QE2 Average speed to cross the Atlantic for 5 nights

[Rob Lightbody]

This question has been asked on cruise critic.

they're saying lots of things, but What's the correct answer?

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=45400762#post45400762

Does anybody remember what QE2's average speed was during the time when it was still doing 5-day TA crossings? It seems like it would have to do pretty much the entire crossing at 30 knots to be able to make in 5 days? This pretty much means that it would have to be on full power throughout the entire trip?

[Lynda Bradford]

We noted in a newsletter produced in 2010 the average speed for a particular cross in 1970.  But there could be many average speeds recorded for particular crossings

40 years ago today, QE2 crossed the Atlantic westbound in a record time of 3 days, 20 hours and 42 minutes, making an average speed of 30.36 knots.   QE2 is today still able to exceed 30 knots... see item 4 below for more details...

https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,2040.msg22421.html#msg22421


We have also information from Michael Gallagher on Fastest Crossings

Westbound (Southampton to New York)

         June 1970
         3 days 20 hours and 42 minutes
         Average speed: 30.36 knots
         Steamship
   
Eastbound (New York to Southampton)

         17 – 22 July 1990
         4 days 6 hours and 57 minutes
         Average speed: 30.16 knots
         Motorship


•   No record possible after 1996 as from 1997 crossings lengthened to six days.

•   Each power plant obtained a record – one as a two-year old steamship and one as a 21-year old motorship.

[Rod]

I believe, that the "planned" average speed was 28.5 knots. If bad weather was expected then they would goose it up a bit before the bad weather.
Don't forget that under steam it sometimes took 24 hours to get up to the 28.5.  Course taken was not always the same either.
If an early arrival was required because of other ships arriving, speed was increased as well.

[ship pro]

It took 24 hours to build up speed as the ship had to burn fuel to start making her lighter, the route was important and in June to September you could get further north on the great circle route north of the ice field, which made the route shorter, I remember on one trip we actually saw land 3 days out which was Cape race.

She burnt 550 tons of fuel in 24 hours as a steam ship

Usually the speed required was an average of 28.5 knots per crossing.

[Jeff Taylor]

...ditto for QM and QE, but they typically burned =/-1,100 tons per day to do it.

[cunardqueen]

From the East Bound trip of the Maiden Voyage in 1987....

[Lynda Bradford]

Wonderful to see this information.  Thanks Myles