Titanic's ‘little sister’ could be opened to the public during the Tall Ships festival in August, according to the team behind her restoration.

There is no completion date yet for the refurbishment of SS Nomadic's new home at Hamilton Dock, but Nomadic Charitable Trust says it hopes the work will finish during the summer.

“If this is the case, the trust hopes to be in a position to re-open Nomadic’s gangway to the public for the duration of the Tall Ships Festival in August,” a spokesperson said.

It comes as the trust launches a major fundraising drive and plans for educational activities that will tell Nomadic’s story to children in coming months.

Today is the third anniversary of the Department of Social Development saving Nomadic from the scrapyard at an auction in Paris. The Belfast-built ship, which carried first-class passengers to Titanic on her ill-fated maiden voyage, is to be restored as a visitor attraction celebrating the people, skills and communities behind Belfast’s maritime and industrial heritage.

Earlier this month, the trust announced that plans had taken a major step forward with the appointment of engineering consultancy Frazer-Nash to draw up the conservation management plan — the blueprint that will map out the course of the restoration.

The board has already investigated other successful ship restoration projects, including the SS Great Britain and the Maid of the Loch, a paddle steamer on Loch Lomond in Scotland.

Chairman Dennis Rooney said: “There are no precedents in Northern Ireland for the restoration of Nomadic, but there have been quite a few done in the British Isles which we have used feedback from to help inform our project.”

The trust has had to consider whether Nomadic should remain in dry dock or wet dock and whether she will be re-engined.

“We have looked very much at other projects to give us guidance in this issue,” Mr Rooney said.

At present, the goal is to restore her as a static visitor attraction by 2011, but other options have not been ruled out.

“We would like to keep open to the possibility of incorporating engines, but that is very much something for future consideration. At the minute we’re aiming for a static floating attraction,” he said.

“From a Northern Ireland perspective, this is going to be a fairly unique project. I think this will very much be of public interest, it will be an exciting project and will capture the imagination.”

Mr Rooney said volunteers are no longer working on the project as there is limited physical work left to be done at present.

“The actual refurbishment is a job for experts and Nomadic will have to be closed for the duration of those works, but I think there will be points in time when we’ll need voluntary help,” he said.

“All the way through the process we will look for opportunities to make her as accessible to the public as possible. We may be able to have open days or special visits during the restoration.”

The trust is to launch a fundraising campaign, as well as educational initiatives to reach the younger generation with Nomadic’s story, including school workshops, an inter-schools heritage quiz, Titanic Quarter Heritage Trail and Nomadic’s ‘My Belfast’ photo competition.

Belfast Telegraph readers can get involved by sponsoring one of the ship's rivets for £10 or a porthole for £25. This can be done at www.nomadicbelfast.com and sponsors can download a personalised sponsorship certificate.

Donations can be made online and a range of corporate sponsorship packages has been launched. Nomadic was also adopted as this year’s nominated charity by the Institute of Directors.

“The trust will be exhibiting at the Titanic: Designed and Built in Belfast exhibition at W5 this March and April,” a spokesperson said.

“Once Nomadic is ready to reopen to the public, there will be numerous onboard events organised and the trust will begin planning celebrations to mark her centenary in 1911 and Titanic's centenary in 2012.”