RMS Olympic Takes to the Water, Beginning the Story of a Great Atlantic Liner

On October 20, 1910, the great hull of RMS Olympic slid into the water at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast. Built for the White Star Line, the liner represented an ambitious new chapter in passenger shipping. Her launch brought months of construction on the slipway to a dramatic conclusion, while much work still lay ahead.

An Ambitious Project in Belfast

Olympic was the first ship of the class that would also include Titanic and Britannic. The project reflected intense competition among shipping companies for passengers crossing the North Atlantic.

Construction began with the laying of Olympic’s keel on December 16, 1908. She and Titanic took shape on neighbouring building berths, creating an extraordinary sight at the Belfast yard. Their construction demanded facilities and working arrangements suited to a new scale of shipbuilding.

A Launch, Not Yet a Maiden Voyage

The launch took place before distinguished guests, with the final arrangements directed by shipbuilder Lord Pirrie. According to the contemporary account in The Shipbuilder, Olympic took just 62 seconds from beginning to move until she left the launching ways.

Once afloat, she was moved to a fitting-out berth. Workers installed propulsion machinery and continued the extensive task of completing the vessel. Her familiar funnels and masts were added during this stage, gradually giving the unfinished hull the appearance of an ocean liner.

The Beginning of a Long Career

Olympic departed on her maiden voyage to New York on June 14, 1911, becoming White Star Line’s new flagship. Over the following decades, she earned the affectionate nickname “Old Reliable”.

Her final commercial voyage came in March 1935, after which she was sold for scrapping. Some of her decorative fittings survived in buildings ashore. The launch of October 1910 remains a striking moment in the history of Belfast shipbuilding and the great age of transatlantic passenger travel.