Clive palmer titanic progress

Proposed ship

This article is about the Clive Palmer project. For the disaster film, see Epic II (film). For the Gigantic replica ship under construction in Sichuan, see Romandisea Titanic. For reconstructions of Titanic, see replica Titanic.

A 3D rendering of Titanic II
History
Name	Titanic II
Owner	Blue Star Line Pty. Ltd, Brisbane, Australia
Route	Southampton - New York City
Builder	TBD
Cost	$ million (estimated)[1]
Maiden voyage	June (planned)
General characteristics
Class and type	Modern interpretation of Olympic-classocean liner
Tonnage	56,&#;GT (estimate)
Length	&#;m (&#;ft)
Beam	&#;m (&#;ft 8&#;in)
Height	&#;m (&#;ft)
Draught	&#;m (24&#;ft 7&#;in) (normal) &#;m (26&#;ft 0&#;in) (max)
Depth	&#;m (&#;ft)
Decks	10
Installed power	2&#;×&#;Wärtsilä 12V46F 2&#;×&#;Wärtsilä 8L46F 48,&#;kW (64,&#;hp) (combined)
Propulsion	Diesel-electric; three azimuth thrusters; (3&#;×&#;10&#;MW)[2]
Speed	24 knots (44&#;km/h; 28&#;mph) (maximum)[citation needed]
Capacity	1, (double capacity); 2, (maximum)
Crew

Titanic II is a planned passenger ocean liner intended to be a functional modern-day replica of the Olympic-classRMS Titanic.

Palmer, 69, previously launched similar plans in and to develop the Titanic II, a replica of the doomed ocean liner that sank in on her maiden voyage after striking an iceberg, killing more than 2, people on board. Once completed, the ship will follow the original journey of the first Titanic. It will depart from Southampton, England to New York and will also sail around the world, Palmer said. The interior of the proposed vessel will comprise nine decks and feature cabins, including in first class, in second class and third-class rooms.

The new ship is planned to have a gross tonnage (GT) of 56,, while the original ship measured about 46, gross register tons (GRT).^{[note 1]} The project was announced by Australian billionaire Clive Palmer in April as the flagship of the proposed cruise company Blue Star Line Pty.

Ltd. of Brisbane, Australia.^[3] The intended launch date was originally set for ,^[4] delayed to ^[5] then delayed to ,^[6] then later delayed to ^[7] Development of the project resumed in November after a hiatus which began in , caused by a financial dispute,^[8][9] which affected the $ million project.^[10]

By the end of , Navy Star Line, owner of the proposed Titanic II, made no further announcements regarding the vessel.

The company would remain silent on the project for over five years and did not release any further updates relating to the ocean liner until 13 March , when it was announced that Titanic II would set its maiden voyage in June ^[7]

Previous projects

The principle of a functioning replica of the Titanic has been explored several times, especially following the resurgence of interest following the release of James Cameron's motion picture, Titanic in The most widely publicized project was that of South African businessman Sarel Gous in ^[11] The South African project began in , and was one of the subjects of an article in Popular Mechanics magazine in September of that year.^[12] The article discussed the changes to the first 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.

The article concluded that although the various Titanic revival projects would charge $–$ million, they could be economically viable.

Although he originally intended to construct the ship in Durban, Gous presented his £ million proposal to Belfast City Council in June ^[13] He commissioned Olsen Designs to design the ship, advised by Harland and Wolff Technical Services who produced a feasibility investigate, and Callcott Anderson to layout the interior.

In November , he began his attempts to raise capital, including through government grants and a stock market flotation.^[14] After signing an accord with a Monaco-based investment banking company, Gous claimed that construction would begin at Harland and Wolff within nine months.^[15] The design changed repeatedly, with claims emerging of 'the world's largest liner' with capacity for 2, passengers, and increasingly divergent plans for a heliport, swimming pools and discos eventually being released.^[16] In , after repeatedly failing to secure investment, the venture was abandoned.^[16]

Design stage

Clive Palmer first announced the project in a press conference on 30 April ,^[17] following the signature of a memorandum of understanding with state-owned Chinese shipyard CSC Jinling ten days before.^[18] On 19 June, it was announced that Finnish naval architecture firm Deltamarin Ltd.

had been commissioned to undertake the design of the ship,^[19][20] and on 17 July a preliminary general arrangement was published.^[21]

In October , Blue Luminary Line announced that Titanic professional Steve Hall had been appointed as Design Consultant and Historian for the project,^[22] and that Titanic interiors expert Daniel Klistorner had been appointed as Interior Design Consultant and Historian.^[23] 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 adequately as at the dinner in London.^[23] Later that month, it was announced that an advisory board would be formed to provide "suggestions and recommendations to Blue Star Line to make certain the Titanic II appropriately and respectfully pays homage to Titanic, her crew and passengers." Terry Ismay, the great-great-nephew of Ivory Star Line chairman and Titanic survivor J.

Bruce Ismay, will be a member of the board,^[24] as well as Helen Benziger, great-granddaughter of Titanic survivor Margaret "Molly" Brown.^[25]

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 ^[26][27] The gala dinner in London (UK) was held at the Natural History Museum on 2 March, and was accompanied by a display of items salvaged from the Titanic.^[28] There was also a breakfast held in Southampton on 13 March.

On 16 April , it was announced that Deltamarin had been contracted for the project maturation phase, and would be responsible for coordinating the various parties involved in the project, including the shipyard, architects, interior designers and operations managers.^[29] The feasibility study was complete, and the project development phase was uninterrupted.

The signature of a reduce and keel laying was expected in March ^[30]

Further contracts and agreements relating to the plan and construction were announced later in ; the appointment of Leisure as ship management services partner,^[31] and of Tillberg Style as provider of architectural and interior design services.^[32][33] On 17 July , Blue Star Line announced that the classification societyLloyd's Register has joined the Titanic II project.^[34] The work carried by Lloyd's would ensure that the ship's design complied with the current SOLAS regulations.

Model testing using a metre (31&#;ft) wooden model was undertaken in September at the Hamburgische Schiffbau-Versuchsanstalt (HSVA). Resistance and powering tests were carried out in a metre (&#;ft) towing tank.^[35][36]

In an interview in February , Palmer claimed that keel laying would take place in September 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 contain 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 ^[37]

In April , 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 pursue to recover this money.^[38]

Design and construction

The gross tonnage of the replica will be 56, GT, about 10, GT more than that of the original.^{[note 1]}

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 security regulations and economic considerations dictated several major changes to the design, including:

• Stabilizers to decrease roll^[39]
• Diesel-electric propulsion system, with four diesel generators providing power to three azimuth thrusters.

  This configuration replaces the original coal-fired boilers, steam engines & steam turbine, and rudder. Also, the Titanic II is designed to contain two bow thrusters.^[39]

• An additional "safety deck" between C and D decks for lifeboats and marine evacuation systems, with the boat deck housing replicas of the original lifeboats.

  Space for the deck was made by lowering decks D and below by meters, and for the taller center section of the protection deck, which would have housed the lifeboats, by raising the superstructure by meters. In spite of the reduced draft, room was made for the lowered decks by removing the orlop deck, which mainly housed the boilers.^[39]

• New 'escape staircases' in addition to the original staircases, housed in the redundant boiler exhaust uptakes.^[39]
• Observation decks in the first two redundant funnels, which would have had, according to Deltamarin, tinted window coverings to mix in with the funnels' tint, intended to be as secure as possible to the first "White Star buff."^[39]
• No sheer or camber,^[39] unlike the original.
  The billionaire and former member of the Australian parliament made the announcement on Thursday, March 13, at a press conference in Sydney. Palmer has already started and stopped the Titanic II project twice before in and again in and blamed the pandemic for the delays. Palmer said tenders for the construction of the vessel would travel out in June, with contracts signed by December. He also revealed that the Finnish-based ship design and marine engineering corporation Deltamarin supported the project.

  Pronounced sheer was a cosmetic movie of ocean liners, intended to add a graceful appearance to the ship, but made construction more difficult and therefore costly.^[41] Renderings released in February showed an upwards rake added to C Deck at the genuflect 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.^[42]

• A higher bridge relative to the bow, as the superstructure has been raised by meters by the centre section of the safety deck, and also by the removal of the sheer.^[39] 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 feet (53&#;m).^{[43][failed verification]}

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 46F medium-speedfour-strokediesel generators; two cylinder 12V46F engines producing 14, kilowatts (19,&#;hp) each, and two 8-cylinder 8L46F engines producing 9, kilowatts (12,&#;hp) each, running on weighty fuel oil and marine gas oil.^[39] Propulsion would have been by three azimuth thrusters which would also be used for maneuvering, while the replica of the rudder of the Titanic II is purely cosmetic, and would not have extended substantially below the waterline.^[39] The positioning of the azimuth thrusters necessitated the stern being made substantially blunter than the original.^[39]

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's original interiors. However, the unique wooden panelling does not conform to modern fire regulations, so as in Queen Mary 2, veneers would have had to be used.

Plans showed a layout broadly similar to the original, but with the third-class cabins modernized, and consideration organism 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.^[39]

Criticism

Clive Palmer who created and formerly served as chairman of the right-wing to far-right United Australia Party 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.^[44][45] 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 accompanying the Titanic II conference.^[46] Palmer had previously claimed that he was the target of a conspiracy involving Barack Obama, the CIA, the Rockefeller Foundation, and Greenpeace, who he believed were attempting to close down his mining operation.^[47] In , Palmer started a company called Zeppelin International, with the intention of making a commercially viable Zeppelin.^[48] After the plan came to nothing, it was ridiculed as the "bizarre move of the year" by Australian business website Smartcompany.^[49] He has gained a reputation in Australia for floating ambitious and unusual business ideas which he fails to view through, and the Titanic II has been described as "a classic Clive Palmer announcement."^[50]

The plan of a commercialized real-life replica of the Titanic has itself been criticized, being described as "insensitive" and "a mockery of the memory of those who died".^[51] Charles Haas, president of the U.S.-based Titanic International Culture, questioned both its appropriateness and commercial viability, telling Scientific American, "It's a matter of sensitivity, respect and thoughtfulness &#;we commemorate tragedies and those lost in them, not duplicate them".^[52] The New York Times 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.^[53]Cunard Line, which acquired the White Star Line legacy when the companies merged in , stated that they "have always been very mindful and very respectful of such a tragic event [and] don't think that building a replica or a 'II' is appropriate."^[54]

Palmer's alleged operate of funds drawn from Queensland Nickel for the Titanic II project was criticized by the administrators appointed for that organization after it closed.

In their April report, the administrators stated that payments from Queensland Nickel to Blue Star Line had been "uncommercial and director-related transactions".^[38] Palmer has rejected the claims made against him in the report, including those related to the Titanic II.^[55]

Project status

When the project was first announced in , Palmer claimed that construction would begin before the finish of the year, with a launch.

The following year, reports emerged that Clive Palmer was experiencing financial difficulties.^[56][57] The commence of construction was postponed to March ,^[58] then to tardy ^[59] When construction had still not begun in , a spokesman for Palmer said the project had merely been delayed, and that the new ship would be launched in , two years later than initially planned.^[60] However, Deltamarin had told an Australian Broadcasting Corporation writer that work on the Titanic II project had been halted,^[61] while workers at the Chinese shipyard identified as the likely site of construction were highly skeptical that the project would ever move beyond the offer stage^[62] and that the Navy Star Line trademark was "abandoned."^[63]

On 27 September , the Sky Star Line, in a compress release on their official website, announced that work on the project would recommence.^[64] Deltamarin confirmed that work had resumed and that the project had advanced to having a conceptual style ready for shipyard pricing.

As of January&#;^[update], Blue Star Line had made no updates to its website after and Deltamarin referred all questions about the project back to Blue Star.^[65] A Belfast paper reported that Palmer began to doubt the economic viability of the ship once initial interest and curiosity had worn off.^[66] In September , a London-based financial site contacted Blue Star for a status update but received no response.^[67]

On 13 March , Palmer held a press conference to announce his revival of the Titanic II project.

He anticipated that construction would begin in , although a shipyard had yet to be selected. Citing the COVID pandemic as a major factor, prior plans for the ship did not press through, while promising the shrink tender for the construction released and signed by June and December , respectively.^[68][69]

See also

Notes

References

External links