Originally the keel was to be laid on Friday 2 July 1965. The prefabricated section of the new ship's keel consisted of three 60-tonne sections 35.7 m (117 ft) long, 7 m (23 feet) wide and 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) high.
Unfortunately it had not been stipulated that the prefabricated section being built in the workshops should weigh just 40 tonnes, to be within the combined lifting capabilities of two tower cranes adjoining the ship, which with the aid of a powerful winch would lift and pull the keep section into place. A rehearsal of the ceremony on the Wednesday evening before had gone very well but this good omen turned out to be misleading.
Lady Aberconway, the wife of John Brown's Chairman, was to perform the ceremony at 1000 hours, and more than a score of press and TV cameraman and about 30 journalists were there. Also present were Lord Aberconway and Sir John and Lady Brocklebank.
As the process began it rapidly became clear that something was wrong. Although the keel section initially moved a few inches it then stuck and refused to moved any further. Seemingly the weight of the keel was greater than the two cranes could manage, and the strain on the winch threatened to tear its concrete base out of the ground.
The embarrassing ceremony ended abruptly and the guests were quickly taken away to be entertained; fortunately press coverage was sympathetic.
The keel section was moved without fanfare into position onto the building docks on Monday 5 July.
Britannia left Liverpool on 4 July 1840. Those notes came directly from Cunard's Annual Report so even Cunard got the anniversary date wrong by a day!
