After a recent marine survey, the famous Queen Mary cruise ship harbored in Long Beach is in extremely bad condition. If the 83-year old ship is not worked on soon, this beloved marine attraction could sink.
According to naval architects and engineers, the ship's engine room has been found to be prone to flooding. If a flood were to occur, there are no pumps to remove the water nor are there any water-tight doors. The water would also corrode pillars holding up different parts of the ship, which eventually could leave to a collapse. In addition to the faulty engine room, pictures on the web have surfaced showing large areas of rust, peeling paint, and leaky ceilings.
Long Beach’s Economic and Property Development Director John Keisler said, "“Any area that would be considered unsafe for people would temporarily be shut down or inaccessible, and those would be the issues that we would address first." He also stated that the city of Long Beach has designated $23 million for urgent repair along with a plan of encircling the ship with entertainment venues, in hopes to create more revenue for repair. Though the repairs are estimated at $230 million, Kiesler adds, “We know what we’re going to deal with, and we know our partner, Urban Commons, who’s going to be sharing in this investment with the city over the next 66 years that they said: ‘we’re in’.”