QE2 engine room electrical fire

[Tom Walker]

Does anyone have QE2 engine room electrical fire of Cape Hatteras at 10 PM, mid-October, 1988? It caused a complete power outage for over 2 hours and could have been a disaster if the sea conditions weren't nearly dead calm. This occurred the first night out from Baltimore on an 8 day Caribbean cruise.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

I have checked the QE2 timeline, and I cannot find any reference to it, so it looks as though we do not yet have a topic about it.

https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php?topic=1789.0

Any further information on this incident will be welcome. We shall be moving the topic to QE2's service life in the 1980s, which is where we collect information on such and other events during that decade. Tom, were you on board, can you tell us something more about what happened?

[cunardqueen]

Does anyone have QE2 engine room electrical fire of Cape Hatteras at 10 PM, mid-October, 1988? 

October 6th - 15th 1988 she was on a Med cruise so assuming a crossing after that , might it have been straight to NY or a Baltimore so perhaps toward the latter part of October. sounds like around the 22nd / 23rd of October.  But would QE2 have sailed to Baltimore then to go and do the Caribbean cruise  ?

[Thomas Hypher]

MAIB might have something as they would've investigated such an incident and have PDFs available of some of their reports on their branch of the .gov.uk website. I haven't seen this incident mentioned off the top of my head but it might not be in their (publicly available) online record.

Failing that, the NTSB or the US Coastguard might have reports given QE2's location at the time and their potential involvement.

A Google search of the incident might bring such reports to light if they are online in the first place.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

I have checked the QE2 timeline, and I cannot find any reference to it, so it looks as though we do not yet have a topic about it.

https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php?topic=1789.0

Any further information on this incident will be welcome. We shall be moving the topic to QE2's service life in the 1980s, which is where we collect information on such and other events during that decade. Tom, were you on board, can you tell us something more about what happened?

Tom Walker sent us the following message in response :

Yes, I was onboard and I believe this engine room fire occurred on Oct. 9th, 1988. Our 4 deck cabin was on 4 deck midships, port side and directly above where the engine room commotion could be distinctly heard, i.e. directly over the engine room fire. We heard many different languages shouting from below in the commotion. Lights out at 10:30 PM and ship dead in water for 2.5 hrs. I have more to follow on this event.

Looking forward to reading more from you, Tom. This sounds like a potentially serious event!

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Tom has sent me the following fascinating details :


I wanted to share my experience aboard QE2 on October 8, 1988 departing from Baltimore, MD and passing Cape Henry at approx. 9 PM.

We retired to our 4 deck cabin around 10 PM and at 10:30 PM the lights went out and the ship went dead-in-the-water.  Fortunately, off Cape Hatteras, NC, seas were smooth and we experienced only a gently roll.

The Captain announced by PA that everyone aboard was to remain where they were and not to move about the ship.  Most passengers were enjoying a show in the theater.  We used a flashlight in our cabin to re-enter the hallway and found other startled passengers milling about. Only emergency lighting was seen.

For more that 2 hours we heard constant banging and shouting, in many languages, coming from the engine room nearly beneath our mid-ship, port side cabin. Word circulated that there had been an electrical fire in the engine room in one of generator electrical switching panels. I was told that there were two of these electrical panels aboard and after nearly three hours of darkness the lights returned and power was restored underway.

The variety of languages below us seemed to come from the new international crew. The all British crew requirement had ended following the Diesel engine refit in Germany.  The next morning we were back to normal and not much else was said about this emergency. However, had the seas been rougher, we would have been evacuated to other nearby vessels. I don't believe that a USCG May Day was issued.

I wonder how the new international crew would have handled this evacuation? Is there anyone else who was there that night who can comment on this event?


Looking forward to more discussions, with Tom back here.

[cunardqueen]

At the risk of being pedantic, we do need to get the correct dates
8th October 1988 QE2 was on this side of the pond.

At the risk of going slightly off topic
On the outward Maiden trip to New York directly after the 86/87  refit we came to a stop in on the Atlantic one afternoon. lm sure it was day 3
I remember being in the logo shop the vibration wasn't there, That was something you clearly noticed and looking out over the stern there was no wake. And to the best of my knowledge, there were no announcements . It was all very strange.

[Tom Walker]

Correction to my original post:  The engine room fire I described happened the same week as the 1987 US stock market crash which happened on 10/19.  Therefore the date we sailed from Baltimore must have been  October 24th. It was an 8 day Caribbean cruise which returned to us to Baltimore where we had left our car. Can anyone confirm that fore me?

[Barumfox]

This may be 1987 anot 1988 as the major Stockmarket crash of that period occurred on Monday 19th October 1987.

Gary

[Tom Walker]

Thank you for the correction regarding my post of the Stock Market crash.  It was indeed 1987 and not 1988. My bad, my old age, 76, must be the culprit!

[Tony]

That may have been when we rescued that French trawlerman mid atlantic and took him to New York.

At the risk of being pedantic, we do need to get the correct dates
8th October 1988 QE2 was on this side of the pond.

At the risk of going slightly off topic
On the outward Maiden trip to New York directly after the 86/87  refit we came to a stop in on the Atlantic one afternoon. lm sure it was day 3
I remember being in the logo shop the vibration wasn't there, That was something you clearly noticed and looking out over the stern there was no wake. And to the best of my knowledge, there were no announcements . It was all very strange.

[Michael Gallagher]

The power failure lasted from 2220 hours from 24 October 1987 to 0018 hours on 25 October 1987 - just under two hours.

QE2 was on a New York - New York Caribbean cruise and the itinerary was:

21 Oct     New York
22 Oct     Baltimore
23 Oct     At Sea
24 Oct     At Sea - power failure late that night
25 Oct     St Thomas - on schedule
26 Oct     Martinique
27 Oct     Barbados
28 Oct     Antigua
29 Oct     At Sea
30 Oct     At Sea
31 Oct     Baltimore
1 Nov      New York

[Rob Lightbody]

The power failure lasted from 2220 hours from 24 October 1987 to 0018 hours on 25 October 1987 - just under two hours.

QE2 was on a New York - New York Caribbean cruise and the itinerary was:

21 Oct     New York
22 Oct     Baltimore
23 Oct     At Sea
24 Oct     At Sea - power failure late that night
25 Oct     St Thomas - on schedule
26 Oct     Martinique
27 Oct     Barbados
28 Oct     Antigua
29 Oct     At Sea
30 Oct     At Sea
31 Oct     Baltimore
1 Nov      New York

Thank you Michael. Your incredible records coming in handy again!