QM2 and the Straits of Dover - Peter's charity challenge 17 June 2011

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

What an adventure that was! Thank you for the story and the update.

And congratulations! I hope your charities will benefit well.

Did the crew and / or passengers on board QM2 know that this race was taking place?

[Twynkle]

Well.... I won - big time!
.....
 

WELL DONE, INDEED!

It can't be that often the something weighing something-or-other stones beats something of something-or-other tonnes

Someone currently working on the Bridge will know more about her course through the channel.
Whether they'll be 'telling' or not maybe another matter!

Was she looking her usual mighty self?
And how are you?
Rosie

PS [ed]
Peter, as well as the weather conditions, it could have been low water making things tricky too.
Because of an extremely low tide on April 19th, it took a considerable amount of extra time then to bring her home.

[Peter Mugridge]

Rosie - Yes, I'd be interested in finding out more about that night.

The exact course taken is known, though - Nik Fox, who was running the live Twitter feed for me, had the AIS on all evening.  Much of the time seemed to be lost simply getting across the Channel into the correct shipping lane in the first place, and from then on the speed was barely above 20 knots.  Given the conditions I think it's a combination of several factors, probably including the poor visibility.


Isabelle - certainly some of the passengers did know; I reached Southampton via the 11.35 from Waterloo and I was surrounded by QM2 passengers on that train.....

[Twynkle]

I've looked at tide time-table - it was low tide in Soton at 18.35, and bang in the middle of the spring tides!
And as you mention - crossing the channels of the busiest lane in the world...
And perhaps with a pilot or two, with second one learning the ropes
And poor visibility (although this shouldn't be a problem - she bristles with radar etc)
And maybe, just maybe she did go a bit slower to let you overtake her - after all, she is a lady!

How are you - and did you enjoy it?

[Peter Mugridge]

Yes, she bristles with all the latest radar etc, but does every other ship in the Channel?  I think that some of the other vessels might be in the hands of, shall we say, less experienced mariners as well, so in poor visibility and high winds with heavy seas it is probably prudent to run more slowly on the assumption that another vessel in the vicinity might do something unexpected without warning - even if your own vessel could go nearly twice as fast in perfect safety.

Just after Nab Point she was reported at 6 knots on AIS; I assume that would be for the pilot drop?

The trip was, despite the weather, quite enjoyable although had I not been able to switch my hotel room it is quite likely that while getting soaked ( and probably slipping over into cow pats! ) for four hours until QM2's passage at 01.15 I would have been wondering why on Earth I do such things for charity...