1983 - Snow and the QE2 - At Sea - Very high seas and snow: Gale Force 10

Tuesday 20 December 1983 – At Sea Day #4

It was quite a night with the waves bigger than ever. It seemed to me that we hit every seventh wave with a boom that sounded right through the ship. Despite that we all had a good night’s sleep and only woke about 07.45. everyone felt fine despite the very significant movement. Not surprising since the wind was now Gale Force 10.

I tried to look our of our porthole when I got up but found I could not. The outside was iced up from the bow spray – and the inside was too, which gives some idea of the temperature in our cabin. When we turned on the radio we heard the disc jockey mention that there was snow on the decks, so we washed and put on our winter gear and shot off up to the boat deck. Sure enough there was a thin layer of snow all around and an icy wind. 

 

White water over the bows - unbelievable!

Enough snow for a snowball

We made our way towards  the bow against the howling gale to see the fascinating site of white water breaking over the bows – not something we expected to see in such a large vessel. After hanging around long enough to take a couple of photos, we went off for a hearty breakfast. Soon after that the captain announced that passengers were forbidden to go out on the decks.

Matt and Rab almost blown away

I don’t think I have mentioned before now that the Moaner left us – can’t recall just when it was, but either Sunday or Monday – for better and greener fields. The general consensus at our table is that she is after a man but is having conspicuously little luck. We have bumped into Dorothy Adams a few times lately. It turns out that she is Tourist Officer for the State of Florida.

After breakfast we each went our separate ways: Rab to a lecture in the Queens Room by the dancer on how she designed and made her costumes; Matt to the ice box that was the Teen Room to play video games, fully fitted out with scarf, woolly hat, anorak and gloves so he could survive; me to the Theatre Bar Lounge to catch up with this journal, write some postcards and to watch the passing parade. I always find that of interest, but it is especially fascinating on board.

The noon report was that the wind was still Gale Force 10 (occasionally dropping to Force 9); very heavy seas (we’d seen those!); occasional snow flurries. The ship was still moving a lot but no-one seems to notice it much now unless something (or someone) falls over. How some of the poor old ducks keep their footing I just don’t know. Most of them have one foot in the grave and that is a distinct handicap on a ship bouncing about in a gale force storm.

We all ate a hearty lunch to celebrate our return to health and Matt distinguished himself by have four desserts. That feat even impressed English John who has been munching his way right through the menu at every meal. Matt really enjoys the John’s company, especially, I think, American John and his phrases such as (with a Virginian drawl) “she hasn’t a snowflakes chance in hell”.

After lunch we saw a very interesting film about the Ritz and then went through to the Double Down Room for afternoon tea (and delicious éclairs) and then Bingo. Rab won a house of $129 but the snowball went up to $640 when nobody won it. We had a couple of celebratory cocktails before dinner and then had a very good meal.

Unfortunately a leak had developed in the dining room so some tables had been moved. Cunard don’t seem to be too lucky with this trip. The only effect of the icy weather in our vicinity in the dining room was a small leak of water at the top of the window which had run down and then frozen. It was pretty chilly in that room and yet women who still dressed for dinner were coming in backless frocks accompanied by men in their dinner jackets. We stuck to our anoraks.

After dinner we went to watch the cabaret – two Latin American dancers and a faded pop star whose name has eluded me already. It was amazing that they could even try to dance on a surface that was moving to the extent that the deck was, but they persevered. They had done the cabaret last night in the Queens Room and English John saw them there. He said, rather waspishly, that the best part of the whole show was when the male dancer fell flat on his face as he took his opening bow and then when the pop star was singing his finale and going around the perimeter of the dance floor, shaking hands, one old duck was fast asleep.