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TITANIC:  SEA TRIALS & LAUNCH

The Launch of Titanic

The launch of the RMS Titanic in 1911 was a significant event in history, marking the beginning of the ship’s construction and the start of its journey to becoming one of the most famous ships in the world. The launch of the Titanic was a significant event attended by thousands of people and was widely covered by the media. The launch of the Titanic marked the beginning of the ship’s journey from being a construction project to becoming a symbol of the era’s technological advancements and the hubris of human achievement.

The White Star Line, a British shipping company, built the Titanic, and construction began in 1909 at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The ship was designed to be the largest and most luxurious liner of its time and was intended to symbolise the era’s technological advancements and the height of human achievement. The Titanic was built to be the ultimate luxury liner, with state-of-the-art facilities, including a gymnasium, swimming pool, and a Turkish bath.

The launch of the Titanic was a major event and was attended by thousands of people, including dignitaries, shipyard workers, and media members. The ship was launched on May 31, 1911, and the event was widely covered by the press. The launch of the Titanic was a significant historic event, marking the beginning of the ship’s journey from being a construction project to becoming a symbol of the era’s technological advancements and the hubris of human achievement.

The launch of the Titanic was also a significant event for the shipyard workers and the local community in Belfast. The shipyard workers had spent years working on the construction of the Titanic, and the launch was a significant moment for them, as it marked the completion of their hard work and dedication. The launch was also a source of pride for the local community, as the Titanic was built in their city and was a symbol of the community’s industrial and technological capabilities.

What happened during the Titanic Sea Trials?

The RMS Titanic sea trials would be looked back on as one of the great successes of her short life.   R.M.S Titanic lived up to all expectations as it sailed down the River Lagan in front of a curious audience who had gathered to watch this gargantuan vessel finally leave its docks and head towards the Irish Sea.  It was here that she would first move under the power of her own steam. 

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Titanic Sea Trials Photo
Dockside at the Harland & Wolff dockyards awaiting sea trials.

After being postponed due to unfavourable weather the day before onlookers were growing eager to see Titanic in action.

Titanic’s sea trials began early on Monday, April 2, 1912, after she was finally fitted out at Harland & Wolff shipyard, and just eight days before, she was due to leave Southampton on her maiden voyage. 

Many would view this as a somewhat rushed experience, and it would later reflect the overall rushed attitude which would inevitably prove fatal to Titanic, its passengers and crew.

The sea trials consisted of a skeleton crew of stokers, greasers, firemen, White Star officials and representatives from the Board of trade to determine the seaworthiness of the Titanic.  No cabin Staff were believed to be on board for the sea trials.  Mr Francis Carruthers was the man who signed off on the Titanic granting it an ‘Agreement and Account of Voyages and Crew’, valid for twelve months, which deemed the ship sea-worthy.  Whilst the ship was in operation the ‘Marconi’ radio equipment on board the Titanic was fine-tuned and experimented with.

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Titanic under sea trials in 1912

During the Sea trials, a range of activities and tests were undertaken to determine the manoeuvrability, speed and stopping capacity of Titanic.  These statistics now exist as really the only hard evidence of what the Titanic was capable of.  It is fair to assume that the Titanic was not operating at full capacity during these trials, and as a result, we may never know her full capability.

A compilation of footage and CGI based on the sea trials of the Titanic

Below are some statistics that resulted from Sea Trials.

Top Recorded Speed     –   20 knots. (37 Kilometres per hour)

Turning Circle                –   3520 Metre Diameter (3,850 yards)

Stopping Distance         –   777 metres (850 Yards)

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Titanic leaves Belfast for Southampton

After six hours of sea trials, the Titanic left Belfast at noon for the 550-mile journey to Southampton, under Captain Herbert Haddock’s command. The journey to Southampton would prove to be an uneventful one.

The sea trials consisted of a number of tests of her handling characteristics, carried out first in Belfast Lough and then in the open waters of the Irish Sea. Over the course of about twelve hours, Titanic was driven at different speeds, her turning ability was tested and a “crash stop” was performed in which the engines were reversed full ahead to full astern, bringing her to a stop in 850 yds (777 m) or 3 minutes and 15 seconds. 

The ship covered a distance of about 80 nautical miles (92 mi; 150 km), averaging 18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h) and reaching a maximum speed of just under 21 knots (24 mph; 39 km/h). On returning to Belfast at about 7 pm, the surveyor signed an “Agreement and Account of Voyages and Crew”, valid for twelve months, which declared the ship seaworthy. An hour later, the Titanic left Belfast again – as it turned out, for the last time – to head to Southampton, a voyage of about 570 nautical miles (660 mi; 1,060 km). After a journey lasting about 28 hours, she arrived about midnight on 4 April and was towed to the port’s Berth 44, ready for the arrival of her passengers and the remainder of her crew.

The sea trials provides little insight as to what lay ahead for the Titanic. It certainly doesn’t provide any answers to how did the titanic sink? and the extremely high Titanic deaths.

Titanic Launch and Sea Trials Image Gallery