Ask the engineer!

[Rod]

Ok Rod, here's one for you.

How hard would it, and how costly, to reactivate QE2 to sail herself to Asia (hypothetically) after four years being idle. Eg: propellers, propulsion motors, thrusters (only one of which works), anchors, rudder etc etc.

At the end, your thoughts on whether there is any way we see her sailing there herself or is it tugs only?

AS to cost...how long is a piece of string? AND how far are you going to stretch the string? In other words...impossible to gauge.
IF, they have excersied the props, the remaining engines, etc etc I see no reason why the ship cannot sail under her own power,
REMEMBER!!!! I was not a "down below" Engineer at re-engining, or, after. The motors we were told when it was decided to re-engine would have a life of 40+ years. The diesels, with maintenance, 50+ years. That may have been pie in the sky. When I was on we carried a crew of MAN people making sure that maintenance etc was kept up to date and do major repairs. I do not know the condition of the ship prior to entering Dubai, but I am told that it was a going concern as a seagoing vessel and it was kept that way.
The Chinese will not be worried as to Lloyds or any other agency. If they have control they will just sail it and be damned. Thrusters, no problem, that is what tugs are for. For safetys sake I would hope that the new owners would test a few things out.....before they embarked...but depend how desparate they are.

Remember the Chinese and "saving face"
I suspect that QE2 WILL SAIL TO HER NEW DESTINATION UNDER HER OWN POWER!

[Alex Tarry]

Thanks Rod, that is interesting....IF she does move to her new destination under her own power, does it follow that the hotel would be powered from the engine room, not shore-side? 

[Rod]

Sorry Mr T, missed your question!

In my opinion, it would depend on cost. If you keep the engines running, obviously there would be maintenance costs, cost of fuel etc etc. If you put her on shore power , those costs are passed on to the power supplier and you pay for them. Seriously though I do not think it would be economical, to power the ship, LONG TERM, using its own engines. If you want to do the weekend cruise thing...then you could probably install the equivalent of a "charging plug" But remember, that the Hotel side of QE2 is a huge power consumpter! To run it alongside would probably require its own electricity substation.
Another thing I brought up in another thread. STEAM!!! QE2 would still require steam. All the galleys would have to be changed over to electric heat. Steam to heat fuel for pumping. The laundry, hot water, swimming pool heat. Steam was used in the reheat water that provided heat to the a/c. So there you are talking a massive chunk of change to convert to electric power from shore side! Also, QE2 was designed to run on an electrical frequency of 50 hertz. Most of China seems to be on that frequency...but the US is 60 hertz....will make a difference.

[June Ingram]

In checking Alan's QE2 calendar, I see that April 29, 1987 marks QE2's maiden voyage as a motor vessel.  For those working aboard QE2 at that time, do you have any new thoughts about the re-engining as we approach this anniversary ?

[Twynkle]

Hi June

There's a considerable amount of detail throughout the Forum regarding the conversion from Steam to DE.
Here's something for starters, and I'll continue to look for more info for you, time-permitting.
https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,1039.0.html
and Rob's THe QE2 Story website has a truly impressive amount that you may enjoy too!
http://www.roblightbody.com/liners/qe-2/1987_Refit/
Posts on her second maiden voyage (1987) may also contain more relevant details for you.
Hope this is of interest!
Rosie
 

[June Ingram]

Hi Rosie - Thank you very much for the links to the wealth of information here on The Forum.  I was hoping to hear from some who were aboard at that time and hear their thoughts now after more than 25 years have elapsed.  June 

[Adam Hodson]

Rob's THe QE2 Story website has a truly impressive amount that you may enjoy too!
http://www.roblightbody.com/liners/qe-2/1987_Refit/

Yes, I agree. If you are looking for any information on the QE2's re-engining, then look on Rob's brilliant website!  I would also be interested to hear some of the thoughts of engineers and crew too.

[Twynkle]

we will see...my expertise is limited....was only an Engineer.

'Only' an Engineer - FGS Rod (for goodness sake!)
Your 'home' couldn't have survived without you - could it? 
Here's the next question - nothing to do with Steam on the other topic - Sorry!   

BTW - who did all the ordering / stowage etc of equipment specifically requested by the Engineers Dept?
(just wondering when computers were used for the ordering of 'stuff'?)
If you ran out of 'stuff' - was it flown out to the next port of call?

(They do this on the current Cunarders - or for example, QV was held up by the shore-side Argentinians in  Puerto Madryn and we waited, and waited for strawberries!!)

Rosie

[Graham Taylor]

(They do this on the current Cunarders - or for example, QV was held up by the shore-side Argentinians in  Puerto Madryn and we waited, and waited for strawberries!!)

Rosie

I can't imagine QE2's sailing being delayed due to revictualling issues. If all stores were not onboard by sailing time then they were left dockside, unless absolutely crucial to Ship's Operations.

Off topic, but I recall one World Cruise when we were seriously running low on toilet paper. Supplies were brought onboard in China, but were not of a suitable quality (think of something akin to using rolled sandpaper). There were untold complaints from guests and crew alike and further supplies had to be rushed out to the ship by plane, if memory serves me correctly, at the next port of call.

[Adam Hodson]

Off topic, but I recall one World Cruise when we were seriously running low on toilet paper. Supplies were brought onboard in China, but were not of a suitable quality (think of something akin to using rolled sandpaper). There were untold complaints from guests and crew alike and further supplies had to be rushed out to the ship by plane, if memory serves me correctly, at the next port of call.

I find that story quite amusing. 

[Graham Taylor]

Of course Cunard being Cunard, the crew (with the exception of those cabin staff who purloined a few of the new rolls for their personal use and Officers such as myself who "acquired" some of the new rolls for our cabin toilets) had to make do until the Chinese supplies ran out.

[Graham Taylor]

Yes, I agree. If you are looking for any information on the QE2's re-engining, then look on Rob's brilliant website!  I would also be interested to hear some of the thoughts of engineers and crew too.

Obviously I'm not an Engineer so I can only add my experiences as a lay person. I joined 6 months into QE2's return to service when most of the post-refit problems had been sorted out. Those that remained were to do with the vibration from cavitation on the rear section of the hull due to the Grimm Vane Wheel issues (covered extensively elsewhere in this Forum). Repairs were made in Southampton in July '87, when the remainder of the vane wheels were cut off and in Bremerhaven in July '88, when new propellers were fitted (?). Until then noise and vibration was a major issue in the aft pax and crew cabins especially on TA's. Once this had been sorted out the re-engining proved it's worth on numerous occasions with speed runs across the Atlantic or to make up time to get back on schedule after delays due to fog. Not to mention the improvement in running costs due to lower fuel costs.

Not an engineering issue granted but a problem that did emerge after the Big Refit in the first year was the amount of new crew taken onboard. Many of the NUS Hotel Crew pre-1986 did not rejoin QE2 on the new contracts, consequently a lot of experience was lost to the ship. Cunard sourced a lot of the new crew from shoreside, some very young and many who had never been to sea before. A combination of long hours, long contracts before leave and difficult working conditions resulted in a high turnover of staff. Pe-dating the Cunard White Star service, Cunard alongside CSM initiated an induction course shoreside for all new crew members to prepare them before joining in Southampton covering Cunard standards of service plus Basic Sea Survival Course.

[cunardqueen]

Not an engineering issue granted but a problem that did emerge after the Big Refit in the first year was the amount of new crew taken onboard. Many of the NUS Hotel Crew pre-1986 did not rejoin QE2 on the new contracts, consequently a lot of experience was lost to the ship. Cunard sourced a lot of the new crew from shoreside, some very young and many who had never been to sea before. A combination of long hours, long contracts before leave and difficult working conditions resulted in a high turnover of staff. Pe-dating the Cunard White Star service, Cunard alongside CSM initiated an induction course shoreside for all new crew members to prepare them before joining in Southampton covering Cunard standards of service plus Basic Sea Survival Course. 

I remember being told by John Duffy on his table, that when he was interviewing people for the QE2 for her re-entry into service he was up in Scotland and went to breakfast and asked a member of the Hotel staff why all these people were lined up, to be told Oh they are here for the Cunard interviews, John Duffy then thought it better to skip breakfast and asked for a pot of coffee to be bought to him and he got the interviews started.

He always maintained from that particular set of interviews out come one outstanding employee who joined QE2 and ended up on QM2. Before leaving. I have to agree he never said a truer word.   

[Graham Taylor]

He always maintained from that particular set of interviews out come one outstanding employee who joined QE2 and ended up on QM2. Before leaving. I have to agree he never said a truer word.   

That has got the old grey cells going, trying to figure out who that person might be!

[cunardqueen]

  That has got the old grey cells going, trying to figure out who that person might be!   

Two words

Doris & Varda    and if that isnt a clue....