''Titanic II'' is a planned passenger
ocean liner
An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships).
Ca ...
intended to be a functional modern-day replica of the
''Olympic''-class . The new ship is planned to have a
gross tonnage
Gross tonnage (GT, G.T. or gt) is a nonlinear measure of a ship's overall internal volume. Gross tonnage is different from gross register tonnage. Neither gross tonnage nor gross register tonnage should be confused with measures of mass or weigh ...
(GT) of 56,000, while the original ship measured about 46,000
gross register tons (GRT).
The project was announced by
Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal A ...
billionaire
Clive Palmer
Clive Frederick Palmer (born 26 March 1954) is an Australian businessman and politician. He has iron ore, nickel, and coal holdings. Palmer owns many businesses such as Mineralogy, Waratah Coal, Queensland Nickel at Townsville, the Palmer C ...
in April 2012 as the flagship of the proposed cruise company Blue Star Line Pty. Ltd. of
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
, Australia. The intended launch date was originally set in 2016, delayed to 2018 then 2022.
The development of the project was resumed in November 2018 after a hiatus which began in 2015, caused by a financial dispute, which affected the $500 million project.
Previous projects
![Titanic](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Titanic.jpg)
The concept of a functioning replica of the ''Titanic'' has been explored several times, especially following the resurgence of interest following the release of
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post-New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability w ...
's
film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
in 1997. The most widely publicized project was that of South African businessman Sarel Gous in 1998.
The South African project began in 1998, and was one of the subjects of an article in ''
Popular Mechanics
''Popular Mechanics'' (sometimes PM or PopMech) is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do-it-yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation and transportation o ...
'' magazine in September of that year. The article discussed the changes to the original design required to produce a safe and economically viable ship, including a welded rather than riveted hull,
diesel-electric propulsion in place of steam engines, and a
bulbous bow
A bulbous bow is a protruding bulb at the bow (or front) of a ship just below the waterline. The bulb modifies the way the water flows around the hull, reducing drag and thus increasing speed, range, fuel efficiency, and stability. Large ships w ...
. The article concluded that although the various ''Titanic'' revival projects would cost $400–$600 million, they could be economically viable.
Although he originally intended to construct the ship in
Durban
Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...
, Gous presented his £500 million proposal to
Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council ( ga, Comhairle Cathrach Bhéal Feirste) is the local authority with responsibility for part of the city of Belfast, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. The Council serves an estimated population of (), the ...
in June 2000. He commissioned Olsen Designs to design the ship, advised by
Harland and Wolff
Harland & Wolff is a British shipbuilding company based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It specialises in ship repair, shipbuilding and offshore construction. Harland & Wolff is famous for having built the majority of the ocean liners for the W ...
Technical Services who produced a
feasibility study
A feasibility study is an assessment of the practicality of a project or system. A feasibility study aims to objectively and rationally uncover the strengths and weaknesses of an existing business or proposed venture, opportunities and threats pr ...
, and Callcott Anderson to design the interior. In November 2000, he began his attempts to raise capital, including through government grants and a stock market flotation. After signing an agreement with a Monaco-based investment banking company, Gous claimed that construction would begin at Harland and Wolff within nine months. The design changed repeatedly, with claims emerging of 'the world's largest liner' with capacity for 2,600 passengers, and increasingly divergent plans for a heliport, swimming pools and discos eventually being released.
In 2006, after repeatedly failing to secure investment, the project was abandoned.
Design stage
![Clive Palmer Aug15 crop](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Clive_Palmer_Aug15_crop.jpg)
Clive Palmer first announced the project in a press conference on 30 April 2012, following the signature of a
memorandum of understanding with state-owned Chinese shipyard CSC Jinling ten days before. On 19 June, it was announced that Finnish naval architecture firm
Deltamarin Ltd. had been commissioned to undertake the design of the ship, and on 17 July a preliminary general arrangement was published.
In October 2012, Blue Star Line announced that ''Titanic'' expert Steve Hall had been appointed as Design Consultant and Historian for the project, and that ''Titanic'' interiors expert Daniel Klistorner had been appointed as Interior Design Consultant and Historian.
Hall and Klistorner had previously co-authored books on the ship, such as ''Titanic: The Ship Magnificent'' and ''Titanic in Photographs'', and gave a technical presentation at the unveiling of the designs in New York as well as at the dinner in London.
Later that month, it was announced that an advisory board would be formed to provide "suggestions and recommendations to Blue Star Line to ensure the ''Titanic II'' appropriately and respectfully pays homage to ''Titanic'', her crew and passengers." Terry Ismay, the great-great-nephew of
White Star Line
The White Star Line was a British shipping company. Founded out of the remains of a defunct packet company, it gradually rose up to become one of the most prominent shipping lines in the world, providing passenger and cargo services between t ...
chairman and ''Titanic'' survivor
J. Bruce Ismay
Joseph Bruce Ismay (; 12 December 1862 – 17 October 1937) was an English businessman who served as chairman and managing director of the White Star Line. In 1912, he came to international attention as the highest-ranking White Star official t ...
, will be a member of the board, as well as Helen Benziger, great-granddaughter of ''Titanic'' survivor
Margaret "Molly" Brown.
The design for the ''Titanic II'' was unveiled at worldwide launch events in Macau (China), New York (United States), Halifax (Canada), and London & Southampton (United Kingdom). The gala event in New York was the official Global Launch and was held aboard the
USS ''Intrepid'' in New York City on 26 February 2013. The gala dinner in London (UK) was held at the
Natural History Museum
A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more. ...
on 2 March, and was accompanied by a display of items salvaged from the ''Titanic''. There was also a breakfast held in
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
on 13 March.
On 16 April 2013, it was announced that Deltamarin had been contracted for the project development phase, and would be responsible for coordinating the various parties involved in the project, including the shipyard, architects, interior designers and operations managers.
The feasibility study was complete, and the project development phase was ongoing. The signature of a contract and keel laying was expected in March 2014.
Further contracts and agreements relating to the design and construction were announced later in 2013; the appointment of V.Ships Leisure as ship management services partner, and of Tillberg Design as provider of architectural and interior design services.
On 17 July 2013, Blue Star Line announced that the
classification society
A ship classification society or ship classification organisation is a non-governmental organization that establishes and maintains technical standards for the construction and operation of ships and offshore structures. Classification societies ...
Lloyd's Register
Lloyd's Register Group Limited (LR) is a technical and professional services organisation and a maritime classification society, wholly owned by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, a UK charity dedicated to research and education in science and ...
has joined the ''Titanic II'' project. The work carried by Lloyd's would ensure that the ship's design complied with the current
SOLAS regulations.
Model testing using a wooden model was undertaken in September 2013 at the Hamburgische Schiffbau-Versuchsanstalt (HSVA). Resistance and powering tests were carried out in a towing tank.
In an interview in February 2014, Palmer claimed that keel laying would take place in September 2014. He cautioned that the project was "a big job", that the original ''Titanic'' took seven years to build and that they have been working for only two and a half, and said that he would have liked to start sooner but "wanted to make sure we don't make any mistakes". He claimed that a selection of cabins were being constructed on land for approval, and that this would be completed by July 2014.
In April 2016, the administrators for Palmer's closed nickel-refining company, Queensland Nickel, alleged that almost $6 million had been taken from that company to pay for the development and marketing of the ''Titanic II''. At that time the administrators indicated that they would seek to recover this money.
Design and construction
The
gross tonnage
Gross tonnage (GT, G.T. or gt) is a nonlinear measure of a ship's overall internal volume. Gross tonnage is different from gross register tonnage. Neither gross tonnage nor gross register tonnage should be confused with measures of mass or weigh ...
of the replica will be 56,000 GT, about 10,000 GT more than that of the original.
[The original ''Titanic'' had a gross register tonnage of 46,328 GRT, which is not directly comparable with modern ]gross tonnage
Gross tonnage (GT, G.T. or gt) is a nonlinear measure of a ship's overall internal volume. Gross tonnage is different from gross register tonnage. Neither gross tonnage nor gross register tonnage should be confused with measures of mass or weigh ...
. However, as one register ton is equal to , an approximate value of 39,640 GT can be calculated by using the formulae given i
''The International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969''
.
Comparison with the original RMS ''Titanic''
The ship is designed to be as similar in internal and external appearance to the ''Titanic'' as possible. However, today's safety regulations and economic considerations dictated several major changes to the design, including:
* Greater
beam
Beam may refer to:
Streams of particles or energy
*Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy
**Laser beam
*Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles
**Charged particle beam, a spatially localized grou ...
for enhanced stability
* Welded, not riveted, hull
* Reduced
draught
* Bulbous bow for higher
fuel efficiency
Fuel efficiency is a form of thermal efficiency, meaning the ratio of effort to result of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier (fuel) into kinetic energy or work. Overall fuel efficiency may vary per device, wh ...
, although moderately sized compared to ships of newer designs
*
Stabilizers to reduce
roll
Roll or Rolls may refer to:
Movement about the longitudinal axis
* Roll angle (or roll rotation), one of the 3 angular degrees of freedom of any stiff body (for example a vehicle), describing motion about the longitudinal axis
** Roll (aviation), ...
* Diesel-electric propulsion system with four diesel generating sets providing power for three
azimuth thruster
An azimuth thruster is a configuration of marine propellers placed in pods that can be rotated to any horizontal angle (azimuth), making a rudder unnecessary. These give ships better maneuverability than a fixed propeller and rudder system.
Ty ...
s to replace the original coal-fired boilers, steam engines and steam turbine, as well as the rudder. Also, the ''Titanic 2'' is designed to have two bow thrusters.
* An additional "safety deck" between C and D decks for
lifeboat
Lifeboat may refer to:
Rescue vessels
* Lifeboat (shipboard), a small craft aboard a ship to allow for emergency escape
* Lifeboat (rescue), a boat designed for sea rescues
* Airborne lifeboat, an air-dropped boat used to save downed airmen
...
s and
marine evacuation system
A marine evacuation system (MES) is a lifesaving device found on many modern passenger ships or oil rigs consisting of an inflatable slide or escape chute where a passenger can evacuate straight into waiting life rafts. Developed in 1979 by RFD, a ...
s, with the boat deck housing replicas of the original lifeboats. Space for the deck was made by lowering decks D and below by 2.8 metres, and for the taller centre section of the safety deck, which would have housed the lifeboats, by raising the
superstructure
A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships.
Aboard ships and large boats
On water craft, the superstruct ...
by 1.3 metres. In spite of the reduced draft, space was made for the lowered decks by removing the
orlop deck
The orlop is the lowest deck in a ship (except for very old ships). It is the deck or part of a deck where the cables are stowed, usually below the water line.
According to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', the word descends from Dutch
Dut ...
, which mainly housed the boilers.
* New 'escape staircases' in addition to the original staircases, housed in the redundant boiler exhaust uptakes.
* Observation decks in the first two redundant funnels, which would have had, according to Deltamarin, tinted window coverings to blend in with the funnels' color, intended to be as close as possible to the original "White Star buff."
* No
sheer or
camber
Camber may refer to a variety of curvatures and angles:
* Camber angle, the angle made by the wheels of a vehicle
* Camber beam, an upward curvature of a joist to compensate for load deflection due in buildings
* Camber thrust in bike technology
* ...
,
unlike the original. Pronounced sheer was a cosmetic feature of ocean liners, intended to add a graceful appearance to the ship, but made construction more difficult and therefore costly. Renderings released in February 2013 showed an upwards rake added to C Deck at the bow and stern to give a superficial appearance of sheer, although an inauthentic wedge-shaped gap has had to be added between C and D decks in these areas to produce this effect.
* A higher bridge relative to the bow, as the superstructure has been raised by 1.3 metres by the centre section of the safety deck, and also by the removal of the sheer.
This negates the requirement on the original ''Titanic'' for lookouts.
* An overall increase in the height of the ship above the waterline (due to the insertion of the safety deck). However, the total height of the ship from the keel to funnels would be the same as the original, at .
Power plant and propulsion
For economic reasons, the steam engines and coal-fired boilers of the original ''Titanic'' would be replaced with a modern
diesel-electric propulsion system. The space which housed the boilers would be used for crew quarters and ships systems. Power was to be produced by four
Wärtsilä
Wärtsilä Oyj Abp (), trading internationally as Wärtsilä Corporation, is a Finnish company which manufactures and services power sources and other equipment in the marine and energy markets. The core products of Wärtsilä include technol ...
46F
medium-speed four-stroke
A four-stroke (also four-cycle) engine is an internal combustion (IC) engine in which the piston completes four separate strokes while turning the crankshaft. A stroke refers to the full travel of the piston along the cylinder, in either directio ...
diesel generating sets; two
twelve-cylinder 12V46F engines producing each, and two
eight-cylinder 8L46F engines producing each, running on
heavy fuel oil
Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) is a category of fuel oils of a tar-like consistency. Also known as bunker fuel, or residual fuel oil, HFO is the result or remnant from the distillation and cracking process of petroleum. For this reason, HFO is contaminate ...
and
marine gas oil.
Propulsion would have been by three
azimuth thruster
An azimuth thruster is a configuration of marine propellers placed in pods that can be rotated to any horizontal angle (azimuth), making a rudder unnecessary. These give ships better maneuverability than a fixed propeller and rudder system.
Ty ...
s which would also be used for manoeuvring, while the replica of the
rudder
A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (generally aircraft, air or watercraft, water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to ...
of the ''Titanic II'' is purely cosmetic, and would not have extended substantially below the waterline.
The positioning of the azimuth thrusters necessitated the stern being made substantially blunter than the original.
Interior
The interior of the ship was intended to be as similar as possible to the original. Tillberg Design of Sweden was contracted to produce drawings replicating ''Titanic'' original interiors. However, the original wooden panelling does not conform to modern fire regulations, so as in ''
Queen Mary 2
RMS ''Queen Mary 2'' (also referred to as the ''QM2'') is a British transatlantic ocean liner. She has served as the flagship of Cunard Line since succeeding '' Queen Elizabeth 2'' in 2004. As of 2022, ''Queen Mary 2'' is the only ocean liner ...
'', veneers would have had to be used. Plans showed a layout broadly similar to the original, but with the third-class cabins modernised, and consideration being given to en-suite bathrooms throughout the ship. The room freed up by eliminating the steam boilers of the original ship would have been used for crew quarters and various services.
Criticism
Clive Palmer has been described as an "eccentric billionaire" with a reputation for bizarre publicity stunts, such as the attempt to create a massive ''
Jurassic Park'' style dinosaur theme park at his golf resort. It has also been noted that the publicity surrounding the ''Titanic II'' coincided with Palmer's announcement of his entry into Australian federal politics, which was made immediately following the ''Titanic II'' conference. Palmer had previously claimed that he was the target of a conspiracy involving
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
, the
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...
, the
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The second-oldest major philanthropic institution in America, after the Carneg ...
and
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by Irving Stowe and Dorothy Stowe, immigrant environmental activists from the United States. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth t ...
, who he believed were attempting to close down his mining operation. In 2010, Palmer started a company called Zeppelin International, with the intention of making a commercially viable
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin () who pioneered rigid airship development at the beginning of the 20th century. Zeppelin's notions were first formulated in 1874Eckener 1938, pp ...
. After the plan came to nothing, it was ridiculed as the 'bizarre move of the year' by Australian business website Smartcompany. He has gained a reputation in Australia for floating ambitious and unusual business ideas which he fails to see through, and the ''Titanic II'' has been described as "a classic Clive Palmer announcement."
The idea of a commercialised replica of the ''Titanic'' has itself been criticised, being described as "insensitive" and "a mockery of the memory of those who died". Charles Haas, president of the U.S.-based
Titanic International Society
The Titanic International Society is a US 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history of the ''Titanic'' and the events surrounding the great ocean liner's sinking on April 15, 1912, when more than 1,500 people die ...
, questioned both its appropriateness and commercial viability, telling ''
Scientific American
''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it. In print since 1845, it i ...
'', "It's a matter of sensitivity, respect and thoughtfulness ... we commemorate tragedies and those lost in them, not duplicate them". The ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' quoted Haas as saying, "As good as the ''Titanic'' was in her day, it would be a practical and financial disaster" due to the relative lack of onboard activities and modern amenities such as theaters, casinos, and waterslides, compared to today's cruise ships.
Cunard Line
Cunard () is a British shipping and cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its three ships have been registered in Hamilton, Berm ...
, which acquired the White Star Line legacy when the companies merged in 1934, stated that they "have always been very mindful and very respectful of such a tragic event
nddon't think that building a replica or a 'II' is appropriate."
Palmer's alleged use of funds drawn from Queensland Nickel for the ''Titanic II'' project was criticised by the administrators appointed for that company after it closed. In their April 2016 report, the administrators stated that payments from Queensland Nickel to Blue Star Line had been "uncommercial and director-related transactions".
Palmer has rejected the claims made against him in the report, including those related to the ''Titanic II''.
Project status
When the project was first announced in 2012, Palmer claimed that construction would begin before the end of the year, with a 2016 launch. The following year, reports emerged that Clive Palmer was experiencing financial difficulties.
The start of construction was postponed to March 2014, then to late 2014.
When construction had still not begun in 2015 a spokesman for Palmer said the project had merely been delayed, and that the new ship would be launched in 2018, two years later than initially planned. However, Deltamarin had told an
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
journalist that work on the ''Titanic II'' project had been halted,
while workers at the Chinese shipyard identified as the likely site of construction were highly skeptical that the project would ever move beyond the proposal stage
and that the Blue Star Line trademark was "abandoned."
On 27 September 2018, the Blue Star Line, in a press release on their official website, announced that work on the project would recommence. Deltamarin confirmed that work had resumed and that the project had advanced to having a conceptual design ready for shipyard pricing. , Blue Star Line had made no updates to its website in four years and Deltamarin referred all questions about the project back to Blue Star. A Belfast paper reported that Palmer began to doubt the economic viability of the ship once initial interest and curiosity had worn off.
In September 2022 a London-based financial site contacted Blue Star for a status update but received no response.
See also
*
Replica ''Titanic''
Notes
References
External links
Blue Star Line Official Site
{{Olympic class ocean liners
RMS Titanic
Ocean liners
Proposed ships
Replica ships
Ocean liners of Australia
Projects established in 2012