The last ship likely to be built at Belfast shipyard Harland & Wolff is due to leave the city later today.
The 22,000-tonne Anvil Pointwas expected to leave Queen's Island last night but its departure was delayed after it developed engine problems.
The vessel, the second of two roll-on, roll-off ferries built at the yard for an English shipping consortium, Andrew Weir Shipping Ltd, was named in a ceremony in Belfast earlier this year.
Harland & Wolff management has stressed this did not signal the beginning of the end but marked a new chapter in its 150-year history as it repositioned itself as an engineering services company.
The company's role as a leading shipbuilder effectively ended last year when the workforce was slashed to little more than 100. Its order book is now empty and there is little prospect of any more vessels being commissioned.
The once-great yard has been losing workers for decades. It hit its peak during the Second World War when it employed 35,000 people.
Famous ships built at the shipyard include the Titanic, HMS Belfast, the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, and the Canberra.
PA