Queen Mary at Long Beach

This doesn't look good:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/90491949/queen-mary-ocean-liner-so-rusted-it-could-flood-or-collapse-says-survey

I know! I read that the other day! I hope that they find a way to come up with the money to repair her. She is a beautiful ship. I go a few times every year for events, and usually stay overnight at least once a year. It would be a huge loss if she were flooded or if they decided to sell her.

Here's the problem: The Queen Mary, throughout its history in Long Beach, has remained "barely afloat" (so to speak) financially...

Here's an article from 25 years ago, when it was almost scrapped:

http://www.joc.com/maritime-news/huge-losses-expensive-repair-bills-push-queen-mary-toward-scrap-heap_19920729.html

...and at that time it needed a mere $27 million in repairs...

What they are saying now is a whopping $300 million in repairs!

If YOU were the owner, would you throw that much money into a business that was barely making money, if that?

Remember, the ship is now 87 years old. And it's not exactly like a ship currently in use that goes into drydock periodically. This one has been sitting in place in Long Beach harbor for FIFTY YEARS now...There really hasn't been that much in the way of maintenance to the hull all of that time...so, you can only imagine what it looks like beneath the water line...And, how would one repair it? Send it to a shipyard somewhere? I'd question whether it could even make the voyage without sinking en route. It may just be the end of an era...

Not sure what the tidal range is there, but I'm surprised they didn't float it in on a spring high tide and rest it on a cradle, build a levee around it and drain the water and keep it dry.

Not sure what the tidal range is there, but I'm surprised they didn't float it in on a spring high tide and rest it on a cradle, build a levee around it and drain the water and keep it dry.

You are talking about California....it would take another 50 years just to get all the permits and environmental go ahead to do something like that. ;)

You are talking about California....it would take another 50 years just to get all the permits and environmental go ahead to do something like that. ;)

There's a reason for those.

Who remember the Princess Louise? Had lots of fun times on her.

http://www.dailybreeze.com/general-news/20090817/floating-princess-louise-restaurant-met-a-watery-end