Historic Queen Mary ocean liner gets a lifeline, $5 million in critical repairs
The landmark Queen Mary ocean liner, owned by the City of Long Beach and a popular tourist attraction and hotel, will be closed to the public for much of 2022 as it undergoes $5 million in "critical repairs."
This is good news for fans of the historic ship. After the city took control of the rundown vessel from a financially strapped leaseholder last year, one option under consideration was sinking the ship.
The 88-year-old Art Deco-style ocean liner, which has been permanently docked in Long Beach since 1967, has been closed since May 2020 due to COVID-19. The repairs are expected to begin in February, with the plan to reopen Queen Mary to visitors by the end of the year.
"It is our responsibility to preserve the Queen Mary and ensure this historic landmark is properly cared for," said Mayor Robert Garcia, in a statement announcing the repair plan. "Now that the city has full oversight and control of the Queen, it's important we make the critical repairs needed."
A first step in the repair, and expected to be a two-week project, will be removing deteriorating lifeboats. "The lifeboats exert stress on the side shell of the ship which has created severe cracks in the support system," the city said in its statement. "Removing the deteriorated lifeboats will enhance the structural stability of the ship."
Since the lifeboats are historic objects, Long Beach plans to preserve two for future display and to temporarily store 13 others, while seeing if there is interest from museums or other non-profits that want to preserve the boats.
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Other projects include the installation of new permanent bilge pumps to discharge water in the event of an emergency, with additional repairs to follow.
"Addressing these critical repairs has been a long time coming and an effort that will greatly benefit the structural safety and historical preservation of the Queen Mary," said Mary Zendejas, a Long Beach councilwoman. "With the City now overseeing control of the ship, I am confident this year will bring tremendous progress towards protecting this historic feature of our community."
The Queen Mary is a popular filming location, and during the repair period the city still plans to welcome film crews, a move that officials said would help "generate revenue to support the ship operations."
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