Re: SS United States 'Memories.'

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[ Future of the Delta Queen Steamboat Co Boats ]

Date: January 16, 2003 at 14:35:12
From: R. Dale Flick, [nr12-216-196-179-6.fuse.net]
Subject: Re: SS United States 'Memories.'

Hi, Pete & Judy:
Yeah, the SS UNITED STATES was some ocean racer. She underwent pretty much of an internal removal of asbestos as put in back in 1952. I don't know how much of her passenger/hotel portions are still left. When at the pier her stern rose up high, but when at sea she buried her stern at high speed. I saw her from a distance at the Navy piers in Norfolk in the 1980s laid up still painted and pristine. Now and then they would raise steam and turn her turbines over. At one point some guy out in Washington state proposed to refurbish her and sell condominium/time share cabins on her. It went PFFT! after the conversion bids came in. For years her top speeds were a government secret and no pictures of her lower hull configurations were allowed. On her 'Blue Ribband' trip on the Atlantic she went so fast the paint on her hull was blasted down to the base metal; average speed of 35 knots +. They 'toned her down' on customary Atlantic crossings to conserve fuel costs and keep on schedule with other liners on a weekly basis as she'd 'out run' them all. Gibbs, her designer, was a pioneer in high pressure, super-heated steam. The fastest speeds on a ship I ever experienced was 28 knots on the 'old' QUEEN ELIZABETH and around 30 knots on the QE-2 (that for a sea rescue in the Atlantic). The old QUEEN ELIZABETH 'rumbled and vibrated' and at night all the ornate wood 'chattered' and 'squeeked.' Gads, didn't mean to get into all of this! How was the food? Fantastic, if you liked British cuisine.
Cheers, laughs and great memories on steamboats.org.
R. Dale Flick

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