Tag Archives: Harland & Wolff

Titanic Chronology-Titanic Sea Trials (2 April 1912)

April 2, 2026 Mark Taylor

Titanic leaving Belfast with two guiding tugs, 2 April 1912
Robert John Welch (1859-1936), official photographer for Harland & Wolff
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons

Titanic’s sea trials, originally scheduled for 1 April at 10 am but cancelled due to adverse weather, took place at 0600 on 2 April 1912. While it reduced staying in Southhampton by one day, it provided an opportunity for the officers and crew to see how the new ship operated. 78 members of “black gang”–stokers, greasers and firemen– were aboard along with 41 other members of the crew. Both Harold Bride and Jack Phillips were aboard as well to make sure the radio equipment was working properly. Unfortunately, due to illness neither Bruce Ismay nor Lord Pirrie could attend. Among the representatives in attendance were:

Thomas Andrews and Edward Wilding of Harland and Wolff
Harold A. Sanderson of IMM
Francis Carruthers of the Board of Trade to certify the ship was working correctly and fit to carry passengers.

Crowds gathered at the banks of Belfast Lough to watch Titanic pass by. After the mooring lines were dropped, tugs assisted the ship down Belfast Lough until she reached the point where it was time to detach the tugs and move on her own power. Signals were sent from the bridge to the engine room, and the two massive engines came on to move the massive propellers. From that moment on, Titanic was moving under its own power for the very first time. Gradually the speed was worked up to 20 knots (23 mph) and the sea trials began in earnest.

Over 12 hours the ship was driven at different speeds and her turning ability was tested. Testing on how fast Titanic could stop quickly (called a “crash stop”) was done as well. This was achieved by reversing full ahead to full astern. Titanic came to a stop in 850 yards taking approximately 3 minutes and 15 seconds. Titanic covered a distance of about 80 nautical miles (92 land miles) with an average speed of 18 knots (21 mph). Titanic reached its maximum speed of slightly under 21 knots (24 mph).

Titanic went into the Irish Sea for two hours covering 40 miles then turned back home. Doing a few more maneuvers as she returned to Belfast at 7:00 p.m. The sea trials were not quite over though as Carruthers requested that both the port and starboard anchors be lowered. With that completed, he signed the certificate “Agreement and Account of Voyages and Crew” certifying the ship seaworthy for one year. It was also signed by Thomas Andrews and Harold Sanderson.

Titanic returned to Belfast at around 1900 (7 pm). Carruthers as surveyor for the Board of Trade signed the document (“Agreement and Account of Voyages and Crew”) certifying for 12 months the ship was seaworthy. Those not staying aboard Titanic for its 8:00 p.m. departure for Southampton were ferried to shore. Titanic would depart on time at 8:00 p.m.

It would take 28 hours to travel the 600 miles reach her destination on 4 April 1912 for the midnight tide. Time was of the essence due to one less day in Southampton to take on provisions and supplies for its departure on 10 April 1912. With five tugs assisting her, she docked at Berth 44 to prepare for her maiden voyage.

Sources

Books

Cameron, Stephen. Titanic: Belfast’s Own. Colourpoint, 2011.

Lord, Walter

–A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, Holt Rinehart and Winston, New York, New York, 1955. Multiple revisions and reprints, notably Illustrated editions (1976,1977,1978 etc.)

–THE NIGHT LIVES ON, Willian Morrow and Company, New York, New York, 1986 (First Edition)

Internet Articles

Dane, Kane. “Titanic’S Sea Trials.” Titanic-Titanic.Com. Last modified July 3, 2019. Accessed April 1, 2026. https://www.titanic-titanic.com/titanics-sea-trials/.

Payne, Brad. “Titanic’s Voyage From Belfast to Southampton April 2, 1912: Sea Trials and Delivery to Southampton.” Encyclopedia Titanica. Last modified November 1, 2021. Accessed April 1, 2026. https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-voyage-belfast-southampton-april-2nd.html.

Titanic News Channel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

History, Titanic

Titanic Chronology: Construction Begins on Titanic (31 Mar 1909)

March 31, 2026 Mark Taylor

RMS Titanic ready for launch(1911)
Public Domain (U.S. Library of Congress, digital id#cph.3a27541)

The immense size required to build the Olympic class vessels for the White Star Line by Harland & Wolff required demolishing three existing slipways on Queen’s Island in Belfast Harbor. Two new ones–the largest built at the time–would be used to construct both RMS Olympic and Titanic. Olympic had its keel laid on 16 December 1908 followed by Titanic on 31 March 1909. Since both ships were being built parallel to the other, Queen’s Island became known as “Titanic Quarter.” An enormous gantry was built to hold the crease needed during construction.

Each ship under an expedited schedule was expected to be completed in 26 months. Both ships had double bottoms of 5 feet 3 inches deep supporting 300 frames (24 and 36 inches apart and were 66 feet high) that went up to bridge deck (B deck). Steel plates provided the outer skin of both ships. Both ships were floating box girders with the keel as the backbone of the ship.

Sources

Behe, George TITANIC: SAFETY, SPEED AND SACRIFICE, Transportation Trails, Polo, IL 1997

Eaton John P. & Haas Charles, TITANIC TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY, SECOND EDITION, W.W. Norton & Company, New York, New York, 1995 First American Edition

Lord, Walter, A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, Holt Rinehart and Winston, New York, New York, 1955. Multiple revisions and reprints, notably Illustrated editions (1976,1977,1978 etc.)

Lord, Walter, THE NIGHT LIVES ON, Willian Morrow and Company, New York, New York, 1986 (First Edition

Lynch, Don & Marshall Ken, TITANIC AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY, Madison Press Books, Toronto, Ontario Canada, 1992

History, Titanic

Titanic History: Titanic Sea Trials (2 April 1912)

April 2, 2025 Mark Taylor

Titanic’s sea trials would begin at 0600. It was cancelled the previous day due to bad weather. The day was clear and fair for the trials. Aboard were 78 stokers, greasers, and fireman. 41 members of the crew were also aboard. Harold Bride and Jack Phillips were aboard as well both as radio operators and to make sure the equipment was ready.

Various representatives were aboard which included the following:

Thomas Andrews and Edward Wilding of Harland and Wolff
Harold A. Sanderson of IMM
Francis Carruthers of the Board of Trade to certify the ship was working correctly and fit to carry passengers.

Unfortunately, due to illness neither Bruce Ismay nor Lord Pirrie could attend. The Titanic was out through a series of tests to show how she handled. These were done in Belfast Lough and in the Irish Sea. Over 12 hours the ship was driven at different speeds and her turning ability was tested. Testing on how fast Titanic could stop quickly (called a “crash stop”) was done as well. This was achieved by reversing full ahead to full astern. Titanic came to a stop in 850 yards taking approximately 3 minutes and 15 seconds. Titanic covered a distance of about 80 nautical miles (92 land miles) with an average speed of 18 knots (21 mph). Titanic reached its maximum speed of slightly under 21 knots (24 mph).

Titanic returned to Belfast at around 1900 (7 pm). Carruthers as surveyor for the Board of Trade signed the document (“Agreement and Account of Voyages and Crew”) certifying for 12 months the ship was seaworthy. Titanic would depart at 20:00 (8 pm) for Southampton. It would take 28 hours to reach her destination near midnight on 4 April 1912.

Sources:

Cameron, Stephen. Titanic: Belfast’s Own. Wolfhound Press (IE), 1998.

Walter Lord
—. A Night to Remember. Henry Holt, 1955.
—. Night Lives On. Avon, 1998

—. “Titanic.” Wikipedia, 2 Apr. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanic.

History, Titanic

Titanic History: Construction Begins on Titanic (31 Mar 1909)

March 31, 2025 Mark Taylor

Due to the immense size in constructing the Olympic class vessels for White Star Line, Harland & Wolff had to demolish three existing slipways on Queen’s Island in Belfast Harbor. The two new ones, the largest ever built at that time, would be where both Olympic and Titanic would be constructed. The keel for Olympic was laid on 16 December 1908 and Titanic on 31 March 1909. Both ships would be constructed parallel to each other. Queen’s Island became known as Titanic Quarter and an enormous gantry was built to hold the cranes needed during construction. Expedited completion for each ship was 26 months. The base of both ships had a double bottom of 5 feet 3 inches deep supporting 300 frames (each were 24 and 36 inches apart and measured up to 66 feet) which terminated at the bridge deck (B deck). These were covered with steel plates which provided the outer skin of both ships. Both ships were floating box girders with the keel as the backbone of the ship.

Sources:

Books

Purchase Titanic Books on Amazon.

Behe, George TITANIC: SAFETY, SPEED AND SACRIFICE, Transportation Trails, Polo, IL 1997

Eaton John P. & Haas Charles, TITANIC TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY, SECOND EDITION, W.W. Norton & Company, New York, New York, 1995 First American Edition

Lord, Walter, A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, Holt Rinehart and Winston, New York, New York, 1955. Multiple revisions and reprints, notably Illustrated editions (1976,1977,1978 etc)

Lord, Walter, THE NIGHT LIVES ON, Willian Morrow and Company, New York, New York, 1986 (First Edition)

Lynch, Don & Marshall Ken, TITANIC AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY, Madison Press Books, Toronto, Ontario Canada, 1992

Internet

Britannica.com
Encyclopedia Titanica
History.com

Titanic

Holy Innocents and Titanic News

December 28, 2024 Mark Taylor

Massacre of the Innocents
Matteo di Giovanni (1435–1495)
Public Domain

Today is the feast of the Holy Innocents (28 December) which commemorates the children killed in Bethlehem by Herod. According to the Gospel of Matthew, the magi had promised to return to Herod to inform him about the messiah. However, they were warned not to return in a dream. Herod ordered the killing of all male infants ages 2 and under. Joseph was told in a dream to take Mary and the baby Jesus to Egypt to wait until Herod was dead. This particular story is only recounted in Matthew and not in Luke leading many to doubt it occurred. However, considering how Herod ruthlessly killed those that opposed him, it would not be out of character either. Executions were common back then, so it probably was of little note in a sea of tribulation. The Feast of the Holy Innocents was observed as far back as 485 AD and most Christian denominations observe it. Although it is a somber observance, many Spanish speaking countries celebrate Día de los Inocentes (Day of the Innocents) but in a more light-hearted manner. It is similar to April Fools’ Day where harmless pranks and jokes are done. Forgiveness is offered by the victims to the prankers (in Spanish innocent often means naïve, though that can vary in different countries).

Now for some Titanic news. A few days before the Christmas holiday, it was announced that Spanish government owned Navantia has concluded a deal to acquire Harland & Wolff. While the exact terms were not disclosed yet, they include the four shipyards (Belfast, Arnish and Methil in Scotland, and Appledore in southwest England) and will save 1,000 jobs. The U.K. Royal Navy contract will continue but some terms have been renegotiated. Also the U.K. is providing financial support was well but the exact amount is undisclosed.

Black, Harry. “Titanic Shipbuilder to Be Bailed Out With Extra Taxpayers’ Money.” The Times, December 19, 2024. https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/companies/article/titanic-shipbuilder-to-be-bailed-out-with-extra-taxpayers-money-xnq9k2dnh.

The recent auction of the Rostron watch by Henry Aldridge & Son broke a record with the highest amount paid at £1.56m ($1.96m). The 18-carat gold watch was presented to Captain Rostron by some of the survivors who were rescued by him in April 1912. The November auction left many wondering who the buyer was since it was done anonymously. However, it has now been disclosed that the purchaser was none other than Tiffany & Co, the luxury jeweler who originally made the watch back in 1912. “Captain Rostron’s pocket watch is an incredible expression of thanks and gratitude, and we are humbled to welcome this extraordinary treasure home to Tiffany & Co,” said Christopher Young who is the retailer’s vice president of creative visual merchandising, events, and the Tiffany Archives. The watch will go on display at LVMH Watch Week in Miami on 28 Jan-1 Feb. The watch will also go on display at special events and at Tiffany locations as well.

National Jeweler. “Historic Titanic Pocket Watch Winds Its Way Back to Tiffany & Co.” Nationaljeweler.Com. https://nationaljeweler.com/articles/13503-historic-titanic-pocket-watch-winds-its-way-back-to-tiffany-co

Exhibition Returns to Dallas

After many years away, Titanic: The Exhibition returns to Dallas on 14 February 2025 at Pepper Square. According to Tom Zaller, president and CEO of Imagine which holds this exhibition,: “Titanic has been a part of my life since the late 90’s when I had the incredible opportunity to dive to the wreck site, and since that firsthand experience, I’ve presented hundreds of exhibitions about the ship, her people and her stories.”

Murray, Lance. “Titanic Exhibition Returns to Dallas With Artifacts, Ship Re-Creations, and More.” Dallas Innovates. Last modified December 19, 2024. https://dallasinnovates.com/titanic-exhibition-returns-to-dallas-with-artifacts-ship-re-creations-and-more/.

To salvage or not to salvage is still a question to be determined by RMS Titanic, Inc. Their most recent journey to the wreck didn’t include removing anything from the wreck, but they are reserving the right to do so down the road say various news reports. However, while they don’t plan to salvage the wreck in 2025, they are not closing off not doing it later. This puts them into potential conflict with the U.S. government which had argued salvage was not permitted by treaty and U.S. law. While that issue was not litigated, it will surely come back if and when the company decides to retrieve artifacts from inside the wreck.

For the moment, the company has no plans to salvage from the wreck. There are those who are planning to restart tourist dives to Titanic, but nothing has been announced yet regarding those ventures for 2025.

BEN FINLEY Associated Press and ABC News. “The Last Titanic Salvage Expedition Was in 2010. Will There Be Any More?” ABC News. Last modified December 12, 2024. https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/titanic-salvage-expedition-2010-116746197

Titanic

Harland & Wolff Update

December 11, 2024 Mark Taylor

Harland & Wolff David and Goliath crane in Belfast, 2006
Plastic Jesus (Dave) via Wikimedia Commons

It is being reported that a deal to purchase Titanic shipbuilder Harland & Wolff has gotten approval by the British cabinet. Spanish government owned Navantia will acquire the company and its four UK shipyards keeping about 1,000 British jobs in the process. While the final details have yet to be worked out, a general outline has been agreed to. Also, a UK Royal Navy contract for three Fleet Solid Support vessels will be renegotiated.

A deal could be reached later this week and announced before Christmas.

Source

Kleinman, Mark. “Harland & Wolff Close to Government-backed Rescue Deal With Navantia.” Sky News. Last modified December 7, 2024. https://news.sky.com/story/harland-and-wolff-close-to-government-backed-rescue-deal-with-navantia-13268471.

Titanic

Harland & Wolff Owed £160 Million;Institutional Buyer Snatches Large Parts of Collection; Rolex Watches That Visited Titanic Up for Auction

November 4, 2024 Mark Taylor

Ricketts, Colin. “‘Institutional Buyer’ Swoops but Leaves Titanic Haul for Collectors in Shipwreck Sale.” JustCollecting News. Last modified November 1, 2024. https://news.justcollecting.com/institutional-buyer-swoops-but-leaves-titanic-haul-for-buyers-in-shipwreck-sale/.

Lay’s Auctioneers of Penzanze posted this statement to their website just a week before the Charlestown Shipwreck Museum Sale was due to start on November 6. “We are pleased to announce that an institutional home has been found for many of the most important shipwreck artefacts from Charlestown’s incredible collection. Before this shock news, over 7,000 items from the Shipwreck Treasure Museum had been due to sell in 1,260 lots. Now 500 have been removed. A piece of coal from the legendary liner is still on sale with a £400 – £600 estimate. And those fascinated by the disaster-struck vessel can bid for models expected to realise, respectively, up to £800 and as much as £1,200 at sale. The lots listed still constitute a major maritime sale. They include guns, diving suits, uniforms and many ship parts.

Robinson, Jon. “Huge Debts at Titanic Shipbuilder Harland & Wolff Revealed.” City AM. Last modified October 31, 2024. https://www.cityam.com/huge-debts-at-titanic-shipbuilder-harland-wolff-revealed/.

Titanic shipbuilder Harland & Wolff owed more than £160m when it collapsed into administration last month, it has been revealed. Teneo was appointed to oversee the process at the 162-year-old holding company in September while its subsidiary firms, including its prized Belfast shipyard, will continue to trade under the control of the directors. “Whilst the group delivered revenue growth, it was slower than required and a recent large contract win was not expected to become profitable in the near term. “As a result, during 2024 the group had an increasing short-term liquidity requirement alongside a significant level of creditor arrears.”

“Certificate of Origin: This coal was recovered from the wreck of R.M.S. Titanic during the 1994 Titanic Research and Recovery Expedition. Object No. 94/0036. Authenticated by the signature of President, RMS Titanic, Inc.; Captain, IFREMER.” Exhibited at the National Shipwreck Museum in Charlestown, Cornwall, South West England. [This is the coal up for auction.]
Image: Ben Sutherland via Wikimedia Commons. Posted originally on Flickr.

Paul, Andrew. “A Hunk of Coal From the Titanic Could Fetch $780 at Auction.” Popular Science, October 29, 2024. https://www.popsci.com/science/shipwreck-auction-titanic-coal/.

It’s unlikely that much else from the Titanic’s wreckage will ever return to the surface, although a number of artifacts have been salvaged since the famous ocean liner’s rediscovery in 1985. Now, one of those pieces of history is headed to auction—a hunk of coal originally intended as fuel for the 882-foot-long vessel’s boilers. The massive archeological trove previously resided at the UK’s Shipwreck Treasure Museum near St. Austell, Cornwall. Although its owners attempted to find a buyer for the institution earlier this year, no one appears ready to shell out the listing’s roughly $2.5 million price tag. Speaking with The Guardian on October 27th, David Lay of Lay’s Auctioneers helped contextualize the significance of his company’s impending event lots, including a length of rope recovered from King Henry VIII’s Tudor flagship, the Mary Rose.

Davis, Johnny. “For Sale: Rolex Watches That Have Been to the Titanic.” Esquire, October 29, 2024. https://www.esquire.com/uk/watches/a62746931/for-sale-rolex-watches-that-have-been-to-the-titanic/.

The second watch was gifted to Giddings by a Rolex employee and prominent diver called T. Walker Lloyd. The pair had become friends after Giddings had begun documenting the research of the marine biologist Dr. Sylvia Earle. Giddings’s photography was used by Rolex to launch its working relationship with Dr. Earle. (Giddings provided it for free.) Now both of Giddings’ Submariners are up for auction at Sotheby’s. The December sale is being overseen by Geoff Hess. The steel ref. 1680 has an estimate of $20,000-$40,000. His yellow gold ref. 1680/8 has an estimate of $30,000-$60,000. The sale takes place on 6 December in New York.

Novantia in Talks to Acquire Harland & Wolf; OceanGate CEO’s Wife Related to Isidor & Ida Strauss; Titanic Exhibition Coming to Boston

October 15, 2024 Mark Taylor

RMS Titanic pictured in Queenstown, Ireland 11 April 1912
Source:Cobh Heritage Centre, Cobh Ireland/Wikimedia Commons

Williams, Kelly. “Eerie Link Between Devoted Titanic Couple and the Doomed Oceangate Submersible.” Daily Star. Last modified October 13, 2024. https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/eerie-link-between-devoted-titanic-33864720.

In a twist of fate, it has emerged that their great-granddaughter Wendy Rush was married to the CEO of OceanGate, Stockton Rush who died when the Titan submersible imploded in June 2023 killing all five on board, Business Insider reports. Her great-grandparents, Isidor and Ida were born in Germany before moving to America and were aged 67 and 63 when the Titanic sank.

Oliver, Matt. “Spanish Shipbuilder Close to a Deal to Buy Titanic Shipbuilder Harland & Wolff.” The Telegraph, October 11, 2024. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/10/11/spanish-shipbuilder-close-deal-buy-titanic-harland-wolff/.

Spanish state-owned giant Navantia is nearing a deal to buy stricken shipbuilder Harland & Wolff out of administration, putting hundreds of jobs at risk. The sale being lined up in exclusive talks between the parties, which remains tentative, would see Navantia take control of Harland & Wolff in late November, The Telegraph understands. It would include all four of the company’s yards – in Belfast; Appledore, Devon; Arnish on the Isle of Lewis; and Methil, Fife – which collectively employ around 1,000 workers.

Titan (submersible)
Becky Kagan Schott, OceanGate

FOX 13 Seattle. “Titan’s Former Lead Engineer Says He Felt Pressured to Get the Submersible Ready.” FOX 13 Seattle, October 8, 2024. https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/titans-former-lead-engineer-says-he-felt-pressured-get-submersible-ready.

The lead engineer for an experimental submersible that imploded en route to the wreck of the Titanic testified Monday that he felt pressured to get the vessel ready to dive and refused to pilot it for a journey several years earlier. “‘I’m not getting in it,'” Tony Nissen said he told Stockton Rush, co-founder of the OceanGate company that owned the Titan submersible.

Titanic lost: Belfast Telegraph front page on 16 April 1912
Source: Belfast Telegraph

Campsie, Alison. “The Scotsman Archive: How We Reported the Sinking of the Titanic.” The Scotsman, October 4, 2024. https://www.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/the-scotsman-archive-how-we-reported-the-sinking-of-the-titanic-4809634.

The Scotsman first reported the disaster on April 16, but the story only appeared in a few lines of parliamentary business picked up from the day before. The report said: “The President of the Board of Trade said he received a short time ago the following telegram from The White Star Office: Liverpool. “Only information telegram from New York as follows – ‘Newspaper wireless reports advise Titanic collision with iceberg at 41.46 north, 50.14 west. Women being put into lifeboats. Steamer Virginian expects to reach Titanic 10am. Olympic and Baltic proceeding to Titanic. Have no direct information.” Page 7 of The Scotsman on April 17 1912 where the first full stories of the sinking of The Titanic appeared.

Titanic Lunch Menu 14 April 1912
Photo: AP

Lupus, Luna Christina. “How First Class Passengers Took Their Steak Aboard the Titanic.” Tasting Table. Last modified October 3, 2024. https://www.tastingtable.com/1675171/titanic-first-class-menu-steak/.

On April 11, the second evening of the ship’s journey, sirloin steak was served with horseradish cream, a combination still popular today. Pairing horseradish with steak offers an elevated flavor experience, and the cream is very easy to prepare-Horseradish is mixed with sour cream and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Another steak dish from the dinner menu is beef tournedos a la Victoria. Tournedos are the same steak cut as filet mignon; except they can be slightly larger. Prepared “a la Victoria,” tournedos were served with crumb-coated fried bananas, a very interesting combination that was then topped with white and espagnole sauces, two of French cuisine’s five mother sauces.

Titanic Exhibition

Bodnarchuk, Kari. “Travel News You Can Use: Titanic Exhibit and Theater District Tour.” BostonGlobe.Com, October 3, 2024. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/10/03/lifestyle/here-there-everywhere-titanic-theater-district/.

See deck chairs, jewelry, fine China, and other authentic artifacts from the wreck site of the Titanic during an upcoming exhibition at The Saunders Castle at Park Plaza, Oct. 17 to May 29, 2025. “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition” comes to Boston for the first time, with more than 250 artifacts and a chance for viewers to learn real stories about the passengers and crew of the “unsinkable” ocean liner, which sank in April 1912 during its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City.

For dates, times, and ticket prices, go to https://titanicboston.us/.

Titanic Shipbuilder Insolvent; Put into Administration

September 17, 2024 Mark Taylor

The 163-year-old shipbuilder known for building Titanic has declared itself insolvent and put into administration. This is the second time in two years it has done this. The company’s board of directors said in a statement that there is a credible path forward for the company. Teneo, which handles administration under such circumstances, will take over the day-to-day operations of the company during this period. All non-core operations were already in the process of being shut down and employees in those areas are expected to lose their jobs. One marine services business is being sold, so it’s employees may retain their jobs.

The shipyards will remain open during this time and contracts it has will continue to be fulfilled. Of concern is a UK Royal Navy contract. A government spokesman said the government was concerned but has been told no jobs at the shipyard or core operations are at stake. Navantia, the Spanish state-owned shipbuilder, has expressed interest. Navantia is a partner in the program to build the Royal Navy vessels in which Harland & Wolff is a subcontractor. The UK defense contractor Babcock International is also interested as well. Creditors will be the first to get any payments required under any contracts they have with the company. Shareholders in the publicly traded company (trading in the stock was stopped a while back) will lose their investment.

Sources:

Campbell, John. “Titanic Shipyard to Go Into Administration.” Last modified September 16, 2024. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crkddrv7v2po.

Ziaddy, Hanna. “The 163-year-old Company That Built the Titanic Says It Is Insolvent.” CNN, September 16, 2024. https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/16/business/harland-wolff-titanic-shipbuilder-insolvent/index.html.

In other Titanic News

Rissman, Kelly. “Titan Sub Hearing Live Updates: Former OceanGate Employee Admits He Had ‘No Confidence’ in Ship’s Design.” The Independent, September 17, 2024. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/titan-sub-submersible-last-message-bodies-implosion-hearing-b2614007.html.

David Lochridge, the former director of marine operations who worked at the company from 2015 to 2018, told the panel about the “red flags” he witnessed, including co-founder Stockton Rush’s desire to qualify a pilot in one day — typically a lengthy process. He also painted a picture of Rush’s personality. He walked through a harrowing incident when Rush’s bungled dive to the Andrea Doria wreckage site ended in Rush throwing a “PlayStation controller” at Lochridge’s head. Lochridge issued an inspection report in January 2018 detailing his laundry list of concerns with an early version of the Titan. He was fired not long after.

Rissman, Kelly. “Final Messages Revealed From the Titan Sub Before Tragic Implosion.” The Independent, September 17, 2024. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/titan-submersible-last-words-final-message-coast-guard-b2614008.html.

“All good here.” Those were some of the final words that the doomed Titan submersible crew communicated before the submersible imploded on its mission to the Titanic wreckage site in June 2023. The message, revealed as part of the Coast Guard’s Monday hearing into the circumstances of the failed mission, was sent to support vessel Polar Prince on June 18, 2023, shortly before the submersible imploded, killing all five of its crew members. It was an incident that captivated both sides of the Atlantic as crews made a mad dash to save the crew after the sub lost contact with the surface – with the world unaware that the lives had been lost.

Associated Press. “Titanic Troubles: Engineer Says He Felt Pressured to Get Submersible Ready.” Boston Herald, September 16, 2024. https://www.bostonherald.com/2024/09/16/titanic-troubles-engineer-says-he-felt-pressured-to-get-submersible-ready/.

The lead engineer for an experimental submersible that imploded en route to the wreck of the Titanic testified Monday that he felt pressured to get the vessel ready to dive and refused to pilot it for a journey several years earlier. “‘I’m not getting in it,’” Tony Nissen said he told Stockton Rush, co-founder of the OceanGate company that owned the Titan submersible.

Harland & Wolff & Clive Palmer?

August 13, 2024 Mark Taylor

Enormous gantry cranes in the yards of Harland & Wolff, Belfast 2018.
Image Credit: August Schwerdfeger via Wikimedia Commons

Harland & Wolff is in serious trouble as previously noted here on this blog. They cannot get a government backed security for a loan, lost the Port Stanley harbor bid, had to drop a ferry service they were running, and possibly could lose a UK Royal Navy contract. Now comes an interesting twist to this tale: Clive Palmer. The tycoon offered up a substantial sum of money ($200 million Australian) to the company though it is unclear whether it was a loan or something else. And he also wants them to build Titanic II.

Clive Palmer has been trying to build an updated version of the classic ship since that famous movie came out. He hosted some major media events, contracted with various firms to the basic groundwork and planning, and set up a company to oversee it (Blue Star Line). Prior to the Pandemic, he hoped to build it in China. But he got into a spat with the Chinese government, and nothing got done. And with everything shut down for a while, nothing was being built anywhere. Clive Palmer though has never given up the dream and sees an opportunity with Harland & Wolff. Alas Harland & Wolff does not seem that interested, at least for now. He tried meeting with the new president, Russell Downs, but it never materialized. Although he owns some stock in the company (and has amassed a great fortune), the company appears uninterested.

Now I have been very critical of Clive Palmer in the past. He has made many audacious claims about his Titanic II and to date it has not materialized. He did hire marine consultants to draft actual plans and consulted other experts as well, so in that part he is certainly genuine. Building the actual ship though has proven a Herculean challenge. Hercules had to clean out the Augean stables by diverting a river. Palmer has loads of money but so far no one is building his dream. That is until something unexpected happened with Harland & Wolff experiencing serious financial problems, so he offered serious cash and wanting them to build his Titanic II. Now I am not a shareholder in Harland & Wolff, but one has to wonder why they would not want to meet to at least discuss terms of him assisting the beleaguered shipbuilder. And I have to think others might be of the same mind as well.

After all, this is a tycoon with lots of money to spend. And consider all the great publicity it would be if-just saying if-a Titanic II is built there in Belfast. The city, already embracing the original Titanic, would now be seeing a modern-day replica being built right there. Now I have no idea if that would happen, but it is certain to get a lot of people thinking about it. Then again Palmer does have a reputation and perhaps that scares of people like Downs. Yet, considering the financial peril they are in, the old saying “Beggars cannot be choosers” comes to mind. The company needs serious money to keep going and Palmer is offering them a lifeline. They might want to reconsider since Palmer is serious about his offer. And they simply do not have many options left. Otherwise, a once venerated shipbuilder will likely fold, go under the hammer for asset sale, be bought out by a foreign company, or its property sold for development (think hotel and commercial building going up). I suspect others may put pressure on the company and Clive Palmer may very well get his ship built in the very place where the first one was built.

Source

Knight, E. (2024, August 7). Clive Palmer’s plan to build Titanic II runs into another iceberg. The Sydney Morning Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/clive-palmer-s-plan-to-build-titanic-ii-runs-into-another-iceberg-20240807-p5k0e8.html

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