The Australian tycoon, Clive Palmer, has confirmed his plans to build a replica of the famous Titanic to sail around the world, an endeavor he has previously promised without showing results. Palmer, 69, launched a similar initiative in 2012 and 2018 to build the Titanic II, a replica of the ocean liner that sank in 1912 on its maiden voyage after colliding with an iceberg, resulting in the deaths of over 2000 people on board.
The official unveiling event took place a few days ago in Sydney to announce his vision of completing the ship, promising to build “the ship of love and the ultimate in style and luxury.” Palmer, who was also a member of the Australian Parliament, said he had not yet secured a shipyard. The report was first disclosed by the prestigious newspaper The Guardian.
A New Titanic
The new event comes almost a decade after the day Palmer held a very similar press conference at the Ritz Hotel in London to “launch” his Titanic II dream. When a reporter asked him at that event if the project was a joke or a publicity stunt, Palmer responded, “That’s nonsense, really,” and that he had “enough money to build the Titanic 10 times over.” Since then, Palmer has completed a term as a federal Parliament member, deregistered and then revived a political party, and has spent millions of dollars on various legal challenges, tourism ventures, and costly election campaigns.
Work on the Titanic II was halted in 2015 after a payment dispute between one of Palmer’s companies and the Chinese firm Citic left it without funds. Palmer re-announced the project in 2018 with a proposed sailing date for 2022. Palmer blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for the delays. He said people should believe him this time because “I have more money now.” Palmer, who turns 70 later this month, stood by Sydney Harbour and suggested he might die having “done nothing.”
“So, I might as well do the Titanic. I will do it. It’s much more fun to do the Titanic than sit at home counting my money. All you need to be happy, I’ve found in my life, is someone to love you, a place to sleep at night, and enough for a good meal. Other than that, everything else is an illusion, it’s like playing golf.”
Palmer said he was confident he could secure a shipyard in time for construction of the ship to begin early next year, with the ship’s maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, replicating the doomed 1912 journey of the original, scheduled for June 2027. He noted that tenders for construction would be launched in June, with contracts signed by December. He estimated the 56,000-ton ship would cost between $500 million and a billion dollars.
Where Does the Titanic Remain?
The remains of the Titanic lie 3,800 meters deep on the seabed and about 600 kilometers off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada. In recent decades, the area has been visited several times by scientists, explorers, tourists, and, of course, film directors like James Cameron. Thousands of objects have been recovered, showing what a first-class ship was like at that time; however, over time, the condition of the Titanic has deteriorated due to the constant growth of bacteria. Therefore, starting in 2001, UNESCO included the remains in its famous Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage.
What Happened to the Titanic?
The passenger liner responsible for the Titanic was the largest in the world at the beginning of the 20th century. On April 15, 1912, the ship sank after hitting an iceberg during its journey from Southampton (England) to New York (United States). Of the 2,200 passengers who embarked on the journey, more than 1,500 lost their lives. The wreckage of the vessel was discovered in 1985, and since then, specialists have embarked on underwater journeys to understand what happened. Later on, the experience was opened to tourists.
For many years, it was believed that the Titanic had sunk in one piece. However, the 1985 expedition led by Jean-Louis Michel and Robert Ballard changed the entire historical perspective. Thanks to that research, experts determined that the Titanic had “split” near the surface before sinking.
Why Was It Called Titanic?
Being the largest ship in the world at that time, the name Titanic was given to it to recall the famous “Titans” of Greek mythology. The ship was built in the city of Belfast, and on the day it sailed, April 10, dozens of international media outlets covered the event. Titanic was part of a spectacular project of three liners alongside the RMS Olympic and the HMHS Britannic. For the White Star Line company, this initiative would revolutionize the world. It was a pivotal moment amidst stiff competition with its rival, Cunard.
In cultural terms, the Titanic has become a worldwide phenomenon that has spawned movies, books, poems, and songs about the disaster. Of course, the most famous reference is the 1997 film directed by James Cameron that propelled Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio to fame, winning eleven Academy Awards.
This story was written in Spanish by Miguel Fernandez in Cultura Colectiva News.
