The Queen Mary - The real one

Channel invites us to do a cost analysis between 'Queen Mary' & 'Manxman' (presuming that she is still intact) and states that 'Queen Mary' is the better proposition. On what basis is this conclusion arrived at ? Have you done a cost analysis ?

Bob.

 

You don't need a cost analysis. Thirty odd years of active ship preservation tells you where advantages and disadvantages lie.

Manxman is 100% intact and if she is broken up the entire British Maritime Museum profession should be fired if not worse.

But - she is steam turbine - expensive, very expensive - steam ticketed engineers are a dying breed. She is deep draught and she can't go everywhere. She is museum quality and there is no excuse for the British Museum Profession's lack of will to save her.

The Queen Mary is a fascinating opportunity.

Her hull - now 76 years old - contains a remarkable amount of enclosed lounges which neither Waverley or Balmoral possess, but her interiors are all modern commercial creations. They could all go in a rebuild predicated on future operation.

She would not have to be a museum internally - just look authentic externally, as she is apart from those pastiche funnels

She could provide creature comforts that our faithfully preserved ships don't, modern catering standards, and go almost everywhere.

With modern propulsion technology she could be both manouvreable and economic, both in terms of fuel consumption and staffing requirements.

So immediately in a blue sky thinking forum, she is in a different league to Manxman.

If a future static role awaits all well and good, particularly in the current economic climate. The older she gets the more historic she becomes.

The Maritime Museum Professionals can't remain blind forever - can they???

 

Bob,

TBird Frank has given a reply which I wholeheartedly agree with. Queen Mary could open for business in a very short space of time and start bringing in the all important £'s.

The Manxman is a wonderful ship and once upon a time she could well have been a viable option. Once you lay a ship up deterioration soon takes a grip. As a mini cruise ship I think she would be superb and represent both ferries of her era but also rekindle memories and the feel of a steam powered ocen going liner. I would not like to imagine what it would cost to rebuild her to modern standards though . . . .

To see just what money can do to an old ship have a look at http://www.ssdelphine.com

Rgds

 

See - http://turbinesteamers.awardspace.com/QueenMary.htm

 

Lets hope both get saved before its too late, I rather feel that Queen Mary 2 will survive and Manxman will not.

I guess whilst Manxman is still intact she has a chance? its a shame she cannot be mothballed somewhere until such a time we wake up and realise how special she is.
I know she will never realistically return to steam but surely she must have a future in some role?

Stan the Man

 

Britains loss will be Frances gain. Lets just hope they give the old girl a good home and look after her.

Stan

 

Maybe they think they are getting the one in Long Beach LOL