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Eye witness accounts of QM2 arriving in Southampton for
first time pinched from the liners list
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LinersList )
Date: Sat, 27 Dec 2003 23:04:36 -0000
From: "David Trevor-Jones" <david.trevorjones @
btopenworld.com>
Subject: QM2 arrival in Southampton
Greetings all!
Well, it was a spectacular event! Am intrigued to hear about David Hutchings's
small fast boat - it was a bit wet and not too breezy but there appeared to be
chaos at times amongst the flotilla. I was aboard Blue Funnel's 'Ocean Scene', a
three deck excursion boat of about 600 tonnes which did not need to fear yachts
crossing her bows at perilous close range or ski-jets, other than the risk of
running them down. There was a palpable sense of occasion in the city when we
arrived on the Town Quay at about 9.30 am, people already congregating along the
quay where later there would be a dense crowd and certainly no further parking.
Half an hour later at Ocean Village there was an immense queue for Blue Funnel's
boats and a crowd around the ticket office though I believe that all five were
completely sold out. We set off at about 11.00, not quite in convoy, and I was
delighted that BF's senior skipper was in charge of 'Ocean Scene' - I have
learned from previous big occasions that his knowledge of the Docks is matchless
and that he invariably reads the river, exclusion zones and flotilla perfectly
and gets the best positions.
We sailed out into the Itchen down toward Dock Head, and our skipper told us
that QM2 was already up at Fawley and but for the the mist would already be in
view. Looking down river all we could see was the fog bank and the nearer
components of the flotilla. Skipper decided that rather than sail down river he
would make for the Hythe side so as to be on QM2's port side as she negotiated
the fairway into the docks, that way we could shadow her all the way up to the
top turning ground without risk of being stopped. There was terrific
anticipation with frequent murmurings of 'is that her?' and 'there she is!'
before we actually caught a glimpse of something very large and liner-shaped
emerging from the murk. It was reminiscent of 'Canberra's last arrival when she,
rather more dramatically, emerged from a fog bank into sunshine. Yesterday there
was no sun so QM2 materialised rather than emerged, surrounded by small craft
policed by small speedboats with flashing blue lights, the Harbour Master's
launch and the police launches. As she bore down on us past Hythe Pier we gained
our first impression of her size and shape. I had seen her just a few weeks
earlier in her fitting out berth at St Nazaire but now seeing her now for the
first time in her natural element I was struck by how very imposing and yes,
beautiful, she looks from the bow quarter. 'Ocean Scene' took off - it is always
astonishing to find out how fast a ship approaching or leaving port is actually
travelling when compared with the capacity of one of the excursion boats. We
managed to maintain a lead and perhaps the most thrilling moment of a
spectacular morning was the first blast from the famous whistle as QM2 passed
Dock Head. Three long blasts, accompanied by the whoosh of real steam! That I
was not expecting. I thought the restored QM whistle was to be compressed air
driven, but no, live steam!
We kept up with her as she altered course past the Town Quay where by now there
was a huge crowd. I barely knew where we were, so glued had I been to the
immense ship to starboard of us since our first sighting. Alternately
photographing and peering through the binoculars I caught a glimpse of Commodore
Warwick on the bridge and fancied that I'd spotted Stephen Payne but was not
sure. Another huge crowd had gathered in Mayflower Park and were rewarded by a
further three blasts, then another salute in response to the fleet auxiliary and
naval vessels at Marchwood. We ran alongside her, perilously harried by
yachtsmen and small motor boats and keeping clear of the deluge from the fire
tug 'Lyndhurst' stationed at her bow. I couldn't count the accompanying flotilla
but would guess at a hundred or more small boats, yachts, excursion craft from
along the Hants, Dorset and Isle of Wight coasts and official launches. No
helicopters aloft though, which was surprising. Perhaps the weather was judged
too murky.
We were astonished by the rapidity of QM2's turn at the head of the Western
Docks. She had tug assistance fore and aft but still, she rotated pretty well
within her own length at amazing speed, visibly healing and kicking up a huge
wake from her pods and mud staining the river. During the turn 'Lyndhurst' gave
way to another tug at her bow (sorry, I did not take notes and this is all from
memory) and she started the return down river with the fire tug further ahead.
The flotilla had thinned a little - we had lost 'Shieldhall' by this time though
I did not notice her pull over to her berth just up river from the old Ocean
Terminal on the way up. Mental note - as made before - 'Shieldhall' is a special
ship but you do get a better view from 'Ocean Scene'!
There was another exchange of salutes as she passed Marchwood and further blasts
acknowledged the crowds in MAyflower Park and on Town Quay. Now familar with her
outline we began to compare notes on the design and construction. General
agreement that she looks magnificent from the bow quarter, better than we had
imagined from broadside, but equally that she looks a little ungainly from the
stern. It was disappointing to realise that the QE2-style wind screens aft
conceal a rather awkwardly tiered series of after decks with a double height
glazed wall supported by leaning buttresses which does look a bit like an after
thought. 'Normandie' she ain't, but she is a good deal better looking than many
recent cruise ships and - dare I say - than publicity shots in artists'
impression. Other off the cuff observations - surprisingly few port holes in the
hull and noticeably double plated corners to the openings lower in the hull
where the tendering pontoon and access doors open out, an immensely powerful bow
emphasised by the perfectly executed false sheer line, less like a block of
flats than she might have been by virtue of the semi-enclosed balconies lower in
the superstructure (like 'Oriana' and 'Aurora').
Our skipper drew ahead of her as she performed a second 'twirl', turning in the
lower turning ground so that she would berth with her bow up-river. Again we
were impressed with the turning power of the pods. We were now stationed off the
Dock Head just downstream of the QE2 Terminal so that we could observe at
closest possible range her approach to the quay and the first line ashore. There
was a strong westerly by now and the assisting tugs were working hard to hold
her off the quay so that she could edge in slowly. The tide was remarkably high
and several dockers appeared to get wet feet as the wash from her pods hit the
quayside and boiled over it. It seemed ages before the after deckhands threw a
line ashore, her approach slowed to an almost imperceptible closing by the tugs
hauling her off against the wind.
We saw it all! It had been the most spectacular, wonderful morning. Quite
literally unforgettable.
As the Blue Funnal boats arrived back at Ocean Village and one-by-one landed
their passengers a group of Ocean Liner Society members from different boats
congregated at the top of the companion way. Len Thompson, former Cunard
Quartermaster, declared the event 'awesome' and we all agreed. John Wilson, a
man who as a boy had watched the original Queen Mary sail down the Clyde, was
equally and quite emotionally impressed.
Later, a pub lunch and much enthusiastic chat done, we returned to the end of
Town Quay. QM2 was at her berth, bow up-river, bathed in light. The funnel and
mast were floodlit, all the downlights along the hull blazing and
ultra-violet/blue lights glowing at certain key positions along the
superstructure. Horizontal stair rods blasted at us from the Isle of Wight
driven by a fearsome breeze that prevented photography - my tripod couldn't have
taken it - but there will be another chance. On naming day the ceremony is to be
broadcast on a big screen in Mayflower Park followed by a spectacular firework
display, then on Monday 12th she sails for Ft Lauderdale, again with Blue Funnel
excusrion boats to accompany her on the first leg (well, at least to Hythe or
Fawley!).
If you've been reading this thanks for putting up with my spontaneous but faulty
prose. If you were there, how was it for you?!!! If you were not, you missed a
genuine spectacle!
David Trevor-Jones
Basingstoke, UK
27th Dec. 03
P.S. the BBC news coverage was disappointing, opening as it did on each
broadcast with a reminder of the St Nazaire tragedy. The local station led with
it, of course, and had a jounalist on board being filmed as he reported his
impressions from beneath the bridge wing. We saw more of him, therefore, than of
the ship, though there was briefly live coverage as she passed the QE2 Terminal
on her way up river. The later local bulletin included shots of the steam
whistle and cut to images of the original QM leaving port. ITV news was more
objective and filmed from shore side, though the item was not as long.
Date: Sat, 27 Dec 2003 15:37:04 -0000
From: "Bruce Peter" <brucepeteruk @
yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: Queen Mary 2 maiden arrival report QUEEN MARY 2 MAIDEN
ARRIVAL REPORT At 5.30 am on Boxing Day, Glasgow Airport was almost
deserted; one almost expected to see some tumbleweed blowing across the expanses
of pink granite tiled flooring. A few passengers
hovered around the British Airways check in for the
6.10 flight to London Heathrow – a service usually packed to bursting with
businessmen on just about any other day of the year.
Thus, on this date, checking in was unusually
civilised and the flight itself enjoyable (or as pleasant as anything at so
uncivilised an hour could be). Even so, I had butterflies in my
stomach and I was feeling somewhat fragile after my unfeasibly early
alarm call (4 am) and journey by car to catch the plane. Moreover, a part
of my brain had niggling doubts and it kept telling me that I
was mad to be attempting this on a day when England is uniformly
closed down and on holiday. The chances of my actually being in
Southampton by ten to catch the Ocean Scene (one of the harbour tour
boats, for which I had booked a ticket more than half a year in
advance) seemed remote. For starters, my flight would need to be punctual
and, mercifully, it was. Secondly, my good chum David
Trevor Jones would have to (a) be at Heathrow on time and (b) find me there.
Now, splendid man though he is, David is rarely seen before midday and,
furthermore, it is said that poor lost souls have wandered the
concourses of London Heathrow for months and even years waiting to be
found by someone as this is the world's most haphazard, charmless and
confusing airport. On top of these anxieties, the
weather forecast appeared to be less than promising with a deep low pressure
system scheduled to cross southern England that day,
bringing driving rain and strong winds with it – far from ideal for photography.
Upon arrival at Heathrow, however, David was there on the dot, a mobile phone
call pinpointing his exact location between Costa Coffee
and WHSmith, and, shortly, we were driving through the early morning
gloom and drizzle towards Southampton on an near-empty motorway. Once
there, a much-needed restorative cup of tea was enjoyed in the Isle
of Wight ferry terminal (pretty much the only place open at that hour
on Boxing Day), before we headed for Ocean Village, where a considerable
crowd was assembling, ready to board one of Blue
Funnel's fleet of harbour excursion ships. It is moments like this
that bring out the best in the English; it may have been the morning
after the night before, cold, dull grey and with squalls of heavy
rain, but cheerful souls abounded, wrapped from head to toe in
waterproofs, and handing out Union flags to wave. One by one, the various boats
were loaded – the Wight Scene, the Solent Cat, the
Ocean Scene (ours) and, for the hardiest, the tiny little Jenny R.
One after the other, they headed out, past the recently abandoned Vosper
Thornycroft shipyard, past a Japanese car carrier and into a
murky and choppy Solent.
Blue Funnel's friendly excursion boats and delightful staff are, to me, one
of the joys which make travelling more than half the length
of Britain to see new ships arrive and depart a real pleasure.
Together, we've witnessed Oriana's maiden arrival, Canberra's poignant last
call, Disney Wonder's maiden departure, Aurora's
aborted maiden voyage, Explorer of the Seas, Adonia, Oceana and many
more – all to a hilarious dead-pan commentary from the captain, delivered in a
broad `Ampshrrr (Hampshire) accent. `Look a' tha'
dir'y grea' clewd owr there! – I'll sell ya an umbreller for a tenner!'
Certainly, I was glad of my many layers of clothes and my
all-covering waterproofs as it was raining quite heavily.
Then, was we motored downriver, there was a brighter
patch, followed by another
misty squall in the middle distance. The captain informed us that the Queen Mary
2 was actually quite close at hand and – suddenly – she materialised out of the
drizzle and into relative brightness, sailing
almost directly towards us. What a majestic spectacle! Seen from bow- quarters,
the Queen Mary 2 resembles those famous pre-war posters of liners vertically
elongated to emphasise their height and grandeur, only
this ship has made such romantic imagery real and in corporeal substance. The
Ocean Scene paused off her port bow quarter as more
and more hull and superstructure emerged from the mist and rain. Our
fellow passengers simply stood and stared in silence for Queen Mary 2 is
a mountain of a ship and far better looking in the flesh than on
tiny photographs snatched from internet websites. Be in no doubt –
what is most important about her is her enormous size. But,
notwithstanding, she is relatively well proportioned, so much so
that, at a glance, it is quite difficult to ascertain how much larger
than QE2 she actually is. Way below the forepeak, the fire fighting
tug Redbridge sent plumes of water into the air and another tug, aft,
gave a similar display of welcome. As what seemed like acres of freshly-painted charcoal grey steelwork
eased past, the Ocean Scene gathered speed and we motored alongside
on her bow quarter – the ideal position for photography. That bow is
a thing of wonderment; the like of it has only previously appeared in
maritime posters. Its lines are not remotely like those of a modern
cruise ship. Rather than being convex (as per Royal
Caribbean `Voyager' class ships), it is concave and it soars
majestically from the water to a towering forepeak, while a vast
torpedo-like bulb breaks through the surface just above the entry
point. No doubt about it, the Queen Mary 2 is a serious ship, built
to encounter serious weather, and the hull plating appears to be very
thick (no signs to direct tugs only to push in particular places).
Also, all the hatch openings have additional corner re-enforcements
for extra strength. Above all, one is immediately aware of the superb
level of craftsmanship involved in the construction – Chantiers De
L'Atlantique appear to have done a superb job of translating Stephen
Payne's vision into reality. Soaring above the bow is a mighty superstructure which, when viewed
side-on, looks to be rather a slab but which, viewed from the bow,
recedes subtly in layers, building up towards the bridge and funnel.
While the hull combines romanticism with very obvious functionality,
the superstructure is a series of post-modern quotations from liners
past and present and so it perhaps does not cohere as well as it
might have had a latter-day James Gardiner (the famous British
industrial designer who styled QE2) been given a free-hand to use
imagination unhindered by mere quotations from history. That said,
Queen Mary 2 is both in name and raison d'etre a post-modern ship.
The critic Charles Jencks has observed that if architecture and
design are to resonate with large sections of society (and, if QM2 is
to fill her cabins cruise after cruise, she must), then it is
necessary to quote from a wide vocabulary of sources with which the
general public will empathise. So it comes about that the front of
the superstructure has a representation of Queen Mary's elegant
double curvature, which works well, while the funnel is a squashed
and tepid evocation of QE2's, which doesn't work at all. Otherwise,
the superstructure appears to consist of row upon row of cabin
balconies – de riguer in today's cruise business. These are
relatively well-handled, however, and horizontal lines are strongly
emphasised, making for a neat and orderly composition, unlike
Celebrity's ghastly-looking recent ships and Carnival's equally ugly
Spirit class. In addition, the topmost three decks of the hull also
have balconies, but fully-enclosed with window-like openings. The
public rooms appear to be on the hull's lower decks and, as with the
Michelangelo, there are few portholes. All the while, the passengers on the Ocean Scene and, no doubt, on
the other excursion boats as well, were simply standing in silence,
trying to take in the enormity and the expanses of shiny newness of
the Queen Mary 2. In addition, a large flotilla of pleasure boats was
following the ship as she promenaded slowly past Mayflower Park,
which appeared to be filled with cheering crowds. In the background,
the preserved steamer Shieldhall blew her whistle and the Queen Mary
2 responded with great jets of steam coming from her whistle – an
inheritance from the old Queen Mary. This, then, was the first time
in nearly forty years that that particular sound had been heard in
Southampton and it certainly was impressive (as well as being yet
another, more subtle, Jencksian quotation from the past). Having motored along off the Queen Mary 2's bow quarter for the best
part of an hour, we held back, allowing the ship to move ahead of us
to turn at the top end of the docks and giving us a view of the stern
for the first time. Once again, the hull is worthy of positive
comment, it being both unusual for a modern passenger ship, yet
obviously functional – the stern is rounded to give additional
strength and to dissipate vibrations, whilst there is a transom at
the waterline (somewhat akin to Oceanic). Overall, however, the stern
view is Queen Mary 2's least attractive aspect and this is where the
co-ordinating skills of a professional industrial designer are most
missed. From the side, the windscreens of the after superstructure
are arranged in such a way as to suggest a series of tiered sun
decks, much as on QE2, but when viewed aft-on, one sees a flat wall
of large aft-facing cabin windows with steel buttressing for extra
rigidity. This is a particularly infelicitous detail and it l ooks as
though the money expended upon beautifying the front of the
superstructure had run out by the time thought was given to the rear.
Furthermore, the scoop at the bottom of the funnel (which looks
passable from bow-quarters) almost buries it and the large white box,
containing the gas turbines, neither relates to the funnel nor the
superstructure in terms of form and proportion. Again, the skills of
an industrial designer might have helped to tease out the detailing
of these aspects of the ship. To criticise Queen Mary 2, however, is churlish as she is a
magnificent achievement both in terms of design and commerce.
Furthermore, an unquantifiable amount of skill, craftsmanship, love
and pride has gone into her making – truly an international
achievement. In today's uncertain world, that certainly counts for a
lot. Who would have thought back in 2000 when this project was first
mooted and so many cynical voices were raised that, not four years
later, one would be gazing up at over 150,000 tonnes of brand new
ocean liner, flying the British flag and painted so handsomely in
traditional Cunard hues? That she is as good as she is is a stinging
rebuke to the cynics! At the top end of the docks, she began to turn with only two tugs in
attendance, just in case. In reality, however, she could have made
this manoeuvre without the need for any tugs whatsoever as her podded
propulsion system allowed her to ease round within her own length
with all the agility of a cross-channel ferry. This procedure gave a
good opportunity to study her flanks side-on from a greater distance
and I do find that her silhouette is beginning to grow on me. She's
no `beauty' in the accepted sense of the `ocean greyhound' a la
Aquitania, Normandie and Queen Mary – that would have been completely
impractical nowadays. She is emphatically beautiful, though, in that
she appears to be very fit for her purpose (as was the Vulcania,
Saturnia, Georgic, Britannic, Oriana, Michelangelo and countless
other modern liners the appearance of which initially were
controversial). The Queen Mary 2 looks like a thoroughly modern
Cunarder and, as most of these nodded respectfully to tradition, the
design approach certainly is precedented. Now facing downriver, the Queen Mary 2 began her second promenade to
show the flag to the assembled multitudes and – unbelievable and
quite contrary to the forecasted weather – the clouds parted and a
hint of cool winter sunshine glinted across the superstructure and
the water jets from the escorting tugs. It was the perfect moment as
those of us on the Ocean Scene were ideally located to get good
photographs, some way off the starboard bow quarter. Off the Queen
Elizabeth 2 terminal, the ship executed another turn and sidled up to
her berth as, once again, the weather closed in and it began to rain
heavier than before. Usually, one can still see the cranes whenever a
ship berths at this quay, but Queen Mary 2's superstructure obscured
everything behind. Indeed, it was only when sailing back to Ocean
Village on the Ocean Scene that one could appreciate Queen Mary 2 in
relation to familiar landmarks. Whereas QE2's topmost decks, funnel
and mast usually protrude above the terminal and the same is true of
Norway, Queen Mary 2's entire superstructure soars aloft. As she does
not have very many more decks than these illustrious predecessors to
account for such a difference in height, it must be that each of her
decks is loftier than any liner before her. * After a lengthy and late lunch in a Southampton hostelry, during
which the morning's events were discussed at length with other Ocean
Liner Society and WSS stalwarts, David and I drove to the Town Quay
for another look at Queen Mary 2 at her berth. By now, it was dark
and there was horizontal wind and rain. In the foreground, the Queen
Mary 2 was floodlit from stem to stern, her funnel ablaze with
lights, which shone through the rain and mist. She looked spectacular
and I tried to take some more photographs (not easy in such weather
conditions). Then, it was back to Heathrow Airport and another flight
home to Glasgow. This one had even fewer passenger than in the
morning – a handful at most - and so we all were asked to sit in the
business class seats and were plied with food and drink (mine's a
double G&T). `Are you returning from Christmas?' asked one of the
stewardesses. `Actually, this was just a crazy day trip to
Southampton to see Queen Mary 2 arrive', I replied. `Oh that must
have been so wonderful – and you'd have been one of the few Scots
there. You know, I once stayed in the Queen Mary in California and it
was amazing. I couldn't get over the bathroom with the four taps on
the bath. And the dining room was huge and what craftsmanship to!.
I'd love to sail on the new Queen Mary. I caught a glimpse of her on
the news in the canteen at Heathrow this afternoon.' And so, if much
of the population feels the same way is this BA stewardess, then
Queen Mary 2 is bound to be a great success. Already, her future is
being marked out with great events to come – the naming ceremony and
the maiden voyage in January, a transatlantic close-encounter with
QE2 at speed, the Athens Olympics and so on. In present
circumstances, I could not afford to sail on her, but I am delighted
to have seen her making her debut in Southampton and, maybe, one day… * My kind thanks to David Trevor Jones and my Father for driving me to
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