New move in Nomadic's restoration

The Nomadic is being restored in Belfast

The restoration of the SS Nomadic from a run-down restaurant to its former glory is set to take another step forward.

The ship, built in 1911, will move from its current dock at Harland and Wolff to Barnett's Dock later.

The vessel, which arrived in Belfast in July from Le Havre in France, will undergo some repair work.

The Nomadic was designed to carry mainly first class passengers to the Titanic and sister ship the Olympic.

It will be covered to protect her from the harsh winter elements during the repair work.

Denis Rooney of the Nomadic Trust said Friday marked "the next step in our preparations to provide a permanent home for Nomadic".

"At present, our priority is to ensure that our inclement winter weather does not cause any further deterioration to the structure.

"We will be carrying out some first aid repairs in the coming weeks and the vessel will then be covered."

A picture of the Nomadic taken from a helicopter above Belfast

Social Development Minister David Hanson said the ship's transfer was an important step in moving the restoration project forward.

He said he wanted to express his appreciation to Harland and Wolff and Belfast Harbour Commissioners for providing berths for the Nomadic.

The government has spent almost £700,000 just buying and getting the ship back to Belfast.

The charitable trust was set up to oversee and raise funds for Nomadic's restoration.

'Built the Titanic'

Since the Nomadic's return thousands of people from all over the world have been asking when they can come and see her.

Campaigners say there is no doubt she will prove her worth as a tourist attraction.

The Nomadic's return to Belfast was almost a century after it was built by Harland and Wolff, the company which also built the Titanic.

The Nomadic as she looked early in the 20th century

It was commissioned by the famous White Star Line and used to take first and second class passengers out to Titanic at Cherbourg in 1912.

The Titanic entered legend when it sank with the loss of more than 1,500 people on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, but the Nomadic's story continued.

It saw out the end of the century as a floating restaurant beside the Eiffel Tower in Paris before being sent for storage in Le Havre.