Ask the Captain - William Cooper (Captain from 2009 to 2012 in Dubai)

[Lynda Bradford]

Absolutely brilliant reading his response to our questions. Thanks to everyone who participated!

[Alan Snelson]

Great job putting this together Rob.

What a fascinating insight into some of the stuff going on behind the scenes and an interesting read.

[Peter Mugridge]

£22 million for the asbestos removal and associated works seems rather a lower quote than most of us were expecting; one has to wonder why it was not accepted especially in the context of over four years at about £500,000 a month just to keep her ticking over.

Put it this way - they spent more on keeping her "warm" than the essential works would have cost.

[June Ingram]

Thank you very much to Captain Cooper and to Scott Clegg for answering questions submitted by The Forum members, and thank you very much to Rob for putting together the replies for us.  The replies to the questions are certainly interesting and informative and provided much insight into what was transpiring while you were aboard and in charge of "The QE2 Project".  Thank you very much for all that you did for our beloved QE2.  After reading the final word, though, it reinforces to me at least how very alone QE2 is right now. 

[QE2forever]

Fascinating read, thank you Captain Cooper, Scott Clegg and of course Rob.

It makes me even more pessimistic about QE2's future, though...

[Rod]

Thanks to ALL concerned...especially for the promotion! Shame I didn't get the salary!

Now.... I may be way off base here, but that 22 mill figure that is being floated around.......to include asbestos removal and pipework replacement seems a bit far fetched to me!
I would have to see what was involved as far as their definition of asbestos!

[Chris]

Extremely interesting!


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[andyh]

Thank you Captain, a very interesting insight to her time in Dubai

[jdl]

I've just read these replies and it makes the current situation even harder to get my head around (short of the obvious economic issues) - Captain Cooper and his crew clearly 'got' out beloved ship and what was required to keep her going.

One can only wonder where we would be now if she had either sailed to Cape Town or been properly converted in Dubai. 

[Rob Lightbody]

I wanted to share a little memory of mine from my visit to Dubai.

On my 2nd night there, Captain Cooper and his wife and daughter invited me to come out to dinner with them.  He had a lovely big black Volvo at the time, massive thing, with a V8 engine and big cream leather seats - sounded great.  Anyway, we had a lovely dinner and a few beers at the Seaman's mission, and he took me on a wee tour of Dubai before we headed back to the ship.  Imagine being chauffeured around Dubai by the captain of the QE2?  It certainly seemed a bit crazy to the guy who had been in Glasgow 36 hours before...

We got to the security gates to Port Rashid and they stopped him.  A new guy was on the gate, and Captain Cooper was accustomed to being waved through I think.  He said who he was and the security chap started rummaging in his paperwork.  Bear in mind that a very large, shiny QE2 is just to our side at this point, funnel smoking away and lights ablaze... (hard to miss) - a few more moments passed and he muttered something to us and then bellowed to the security guard "I AM THE CAPTAIN OF THE QE2!  I AM COMING THROUGH!!!" and he gave a big shove on the accelerator, and they had to yank the gate up just in time.

It just always makes me smile when I remember it.  QE2 might not have been going anywhere, but he was so proud, and was doing his damndest to make sure she was looked after properly.  In his eyes, retired or not, she was exactly the same as she had always been.  I feel privileged to have known QE2 in that "post Cunard" time, and to have known that crew and their Captain.

[June Ingram]

Very well said, Rob !

[Brandon Sterkel]

Great story, Rob!

[ship pro]

Yes he is a great guy.

[Lynda Bradford]

Wonderful story and Captain Cooper is will go down in history as a QE2 Captain