Author Topic: QE2's Speed !  (Read 62560 times)

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Pat Curry

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Re: Speed !
« Reply #45 on: Feb 17, 2010, 06:22 PM »
... she did 33.8 in 1987 when returning from Bremerhaven to Southampton with me on board!  (Source for this exact figure is bruce peter's book)
It's staggering!!! 
Does anyone know if there are there any warships that can go faster that 38.4 knots? 
I believe the nuclear powered American aircraft carrier USS Enterprise can equal it. 
What can beat her?

Offline holynougat

Re: Speed !
« Reply #46 on: Mar 11, 2010, 04:10 PM »
Well, there are a few ships faster than the QE2, although they are mostly nuclear powered US navy ships. (or at least GTG ships from the Navy)

If any of you have Janes Fighting ships, a quick look through will reveal that very few ships can actually get much above 30 knots because of the massive hull form vs power compromises required.

The QE2 was designed for a 5 day tranny, so don't be surprised that it goes like a rat down a drain pipe!

 
« Last Edit: Mar 11, 2010, 04:12 PM by holynougat »

Offline cunarder1212

Re: Speed!
« Reply #47 on: Sep 10, 2010, 12:09 PM »
As far as vibrations go when leaving Shanghai late on the world cruise 2009 we did 33knots around midnight, while dancing in the queens room you could feel the vibration through the floor. In the lido at midnight buffet the spoons were rattling in the cups and outside the lido the noise had to be heard to believe,the drain pipes and other fixtures were shaking like mad. I have attached a picture of the in cabin tele on channel 4.The speed was 32.9knots for ages reaching 33knots for about 60 seconds then back to sit steady at 32.9.

Online Rob Lightbody

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Re: Speed!
« Reply #48 on: Sep 10, 2010, 12:19 PM »
Ooh!  Lovely!  Thats the highest speed i've seen on a telly-photo! 

If I'd been watching that I'd have been saying "wow wow wow" and rushing about making sure everybody knew.  As is said elsewhere in the forum, this run that you enjoyed could be the fastest any liner ever goes again...
Passionate about QE2's service life for 40 years and creator of this website.  I have worked in IT for 28 years and created my personal QE2 website in 1994.

Offline Twynkle

Re: Speed!
« Reply #49 on: Sep 10, 2010, 02:37 PM »
WOW!
At nearly 40 years of age, and carrying a fairly full load
That is superb.
Thank you for that image, and Well Done to you, the engineers and QE2!

(btw -was she running late?!)

Offline Isabelle Prondzynski

Re: Speed !
« Reply #50 on: Sep 11, 2010, 10:20 AM »
Yes, Rosie, she was running late -- and yet, she arrived in Osaka bang on time!

This is what Malcolm writes in his diary :


Once I’d been to the restaurant for breakfast I turned on the television for firstly the speed (28 knots) and then the Breakfast Show.

[...]

When we were late leaving Vung Tau and had to rush to get to Hong Kong we were told that the QE2 was being pushed as fast as she could. We only reached speeds of 29 knots. Today we are not racing (as far as I know) but our speed seems to have increased. Before lunch we were doing 28 knots and this afternoon we managed 29 knots. Paul’s just turned the TV on and we’ve hit 30 knots. 30.3 to be precise. We have already dropped to 29.3 knots but at 5-25 pm we did pass the magic point of 30 knots.

[...]

The seas had been getting a bit choppy this evening and when we got back to the cabin we turned the TV on to see what speed we were doing. 31.6 knots! We’ve passed the 30 mark again! So much for the rumour that was going around after leaving Vung Tau – that the Captain had tried to speed up and had been forced to slow again because of the way the ship was shaking herself to bits.


He missed the moment of the 33 knots, but he adds that she was in fact speeding along all day!

Offline Twynkle

Re: Speed !
« Reply #51 on: Sep 11, 2010, 07:54 PM »
Yes, Rosie, she was running late -- and yet, she arrived in Osaka bang on time!

This is what Malcolm writes in his diary :

He missed the moment of the 33 knots, but he adds that she was in fact speeding along all day!

Great!
Well Done to you, Isabelle!

Offline skilly56

Re: Speed !
« Reply #52 on: Sep 12, 2010, 12:44 PM »
I asked my young fella tonight what was the fastest speed he ever saw while on QE2 - when they went southwards after leaving Japan in Feb/March? 2008 they were in the strong Japanese current. Speed over the ground was averaged at 34.1 knots on 8 engines over about an hour, but, as he said, that current was sometimes running at 5 knots.

The bridge team all commented on the speed, but no one went down to get a camera.

Cheers

Skilly
« Last Edit: Sep 12, 2010, 10:50 PM by skilly56 »

Offline TDM99

Re: Speed !
« Reply #53 on: Jun 04, 2011, 05:37 PM »
The " speed " of QE2 was one of my best souvenir during my only little cruise .

From : Bilbao to Le Verdon and from Le Verdon to Guernsey we " hit " the famous 30 Knots , of course in the night .

Yes the QE2 was the fastet Liner with " Diesel " propulsion .

The Finnjet was a little faster , but have a completily other propulsion system .

But in the past another " Liner " was very fast !

Not the United States (Big U) with the all time record  ;D

This ship came from the otherside of the Channel  ::)

Yes " my " Ship , the s/s FRANCE

Build for a average of 30 Knots for the North Atlantic route ! During the test end November 1961 the speed maxi was : 35.5 Knots

Some times the ship have a speed day of : 31 or 32 or 33 Knots from New York to Le Havre  8)

And i'm not forget the " battle " of the Blue Ribbond from : rms QUEEN MARY & s/s NORMANDIE  ::)




« Last Edit: Jun 04, 2011, 05:45 PM by TDM99 »

Offline Rod

Re: Speed!
« Reply #54 on: Oct 07, 2011, 11:24 PM »
QE2's propellers interest me because there so different than the other propellers i've seen. They do look powerful no wonder she's the fastest ship.

Is she the fastest ship in the world still?

Never was the fastest ship. USS United States.

Online Rob Lightbody

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Re: Speed!
« Reply #55 on: Oct 07, 2011, 11:38 PM »
Never was the fastest ship. USS United States.

QE2 was the fastest liner in service for most of her career.
Passionate about QE2's service life for 40 years and creator of this website.  I have worked in IT for 28 years and created my personal QE2 website in 1994.

Offline Rod

Re: Speed!
« Reply #56 on: Oct 08, 2011, 12:04 AM »
Ok I will give you that.
I have done 35 knots on her but that was going downhill with a following wind. But, for sustained speed , the US was the fastest.

Offline highlander0108

Re: Speed !
« Reply #57 on: Oct 08, 2011, 01:48 PM »
Just wondering what type of speed was shown on the tv in the room.  Was it speed over ground or through the water?  That does make a huge difference.  My apologies if this has been covered already.  33 knots over the ground with or without aid of current is nevertheless an impressive feat, probably never to be repeated again.   :'(
"There will never be another one like her" QE2's last Master Ian McNaught
My Blog:  http://qe2-prideoftheclyde.blogspot.com/

Pat Curry

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Re: Speed !
« Reply #58 on: Oct 08, 2011, 07:15 PM »
There was a particular throb and vibration when QE2 was going very fast.  It was really exciting.  Especially for long periods.
I particularly remember one such.  We were working on board for part of the 2007 WC.  We departed Walvis Bay Namibia
on 10 April and arrived 132 hours (5.5 days) later (17 April) at Las Palmas Canary Islands. It is a distance of some 4,500 miles and to achieve it QE2 averaged 30 knots.  Incredible.

But I do have a question for the forum experts.

We all know that it takes longer to fly westwards across the Atlantic or from the far east than it does the other way.   
From JFK to LHR  a 100 knot tail wind (jet stream) may add 100 knots to the airspeed of 550 knots to give a groundspeed of 650 knots. The other way round that same 100 knot jet stream is a head wind and will give the groundspeed of 450 knots.   

Do current movements such as the Gulf Stream affect a ship's speed? Does a ship need a tail wind to achieve maximum speed? 

Offline Rod

Re: Speed !
« Reply #59 on: Oct 08, 2011, 09:59 PM »
Warships:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_class_fast_patrol_boat
Travelled on both of them.
Recently travelled on a USCG patrol boat...RR powered that did 57mph.
Most of the postings showing TV screens are instaneous speeds. Sustained speeds are different. Most of the speeds shown would be calculated by sat nav. I Remember a Navigator telling me the ship made 42 kts after a particular stormy crossing. That was for about 2 seconds!
Regarding 8 engines or 9...would make no difference, the power providers, the generators could provide more than enough power. The electric motors could only convert so much I believe that originally QE2 would do max on 7 engines. From 86-89 when I left I never saw the ship on 9. A GE guy told me that if the propulsion plant and the props and the hull could take it the engines could provide power for 45 kts. But the MOTORS, props and hull were not designed that way.