QE2 refits

[Twynkle]

Hello!
And Thank You for the answer!
Do you by any chance know the date of her final call to Saint Rochelle?
I may have dreamt it - or could it have been before 2008?
Rosie

[Michael Gallagher]

Do you mean La Rochelle Rosie? Her calls there for 2008 were cancelled due to potential strike action and she called instead in Le Verdon. I was a bit annoyed at this as I booked one of the trips calling at La Rochelle as I wanted to go there - one of my memories from doing French at school was that it seemed everyone in France lived there so I wanted to see what the place was like! If you do mean La Rochelle I will try and get a final date for you.

[Twynkle]

Oui! M. Flagship!
Je suis désolé - je ne veux dire La Rochelle!
Il est très très chic - les belles personnes de prendre leurs vacances là-bas!
Parfait - tout comme QE2! 

[Beardy Rich]

J'aurais aimé plus d'attention à des cours de français à l'école!

[Chris]

Michael, what was the original 2008 refit to achieve, interior wise, that wasn't achieved during Southampton (if anything)?

[foreshore]

Michael, what was the original 2008 refit to achieve, interior wise, that wasn't achieved during Southampton (if anything)?

You beat me to it Chris - same question to Michael!

Also, I saw her every day during her wet dock & for the majority of time Upper deck, aft of the Yacht Club, was fully cloaked. I wanted to ask what was being done there? - I assume work on her teak deck/caulking which requires reasonable protection from the elements to complete. It just seemed odd to be doing that type of work so close to her retirement unless it was urgent, or in order to prevent or resolve other issues.

There were also plenty of lifeboats away which I assume were being serviced or tested/certified - which would need to happen regardless of what was happening to QE2 in the near future.
(couple of pics from the 3 queens meet reflecting this:)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/31404389@N03/2987213297/in/set-72157608099006189/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/31404389@N03/2948101546/in/set-72157608099006189/

[highlander0108]

I know that the teak decks urgently needed to be refastened in this area.  There were huge areas that has delaminated and were very "spongy."  Either the fasteners had corroded and failed or the teak adhesive failed.  Either way, the humps in the deck were a hazzard. I noticed this in several areas during the January 2008 Winter Crossing.  If you were not careful, I could easily see someone losing their balance on the humps in the deck, especially if the ship was moving a bit.  All was corrected by the time I set foot on her again in October.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Plenty of amazing (and shocking) information here about the 1994 refit :

https://www.theqe2story.com/forum/index.php/topic,2436.0.html

Must have been a once in a lifetime experience for the passengers!

[CAP]

In her 1979 schedule there is a gap from early November through to 2 December 1979.  My suspicion is this would be for a planned refit but on doing a little research I cannot find any confirmation.  I've found she was in the Southampton in October 78 for a £6.7m overhaul and then back for a wet-docking in 1981.  

Can anyone confirm and if possible provide any details?

[Michael Gallagher]

REFITS / DRY DOCKS / REPAIRS
DATES AND LOCATIONS

1968   
19 – 26 November 1968 - Completion, Greenock
30 November – 17 December 1968, Repairs, Greenock

1969
January – March 1969, Repairs, Southampton 1 – 15 November 1969, Refit, Southampton

1970
6 – 22 April 1970, Refit, Southampton

1971
14 April – 8 May 1971, Refit, Southampton

1972
13 October – 7 November 1972, Refit, Southampton

1973
23 October – 11 November 1973, Refit, Southampton

1974
8 – 25 April 1974, Repairs - Bermuda/New York/Southampton
27 – 31 October 1974, Repairs, Cherbourg
3 – 21 December 1974, Refit, Rotterdam

1975
October – 20 November 1975, Refit, Southampton

1976
4 – 7 January 1976, Repairs, Newport News
25 July – 5 August 1976, Repairs      Southampton
7 – 25 November 1976, Refit,   Southampton
2 – 3 December 1976, Repairs, Boston

1977
3 – 14 January 1977,   Repairs, New York
3 – 20 December 1977, Refit, New York

1978
22 – 25 April 1978, Overhaul, Southampton
1 November – 14 December 1978, Refit, Southampton

1979
14 – 16 April 1979, Overhaul, Southampton
15 November – 21 December 1979, Refit, New York

1980

16 November – 1 December   Refit         Southampton

1981

10 – 24 November         Refit         Southampton

1982

4 – 12 May            Conversion      Southampton

11 June – 13 August      Re-conversion   Southampton

1983

10 – 27 June            Repairs      Southampton

22 July – 2 August         Repairs      Southampton

27 November – 14 December   Refit         Bremerhaven

1984

2 – 16 December         Refit         Bremerhaven

1985

9 – 13 December         Overhaul      Southampton

1986 / 1987

27 October 1986 – 25 April 1987   Re-engining      Bremerhaven

1987

9 – 10 July            Repairs      Southampton

1988

23 – 31 July            Repairs      Bremerhaven

1989

13 – 18 November          Overhaul      Southampton

1990

2 – 16 December         Refit         Hamburg

1992

10 August – 4 October      Repairs      Boston / Hamburg

20 November – 12 December   Refit         Hamburg

1994

13 November – 17 December   Refit         Hamburg

1996

22 November – 12 December   Refit         Southampton

1999

12 November – 11 December   Refit         Bremerhaven

2001

20 November – 10 December   Refit         Bremerhaven

2004

1 – 22 May            Refit         Bremerhaven

2006

23 April – 8 May         Refit         Bremerhaven

2008

18 - 25 April            Refit         Southampton

POST RETIREMENT

2008

24 July – 22 August         Refit         Dubai

[Twynkle]

Thank you for this, flagship
A considerable number of people must have contributed
to her maintainance and 'fit-ness' over many years
Interesting and sad too, to note that she was 'completed' in Greenock
on 26th November, and finished her service with Cunard on the same date,
exactly 40 years later.

[Peter Mugridge]

I notice that refits were no longer annual after the conversion to diesel; this must have made a huge difference to the earning capability of the ship?

[CAP]

Flagship, thanks for the prompt and comprehensive answer to the question....

[ship pro]

Bayonne was one of the worst refits she had, mainly due to the unskilled work force they employed.
They didn't know how to rebuild main steam joints, consequently when the plant was flashed up there was steam everywhere.
It was also freezing cold with a 1 inch thick ice build up on the inside of the portholes!

[Waverley]

1992 refit :

http://www.shipsandharbours.com/picture/number12966.asp