Preserving Maritime Heritage: Harland and Wolff Restore SS Nomadic Paintwork

SS Nomadic, the world’s largest RMS Titanic artefact, is getting a fresh coat of paint this month, carried out by its original builders Harland & Wolff. Maritime Belfast Trust, the charity responsible for preserving Belfast’s maritime and industrial heritage, owns the tender to RMS Titanic and have brought Harland & Wolff on board to give the ship that they completed in 1911 a new coat of paint.

SS Nomadic served as a tender to RMS Titanic from the French port of Cherbourg and is a quarter of the size of the iconic passenger liner, with many of the same ornate features and finishes. As the last remaining White Star Line ship, SS Nomadic requires continuous maintenance and restoration. Harland & Wolff has carried out various works on the ship since it returned to Belfast in 2011. These works include, reinstating the bridge deck, flying bridge desk and the funnel, and repairs to the keel blocks.

Admission to SS Nomadic is now included in the Titanic Experience ticket, giving Titanic Belfast’s visitors the chance to step onboard, with public access to the ship maintained while works are ongoing.

Kerrie Sweeney, Chief Executive of Maritime Belfast said,

“The SS Nomadic is such a significant part of Belfast’s maritime heritage and we are delighted to have appointed Harland & Wolff to support its ongoing conservation. This is a considerable investment by the charity to ensure the Nomadic is safeguarded for future generations, and that our heritage assets continue to be a prominent feature on Belfast’s iconic waterfront.”

Siobhan Lynch, Director of Operations at Titanic Belfast commented, “SS Nomadic has been part of the Titanic Experience since 2015, welcoming over 1.2 million visitors on board. People all over the world are enthralled by the story of RMS Titanic; as ‘Titanic’s little sister’ and built to the same luxurious standards, SS Nomadic provides an authentic first-hand experience of what it would have been like as a passenger in 1912 for our guests.

The preservation of SS Nomadic is of huge importance to us and having recently enhanced the ship with new lighting features, allowing the decks, funnels and gangways to illuminate at night, we are looking forward to welcoming many more guests on board in the future!”

Graham Couser, General Manager of Harland & Wolff (Belfast) commented: “After last servicing the vessel back in December 2020, we are delighted to be working on the SS Nomadic once more. Committed to preserving our proud heritage alongside the support of the Maritime Belfast Trust, we now look forward to not only continuing this partnership but providing maritime excellence throughout the Titanic Quarter.”

SS Nomadic is one of a range of heritage assets located along the Maritime Mile, an exciting blueway for the city, encouraging locals and visitors to explore Belfast’s historic, iconic waterfront. You can find out more about SS Nomadic’s history or book a visit to step on board at nomadicbelfast.com.