over the alterations and design compromises of the stern. Pray tell - what are your opinions?

All the best from Stockholm,

Ahoy, from Bengt

PS.
There is a YouTube video, where each deck is explained and some showed in animated video clips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=...0&feature=fvwp

**Bengt Fredén** · #67 04-03-2013, 05:17 PM

Ahoy!

Has anyone seen the updated info (in my recent post above) re. the interesting Titanic II project by Prof. Clive Palmer? There are now new images, a 360° view of the ship, and video clips to watch at the Blue Star Line web site.

Bengt in Stockholm

**Bengt Fredén** · #68 05-28-2013, 09:05 AM

Hi all sea dogs,

As I am reporting, now and then, on the development of Clive Palmer's Titanic II project, inside this interrupted SS Nomadic build thread, here are today's news - reknowned Swedish shipping designer Tillberg Design of Sweden, and senior architect Fredrik Johansson, will undertake the vast and time-challenging task to make ALL the interior designs onboard the upcoming replica liner, in 1st, 2nd and 3rd class, before the maiden voyage in 2016:
Titanic II Engages World?s Leading Marine Architecture and Interior Design Company - Blue Star Line

The news are echoed in Cruise Industry News as well: Tillberg Design of Sweden Joins Titanic Project - Cruise Industry News | Cruise News

Tillberg Design of Sweden's own web site, where you might view their various projects so far: DESIGN | Tillbergs

Thus, most of the initial planning and execution of the interiors, as well as supplying the engine power for the Titanic II are concentrated to Scandinavia, as the Finnish shipping company Delta-Marin are already under contract to deliver the two huge diesel powerplants for the ship.

Finland is one of Sweden's closest neighbours across the Baltic Sea.

All the best,
Bengt

**Bengt F** · #69 12-21-2015, 07:18 AM

Well,
RMS Titanic and SS Nomadic enthusiasts,

It now seems very likely that there will not be a 'second sailing' of the new Titanic II from Southampton to New York on the 10th of April 2016. Clive Palmer's ambitious project (to say the least) seams to have stranded on the initial negotiations with the primary Chinese shipyard, Jinling, who seems very cold towards the grand idea, and the following are the latest news:

"When probed by the BBC, a spokesperson for the Australian-based firm The Blue Star Line said: The project has “been pushed back with a planned launch date of late 2018.”

The last reported development on the Blue Star Line website was on May 9th 2014, stating that the Blue Star Line has signed a Memorandum of understanding with Deltamarin Ltd (Finland) and [new] AVIC Kaixin (Beijing) Ship Industry Co Ltd."

Clive Palmer apparently said recently, when asked, that "the keel will be laid ot in the final quarter of this year (2016)". Perhaps it is then safer to hope for a sailing from Southampton on the 10th of April 2019, at the earliest, if ever...

Ahoy!
Bengt in Stockholm

Links:
The Blue Star Line, Australia: News | Blue Star Line
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanic_II
The Australian, March 29th, 2014: Nocookies | The Australian
Sunshine Coast Daily, Australia, March 31st, 2014: Clive
British Seafarers, UK, August 14th, 2015: Titanic II project stalls « British Seafarers

**Don Boose** · #70 12-21-2015, 08:09 AM

Thanks for keeping us up to date on this strange saga. While I wait for further Titanic II developments, I will have some oysters and champagne.

Don