Long Beach now owns the Queen Mary

[rivergames]

Interesting story how the City of Long Beach now owns the Queen Mary. Hope they keep great maintenance on this beauty!

Bankruptcy judge gives Long Beach legal control of Queen Mary; owner of Russian sub still a mystery

Long Beach is now tasked with deciding how much money it will invest in critical repairs for the aging icon.

lbpost.com

 

[Desert Whaler]

Hope they can get her fixed up before she sinks.

 

[DWC]

My mom worked at the Sees candy (or maybe Helen grace). on board when we were young. Used to hang out at the shop that sold the foam gliders next to it. Threw those things back n forth all day. Fun times roaming around.

Don’t know what the city would want with it now. The pure definition of a money pit.

 

[lbhsbz]

"We don't have the budget for a decent sized police force or to fix roads such that they're actually driveable...hmm, let's get a boat...a really old one that's all fucked up" - City of Long Beach

 

[traquer]

If the seller couldn't make flip a boat in 2021, they're screwed lol

 

[azsunfun]

dont they at somepoint just make great military target practice, looks like they might offend someone. banish them.

 

[lbhsbz]

dont they at somepoint just make great military target practice, looks like they might offend someone. banish them.

Now you're on to something...it won't float good enough to tow it offshore to blow it up....so I propose position the destroyer so that the QM is right smack between it and city hall...aim high...target practice at 2PM on a wed.

 

[Mandelon]

The Queen Mary was used as a troop carrier for a few years. My father was one of those many thousands of soldiers transported to from New York to England during WWII.

 

[FlatNv]

I caught this documentary awhile back. it mentioned the troop carrier part, troubled history with such an iconic part of long beach.. hope it works out

 

[EarpRider]

The City of Long Beach has always owned The Queen, they have just been historically awful at who they have hired to look after her.
In the 90's we, LBPD, had to guard her 24/7 for months, she was closed and they were searching for someone to take over the lease.

 

[sintax]

pretty crazy idea here....

LB is part of LA county right? Why not take this opportunity to round up all the homeless, and let them live on it. You know free room and board, they can run the show blah blah....

and once the boats full, tug it out to the open ocean maybe 60 or so miles off shore and leave it? (or do that target practice thing someone mentioned above)

 

[Ragged Edge]

Hope they can get her fixed up before she sinks.

Well, it's been sitting in the mud for years, that's part of the corrosion problem and it's going to cost many millions to fix.

 

[Desert Whaler]

Well, it's been sitting in the mud for years, that's part of the corrosion problem and it's going to cost many millions to fix.

Yeah, we were just talking about that the other day . . . be cool if they could do something so that it's not sitting in salty mud.
Like pump concrete around it or something. The rust must be insane.

 

[Mandelon]

That seems wise, to just pour a shit ton of concrete around the base, so it doesn't need to be "seaworthy" at all. Just a metal building at that point.

 

[old rigger]

Fucking sink hole.

Amazingly Disney was willing to spend 3 billion dollars back in the 90s to turn the boat and the land around it into a theme park. That would have been better but the traffic would have been a nightmare getting in and out of there. Depending on which story you believe about the Disney deal and why they backed out and didn't renew their lease, I believe the one where Long Beach fucked up the deal..they fuck everything up. Disney took their idea for the Disney ocean park, there was a name they had for it but I can't remember what it was, and took it to Toyoko, complete with a copy of the QM.

The most fun you can have now is to go down there at sunset and watch the rats go in and out the Russian sub sitting next to the QM. The ropes/tie lines come alive with rats.

It's also good to watch the start of the Catalina ski race from.

Guy was killed back in the 70s when the ship was used for proms. I can't remember if it was the night of our prom or another but this kid on a bet jumped off the deck in his rented tux and drowned when he shot down like a pile driver from that height and stuck himself in the mud that the ship is settled in. Found him the next morning buried up to his armpits.

 

[Wayn-o]

Yes The city has always owned it. I have done numerous HVAC projects on the ship going back to 1999. I was parked on the ship for 2 plus years. Super cool place to go to work every day. Its not in the mud, it floats. At super low tide, its about 3 feet off the bottom.
Every operator that had a lease to "operate" it sucked up money and bailed. There was talk a few years back that $23 million was required to keep it afloat. Prior tot hat, Japan wanted it, someone in Oregon wanted it etc. So much weight was removed when it was parked in LB that it would ride too high in the water to tow it elsewhere. It could break apart simply going over a big swell.
Being parked out in commercial side of the harbor didnt help - people have a hard time getting over there. If it was on the mainland side, I'm sure it would get a ton more traffic.
One of the leasing companies was responsible for bringing the Carnival cruise ship terminal next to it to try and bring more people on the Queen. The Bat cave et from the batman movies was in the dome and was removed to build the cruise ship terminal.

The sub is a sinker. Its crumbling and water is being pumped out constantly for years. I surprised its still floating.

Allot of cool history there. I hope they get it cleaned up.

The City of Long Beach has always owned The Queen, they have just been historically awful at who they have hired to look after her.
In the 90's we, LBPD, had to guard her 24/7 for months, she was closed and they were searching for someone to take over the lease.

 

[Flyinbowtie]

My father worked in the Port of Long Beach for over 20 years. I remember well when the Queen came in, he took us down there to watch the hoo-ha.
He knew several of the men who were tasked with the initial survey of the ship...they were not pleased with it's condition.
He was told she had not had the paint stripped off of her since she was launched. Just more paint on top of more paint.
The vessel was moored where he could see it from where he parked every day.
As the paint was stripped away down at the water line the vessel came up out of the water several inches.
And then she immediately began taking on water.
Apparently the watertight integrity was being maintained by the paint.
My father would come home from work every month or so with a story of a new discovery of screwed up stuff they found on her as they cleaned her up to put on display. He would shake his head, and laugh, and then get pissed because he knew who was ultimately gonna pay.
He retired in 1977 and passed in 1983, prediciting the ship would slowly become the boondoggle she has become. The city didn't know what they were buying then, and didn't have the $ to fix her properly and then leased her out to people who didn't give a damn about her.
Sad. She should have stayed in Britain and been given the love she deserved by the nation that built her.
But...when a sucker comes along...whaddya gonna do?
It became clear to the men who worked in and around the port of Long Beach that the city had bought a ship that wasn't in very good shape at all.
They were merciless in their humor. He was not a man to criticize based on rumor, but when he saw a screw up first hand he called it what it was.
I recall one night he came home and said he had seen a car load of people driving around looking lost. Even then the port was not a place for fools to wander around. He stopped and asked them what they were doing.
Lady driver and car full of Brits.
"We are looking for the Queen Mary"
She was in plain view about 1/4 mile away on a pier. She was paint stripped and flotation devices were along the waterline keeping her stable and buoyant.
He pointed her out.
"there she is ma'am."
They looked and instantly said, "that cannot be her, we have all sailed on her and that is not her, she is a beautiful vessel"
He replied, "well, I don't know what to tell you, that is her, I have been over there and seen her up close. That is her"
Denial still.
"Well, folks, I gotta go, I suggest you get a good look because it will be awhile before they fix all the bumbled repairs and lack of maintenance she has had over her life and get her to where they can paint her and tow here over to her permanent pier."
They were offended deeply.
"She was given gold standard care her entire life by the British"
"They shoulda stripped her paint every now and then, they would have found out she wasn't watertight. If that is your gold standrard I understand why the city is going to have to spend a fortune on her to make her safe. Have a good day".

 

[traquer]

Wow thanks for all this info. Cool stuff! I love this site and the knowledge and experience.

 

[was thatguy]

pretty crazy idea here....

LB is part of LA county right? Why not take this opportunity to round up all the homeless, and let them live on it. You know free room and board, they can run the show blah blah....

and once the boats full, tug it out to the open ocean maybe 60 or so miles off shore and leave it? (or do that target practice thing someone mentioned above)

Read my mind.

 

[mobldj]

djed quite a few weddings there,what a pos ship.rotting away behind the velvet curtains.hallways stink of death

 

[Desert Whaler]

Senior prom night 1988 . . . had a room there . . . my girlfriend strip-teased me to "You can leave your hat on".
Chick was a DIME !!!!

 

[Spider]

"We don't have the budget for a decent sized police force or to fix roads such that they're actually driveable...hmm, let's get a boat...a really old one that's all fucked up" - City of Long Beach

Come on lbhsbz with our amazing leader Mayor Garcia behind the helm what could possibly go wrong

 

[TITTIES AND BEER]

You can make a great day touring it , we stayed 5 days in the RV park across from it , at the time the Spruce goose was next to it . Story is it’s very haunted .

 

[bonesfab]

Break
Out
A
Trillion..

 

[KoolPop]

Fucking sink hole.

Amazingly Disney was willing to spend 3 billion dollars back in the 90s to turn the boat and the land around it into a theme park. That would have been better but the traffic would have been a nightmare getting in and out of there. Depending on which story you believe about the Disney deal and why they backed out and didn't renew their lease, I believe the one where Long Beach fucked up the deal..they fuck everything up. Disney took their idea for the Disney ocean park, there was a name they had for it but I can't remember what it was, and took it to Toyoko, complete with a copy of the QM.

The most fun you can have now is to go down there at sunset and watch the rats go in and out the Russian sub sitting next to the QM. The ropes/tie lines come alive with rats.

It's also good to watch the start of the Catalina ski race from.

Guy was killed back in the 70s when the ship was used for proms. I can't remember if it was the night of our prom or another but this kid on a bet jumped off the deck in his rented tux and drowned when he shot down like a pile driver from that height and stuck himself in the mud that the ship is settled in. Found him the next morning buried up to his armpits.

He was an old neighborhood friend of my brothers. His name was Wayne Hussey. The only thing sticking out of the mud was his elbow. He was kind of a crazy kid, so this didn't surprise us.

 

[Tank]

Cool info. Stuff like this intrigues me. It'd be nice if they could do something like what's talked about in the video above. If I was a bllionaire, I'd buy it, strip it and make it a private yacht.

If you go to google maps you can basically tour the whole ship. Pretty cool. We stayed there once about 10 yeas ago while doing some stuff for Powerboat mag. Wasn't exactly a 5 star hotel. or 4 or 3. LOL.
Speaking of google maps of QM, I suggest you all take the virtual tour of the bow section. Theres some nice scenery up there, and I aint talkin about the harbor

 

[beerrun]

You could buy a much nicer yacht for a lot less money

 

[port austin pirate]

Just tell Gruesome and his cronies they can make it a place to house the homeless, and a good destanation for the bullet train ,instant couple billion right now

 

[Tank]

You could buy a much nicer yacht for a lot less money

Oh, I'm aware. But if I had a money tree, that's what I'd do.

And actually, if converted to private it would be the largest private yacht in the world basically doubling the size of current record holder. I don't know if you COULD build anything that size for even half the price it would cost to retro=fit QM. 30mil just to get it sea worthy. Lets say, 300mil in retro-fit (fresh power, full gut buid out new state rooms, re-design areas, add pools, heli pads, fun deck, toy storage, dinning, theatres etc. etc. You're still under the cost of the largest yaghts built today which range from 350mil to 450mil now. More I think about it, more I think it would be feasible.

 

[JDKRXW]

The Queen Mary was used as a troop carrier for a few years. My father was one of those many thousands of soldiers transported to from New York to England during WWII.

My grandfather's brother made 16 Atlantic crossings on this ship during the war. He was one of around 25 medical doctors on the board. He had some great stories.
There's some massive history following this ship.

 

[beerrun]

Oh, I'm aware. But if I had a money tree, that's what I'd do.

And actually, if converted to private it would be the largest private yacht in the world basically doubling the size of current record holder. I don't know if you COULD build anything that size for even half the price it would cost to retro=fit QM. 30mil just to get it sea worthy. Lets say, 300mil in retro-fit (fresh power, full gut buid out new state rooms, re-design areas, add pools, heli pads, fun deck, toy storage, dinning, theatres etc. etc. You're still under the cost of the largest yaghts built today which range from 350mil to 450mil now. More I think about it, more I think it would be feasible.

Yeah but do you have a new F150 to tow it with

 

[mbrown2]

"We don't have the budget for a decent sized police force or to fix roads such that they're actually driveable...hmm, let's get a boat...a really old one that's all fucked up" - City of Long Beach

Sounds like the logic of some river goers... We don't have budget for our basic essentials let's get an old jet boat project !

 

[lakemadness]

Everyone is overpaying for boats these days.

 

[ssc]

I still remember the day the Queen came to Long Beach. We were on our uniflite in the harbor watching it come in. It was docked and then they started to rehab it. I just remember going by it many times on our boat. It was all gray. I also remember all the crap they seem to be dumping into the water. I seem to recall we hit junk and had to have props serviced. I can't remember where it was docked during the rehab process, but we cruised by it often.

Cheers, Steve

 

[Wayn-o]

Interesting info Queen compared to the Titanic. Granted there was some 23 years between the building of each