What happened to the original Tenders (Not Alpha & Beta).

[Chris]

When QE2 entered service she had a series of tenders on the boat deck, these appear to have been gradually replaced. As I understand it:

- there were originally 6 tender boats numbers 7-12.
- Four were replaced (9-12) by new larger tenders which remain aboard QE2 until today.
- two originals (7 & 8 ) remained forward of 9 & 10 on port & starboard sides until 1994.
- these were removed when 13 & 14 were added in 1994.

Is this correct and why we're they replaced / what happened to them?

[Rod]

Chris, 7 & 8, during my time, I would say around 74-76 were re-engined....sign for the future? with Detroit Diesel engines by the Penske company in the US. Pathetic.....I suspect they put undersized props on them. If you went by engine noise the boats should have been towing water skiers but instead they would be puttering along at around 4kts! After the rengining they were seldom used. Also at that time manpower in the deck dept was cut back and boats would frequently be crewed by Cadets, Officers and Cruise staff.
Shoreside tenders were also used to a fairly large extent. Until Alpha and Beta came along we got frequent complaints about tender service.

[Chris]

Thanks Rod!

[Michael Gallagher]

In 1975 four new cruise launches and davits were installed replacing four of the six 80-seater cruise launches (this set included boats 7 and 8 ). One of the boats removed eventually ended up offering trips on Lough Derg in Ireland and was renamed KU-EE-TU and was still in service in 2009.

Boats 7 and 8 were removed in 1994 and replaced by the Harding Tenders (which also replaced Alpha and Beta).

[Chris]

Thanks!

Was there ever any consideration to replace all the boats with newer models? If I recall correctly this was a goal set out early for the 1994 (or 1999) refit to give QE2 enclosed boats?

[Michael Gallagher]

As I understood it she was to get all enclosed boats - I think regulations demanded it (?!) - like Norway did in 1996(?) and not sure whay she never did.

[Chris]

Would have looked a bit strange at first.

[Bruce Nicholls]

Cost would have been a big issue I would have thought. There is nothing cheaper than an old boat or more expensive than a new one.

[Graham Taylor]

There are a couple of pictures in the gallery, but any chance somebody can post up on this thread pictures of the tenders through their various incarnations?