QE2 Farewell

Porthandbuoy

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Joined
27 Apr 2003
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The Gareloch
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Despite the miserable weather my brother and I sailed my little classic Hillyard, Mariposa, to say farewell to that great classic, Queen Elizabeth II.

We set off from the moorings at Rhu with a deep reef in the main and the smallest jib, and sailed close-hauled on the starboard tack all the way to Greenock. There we tacked and sailed down the port side of the QE2, a couple of cables off.

At 14:28, forty years to the minute after her launch, she sounded her siren and when that died down we could hear all the other attending yachts, launches, motor cruisers, ferries and tugs reply.

We then hove Mariposa to, and drifted slowly back upstream while drinking mugs of soup and munching our sandwiches. A final sail past The Queen from bow to stern and we had a broad reach all the way back to our mooring in torrential rain.

Apologies for sloping horizons and spots on the images. It was rather wet and boisterous out there for my wee boat, except for when we were in the lee of The Queen.

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Nice pics.
I was working in Clydebank and saw her as I went over the Erskine Bridge (eventually, thanks to roadworks).
hoping to see her in the outer Clyde I went to Ardrossan, then Troon. After sitting for an hour with the binos at Troon I knocked it on the head with poor vis and the light going. I could barely see Arran.
Through the day it was interesting listening to BBC radio which said she was in Greenock "where she was built..."
 
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