Nomadic in Danger

[Stuart Kelly]

The Olympic & Titanic's tender the "Nomadic" is in danger! She was a restaurant on the River Seine in Paris until three years ago and is now lying empty and neglected despite her historical significance. Her hull is leaking and she is starting to list. Bob tells me the French Titanic Society had meeting on board yesterday and that portholes near the waterline are broken and water seeps in at high tide.

The following letter is being sent by the French Titanic Society to the Officer Bearers of other Titanic Societies. Please support it:

Dear Officers of Titanic society

I am writing to you because we all have in common of ship.
But time is getting short on us and we need your help.
Nomadic is in great danger. She is sinking fast.
Would you be kind in putting an ad in your respective bulletins.
To write to us stating that this ship is the last of the WSL company and the last link to Titanic.
We are trying to have this ship place as a international monument.
SO If this add bring us letters saying it would be a good idea if this ship be an international monument.
We must save this ship so please help us.

WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR MONEY but support letters.

The letters can be send to

[email protected] or by snail mail to

A.F.T. c/o Robert R. Shotton
7 Rue Blaise Pascal.
78320 Le mesnil St Denis
France.

We will past on thoses letters to the right persons.

Many thanks for your help.
PS: Could you please forward this to whom it may concern. Thanks

 

[Remco Hillen]

I just saw Nomadic 2 weeks ago..all seemed ok apart from bad maintanance, like paint etc.
Unbelievable that something like this is happening to a ship with such a history.
I'll get that Email off as soon as possible!

Regards,
Remco

 

[Stuart Kelly]

I found out today that the little tender is in very grave danger of being scrapped. The French Titanic society are trying to have it registered as a historic building to prevent its destruction.
http://www.rms-titanic.fr.st/nomadic_sos.html

I forgot to add that "Save the S.S. Nomadic" should be in the subject line of the emails.

Stuart

 

[Beverly J. Crowder]

Sorry, I asked on another thread, I got the info though and mailed off a letter. Thank you once again Stuart!

Beverly

 

[Sam Brannigan]

Is there anyway we can all pull together and bring "Nomadic" back to Cobh (Queenstown) Ireland?

This may sound a little romantic, but how about pulling together a few of the boys at Harland and Wolff to knock the old girl back into shape?

I'm sure that many of them, even on a voluntary basis, would help out.

Regards

Sam

 

[Nigel Bryant]

I think that it is a great idea. Harland and Wolff could rebuild to her former glory. It would be a lovely sight to see the Nomadic sailing along the coast of Cherbourg or Cobb. Seeing the buff colored funnel, a great symbol for the old White Star line, a crowning historical monument to honor the Titanic, and the people who sailed on her. I totally support your idea and I hope it comes a reality.

Regards Nigel

 

[Dave Gittins]

I'm afraid a restoration would cost millions. Somebody, I forget who, told me recently that there is almost nothing original left of the ship. There is a bit of original woodwork in the reception area and that's about it. Also, although she's a toy alongside Titanic, she's still a fair size ship, with all that entails in maintainance. She's over 220 feet long!

Perhaps preservation on dry land might be most practical. Maybe French pride might see her kept at Cherbourg.

 

[Encyclopedia Titanica]

I understand that the French Titanic Society hope to persuade the French government to rescue the ship rather than to attempt to raise money to effect her rescue. Hopefully this will be possible but what precedents are there for government intervention. Few I would think. I don't know what the situation regarding historic ships is in France but over here The Great Britain among others was only saved through public subscription. Nomadic was in private ownership, does anyone know what the owner's intentions are? Nomadic in Danger is not a new headline and it should be taken seriously but goals and methods should be realistic and proactive rather than simply hoping that someone else will step in to rescue the ship on our behalf.

 

[Stuart Kelly]

Yes, I think the French Titanic Society is wanting it placed on the register of historic buildings, which is presumably similar to making it a listed building. From the appeals made by members of the French Titanic Society, it seems the little tender is in danger of being sold for scrap. People who I was talking to last night all said that they've been hearing for years that the Nomadic was on its last legs. There's an interesting parallel with another historic ship now berthed in Scotland. The BBC ran a story last year about the Carrick, a 19th century cutter (minus the sails) that is now at the Scottish Maritime Museum. It and the Cutty Sark, now at Greenwich, are the only two surviving cutters with the Carrick being four years older than the Cutty Sark. It took many people from Britain to Australia in the late C.19. The Carrick, like the Nomadic, was berthed up river in a City, this time on the Clyde in Glasgow. They had had a real job getting it there, having to weigh it down to get it under the Clyde Bridges. They were trying to move it again in 1992 when disaster struck when then old ship sank under Jamaica Street Bridge. It was was at the bottom of the River for a year before it was salvaged and taken to the Scottish Maritime Museum where it is today. The Carrick was totally wrecked by the sinking and it would have cost £3,000,000 to restore it. However, last summer the Scottish Maritime museum ran out of money after spending £1,000,000 on restoration. The ship lying a sad ruin after repeated attempts to get lottery money for it, the museum put in an application to demolish the Carrick. The last I heard was in January when efforts were being made to get the Scottish Government and other people to save it. However, the fact that a preservation minded organisation like the Scottish Maritime Museum should have to put in an application to demolish a ship which has the status of a category A listed building is quite worrying. I imagine that could well happen to the Nomadic if attempts were made to move her from the Seinne in her present condition.

I was speaking to someone from the Ulster Titanic Society last night and people round their way are already talking about going about having it moved to Belfast. It note the comments about having it moved to Cobh (was it ever in Cobh?)I'm waiting for someone next to say it should be moved to America. I would think ensuring it is not scrapped should be our priority at the moment. With the links they have with Harland & Wolff, the UTS were able to tell me H&W technical services went out to Paris three or four years ago just after M. Vincent bought it to have a look at it. They concluded that the ship is not in a worthy condition to be moved anywhere and repairs would have to be carried out in dry dock. This could be done by getting a pontoon dock up the Seinne but that would be very costly. It is thought M. Vincent bought it without realising the extent of the repairs needed. Even with repairs, moving it anywhere would involve weighing it down to get it back under the bridges over the Seinne, which incurs risking the fate that befell the Carrick, noted above.

 

[Encyclopedia Titanica]

Thanks for clarifying the intention.
I vaguely remember another story of a clipper or windjammer that was rescused from the Falklands but towing to Montevideo proved so expensive that they had to abandon it and I think it eventually went for scrap!

 

[Jan C. Nielsen]

I got a feeling the Nomadic could be provided with a home out here (San Francisco). I would encourage the French Titanic Society to inform their government that it's a matter of "use it or lose it" or "Save it, or wave at it." If the London Bridge could end up in the Arizona desert, why not this?

 

[Remco Hillen]

Dave,

She is rather large yes.

Although parts of the interior were changed/removed(engines for instance), there is still a lot left over from the ol' days!
Take a look at this -French- site, http://www.nomadic.fr.st/index2.htm.
Go to 'Photos' and click 'Mai 2000. A la Recherche du passe...'
The panneling on the wall, although painted white, is beautiful!

Regards,
Remco

 

[Stuart Kelly]

I was just waiting for someone to say the Nomadic should be moved to america. She was built in Belfast and has always been in France under French ownership. According to Simon Mills's book about the Olympic, she even had a French owner in 1911. I would say that dismantling it like london bridge is tantamount to destruction. I doubt there is an aeroplane that could take her 1000 tons+ weight and 220 feet length (almost as long as a Boeing 747) to airlift her there. There's no way she could make it by sea. And anyway, it is not for sale. What is under discussion is her very survival, not whether or not she remains where she is.

 

[Beverly J. Crowder]

I think she needs to remain where she is and used as an Historical Monument.

She is too beautiful and too significant a piece of history to let go now, I pray that everyone is writing... if anyone has any influence out there, now would be the time to use it!

God Bless,

Beverly

 

[Brandon Whited]

Hello all,

It is really sad about this predicament the Nomadic is in. To think that that is the actaul tender that pulled up alongside the Titanic at Cherbourg, carrying John Jacob Astor and Benjamin Guggenheim to their ill fates at sea is inspiring. Not to mention how many times it has pulled alongside Olympic.

I really hope something gets done to ensure this vessel's place in history. It certainly deserves it.

-B.W.