QE2's Speed !

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

My brother reports that, at yesterday's noon announcement, Captain Chris Wells said that, since leaving Halifax, QM2 had been sailing at 30 knots.

Just passing on his message (which he wrote after reading this topic)...

I have asked him whether the TV screen in his cabin gives regular updates on the ship's speed.

[Alan Snelson]

Is QM2 capable of 30kts?

There is an interesting topic here which is relevant to speed and contains some very interesting facts relating to fuel consumption at different speeds.

https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,6853.msg72740.html#msg72740

In relation to top speeds, the last sentence of reply#3 in the linked topic on fuel speaks volumes!

[holynougat]

Well, the short answer is no, I don't think she is capable of 30 knots through the water. I saw 4 +2 online many times and I don't ever recall her breaking 30.0 in dead water, it would be possible with reduced hotel load and lifted limits on the DG's etc... but today. No, I really don't think so.
She is capable of 30 knots over the ground, that is to say with a healthy does of favorable current, indeed, I've already posted a picture on this forum of her doing 31.7 over the ground - but the kicker is that the photo also shows her doing 27.7 through the water - and really, it's the latter speed which is the true indication.

[Twynkle]

Well, the short answer is no, I don't think she is capable of 30 knots through the water. I saw 4 +2 online many times and I don't ever recall her breaking 30.0 in dead water, it would be possible with reduced hotel load and lifted limits on the DG's etc... but today. No, I really don't think so.
She is capable of 30 knots over the ground, that is to say with a healthy does of favorable current, indeed, I've already posted a picture on this forum of her doing 31.7 over the ground - but the kicker is that the photo also shows her doing 27.7 through the water - and really, it's the latter speed which is the true indication.

There were thoughts about speed when we /QM2 was sailing through areas (The Gulf etc) where additional security measures were in situ...Someone mentioned 30  knots then (Worldie, in early late March / early April 2011)
Would she have used her DGs then too?

[holynougat]

There were thoughts about speed when we /QM2 was sailing through areas (The Gulf etc) where additional security measures were in situ...Someone mentioned 30  knots then (Worldie, in early late March / early April 2011)
Would she have used her DGs then too?

I was Navigator for that world cruise, then chief officer from Dubai as I recall.
Well, for sure she would have been using the DG's, but really QM2 is not capable of 30 knots, I would say that really, her top speed today in calm conditions, with everything as it is, possibly 28 knots, and I'm being pretty generous...

[highlander0108]

My brother reports that, at yesterday's noon announcement, Captain Chris Wells said that, since leaving Halifax, QM2 had been sailing at 30 knots.

Just passing on his message (which he wrote after reading this topic)...

I have asked him whether the TV screen in his cabin gives regular updates on the ship's speed.

Maybe the new anti-fouling is helping there along with some current?  Speed through water vs. speed over ground issue again I am guessing.  I have not heard much of anything in the 'Remastering" regarding any mechanical upgrades except for regular maintenance and pod work.  Could the new pods be better as well?

[kevinh]

You know Isabelle, you and I aren't so different.

I'm a speed demon, which equates to me being a racer and just loving the thrill of speed. When you're going fast, I don't know, but for me, everything just makes sense. And I may not have ever been on QE2 or QM2, but as a speedster, I know that's kind of, if not exactly the way you feel.

I've only been cruising once; I've been on the Steamships more times than I can remember. Only a few ships I've been on were truly fast, and boats are out if the question because they are smaller, lol .

Your experience makes me long more and more to travel on QM2. I'm a speedster and speed lover enough; I can only imagine what it would be like to be on a ship, at sea, in a storm (to add to the adrenaline ), at speed. 

[skilly56]

Speed is whatever the engineers wanted it to be!
Down in the MCR we had the Walkers Electromagnetic Log cabinet, which receives the signal from the log head that pierces the hull down in the forward tunnel. We also had the trimming knob, that could adjust that signal up or down to wherever we wanted it. We also had the test switch in the same box - flicking the switch would take the recorded speed from 0 knots up to about 28.5 - 29 knots.

We had one new stroppy know-it-all nav officer who swore he could predict the exact arrival time at the next pilot station, and would put money on it! We would always get one of our team to accept his wager, then we would start playing with the master cabinet controls down below. The other mates were in on it as well, so eventually our smart-arsed nav found he was losing too often, and pulled his head in! Amazing how the engine loads can fluctuate when they want to

In the MCR are also the pitch limiter controls/load verniers, and engine governor controls. Topsides may be demanding that everything be 'on the blood', but they will only ever get what the engineers are prepared to give them. I'm not talking QE2 here - her test switch probably took the log to 40+!

Skilly

ps - Forgot to add, this was pre-GPS days. We had an old Satnav, and there were long gaps between satellites.

[Scott Ebersold]

I spent around 4 years on QE2 and 5 years on QM2 as a Deck Officer - QE2 was faster, for sure.
QM2's service speed was basically her top speed, whereas QE2's service speed was significantly lower than her top speed. I say 'was' for QM2, because she is now slower than she was when she entered service due to load restrictions on the DG's.
QE2 was just as fast at the end as she was when converted to Diesel.
The whole service speed thing is a bit of a con anyway - very few ships go around at a set speed, service speed gives the impression that it is somehow the most efficient speed, whereas it seldom is.
My current command apparently has a service speed of 17.0 Knots - simply put - it does not.

I curious to know more about the restrictions on her diesel generators (DGs).  Is this something mechanical or scientific or economic?

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

We are currently discussing various ships' speeds in other topics. To me, QE2's speed is the speed against which I measure the speed of any other ships (such as the fast little catamaran across Osaka Bay, which is 17 knots).

I did not think it worth starting another topic just yet, and so let me add here that airplanes' speed is also measured in knots (which was a surprise to me). The A340 which I often enjoy as a passenger, goes up to about 497 knots (I usually wait for the 500 mark to appear on the screen but may well have missed it). What a huge figure! I then compare the resistance of water with that of air...

[Rob Lightbody]

I don't think everybody cared about it, or even knew about it, but to me it was a huge factor in the enjoyment of her.  As a car nut, cruise ships feel like Ford Fiestas compared to the ultra-luxury Bentley that is the QE2.  She also Looked fast which really helped.

The itinerary for the Med cruise I took last summer, would not have been possible on any other ship, except QM2.

Less than a year ago :-

I wonder if Michael will see this, or someone who knows.

The above photo of her going so fast (32.8 knots), was from forum friend Kyle "stowaway2k" in March 18th 2008.

If I remember rightly, QE2 had had some sort of a problem, and was trying to make up time.  Can someone tell more please?

[Michael Gallagher]

Will have to get to my 2008 WC box to see if there was an issue, Rob. She left Shanghai on 17 March and spent the day at sea (18 March) before arriving into Osaka on 19 March as scheduled. The average speed for the journey from Shanghai to Osaka was 29.4 knots.

[Chris Thompson]

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?

Many moons ago I was fortunate enough to join a press trip to the USS Enterprise, yes I am an honorary tailhooker! Whilst up on the bridge the "Full Ahead" order was given. There was a large speedometer on the console that very quickly "pegged" at over 30 knots, nobody would tell us what the exact speed was as it was classified. From my experience working on the QE2 I could tell from watching the wake that we were going a lot faster than she did....

[Chris Thompson]

Just saw this photo of the eighth Nimitz class carrier, USS Harry S Truman at speed,
pretty good for 100000 tons of ship! Miss blasting across the oceans on the QE2!😀

[skilly56]

Rob - that TV shot of 32.8 knots - I plotted the position many years ago and I seem to recall it worked out as being off the S.E. corner of Japan when they were heading south.
Later on in that voyage, the engineers got an engine back together after survey/overhaul (they were running on eight engines at the time), so then they had nine running. QE2 was going down past the Madagascar coast & heading for Walvis Bay at the time. Anyway. a family member was on the bridge at the time, and later told me they had the southerly current with them, and the SOG on the plot was over 35 knots! And nobody took a photo!!!

Family member heads back to QE on Thursday from here in Auckland.
Cheers,
Skilly