Even the Queen can run aground

[Steve King]

This may be off-topic but there's an interesting video of the radar sequence for when the QE2 ran aground on a sandbank at Southampton earlier this week.

 

The ship approaches from the east near the IoW and commences a turn into the 'Maintained Depth' channel - but then goes straight on and runs aground. The coastguard stated the wind was coming from the southwest, whereas I was at Mayflower Park most of the day and the wind was coming from the northwest, but either way it's hard to see how it would have blown the liner in that direction, even though the strong winds were cited as a factor in the incident.

 

Was the liner going too fast to make the turn? Did the crew steer her in the wrong direction? Did they pick up a plastic bag around the propeller? We'll have to wait for the outcome of the inquiry to find out.

 

See what happened here:

http://www.ais-live.co.uk/News/shippingnews.html

 

Some good still photos can be seen here:

http://ianhaskell.fotopic.net/c1610317.html

 

 

Steve

[Chris J W]

She just didn't want to be taken off to Dubai to made into a floating hotel.

[fender]

perhaps lack of dredging by BW?

 

(after all the QE2 was on a British Waterway!)

[Gordon Chesterman]

Dear Steve,

Thanks for this great link - splendid watching her plough on towards the New Forest.

Your link has now found it's way to assorted liner news groups.

I was there too to see her go, onboard the steamship Shieldhall. A lovely ship - pity she's too big to squeeze up the River Ouse to Ely.

Cheers,

Gordon

[PaulG]

Was the liner going too fast to make the turn? Did the crew steer her in the wrong direction? Did they pick up a plastic bag around the propeller? We'll have to wait for the outcome of the inquiry to find out.

 

I mentioned this incident to my brother-in-law, who skippers a container ship that's a similar size to the QE2 (as seen on "By Any Means", when he gave Charlie Boorman a lift from Dubai to Mumbai!) . He just said "Join the club. Everyone does that sooner or later." For big ships the turn at the Brambles is around 130 degrees, and his container ship does not go round the corner unless it is doing at least 14 knots. The Thorn Channel up to Calshot is also very narrow for a big ship, so, with the effects of wind and tide, it's a pretty tricky manoeuvre.