A most lovely old lady; each time I see her she seems to get younger and more beautiful than before.It had been some six years since I made my last visit, so in mid July this year I arranged to go again.
Lots of things had changed all around the ship, mainly some rather ugly buildings which seem to hem her in a lot. Changed too were the approaches to the ship and her museum, but the real surprise was that she appeared to be floating. The dock seemed to be full of water, with the old ship floating there quite serenely.
Now the full dock is of course an optical illusion, once up close it is easy to see that the water is only about three inches deep 
and beneath the water is a transparent bottom which shows steel scaffolding beneath.
A hasty look at the guide book reveals all: It had long been known that the ship’s plating below the waterline has been deteriorating rapidly. Over the years the iron has absorbed chemical salts causing it to rot away. Despite the very best of attention the problem was worsening. The only cure was to increase the temperature and decrease the humidity of the whole affected area.
and beneath the water is a transparent bottom which shows steel scaffolding beneath.This has been achieved by making a flat roof reaching from the actual ship’s waterline out to the dock sides and sealing it all the way around. The roof is made of transparent material and has been flooded, hence the ‘floating’ illusion.
Under this transparent ceiling the visitor can walk round the dock dry-shod and look at the hull and the mighty propeller. But now, due to a very large dehumidifier and heater, it is very warm and dry indeed, much too hot and dry for the unprepared visitor.
On board things have also changed. The first class dining room is even more splendid and many more cabins have been renovated and opened up for viewing. Probably the most interesting is the doctor’s cabin. The doctor himself sits at his table. All around are bottles with the customary ground glass stoppers and strange contents, nearby is a most grisly assortment of surgical instruments.
The engine space is very impressive. A full size replica of the engine takes up the whole area and the eighteen foot diameter flywheel and drive chains slowly turn; the pistons slide back and forth. Everything is polished steel and moves with great majesty. Doubtless, originally it would have been very noisy, hot and probably quite dangerous, but to watch it now is quite hypnotic. On the bulkhead, where the Chief Engineer stood, is the original instruction plate; it cautions the duty engineer never to allow the engine to exceed two revolutions per minute whilst the ship is alongside. How times have changed.
