Photographs © Thierry Dufournaud 2005

The last surviving White Star Line ship NOMADIC (1,273 grt) failed to sell at auction. The starting bid had been set at €500,000. A new auction has been confirmed for January 26, 2006 with a starting bid price of €250,000. Whilst the ship has lost its upper superstructure, the photographs suggest that the interior is in quite good condition.

The NOMADIC was built by Harland and Wolff in 1911 and served as a tender serving International Mercantile Marine ships. In 1927 she was sold to Soc. Cherbourgeoise de Transbordment. She retained her name until 1934 when the company name changed to Soc. Cherbourgeoise de Remorquage et de Sauvetage NOMADIC being renamed INGENIEUR MINARD.

During WWII she was engaged in War service in England before returning to Cherbourg in 1945. Sold for breaking in 1968, she managed to escape to a new life as a floating restaurant on the Seine regaining her original name NOMADIC. The restaurant closed a few years ago and the ship was towed to Le Havre in 2003.

NOMADIC had the distinction of conveying some of the most famous passengers to travel on the maiden voyage of the TITANIC including  Colonel John Jacob Astor and his wife Madeline, Margaret "Unsinkable Molly" Brown, and Benjamin Guggenheim.

The French Titanic Society have been trying to save the ship and there have been suggestions that she may be bought for inclusion at in the Titanic Quarter Project in Belfast. However, no bids materialised at the November auction and the future of this historic little ship is once again in doubt.