Desert Storm

It has been a year now since QE2 arrived in Dubai.  To date, Nakheel has kept her running, rotating her engines for generating ship's power.  They have drydocked her and cleaned her up, painting her bottom and topsides.  It is unknown whether they repaired her leaking seals in the bow thrusters that prevented their use in her final season.  Plans for sending her to Capetown appear to have stalled.  Now we learn that Dubaiworld and it's various development arms are in trouble.  The fate of QE2 is now more uncertain than ever.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/2748321/40bn-wiped-from-the-value-of-British-firms-as-Dubai-company-warns-it-cant-pay-its-debts.html

Here's another article which specifically references QE2 and her potential fate.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/financialcrisis/6671257/Dubai-may-sell-QE2-to-tackle-debt-crisis.html

I Wish I Was in Glasgow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgPFEYH9y-Q
Scottish comedian Billy Connelly's rendition of this song.  The photos accompanying this song repeat, but John Brown and the Clyde is featured.

On My Way Home

Here is a link to another video compilation of photos of QE2 on the Clyde for the final time.  It has now been one year since she left Southampton for the final time.  Thankfully, the plans to cut her up and radically alter her for her new role as a floating hotel in Dubai have been put on hold.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1BhI8WPGdQ

QE2 on the Clyde

I posted my first ever YouTube video of this special day.  The video is a slideshow of my photos of our traversing of the Firth of  Clyde and or arrival at Greenock.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuANyk2Ytz8

Regarding the music to the posted video; when we were in Edinburgh before the cruise, I heard this track playing in one of the gift shops as I was spending a significant amount of money for gifts for family at home.  I asked the cashier who was the artist and he pointed out that the CD was the featured CD for sale that day.  It was "Parallel Tracks" by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.  The CD was added to our purchase and remained in our bags until I unpacked at home. 

"Parallel Tracks" is one of my favorite CD's of modern Scottish music.  Not only are the musicians actual military personel, the are quite talented with their modern interpretations of traditional Scots tunes, featuring the bagpipes.  The track that got my attention was "Going Home", which vaguely sounded familiar, as it should have.  This song was originally written and performed by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame and was part of the soundtrack he did for the cult movie "Local Hero".   I had seen the movie many years ago and vaguely remembered that it was a very enjoyable movie about a oil executive from the states who ends up in Scotland sent to buy up the entire town, but has to deal with the locals.  A Google search interestingly revealed that the movie was filmed in Pennan, on the Aberdeenshire coast just above my grandfather's hometown of Peterhead.  In fact, we saw actual oil refineries of Fergus off in the distance.  I had no idea the track I heard in the store was called "Going Home."  What a coincidence.  This song as well as the "Time to Say Goodbye" song that was often heard onboard would become the theme songs for this trip.  Every time I hear them, they take me right back to our epic trip.

The Final Time - October 16, 2008

Despite leaving early and carving up the road, as I turned down the Henry Hudson Parkway, I could see the iconic funnel all lit up in the distance.  My heart dropped since I missed her final early morning arrival to the Manhattan pier.  Captain McNaught got her tied up at the pier a bit early, probably to guarantee a timely departure this afternoon.  With all the security measures in place, I could not park on the upper deck as I had done the past two times I had visited the pier to see the ship.  I ended up in a parking area across the street, which would later prove costly.

After watching the ship's passengers disembark through the terminal, many of whom I had seen either on my one and only January 2008 crossing or on the Farewell to the UK trip, Myles finally appeared carrying the extremely heavy bag.  After a brief chat with Matthew (kindlychap), we decided to take the subway down and ditch the bag in my car.  The car, unfortunately by now had been put up in a rack and I had to "tip" the attendant twenty bucks to get the car down and allow me to add the heavy bag that Myles walked off the ship for me. For that I will be eternally grateful since I now have a small assortment of tableware that we use occasionally for special occasions. In addition, Myles brought me my QE2 life ring which would have been very difficult to take on the plane home.

For me, this would be my very first subway adventure, ever, in New York, but I did not tell Myles that at the time.  We headed towards a subway station for a ride downtown to the South Street Seaport for a gathering of QE2 loyalists at the Sequoia Restaurant on the water, with a view of Queen Mary 2 in the distance.  As we emerged from the subway, we were basically at Ground Zero, which was a bit eery.  Both Myles and I had never seen the site and we managed to get a glimpse into the vast hole of the twin towers and saw the new construction beginning.

The Sequoia group meeting was nice, meeting up with Margaret and Frank from our UK trip, seeing Doug Newman and his dad from the January 2008 Crossing, and finally meeting Babette, from Cruisecritic.com fame and the most knowledgeable Cunard travel agent around. (I have since used her to secure cabins on the maiden QE3 tandem January Crossing with Queen Victoria in 2011)  The QE2 Memories book was carried by Myles for others to sign who were not going back on the final crossing.  Ryan and I had already signed it onboard.  I also met Margaret and Frank's daughter Alex and her husband James, who had their son with them.  They were all heading home on Queen Mary 2 for the best view of QE2's final crossing.  On an interestly side note, Alex and james had flown over a few days early and drove to Essex to take the steam train one day and visited Mystic Seaport the next day.  They were amazed home nice the area and the Connecticut River was and were shocked to hear just how close they were to my house in Haddam during the steam train ride.

Time absolutely flew by with spirited chat about various Cunard ships and QE'2 eventual fate in Dubai.  In what appeared to be short order, Myles and I had to head off back to the pier.  For Myles, he was returning home on QE2 and for me, I was going to see the final departure from a World Ship Society sponsored harbor cruise.  On this cruise, I would meet up with QE2 fellow passenger and friend Ed, who also introduced me to a few other passengers who I was familiar with from my postings on Cruisecritic.com.  On this cruise, would be writer and ocean liner enthusiast Ted Scull, who did a bit of narration on this cruise for us QE2 nutters, and also writer and ocean liner enthusiast Bill Miller, who was on our UK trip.  Both held lextures onboard QE2 and I attended them all and bought their books.  HINT...I see me doing the lexture/book thing in my future.  Bill Miller recognized me from our UK trip and we chatted a bit as we all saw QE2 sail off into the distance. 

Simply stunning, with every passenger on deck for the historic sailaway and final farewell to New York.

The sun tried to come out as she backed out of the pier and was swung around with the Moran tugs, which which have assisted her into the Manhattan and Red Hook piers so many times over the years. Magnificant...stunning...memorable...historic...these words were repeated often as we viewed the ship brilliantly all lit up.  I have to wonder if the cabin stewards had orders to open every deadlight and turn on lights in every cabin.  The ship was ablaze in lights.  I will never forget how magnificant she looked.  Theer was also a sense of pride that she was after all the finest exaple of shipbuilding on the Clyde, proudly built in my ancestrial home of Scotland.

Most of us on the ferry were up top in the open air, soaking it all in with all our senses, despite it being downright chilly.  Sitting next to Bill Miller and listening him speak, I could almost here a chapter being written for an upcoming book on QE2. Unfortunately, it was all over so quickly. Surprisingly there were no fireworks, but there was a nice fireboat display.  Finally there was the the gut wrenching horn salute as she passed the Queen Mary 2 to lead the way out of the harbor for the final time.

Goodbye QE2.  She left New York harbor at the top of her game.  Not bad for a 40 year old ship with hard Atlantic service.  As Captain McNaught told us numerous times, the world will never see the likes of her ever again.  She is the last of her breed.  Three cheers for QE2!

Tyfon Horn Updates

Here is additional information on the big Tyfon horn located in the foremast of QE2:

More info on the MKT 230/75...It was last offered in 1985, it is 6' long, 30" bell opening, close to 200lbs, it is a 4 piece horn brass head, brass neck, aluminum body,and glass fiber reinforced polyester bell/opening. I belive it was on one of the Cunard ships along with an MA18/75, but have no confirmation on that.

The above information was confirmd on the Horn and Whistle Board, and later confirmed the ship in question was our beloved QE2.

Longing for the day to hear QE2's voice once again......

New York - October 10, 2009

Picture perfect weather unfolded shortly as we arrived at the Circle Line Pier today for a family day trip to New York City.  It has now been a full year since Ryan and I stepped off the QE2 for the final time.  You could say I am having a bout of cruising withdrawl, and in particular, QE2 withdrawl symptoms.  Today would help alleviate that, but would also be somewhat bittersweet since today would bring back memories of my last visit to see QE2 off for the final time.

After a somewhat late departure from the house, compounded with holiday traffic, we arrived at the pier around 1:45pm.  Prior to floating this trip to the family, I had checked the New York Cruise ship schedule and was pleased to see there would be four ships in port today.  The Carribean Princess, of the design I refer to as the "shopping cart", would fortunately be in Red Hook, while we would be treated to a full range of ships at the Manhattan terminal.  The NCL Jewel and the Carnival Triumph, which is a slightly stretched version of the Costa Magica that we have sailed on twice, were in port, but the ship that I wanted to see was the Saga Ruby. 

Standing out amongst the modern day cruise ship designs, the Saga Ruby is a welcome and familiar sight to ocean liner enthusiasts and QE2 fans.  In fact, she was often referred to as a miniature QE2 when sailing under the Cunard flag as the Caronia.  She began her career as the Vistafjord operated by the Norwegian American Lines, built by Swan Hunter in the UK in 1973.  She was sold along with her somewhat sistership, the Sagafjord, in 1983 and had her funnel painted traditional Cunard colors, but kept her original grey hull.  In 1999, after the purchase of Cunard by Carnival, the ships of the various fleets were reorganized and the Vistafjord was positioned along with QE2 as a premium ship.  After an extensive refit, which included repainting the ship's hull in traditional Cunard color, she reimerged as the Caronia, the third such ship to bear the name in Cunard history.

In 2004, Caronia would be sold to Saga Cruises, who were operating the Sagafjord, now named the Saga Rose, painted a sharp dark blue with a yellow funnel color.  Her new name would be the Saga Ruby and she went under another refit and emerged with the similar color scheme as her sister ship the Saga Rose, as well as revamped interiors.  With all the refits over time, the rumors are that the Ruby will be SOLAS compliant after 2010, unlike the Rose or QE2.  It is my hope to one day sail on the Ruby, when I attain the age limit of 50.  Hopefully she'll still be around.  In fact, a dream of many would have Saga acquiring QE2 and returning her to sea with her stablemate the old Caronia. 

Looking more carefully at the photos of the Ruby at the pier, one can see some hull damage at the stem of the bow.  I noticed the scuff on the bow when photographing her, but not until I zoomed in did the real damage become apparent.  It looks like there has been either contact with a pier or another ship.  I question the seaworthiness of the hull and whether repairs will be made before she sails back home.

Upate:  The Ruby spent two days across the Hudson RIver in Bayonne, New Jersey to have her bow damage repaired before setting off across the Atlantic.  http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3486

Our two hour Circle Line harbor cruise took us down the Hudson, past the Statue of Liberty, back up the East River (?) up to the United Nations Building and then back to Pier 86.  We got a glimpse of the "shopping cart" in Red Hook, which our tour guide referred to as QE2, not once but twice.  Ryan corrected him, telling him that QE2 was in Dubai at the moment.  We're not too sure if he appreciated the correction from a ten year old kid.

Coming back up the Hudson, we were treated to the departure of the NCL Jewel and as we docked, the departure of the Triumph.

All in all, it was a great day to be out on the water and to see a few cruise ships and one true LINER, the Ruby.

The classic stern profile of the Saga Ruby and tail fin of the Concorde; icons of British shipbuilding and aeronautical engineering.  One possible future location of QE2 could be right here!  Doesn't take much imagination with this picture to envision this.