QE2 Repairs and refit 3 to 14 January 1977

[Lynda Bradford]

The QE2 Story would like to thank Michael Gallagher for giving his permission to extract information from information he had compiled on refits and allowing us to make this information available on the QE2 Story Forum. 

Timescale: 10 days
Date: 3 – 14 January 1977
Contractor: Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Bayonne, New Jersey, USA
Cost:
Captains: R Arnott and a Hutcheson

Background:

“QE2 was normally overhauled annually at Southampton, when every inch of the ship would be checked over, cleaned, renewed or replaced, at the end of each year. However, special repairs needed in January 1977 required part of the annual work to be moved to Bayonne, New Jersey where the QE2 was dry-docked for 10 days.”

Having these repairs done in US made economic sense as it meant the ship could start the Winter cruise season earlier without having a Winter Atlantic crossing.

Technical Work

Turbine: A new set of turbine blades replaced the ones damaged in an engine room fire which occurred on 23 July 1976 when the ship was steaming about 80 miles off the Scilly Islands (the southwest coast of England), heading toward New York.

Read more details on the QE2 Story topic 1976 fire, explosion & damage to QE2 including the funnel
  and the repair topic

“The new turbine was built in Scotland and was completed toward the end of December 1975 prior to being air freighted to New York.

"QE2 was moved into the dry-dock but used the facility as a wet berth. One of the port’s most powerful cranes was used to lift the new turbine on board and lower it through the engine room shafting. This job took about one week.”

Bulbous Bow: Permanent repairs were made to the bulbous bow, which was damaged when QE2 struck a coral reef in January 1976.

Read details of this incident in The QE2 Story topic "31 Dec 1975 QE2 collides with coral reef in Nassau"
and
QE2 repairs 4 to 7 January 1976

Passenger Accommodation:

Passenger accommodation contractor: AJ Mitchner

The refurbishment of the passenger accommodation; work included painting, papering and replacing ‘unshipshape’ furnishings.
   
Trafalgar Penthouse Suite: Redecorated with red velvet (edged with gold braid) drapes were hung at the windows and a new blue-and-gold carpet was laid on both levels.

Staterooms: 100 cabins were refurbished with a new look.