RMS Titanic headed for the French port of Cherbourg, a journey of . The weather was windy, very fine but cold and overcast. Because Cherbourg lacked docking facilities for a ship the size of "Titanic", tenders had to be used to transfer passengers from shore to ship. The White Star Line operated two at Cherbourg, the and the . Both had been designed specifically as tenders for the "Olympic"-class liners and were launched shortly after "Titanic". ("Nomadic" is today the only White Star Line ship still afloat.) Four hours after "Titanic" left Southampton, she arrived at Cherbourg and was met by the
RMS Titanic take the sudden strain and snapped, swinging her around stern-first towards "Titanic". A nearby tugboat, "Vulcan", came to the rescue by taking "New York" under tow, and Captain Smith ordered "Titanic"s engines to be put "full astern". The two ships avoided a collision by a matter of about . The incident delayed "Titanic"s departure for about an hour, while the drifting "New York" was brought under control. After making it safely through the complex tides and channels of Southampton Water and the Solent, "Titanic" disembarked the Southampton pilot at the Nab Lightship and headed out into the English Channel. She