QE2 in white / grey / pebble grey hull colours 1982-1983

[Thad]

A couple pictures I took of the QE2 off the Rhode Island Coast in August 1982

https://www.shipsnostalgia.com/media/queen-elizabeth-2-off-rhode-island-1982.23936/

https://www.shipsnostalgia.com/media/queen-elizabeth-2-off-rhode-island-1982.56236/

[Chris]

Great shots Thad, and welcome!

[Peter Mugridge]

Apologies for the poor quality of this picture - a very slight mist combined with bright sunlight and a grey ship do not exactly make an easy subject - a slight over-exposure didn't help either!

This is at Fort Victoria on 7th August 1982, I believe this was her positioning trip back to Southampton following the repaint, and thus very likely the first picture ever taken of her in this colour scheme in UK waters, unless the man dressed in white pressed his shutter marginally before I did, or unless anyone at Alum Bay / Totland Bay / Colwell Bay had their cameras out...?

[Peter Mugridge]

But a week later, 14th August, I got some better exposed images, also from Fort Victoria, when she set off on her maiden post-Falklands voyage.

[Rob Lightbody]

Awesome photos!!

I'm sure she was just refitted and repainted while alongside in Southampton.

[Peter Mugridge]

Rob, I'm pretty certain we were at Fort Victoria on the 7th August 1982 because we were expecting her, which suggests her arrival was scheduled some time in advance and known about in the press - no internet in those days!

If she had been repainted at Southampton, then this must have been a sea trial, but she was certainly in freshly ex-works condition that day.  So I'm sure she was repainted during her post-Falklands refit?  ( Can't remember where that was carried out though! )

Guessing she spent the whole week from the 7th to 14th alongside in Southampton, though?

[Michael Gallagher]

The post Falklands conversion was undertaken totally in Southampton (11 June - 13 August). She was either alongside or in the Drydock. She was repainted while afloat and alongside.

On 2 August 1982 between 0715 and 0730 hours, while QE2 was carrying out engine trials on the instructions of the Ministry of Defence, a large deposit of soot was dispensed from her funnel when a boiler was flashed up. Cunard was inundated with complaints as a result of dirt soiling cars, buildings and people. Three companies, Renault (damaged cars in compound), STC (employees covered) and AcDelco (nylon tent covered) made complaints. While the incident took place in thick fog there was a heavy soot precipitation in a line immediately abeam of QE2 across the road, the Renault car compound, STC Building and AcDelco. The nearby Canberra was ‘dead’ and no other ship movements were recorded at the time. Renault lodged a claim for £5 million for damage sustained.

On 7 August 1982, Queen Elizabeth 2 put to sea for 24 hours of engine trials following the refit.

On 15 August, the Pride of the British Merchant fleet sailed from Southampton, with a full complement of passengers, destined for New York.

The Queen was back.

[Peter Mugridge]

Ah, thank you Michael, but I would query the dates as I marked the backs of the photographs with the date and unless I wrote the wrong date in my notebook on the actual days ( which would be very embarrassing! ) it was the 14th August, not the 15th, when she sailed.

Regarding the engine trials - my picture was taken in the early afternoon of the 7th and she was heading towards Southampton at that point - would that mean the trials started on the 6th and she was on her way back, or did she sail right past Cowes and down the other side of the IoW after I took the picture?

[Michael Gallagher]

Not sure of her routing on the 7th but her log book states it was the 7th she left for engine trials.

Will check re: 14 amd 15 August as that has me confused now.

[Peter Mugridge]

I'm looking closely at this now myself!  I would be very interested in the timings shown in the log book; it's quite obvious from the sun angle that the 7th August one cannot be much later than shortly after mid day and she is clearly heading inbound.

In those days what would usually happen was we would get the movement details by either looking at a useful column called "Sailing In / Sailing Out" that was published in the Sunday Express every week and also whenever something like the QE2 was expected via the Needles passage there would be local publicity in the Totland Bay newsagents window plus, after a café was opened at Fort Victoria, on a chalkboard outside that - including the time expected.

We would also spend most of most days on our holidays sitting around relaxing in deckchairs at Fort Victoria and I would tend to photograph every large vessel passing that way and would write the date and name etc down ( although in 1982 I didn't seem to put the time or exposure settings down - in some cases I couldn't because I was using a pocket camera with fixed settings.

That is, however, why I'm pretty certain the dates for those pictures are correct.

[Kathy M.]

Does anyone know if her funnel was white or light gray at any time around 1983?  My father is sending me a print of her and he says the funnel looks light colored in it (I will photograph it when I get it).

[Peter Mugridge]

I will have 1983 pictures - I'm working my way through my albums and might get time tonight to look at August 1983 for you.

[Michael Gallagher]

Kathy - the funnel has been red and black since August 1982.

[Michael Gallagher]

7 August - headed out for sea trials and sailed for 16.1 hours and covered 375 miles.

14 August - Southampton
14 August - Cherbourg
19 August - New York

[Peter Mugridge]

Thanks Michael, that means I don't have to re-write all the notes in my albums.  It also shows that she didn't go straight to berth after I took the picture on the 7th doesn't it?  Which is interesting in itself; maybe the full route and timings of the trials still exist somewhere?