Billionaire wants to build another Titanic

[willmarsh3]

http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/30/world/...html?hpt=hp_t2

This would be pretty cool so long as she doesn't go the fate of her namesake.

[Tom Robb]

I suppose it's futile to wonder why?
Perhaps a better use of his cash than planning to have his head deep-frozen until there's a cure for life.

[Paul Pless]

What is about being a billionaire that so often leads to such a profound lack of imagination???

[Art Reinhert]

What is about being a billionaire that so often leads to such a profound lack of imagination???

If I loved an old wooden boat design that is no longer built and had the money to build a replica with modern machinery would that mean I have a profound lack of imagination?

[Mad Scientist]

Back in the '70s, the National Enquirer carried stories about a Titanic replica supposedly being built in Japan. Amazing that such a pillar of journalistic integrity got it wrong...

But seriously, an exact replica makes no sense unless the U.S. plans to reopen Ellis Island and take in (more) thousands of European immigrants. That's where the money was, in the old days. Being able to attract a few millionaires was more about prestige than anything else.

I can't see large numbers of people being willing to travel in steerage, although it might be an improvement over 'lower-deck' accomodations aboard warships!

Tom

[Rich Jones]

I wonder if it will be a "Spirit of Tradition" type of design. Modern underbody and original design above the waterline.

[Michael D. Storey]

It is an easy question to spill ink over. If you owned the realestate where the Triangle Shirt factory was located, would it be poor taster, cruel, a waste of money or lack of imagination to build a replica of the building anmd turn it into condos? I think so. The ship is a grave site. This fact is oftyen forgotten. On the other hand, if you have the money, there is little that you can not have. I would be short to criticize the expenditure. I see pix on the T & V of peeps in double wides with what I make in a month in rare snakes, tatoos, (remember Vietnamese Pigs?) Probably a greater portion of their wealth went into their expenditures, when they could have rented a clarinet for their fifth grader instead, etc. I of course do not criticize another person's choice to live in the double wide of their choice.

[skuthorp]

Clive is a 'look at me' type who bankrolls the Queensland conservatives and thinks he can buy a seat in parliament, and maybe he can. He certainly has plenty of campaign funds. Basically he's miffed that all that money can't buy him respect, and this latest adventure won't help. I do not expect that anything will come of the 'plan', it's just a publicity grabber.

[goodbasil]

I hear that James Cameron is very excited about it.

[Jim Ledger]

They'll probably plump it up some and raise the sheer...mebbe add a couple of extra lifeboats.

[Sailor]

I don't think it's so crazy, I'd do that too. Make similar changes to nav equipment, change several hundred coal shoveling Irishmen for some oil fired boilers, who knows maybe he can afford a nuke. Otherwise, Gas turbines with electric drive might be the way to go. There are other ships I'd have in my fleet first though. Cutty Sark, a 74 gun ship, an old 4 post cape horner, a large edwardian schooner to name a few. Still an interesting thing, I am sure we'll all be following it to whatever conclusion it comes to. Hopefully a launching one day.

[Sailor]

Jim, I think you may be right. Clearly she wouldn't pay today without some serious design changes. Those changes would ruin her aesthetically and really that's what she's all about to any of us today, she couldn't possibly be an investment with a goal of returns on her.

[Hwyl]

Got to be prettier than modern cruise ships. I can see that there would be a market. My guess it would be all opulent. The rest of the cruise ships have gone down market, maybe there is a niche for the "carriage trade".

[purri]

Clive Palmer is reminscent of Mr. Creosote...

[Duncan Gibbs]

Knowing Clive (from near daily appearances on our small screen down here) I would judge that it will be an exercise in extreme bad taste and no-where near the exercise in fine craftsmanship the original vessel was.

Where's a predatory hedge fund when you need one?

[johnw]

I'm sure any one of us could spend the money more tastefully, and employ more fine woodworkers in the process.

[Gerarddm]

I seem to recall another idea to do this some years back.

Might as well build a replica of ​Thermopylae and put her on the China tea run.

[skuthorp]

I seem to recall another idea to do this some years back.

Might as well build a replica of ​Thermopylae and put her on the China tea run.

Never get past H&S mate.......... Either of them.

[johnw]

I seem to recall another idea to do this some years back.

Might as well build a replica of ​Thermopylae and put her on the China tea run.

Much better idea. If the new Titanic does get built, it will resemble the original about as much as a movie set.

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

Basically, in my opinion the man's a slob. A rich slob mind you, but a slob nevertheless. He also apparently proposes that the Chinese Navy should escort his new vessel up the Thames to London, and then up the Hudson to New York. I think it somewhat unlikely that that would come to pass, even if the ship ever does.

The other Aussie comments are all pertinent too.

Mike

[Duncan S]

Already been done AddergooleTitanic and Titanic 75 Foot ReplicaSunset Mayo Ireland April 13 2012. - YouTube The rumour mill said they were going to sink it But they dident

[Rich Jones]

With modern pod motors, stabilizers and modern underbody, it could work. I could see the vessel going from place to place and docking for six months at a time. People would stay on board for a one night, two nights, whatever without ever leaving the dock. They'd get the Titanic experience without the seasickness. If it's just used as a dock side attraction, they could even retain the same low number of life boats to make it even more original. Hell, they could just skip the engines and tow it from place to place.

It's disturbing, though, that he wants to use dirt cheap Chinese labor to build it.

[Duncan Gibbs]

Particularly since he keeps on crapping on about how we can't seem to get things done in Australia, decries the death of manufacturing in this country blah, blah, blah... Hypocrite!

George Soros needs to be called up... Quick!

[Duncan Gibbs]

Comment from one of the local paper's website:

"Wayne Swan is thinking about fabricating a replica ice-berg."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/clive...#ixzz1tcfvpD1F

[kenjamin]

I just hope the builders of the next Titanic get the memo about the lower bulkheads needing to extend upwards all the way to the above floor structure. From what I've read, that was her biggest design flaw – the one that really did her in.

[richincident]

I am still hoping for the replica "Reliance," so I can't really come out one way or the other way on the "Titanic" replica. I DO love the idea of a replica iceberg!

[Duncan Gibbs]

I just hope the builders of the next Titanic get the memo about the lower bulkheads needing to extend upwards all the way to the above floor structure. From what I've read, that was her biggest design flaw – the one that really did her in.

Like most disasters at sea it was a cascade of failures that, once collision with the iceberg was inevitable, began with inferior quality rivets in the bows of the ship and other parts of the hull that sheered off that allowed more than four compartments to flood. The problem was that getting the higher quality rivets required the use of the new fangled rivet gun which couldn't be deployed for every part of the build. Thus softer rivets that could be peened by men with sledge hammers were used instead in critical parts of the hull.

[boatbuddha]

I'm pretty sure this was the plot of a movie I saw on SciFi on a rainy saturday.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanic_II

[Michael D. Storey]

I seem to recall another idea to do this some years back.

Might as well build a replica of ​Thermopylae and put her on the China tea run.

Well, I think that if someone could devine a way to make money with a big commercial windship, it would happen. Take the idea of a modern thermopylae (which she was in her time) and put her to a modern use. Not lugging tea or wool.

[TomF]

Comment from one of the local paper's website:

"Wayne Swan is thinking about fabricating a replica ice-berg."

Still plenty of the original type if the builder wants to take the same passage route. Some things don't need re-inventing.