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QE2 Interesting Facts |
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RETURN TO THE HOMEPAGE
RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 |
She served
as the Cunard
flagship for longer than any other ship from 1969 until she handed over
the
role to the Queen Mary 2 in 2004. In
November 2004 she became
the longest serving Cunard express liner when she passed the 35 years 6
months
and 1 day record previously set by the On the 4th
September 2005 the QE2 became the longest serving Cunard ship ever when
she
passed the 36 years 4 months and 2 days record of The QE2
was the last
passenger liner to be built on the River Clyde. The QE2
has completed 1,374
voyages with an average speed of 24.75 knots. The QE2
has sailed 5.3
million nautical miles – that is more than any other ship ever and the
equivalent of travelling to the moon and back 11.25 times and sailing
round the
world over 230 times. The QE2
has carried almost
three million passengers. The QE2
has completed 795
Atlantic crossings. The QE2
has completed 23
full World Cruises The QE2
has nine diesel
electric engines – each the size of a double decker bus. The QE2
has the most
powerful propulsion plant on a non-military vessel. The QE2
has the largest
marine motors ever built. The QE2
has the largest
cinema at sea (capacity 531) The QE2
has the only
Synagogue at sea. The QE2
has called at The QE2
has been commanded
by 23 Captains. The QE2 is
probably the most
misnamed ship in the world. She is the Queen Elizabeth 2 (not Queen
Elizabeth
II) indicating that she is the second Cunard liner named Queen
Elizabeth. The QE2 is
the most famous
ship in operation. The QE2 is
the only ship
ever to be awarded Five Stars by the RAC. The QE2 is
the fastest
merchant ship in operation capable of speeds of up to 34 knots
(cruising speed
28.5 knots). The QE2
cost just over £29
million to build in 1969 and since then Cunard have spent more than 15
times
that amount on refits and refurbishments. The £100
million cost of
re-engining her in 1986/1987 is the largest amount spent on such a
project. Her
steam turbines had taken her a total of 2,622,858 million nautical
miles – the
equivalent of 120 times around the world. On the 13th
June
1999, the QE2 exceeded 175,290 hours of steaming time – that equates to
exactly
20 years (including four leap years). Cunard’s
first ship
Britannia, would fit into the QE2’s Grand Lounge. One gallon
of fuel moves the
QE2 49.5 ft, with the previous steam turbine engines, one gallon of
fuel moved
the ship 36 ft. The diesel
electric system
produces 130,000 hp, which is the most powerful propulsion plant of any
merchant ship in the world. The QE2
can sail backwards
(full speed astern is 19 knots) faster than most cruise ships can sail
forwards. The 95 MV
total power output
is enough to light a city the size of The QE2
sends all its used
cooking oil ashore for reconstituting into animal feed. By the end
of 2002, the QE2
had visited An
estimated one million
turned out to see her when she called at The ship’s
fuel oil tank
capacity of 4,381.4 tons is sufficient for 10 days sailing at 32.5
knots
equalling 7,800 miles. The QE2
consumes 18.05 tons
of fuel per hour – that’s 433 tons per day. Her rudder weighs 80 tons.
On the
25th April 2004 the QE2 made maritime history when she sailed from New
York in tandem with the RMS Queen Mary 2 bound for Southampton on the
first ever tandem eastbound transatlantic crossing.
On the 6th
January 2008 the QE2 made maritime history once again when she sailed
from Southampton in tandem with the Queen Victoria bound for New York
on the first ever tandem westbound transatlantic crossing.
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