SCRAPPING QE2.

Yes see you in March

Happy New Year!
John

Why would anyone want to preserve that ugly ship, stainless steel and plastic from a tasteless era that never managed to satisfy her deigned purpose, built and kept afloat by government subsidy

I take you didn't appreciate her good looks then ? :bigsmile:

Hi Eifion,
Have you ever seen QE2?
Have you ever sailed on QE2?
She is a lovely ship, I dont know where the stainless steel is, apart from the cutlery, or the plastic.
I have sailed on her every year from 1995 to her last World Cruise in 2008.
The best ship ever. the most famous ship in the world. travelled more miles than any other ship in history,
over six million miles. travelled around the globe more times than any other ship. Probably the fastest ship ever. speed never made public. Her last trip from Japan to LA across the North Pacific we did over 38 knots.
She carried more Famous people than any other ship in history.
The only Government subsidy was during building so the Government could use her for trooping, which they did in the Falklands war. So they got their money back.
She is a better ship than any of the New ones.
I was a Regular passenger on there and every time I went the same people were always there, she was so popular.
So she is not as bad as you think. In fact she was the Best ship of all time.
Cheers
Brian.

iI liked her looks apart from the design of the Funnel, but Initially She was almost a failure untill converted to a Motor Ship, what was the problem with her Turbines, ?

They were not always reliable , and were the penultimate Pamatrada turbines ever built , but what killed them off was the Diesels were 35% more efficient , and fuel was $180 a tonne at teh time so theer was a potential $6,000,000 a year fuel saving over the twenty years extended life

If you go to Rob Lightbody's Website he has a very detailed website about the conversion

I never sailed on her, but through my job, had a tour on her when she was first commissioned, she was a lovely ship, non of the opulence of the old Queens, but still was a real ship. I sailed past Aurua? in Southampton last night, they are not ships, but blocks of floating apartments, and to my mind look ungainly. its only a matter of time before we have a major problem with one of these monstrosities that will make the Costa Concordia look like a drill Regards KT

Totally agree with your opinions of modern floating apartment blocks, and what you say about possible future disasters, very probable with the increasing number of bigger abortions of ships being built. box boat hulls look like a bit of rectangular timber with a v shape cut off for bow, rig boats looking like Star Wars spaceships, modern deep sea trawlers looking like private yachts, nothing looks like a ship anymore, monstrous tankers and bulker s with virtually same free-board fwd as aft, no focastle head, YUK YUK YUK, maybe just my opinions. but all are getting too big. does not matter how big they build them, you cannot beat the sea.

Never sailed on her Brian but visited her several times as well as older Cunard vessels such as Britanic, Queen Mary etc as my uncle was Master in cunards before and during my time at sea. Yes she was subsidised Brian , that was why there was such a scandal over her refitting in foreign shipyards. She was never in the same class as the older ships, more like Butlins afloat , still there is no accounting for taste

Wonder if Roger Hardingham is still feeling benevolent.


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