QE2 - Pre-April 1969 Preview Cruise

[CAP]

Following her successful acceptance trials (30/3/69 - 7/4/69), QE2 returned to Southampton.  Her next scheduled outing would be the first in-service voyage, a Preview Cruise to the Canary Islands on 22/4/1969.

I am trying to establish what was being undertaken during the period between her arrival and preview voyage departure and where she was berthed, did she return to KGV dry-dock or did she remain at Ocean Terminal?

I know during the period concerned that a number of significant "events" took place, such as the formal hand-over to Cunard, as well as a formal on-board dinner hosted by the Captain and Sir Basil Smallpeice but have little else.

Thanks

[Michael Gallagher]

2 January 1969 - Maiden Arrival in Southampton
Until 24 March 1969 - Ocean Terminal
24 - 27 March 1969 - Sea Trials
27 - 30 March 1969 - DryDock
30 March - 8 April - Proving Trials (including a call at Cape Verde on 3 April and one in Tenerife on 5 April)
8 - 22 April - Ocean Terminal (Handed Over to Cunard 18 April)
22 - 30 April - Maiden Voyage

[Twynkle]

2 January 1969 - Maiden Arrival in Southampton
Until 24 March 1969 - Ocean Terminal
24 - 27 March 1969 - Sea Trials
27 - 30 March 1969 - DryDock
30 March - 8 April - Proving Trials (including a call at Cape Verde on 3 April and one in Tenerife on 5 April)
8 - 22 April - Ocean Terminal (Handed Over to Cunard 18 April)
22 - 30 April - Maiden Voyage

Hi Chris,
Hopefully you won't mind my interrupting!
Until now, this has always been a time in the Life of QE2 that has always sounded intriguing.
Thank you too, flagship.
It is very good to know that someone knows about mysterious things!
As she was sitting at Ocean Terminal for 3+ months in all, do you know if there were crew living and working on board during the early part of that time?
It would be fascinating to know whether the 'problems' were 'technical and marine stuff' - was it the new electronic technology too? And the public / hotel areas including cabins, plumbing, electrics, did these also cause consternation.
As well as disappointing, this must have all be extremely expensive and frustrating for just about every department in Cunard.
Rosie.

PS - Hope this information isn't duplicated elsewhere. I did look first, and hope I didn't miss it - and sorry if it is!)

 

[Michael Gallagher]

Rosie

The crew were living onboard and the costs incurred by that were added to Cunard's claim against the shipbuilders (as to was the cancelled advertising campaign and lost revenue). Blocks of cabins needed to be finished and they were but basically the wait was due to having to investigate the fault with the turbines, establish that, fix it and reinstall them.

Michael

[CAP]

Michael,

I am once again indebted to you for the complete and prompt response.  I do have one question as a result of the dates provided.  I understood her visit to Dry-dock (27-30/3) was a return visit.  My assumption was that she had spent sometime in KGV whilst the turbines were inspected, removed and then reinstalled.  Could you reconfirm?

[CAP]

Hi Chris,
Hopefully you won't mind my interrupting!
Until now, this has always been a time in the Life of QE2 that has always sounded intriguing.
Thank you too, flagship.
It is very good to know that someone knows about mysterious things!
As she was sitting at Ocean Terminal for 3+ months in all, do you know if there were crew living and working on board during the early part of that time?
It would be fascinating to know whether the 'problems' were 'technical and marine stuff' - was it the new electronic technology too? And the public / hotel areas including cabins, plumbing, electrics, did these also cause consternation.
As well as disappointing, this must have all be extremely expensive and frustrating for just about every department in Cunard.
Rosie.

PS - Hope this information isn't duplicated elsewhere. I did look first, and hope I didn't miss it - and sorry if it is!)

Hey Rosie,

I am glad that there are others interested in the thread and have no problem with further questions being asked.

Picking up on your question regarding crew.  QE2 was not handed over to Cunard as flagship states, until 18/4/1969, therefore she remained under Upper Clyde Shipbuilder (UCS) ownership.  I think it highly likely that after this point substantial numbers of Cunard personnel boarded the ship.  During the 3+ months alongside there were considerable numbers of UCS personnel as well as those from the assessors employed by Cunard.  I have seen mention that at the end of Jan 1969 UCS had some 1300 people aboard, which by the end of March had reduced to something in the region of 350.

[Michael Gallagher]

The full Cunard crew (give or take a few) were inboard too. They undertook cleaning duties and wre continually trained in the new procedures and ways of doing things.

[Youngesteverpassenger]

Hello All,

I may be able to add a couple of extra bits, more of interest than to help but hopefully still of interest.

The QE2 made a very short outing on the 17 March and 18 March 1969.

Departing on the 17 March and disembarkation on the 18 March at 2:30pm.

There was a question and answer on board with: Sir Basil Smallpiece - Chairman, The Cunard Steam-Ship Co., Ltd; Mr. A. E. Hepper, Chairman, Upper Clyde Shipbuildrs Ltd.; Lotd Mancroft, Deputy Chairman, The Cunard Line.

I also have the original List of Personnel on the 'Queen Elizabeth 2' Technical Trials 24-27 March 1969, if it is of interest.

Again if it is of interest, I also have original photos of:

HP Turbine Top Half Casing - at Southampton after 1st Acceptance Trial
Starboard Main Engine - at Southampton after 1st Acceptance Trial
HP Turbine Casings - at Southampton after 1st Acceptance Trial

And of course, as I am sure you know, there were more than one set of Acceptance Trials.

Hope this helps.

Lisa

[CAP]

Thanks Lisa, appreciate the information.  You obviously have a great deal of important historical information.

I was interested to read about the "outing" on 17 & 18/3/1969.  Do you have any further information?  Did she leave port?  As I understand it at that time she would have been alongside in Southampton completing installation of the new turbines which would be initally tested around the 23/3.

Chris

[Youngesteverpassenger]

Thanks Lisa, appreciate the information.  You obviously have a great deal of important historical information.

I was interested to read about the "outing" on 17 & 18/3/1969.  Do you have any further information?  Did she leave port?  As I understand it at that time she would have been alongside in Southampton completing installation of the new turbines which would be initally tested around the 23/3.

Chris

Chris,

This information may assist in the timeline of events:

Friday 21 March - Prepare for overspeed trials
Saturday 22 March:
1000 hours - COMMENCE OFFICIAL OVERSPEED TEST of port and starboard turbine sets, organised jointly by Ships Engineers, UCS Engineers, JBE Engineers and Thornycroft.

Witnessed by Lloyds, B.O.T., Salvage Association and Sir Arnold Lindley.

1400 hours - SHOWROUND FOR CREW RELATIVES starts
Using normal gangways - organised by Cunard.

Re-coupling of shafts overnight by Thornycroft.

Sunday 23 March  -  HIGH WATER

1200 hours  -  BASIN TRIAL - jointly organised by above.
Propellors not revolve ahead and astern respectively but not to start turning before noon owing to tidal considerations and trials to be complete by 5pm.

U.C.S to advise Dock Master - Captain Kirton - on dock telephone 2436 when trials are about to start.

[Youngesteverpassenger]

Hey Rosie,

I am glad that there are others interested in the thread and have no problem with further questions being asked.

Picking up on your question regarding crew.  QE2 was not handed over to Cunard as flagship states, until 18/4/1969, therefore she remained under Upper Clyde Shipbuilder (UCS) ownership.  I think it highly likely that after this point substantial numbers of Cunard personnel boarded the ship.  During the 3+ months alongside there were considerable numbers of UCS personnel as well as those from the assessors employed by Cunard.  I have seen mention that at the end of Jan 1969 UCS had some 1300 people aboard, which by the end of March had reduced to something in the region of 350.

Just picking up on the question of crew numbers in the first 3 months of 1969, I had come across a Cunard document that suggests crew numbers were limited: 'The Cunard crew are now at full strength, but only re-joined the ship last week after being off the ship since 2 January. The QE2 itself has been idle for 2 and 1/2 months, but the crew in the hotel department have now begun the steady working-up of the ship to her full operating efficiency.'

The document is not dated but on Cunard letterhead - it does not of course discuss how many members of UCS could have been on board.

Lisa

[CAP]

Thanks or the additional information Lisa,

Do you have anything further related to your "outing on 17th & 18th March?

[Youngesteverpassenger]

Looking at little more paperwork, I think the 'outing' on 17/18 March was at Ocean Terminal.

The schedule suggests too many tours in various locations of partie sof a maximum size of 15.

I also have quite a lot of original documents relating to the Proposed Preliminary Trials Programme (Cunard) for 25/26/27 March and the revised programme for Day 1 (25 March).

This covers:

Calibration of compass, DF and radio aerial.
Manoeuvring trials
Checking functionals
Vibration checks
Stopping and astern trials

As well as details of the Resumed Technical Trials from Southampton that took place on: 21/22/23/24/25 March.

Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 March continued machinery trials around the Isle of Wight.

Friday 28 March - 0800 hours - vessel to line up and enter KG V Dry Dock at Southampton.

Hope this helps.

Lisa

[CAP]

Brilliant... thanks again!