Dry docking QE2

[June Ingram]

Perhaps there is a topic dealing specifically with my question.  If so, perhaps someone could point me in the correct direction.  What are the steps when drydocking a ship the size of our QE2 ?  What systems are kept running aboard ?  How is she lined up properly ? And then when she leaves drydocks, what are the steps ?  Thanks in advance !  June

[Rob Lightbody]

Perhaps there is a topic dealing specifically with my question.  If so, perhaps someone could point me in the correct direction.  What are the steps when drydocking a ship the size of our QE2 ?  What systems are kept running aboard ?  How is she lined up properly ? And then when she leaves drydocks, what are the steps ?  Thanks in advance !  June

Hi June,

I think there are at least two questions here - Dry Dockings with Cunard - and after Cunard.  It sounds like you're maybe talking about routine drydockings when she was with Cunard?  Not all were equal, of course, with the ones for the re-engining and after running aground standing out as being a bit different from the norm!

[June Ingram]

Hi Rob - Thank you for your reply.  Yes, I am asking about routine drydocking with Cunard.  Thanks again !  June

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Hi Rob - Thank you for your reply.  Yes, I am asking about routine drydocking with Cunard.  Thanks again !  June

Thank you, June. I have accordingly moved the topic here, so that we can receive contributions about QE2's dry docking throughout her Cunard service life.

[June Ingram]

Thank you, Isabelle, very much !  June

[Rod]

More than willing to start this off.
First big question??? WHERE? Rotterdam for instance demanded that the ship be totally dead. Only minor shore power for lighting would be supplied. If the ship is totally dead all crew must live ashore in hotels or similar, adding much expense.
Southampton we did a dry dock where they bought "mushpower" generators to hook up to the ships electric board and limited services were available through that.
This is ALL pre re-engining BTW.
One drydock we had supplied shoreside steam (limited) so that there was some heat available...NOT ENOUGH, but we lived on board.
Back to basics: There is a drydocking plan. This decides where, and how high all the blocks go in the bottom of the drydock that the ship will sit on. The following year the arrangement would be changed to allow painting those bits that couldnt be painted because of the blocks from the previous year. When the blocks are arranged the dock is flooded the ship comes in and winched exactly in position. I was told that for the for-aft centerline position had to be exact. Positioning of the bow had to be within 6" of the set point. As the dock is emptied a we boat goes around putting wooden plugs with 6' long pipes in them into ALL the ships side drains. So any water etc does not drip over the new paintwork.
When the dock is actually dry the underwater (now dry) examinations take place grating on sea water inlets, corrosion anodes etc, etc. When you travelled on 4 or 5 deck and in the might you couldn't get to sleep because of that rattling? Might have been a loose grating! All the grating are taken off and inspected the pipes that they cover inspected too, work orders drawn up and the work decided upon commences.
Propeller work is also done at this time, also rudder work.
Propeller work will essentially decide how long the dry dock remains dry. If there is no prop work it will be just a quick clean and polish.
Interesting fact...During the supposed "half life" refit when they put the spare props on, the old ones had lost 1 1/2" from their diameter... Not alot for the size but about 5% fuel loss! During these inspections, the hull is being pressure cleaned, 18,000 psi to prepare for painting.
Once all the painting, prop, and grating work is complete the dock can be flooded again.
Why flood the DD you ask? Because they can then do some of the hull cleaning and painting  from barges...cheaper .
At one dry dock in Southampton, they decided to go dead ship for a week then flood the dock and put 1 ships boiler on line for power and heat and all other facilities, thus saving on hotel accom. Even with limited crew, can you imagine the amount of sewage in that drydock? Smelled gross too! As the water comes up, the wee boat that put the plugs with pipes in goes around and takes them out, sometimes with hillarious results. Yes, watching "the wee boatmen" was a spectator sport. Especially when they did the port side from the Columbia Kitchen Soup boiler Yard. Almost every time the poor sap would get DRENCHED with the remains of soups, stews rice etc. They never learned!
If all DD work is done the ship is moved out for the rest of the work to be completed tied up alongside.
If anyone has any questions I would be more than happy to answer them to the best of my ability.

[June Ingram]

Hi Rod --

Thank you very, very much for all of this great information.  I do appreciate your taking the time to reply to the dry docking question.

Is there ever a time when QE2 was generating her own power for the whole time in dry dock, or wasn't that ever done and if not, for what reason ?

How high usually are the blocks ?

Do tugs bring QE2 to the entry to the dry dock ?

How many lines are attached to the winches ? and from what parts of QE2 are they attached to ?

How quickly is the dry dock emptied ?  at what rate per minute ?  and how long does it take ?

Are the winches adjusting QE2's position as the dry dock is emptied ?

Does she settle onto the blocks from bow to stern evenly at the same time ?

Were the replacement of the anodes major at each dry docking ?

That is amazing about the loss of size of the props !

At what rate is the dry dock flooded again ?

That must have been quite something to see the plugs taken out of the pipes !!

How is QE2 backed out of dry dock ?

Thank you again very, very much !!

June


 

[Rod]

June...WOW!!!!
In her steam days it was not possible to generate power because you needed salt water cooling to condense the steam. Diesel electric I could not tell you. I believe at one time the possibility of hooking up salt water cooling from shoreside was looked into, but because of her size.Not possible.
The other problem is that when steam driven , drydocks and "dead" ship were used to ovehaul/repair steam valves, pipes and other steam equipment. Even if shore power was used it increased the risk of accidents, delayed electrical work that might have to be done "dead" ship.
The blocks on the flat part of the hull were about 4'-5'high.
As with all docking/undocking manoeuvers tugs were used, along with ships power.
There were winches on the dock as well as on the ship. Both were used usually a total of 8 lines if I recall. Attached to the winches them selves.
Drydock was usually emptied to a certain level, alignment checked, plugs with pipes put in etc the emptied until the ship just sat on the blocks. Don't forget that often considerable movement of fuel/ water may have had to have been done prior to get the ship on an even keel.
I have no idea as to what the pumping rate was. Total process usually took about 16 hours
Winches would constantly adjust as the ship settled. There would also be ropes attached loosely ...just in case!
It was preferable to have the ship settle evenly to avoid undue stress on the frames.
Anodes would be totally replaced at each drydock.
Yes the removel of the plugs ALWAYS provided a little bit of entertainment.
After the dock is flooded and the okay was given, the ship would slowly be "flashed" up again. If extensive boiler work, especially brick work had been done. You might put one burner on for 30 minutes every 2 hours.
SLOWLY was the watchword for a steam ship. Everything had to be done slowly. After say 2 weeks cold there would always be an unexpected steam leak that had to be fixed. Flashing up was a very long and exhausting process for the engineering dept!
Backing out...combination of ships power and tugs!

[June Ingram]

Hi Rod -

Thank you very, very much for all of this information and for taking the time to write it.  This is the kind of information that one can not easily find if at all and just the kind that I like to find out about.  One of my favorite questions is, "How does it work ?" in relation to QE2 and all of her systems. 

Were there lines attached amid ships as well as fore and aft ?

Thanks for mentioning about moving around fuel and water.  I was wondering how she would settle on an even keel. The stress on the frame was exactly what I was thinking of. 

How many burners were there when she was steam ? 

Again, thanks very much !!

June

[Rod]

Yes lines would be attached amidships as well.
Burners. 3 Identical boilers with 5 manual burners and 2 supposedly automatic burners/boiler.
I say supposedly automatic because even in 1972 they had to be"assisted" in with a pipe wrench or the hammer of your choice!
If the boiler was already lit, then more burners would be lit from the already lit ones.
If the boiler was not lit then you had an electric ignitor for the job.
The facility did exist to light the boilers using diesel (for completely dead ship) but as far as I know it was never used.
During dead ship periods jou just had to keep steam on the "in use" fuel tank.

[June Ingram]

Hi Rod - thank you very much for your post and information !

When the supposedly auto burners were "assisted", was your "assisting" method of choice a pipe wrench or hammer ?

For the "dead ship" periods, was offshore steam provided for the "in use" fuel tank ?

Do you happen to know if there is a topic here that has photos of the schematics for the original steam propulsion system ?  If not, do you know if they exist anywhere ?

Thanks again !

June

[Rod]

June

Whatever worked.
Yes shoreside steam was used to keep the fuel warm.
As far as the steam diagrams go that would be pages and pages. I do not think the is a topic on here already.

[June Ingram]

Hi Rod -

Thanks very much for your post. 

It would be interesting to learn if QE2's original drawings are archived somewhere such as University of Glasgow. 

Were there schematics on board when you were on QE2 ?

Thanks again for all of the information in your posts !!

June

[Rod]

Yes there was a complete set of "As built" drawings in the plan room.

[June Ingram]

Thanks, Rod, very much !