Latest QE2 News, all sad...

I don't believe everything I read, but I do believe this, aside from the comment about her being a "floating wreck". However, ships do deteriorate rapidly when not cared for.

http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/236920447/qe2-declared-a-dead-ship-moved-into-holding-area-in-mina-rashid

Also, the longest serving master of QE2, and author of the book captain of the Queen (a great read!) has passed away at age 92. Captain Bob Arnott.

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/heritage/news/13641750.Final_salute_to_a_captain_of_the_Queen____Mr_QE2/

Smooth seas and fair winds, captain!

Thanks for posting. Sad indeed. Beginning to act a lot like SS United States when she was first retired. Lots of "big ideas" interspersed with long periods of neglect.

SS United States faces the scrapheap

 

Historic luxury passenger liner that ferried presidents, superstars and royalty between America and Europe heading for junkyard

 

The SS United States powers through the water in her heydey Photo: Getty Images

 

By Barney Henderson, New York

 

Marilyn Monroe, JFK and the Mona Lisa all enjoyed the luxurious Atlantic crossing provided by the Titanic-sized SS United States.

 

 

But the famed liner, which still holds the speed record for a crossing between the US and Britain by a passenger ship, now faces its final journey - to the scrapyard.

 

 

The SS United States Conservancy organisation can no longer afford the $60,000 a month it costs to dock the ship on the Delaware River in Philadelphia, where it rests, empty and rusting.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11918181/SS-United-States-faces-the-scrapheap.html

All very depressing!

Yes, the Big U is definitely facing the wrecking torch. I don't even want to get started about all that is wrong with this, and how the USA wastes trillions of $, yet can't save this ship! :mad:

If the RMS Queen Mary, HMS Victory, HMS Bristol, HMS Belfast, USS Constitution, USS Iowa, USS New Jersey, USS Missouri, USS Wisconsin, USS Yorktown, USS Intrepid, USS Hornet, and USS Lexington can all be preserved, then surely there's a place somewhere for SS United States and RMS Queen Elizabeth 2?

If the RMS Queen Mary, HMS Victory, HMS Bristol, HMS Belfast, USS Constitution, USS Iowa, USS New Jersey, USS Missouri, USS Wisconsin, USS Yorktown, USS Intrepid, USS Hornet, and USS Lexington can all be preserved, then surely there's a place somewhere for SS United States and RMS Queen Elizabeth 2?

Don't forget the SS Great Britain, Mary Rose, HMS Cavalier, HMS Caroline, HMY Britannia.

(But I think I'd remove HMS Bristol, she is hardly "preserved", as soon as she ceases being used for training sea cadets etc (2020?), she'll go off to the breakers, as did HMS Kent previously).

I simply can't believe that the wealthiest country on earth, the United States, with so many billionaires, won't save a record breaking ship named United States (mind you, I'm British and there is no sign of anyone wealthy over here coming forward to save QE2).

I simply can't believe that the wealthiest country on earth, the United States, with so many billionaires, won't save a record breaking ship named United States (mind you, I'm British and there is no sign of anyone coming forward to save QE2).

Possibly, if Donald Trump is elected, he will have Big U restored as the Presidential Yacht. We have not had a Presidential Yacht since Jimmy Carter sold it.:eek::D Yes, it is sad that possibly the most technologically advanced passenger ship ever built is basically junk. What a shame she only sailed such a short time.

When the NYT story broke Susan Gibbs telephoned me with an update. (Susan is the grand daughter of the ship's designer and president of the SSUS Conservancy.)

There is a development plan underway now but the organization and people involved cannot be named due to non-disclosure agreements. What is needed is about $750K (my math) to carry the ship until the plan progresses to the point where the developers assume responsibility for the ship. The Conservancy is out of money. Either there will be enough financial support by the end of this month or the only responsible thing left to do is put the ship up for sale. (Earlier, her spare props were sold and a generous donor bought back the unique 5-blade prop and donated it to the Conservancy.)

Later this month the Conservancy is holding a fundraising dinner that will attempt to replicate a formal evening on the SSUS. It will either be a celebration - or a funeral luncheon. :(

QE2 is in the opposite situation. There are eager developers but the ship isn't available because her owners won't talk to anybody.

Thanks for that information BlueRiband

The SSUS in my humble opinion would make a great addition to the Intrepid Museum in New York City, permanently moored alongside the USS Intrepid she could be a museum, conference & wedding venue, hotel and bar/restaurant. It would mean that the museum houses the fastest commercial vehicles for air and sea in one place.

I'd like to see the same future for QE2 in either Southampton, London, Liverpool or Glasgow.

The SSUS news is heartbreaking. I'm a 5 hour drive away and would like to see her if she is to be scrapped but I'm afraid it would be too depressing. An enormous amount of contents (100s of chairs, tables, etc.) are in storage in warehouses in VA. They could be restored. But my understanding is the ship itself has asbestos? I don't know what will happen. I just know this great liner should be saved, or there'll only be 1 left, the QM. The QE2 is too far for me to think of. Someone mentioned the US & how we restored/preserved all the great ships - Constitition, Intrepid, etc. Bear in mind those are military ships and therefore a different type of history, often preserved with different types of funding.

There was a news piece on ITV News at 10 (One of the main, nationwide news Broadcasts here in the UK) about which was filmed on-board. They didn't specifically mention asbestos, but did say that a full restoration would be in the region of £100 Million.

As regards her history, I've been chatting on another forum about her with some retired US Navy Guys. She does have a military history of a sort being built with use as a troopship as a concern and that epic powerplant was destined for the unbuilt Montana class of Battleship, as well as ending up in USS Forestall and every conventionally powered US Aircraft Carrier which followed.

There was a news piece on ITV News at 10 (One of the main, nationwide news Broadcasts here in the UK) about which was filmed on-board. They didn't specifically mention asbestos, but did say that a full restoration would be in the region of £100 Million.

 

As regards her history, I've been chatting on another forum about her with some retired US Navy Guys. She does have a military history of a sort being built with use as a troopship as a concern and that epic powerplant was destined for the unbuilt Montana class of Battleship, as well as ending up in USS Forestall and every conventionally powered US Aircraft Carrier which followed.

The SS United States was largely funded by the Pentagon. Therefore, it could easily be argued that she is military-designated.

The SSUS news is heartbreaking. I'm a 5 hour drive away and would like to see her if she is to be scrapped but I'm afraid it would be too depressing. An enormous amount of contents (100s of chairs, tables, etc.) are in storage in warehouses in VA. They could be restored. But my understanding is the ship itself has asbestos? I don't know what will happen. I just know this great liner should be saved, or there'll only be 1 left, the QM. The QE2 is too far for me to think of. Someone mentioned the US & how we restored/preserved all the great ships - Constitition, Intrepid, etc. Bear in mind those are military ships and therefore a different type of history, often preserved with different types of funding.

She's pretty rusty, sad to say.

I thought she was towed halfway around the world to have the asbestos removed, but I could be thinking of another ship. She was mothballed in VA for years, so maybe that's why some of the contents are in storage there. A lot was sold off, though. I remember my mother having a price list, but by the time she got it, most things were sold. I think she had a few dishes and an ashtray from the ship bought in that sale. (She wanted a deck chair, but they were gone already)

The SSUS news is heartbreaking. I'm a 5 hour drive away and would like to see her if she is to be scrapped but I'm afraid it would be too depressing. An enormous amount of contents (100s of chairs, tables, etc.) are in storage in warehouses in VA. They could be restored. But my understanding is the ship itself has asbestos? I don't know what will happen. I just know this great liner should be saved, or there'll only be 1 left, the QM. The QE2 is too far for me to think of. Someone mentioned the US & how we restored/preserved all the great ships - Constitition, Intrepid, etc. Bear in mind those are military ships and therefore a different type of history, often preserved with different types of funding.

This is the most informative article I have read on the subject of asbestos aboard the SSUS.

http://maritimematters.com/2013/02/s-s-united-states-the-turkish-years-1992-1996-what-might-have-been/