QE2 tackling a stormy Atlantic

[MiamiCunarder]

  Hey Louis,  wait, you and rest of the crew don't count! hehe

 You know, I do recall a few times when I was up and down the crew stairway that led to Castaways, the Pig, etc at night, holding tight to those low set rails. (the booze never helped) 
 
On one particularly rough winter crossing, there was a crew member who actually lost his balance due to a wave (or so the story went) and was knocked clear off the deck's stairway landing, ending up a few decks below. A US Coast Guard MEDEVAC chopper was sent out to rendevous with us somewhere near Nova Scotia, late in the evening. As the chopper neared QE2, the captain came on the system instructing all passengers to stay clear of the open decks. Of course, being only too curious, I "snuck out" onto 1 Deck in time watch the helo hover over Sun Deck where it positioned itself a good 50 feet above and commenced  a very risky in flight rescue. A gurney was hoisted down and after what seemed like an eternity, the poor fellow was lifted off and whisked away.
QE2 continued her course, never having stopped.

  Ron

[Twynkle]

There's something about rough seas!
About QE2 not stopping -
and people needing to be taken off
and Pilots clambering aboard
and QE2 rescuing people from other ships etc
It must take, / have taken real courage....

[Kathy M.]

Not a video - but a great photo!

[Blue Bombay]

I remember once leaving Southampton for a Westbound Crossing and as we cleared the Isle of Wight and entered the Channel we got hit by a Force 10 the pilot could not get off.He got his dream trip on the QE2. 

Louis

[Blue Bombay]

Another good view.That is where she belongs.



Louis

[highlander0108]

Louis, I totally agree!  Is that your photo or one of the staff photos that were available for purchase?  I purchased one on my first trip that was very similiar to that one, but I cannot find it since we moved to a different house.

Ken

[Kathy M.]

I love this photo - it is much better than the one I have!!

[Twynkle]

In contrast to Louis' well captured image above,
this (below) was taken from the observation deck in 2008.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/watch_keeper/4301474041/in/set-72157620732791543/
With the bow looking wider, almost bigger overall - more life-rafts etc.
Louis, did you take your photo from the Wheelhouse - I wonder what date it was?
(Hopefully not completely off topic, I'll move it soon! - The difference seems worth noting!)

[Blue Bombay]

Louis, did you take your photo from the Wheelhouse - I wonder what date it was?
(Hopefully not completely off topic, I'll move it soon! - The difference seems worth noting!)

Rosie, i am lucky enough to receive photos from ex-crewmembers for my QE2 collection, i did not take that photo and the date is from 2001 Westbound Crossing.

Louis

[Scott Ebersold]

  Hey Louis,  wait, you and rest of the crew don't count! hehe

 You know, I do recall a few times when I was up and down the crew stairway that led to Castaways, the Pig, etc at night, holding tight to those low set rails. (the booze never helped) 
 
On one particularly rough winter crossing, there was a crew member who actually lost his balance due to a wave (or so the story went) and was knocked clear off the deck's stairway landing, ending up a few decks below. A US Coast Guard MEDEVAC chopper was sent out to rendevous with us somewhere near Nova Scotia, late in the evening. As the chopper neared QE2, the captain came on the system instructing all passengers to stay clear of the open decks. Of course, being only too curious, I "snuck out" onto 1 Deck in time watch the helo hover over Sun Deck where it positioned itself a good 50 feet above and commenced  a very risky in flight rescue. A gurney was hoisted down and after what seemed like an eternity, the poor fellow was lifted off and whisked away.
QE2 continued her course, never having stopped.

  Ron

Hi Ron,  We must have been on the same crossing ... and out of One Deck at the same time.  I have almost the exact same story posted on here somewhere.

-Scott

[Cunardqueen]

A Question!
Has anyone travelled on QE2 specifically because she could manage heavy seas so magnificently?
As Peter Moxom  writes,
 'Within 30 minutes [of leaving Cherbourg] QE2 has eight engines on line and is steaming westwards with the aid of an ebb tide, making 30kt, into a fresh north westerly breeze and a moderate sea - in her true element at last.'  (1990)
 

Not quite but l always prayed for some rough action during any voyage, the final crossings l did think were very tame, Having grown up in the Orkneys and being used to P&O Ferries rough seas were second nature up there, One such journey should have only taken 1h45 mins but lasted 6 hours.. It was for want of  a better word, value for money, though the rest of the passengers woudnt  say that.And the smell of vomit was somethimg else.
 Strangely enough l have encountered more rough seas on the med cruises than crossings, but you always felt safe on QE2, not sure l would trust these newer ones, they always look so top heavy  .

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

This was the view from my porthole on Two Deck amidships :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/prondis_in_kenya/2930447722/



Looking at the videos from the tandem crossings, it is amazing how far the spray reached at times. This was the "bit" just under the steps up the the "bit beneath the bridge" :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/prondis_in_kenya/3108068973/



I had to run after this snap! My camera caught so much spray that afternoon that I thought I had ruined it... it would not shut its lense any more... but after it had dried, it recovered fairly fast, luckily for me!