Roblightbody dot com
  • Home
    • What's New?
    • About Rob >
      • QE2 Talks & speaker
    • Contact
  • Rob's Blog
  • Gadgets
  • Ocean Liners
    • Queen Mary 2 >
      • QM2 News in service
      • QM2 News (When New)
      • QM2 News (Pre Float-out) >
        • My Travels
      • QM2 Reviews
      • QM2 A Ship of Superlative Comparisons
    • Queen Elizabeth 2 >
      • QE2 in Dubai (QE2 Today)
      • QE2 Forum (link)
      • My own QE2 Story >
        • My QE2 Photos
        • 2008 Stephen Payne QE2 Lecture
        • 2008 QE2 Last Thoughts
        • 2008 QE2 Clyde Farewell
        • 2008 August QE2 Cruise
        • 2007 December QE2 Cruise
        • 2007 September QE2 Clyde
        • 2005 August QE2 Queensferry
        • 2003 June QE2 Queensferry
        • 1987 QE2 April Bremerhaven >
          • QE2 April 1987 Exterior Photos
          • QE2 April 1987 Interior Photos
      • QE2 News >
        • QE2 Dubai News (2008 to 2015) >
          • Fears grow over bid to turn QE2 into a hotel in Dubai
        • QE2 News 2008
        • QE2 Sold to Dubai Articles (2007)
        • QE2 News 2007
        • QE2 News 2006
        • QE2 News 2002 to 2005
        • QE2 News 1998 to 2001
      • QE2's Name
      • QE2 1987 Rebirth
      • QE2 Reviews 1997 to 2007
      • Speed Queen
      • QE2 Storm Photos
      • QE2 1975 Guide
      • 1969 Shipshapes
      • QE2 Sydney 2006
      • QE2 Cutaways
      • QE2 in 1969
      • QE2 Fuel Economy
      • QE2 Facts
      • Bridgecam Snaps
      • QE2 1995 Freak Wave
      • QE2 Bridge View
    • SS France >
      • SS France Swan Song (2001)
      • 2006 Finalé >
        • Telegraph April 2006
        • Miami Herald
        • AP News May 2006
        • Justin Huggler Article
        • BBC News June 2006
        • July 2006 (MSNBC)
      • Scrapping Allowed (2007)
    • United States >
      • Maiden Voyage
      • NCL Buys SS United States
    • Queen Elizabeth
    • Queen Mary >
      • No rushing Churchill and his ship of state
      • RMS Queen Mary News >
        • 2007 Fate of rusting Queen Mary in the balance
        • 2006 Queen Marys Meet
        • 2004 As ship and work of art, the QM still an original
        • 2001 Is Queen Mary seaworthy?
        • 2000 Sir John Brown Dies
        • 1998 - Queen of Kitsch
    • Normandie
    • Lusitania & Mauritania
    • Aquitania >
      • Aquitania Emails
    • Other Liners >
      • Transvaal Castle
      • Saxonia
      • Ivernia
      • Caronia
  • Cars
    • Classic Mini >
      • My Classic Minis
      • History >
        • End of Mini >
          • FT Sep 2000
          • Glasgow Herald
          • BBC News
          • Autocar March 2000
        • Sexist Adverts
        • John Cooper Dies
      • Brochures
      • My Archive
      • The MPi Minis >
        • Official Launch Documents
        • Classic Mini Postcards
        • MPI Mini Colours and trim, 1997 onwards
        • 1998 - Examples of MPI changes from SPI
        • 1998 MPI Mini Price List
        • Extracts from the 1996 Brochure launching the 1997 model year Minis
      • SPI Mini ACR2 Fault Code Reader
    • First new MINI
    • Ford Puma
    • Mazda MX-5 Miata
    • Austin Princess
    • Favourite Cars
  • PS Waverley
  • Scotland
    • Jeely Piece Song
    • Flower of Scotland
    • Where's the Glasgow?
    • I Belong to Glasgow (link)
  • Chuckles
  • Cool Websites
Home > Ocean Liners > Queen Elizabeth 2 > QE2 News > QE2 News 1998 to 2001 >

July 2000 - Kashima Collision

Date: Sat, 08 Jul 2000 22:50:42 -0000

From: "hall coons" <[email protected]>

Subject: QE2 - Kashima Collision 7-5-00

Just returned from the QE2 Tall Ships cruise. Thanks to Cornelia for tuning me into your most interesting e group. Thought I would contribute my version of the QE2 collision.

I got up 5:30 am on July 5 to watch QE2 sail up to her dock. It was a beautiful cool sunny morning. As we approached the passenger ship docks it was interesting to see a large number of the Tall Ships docked there. In the adjoining dock to where QE2 was to berth there were four warships already docked. Nearest the end of the berth were the UK Manchester tied to the dock, and the Japanese Kashima tied to the Manchester.Behind these two were the American Dallas tied to the dock and a Canadian warship tied to the Dallas (never got the Canadian name).

The bow of the Kashima was quite far out into the water between the two berths and this was obvious even before the "crisis" began. Also the QE2 seemed to begin her docking procedure (at 7:30 am) closer to the docks then she normally would. Seems to me she should have been further out in the water, away from the piers, before she began to turn into the pier. Anyway I was standing on the forward area of the Boat Deck on QE2 right below the Bridge Wings during the docking so I saw it all first hand.

As the pilot eased the QE2 into the dock we got closer and closer to the Kashima bow. Keep in mind that on all four warships there were very few crew out and about. I suspect they were still asleep or below decks recovering from the late night fireworks celebrations of July 4. No one believed we were going to hit the bow of the Kashima until we actually did hit it. In fact I was not sure that we had hit until after the incident. A Japanese sailor ran forward before the collision with some sort of "bumper guard" to protect the bow but he was to late. When the QE2 lightly bumped the Kashima, the Kashima pushed into the Manchester which she was tied next too. This had the effect of pushing the stern of the Manchester away from the pier. At this point the stern and midships mooring lines on the Manchester broke from the pier. They went off like fireworks.

At this point complete pandemonium ensued. The gangway between the Kashima and Manchester fell into the water. Keep in mind they were tied together side to side. Both the Kashima and Manchester together started to drift stern first into the side of the QE2. The side of the QE2 was also moving towards them. It appeared that a much more serious collision was about to occur. The Manchester loudspeaker system announced "BRACE FOR IMMINENT COLLISION". Now the crews on all four warships rushed up on deck to see what the heck was happening.

The Japanese crew assembled in formation on deck and raised the Japanese flag !! The British crew on the Manchester somehow got a large mooring line over to the pier. About 50 guys on the Manchester began to heave on this line in unison to pull their ship back towards the pier. The Japanese had a small launch boat tied to the side of the Kashima that was drifting into the side of QE2. It appeared that this small launch would be crushed between the two ships. A couple of Japanese sailors quickly moved the launch out of the way just in the nick of time. By now the Manchester crew was seeing some effect of their rope pulling chore and the Manchester/Kashima stopped their drift towards QE2 and slowly began to move back to the dock.

By this time QE2 had almost pulled up to the pier and things calmed down. After everyone was docked the Japanese crew swarmed over their bow to see the damage. There was a very small indentation on the top of the bow about 2 feet long that you could see from decks of QE2. I have heard in news accounts since that the Manchester actually sustained more damage with lost/crushed deck rails and side damage.

It was comical after it was all over, especially when the Japanese were spending time to raise their flags while the British were saving the day by pulling their ship to the pier with the rope. It was the perfect end to a great fourth of July ! I heard on the CBS evening news that night a report of the collision.

The Japanese Admiral was quoted as saying " I did not mind that my warship was kissed by the Queen". Hall Coons

BBC News - QE2 bumps Japanese warship

Coastguard officials were prepared for a maritime 'traffic jam'Coastguard officials were prepared for a maritime 'traffic jam'
Thursday, 6 July, 2000   http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/821334.stm

The luxury ocean liner, the QE2, has been involved in a minor collision with a Japanese warship which then hit a British warship off New York.

The collision occurred while the QE2 was leaving its mooring on the west side of Manhattan in preparation for a transatlantic crossing.

All three vessels had taken part in US Independence Day maritime festivities the previous day.

The United States Coastguard is investigating the incident, but a spokesman said no one had been injured and the vessels had only suffered slight damage.
 

Picture
The manoeuvre was complicated by the fact that Manhattan's piers are packed end-to-end with hundreds of ships, in New York for the week-long maritime event.

Damage

As the passenger ship made its way off the dock, it collided with the Kashima, a Japanese warship, which in turn hit the British warship, the HMS Manchester.

Damage was slight, including scraped paint and a broken railing on the QE2.

"It is not an unusual occurrence. It was nothing more than a touch," said an official with the US Coastguard.

The incident has not delayed the QE2's departure from New York.

Operation Sail 2000 - the biggest gathering of ships ever seen in peace time - was the highlight of 4 July celebrations and involved 150 tall ships from 50 countries, 40 modern warships and up to 70,000 pleasure craft.

Four million spectators, including US President Bill Clinton, watched the event on Independence Day.

With so many vessels in New York's harbour, US coastguard officials were well prepared for what they expected could be the maritime equivalent of a massive traffic jam.

Sections

Rob's Blog
​Gadget Reviews

Ships

PS Waverley
Queen Mary 2
Queen Elizabeth 2
RMS Queen Elizabeth
RMS Queen Mary
More Liners

Cars

Classic Mini
New MINI (2001)
Mazda Miata MX-5
Wedge Princess
Ford Puma
Other Favourites

Everything Else

Whats New
About Rob
Contact Rob
Chuckles
Cool Sites