Hopes of saving Queen Mary’s decrepit lifeboats sinking fast
THEY represent a little piece of a grand maritime history, a throwback to a golden age when travelling by ocean liner was steeped in Hollywood glamour.
Hung from the side of historic Clydebuilt RMS Queen Mary, the pristine white lifeboats completed her impressive look even if it would have been hoped by everyone on board that they would not be used.
Now, however, as a critical repair project gets under way with the intention of saving the ageing ocean liner from further deterioration, 20 of her lifeboats appear to be doomed.
Authorities in Long Beach, California, where the ship has been a major attraction since the 1960s, say efforts to auction the boats as part of a newly instigated $5 million emergency repair project have failed.
The lifeboats, which were removed from the vessel earlier this year amid concerns that they were causing further damage, are now set to be disposed of.
The city authorities say they failed to receive any qualified bidders during a two-month auction which was hoped to attract interest from qualified museums, preservation groups and developers who might want to take on the task of saving them.
A clause in their sale stipulated that anyone who won one of the lifeboats would have to provide their own transportation to remove the 36-foot, 12,000lb, steel-and-wood vessels from a pier parking lot.
Campaigners who have been battling for years to secure the future of the liner say the rule had deterred potential bidders, along with the prospect of removing the lead-based paint coating the boats.
The authorities received just two proposals for the badly corroded boats which they say failed to meet their requirements and did not clearly explain how they would be removed and preserved. One was from QMI Restore the Queen, a non-profit organisation dedicated to preserving the ship and which has raised concerns over the deterioration in the Clyde-built liner’s condition and management for several years.
The organisation had called for more time so a solution could be found to save the boats, however, Joseph Rodriguezjozwiak, an analyst with Long Beach’s Economic Development Department,
said: “The city considers the matter closed and will move forward with the safe disposal of all of the remaining lifeboats, per applicable regulations.”
RMS Queen Mary was built by John Brown & Company in Clydebank and went on to become one of the world’s most luxurious and famous liners.
At the time, the vessel had the biggest hull ever seen, spanned over 300 metres in length, and had capacity for 2,139 passengers and 1,101 crew.
With her distinctive Cunard-white Star colours and red and black funnels, her 12 decks showcased the best of British Art Deco design and Scottish shipbuilding at its best.
She sailed her maiden voyage in May 1936 and within a few months had won the Blue Riband – the accolade given to
the fastest passenger liner crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
Her opulent interiors – complete with multiple swimming pools, tennis courts, libraries and sumptuous restaurants – and sleek style made the ship a favourite with Hollywood elite: Noel Coward, film legends Mary Pickford, Gary Cooper, Audrey Hepburn, Bob Hope, Elizabeth Taylor and Fred Astaire were just a few to cruise amid luxurious surroundings.
She was sold to the city of Long Beach for £1.2 million, her engines and motors stripped and her interiors turned into a floating hotel.
Under the repair plan, just two of the original lifeboats will be retained. Hopes the remaining lifeboats, of which 15 are thought to be originals and the
others sourced from other ocean liners, now appear to be dashed.
However, new concerns have emerged over her long-term future.
Although the city authorities in Long Beach own the vessel, its management was contracted to third party firms. The last, Urban Commons Queensway, which took over in 2016, surrendered its 66-year lease last year.
The city council is now planning to transfer it to its harbour department. However, a recently financial analysis revealed the Port of Long Beach – the second busiest in the US, could lose up to $354m over five years if it takes over the Queen Mary.
The ship has been closed since 2020, however there are plans for it to reopen later this year.
The city will move forward with the safe disposal of all of the remaining lifeboats, per applicable regulations