Queen Mary 2 in San Pedro and Long Beach California

I found the architecture of the Queen Mary 2 fascinating.  The curvature of the steel superstructure is beautiful as in the lower left photograph.

Later I went to my favorite happy place for a micro brew and to show my sailing friends the pictures.  The original plan was to take a sailboat other then mine which also had been undergoing some mechanical work.  While at the brewery, my one friend decided to brew his Thursday batch of beer on Wednesday night which would enable him to be free to be on the water to see the Queens.  I actually opened a bag of grain and dumped it into the brewing vessel and then used a carved maple oar to stir the wort.  Eventually I had to depart the restaurant and make my way to work.  On the way home I decided to redeem my coupon for Cold Stone Creamery ice cream on 2nd Street in Belmont Shore.  While enjoyuing my ice cream, Rene called me to let me know that we would utilize my boat for the next day's voyage to see the Queens..  In the morning, I found a message from Rene on my cell phone which informed me that we were all invited onto a 48 foot trawler with an 11 AM departure time.  The owners of the boat Elyssium were a nice couple Alpha and Jamie who split their time between Big Bear and Long Beach.  Jamie told me the story about hunting for a boat and while aboard Elyssium which he felt was too expensive saw this adjustable table and then bought the boat.  Other couples aboard included recently egaged Blackwell and Susan, David and Jo.  Renee brought his friend Therese.  Several other single pepole were along including Bernard, Stan, Kelly, myself and the cat Jammer.   I was late and found lots of traffic on Shoreline Drive and city security on Shoreline Village Drive.  Flashing my owners parking pass, I made my way to gangway C and found my ride.  Bernard, a native of Saint-Naziere, France (birthplace of QM2) and maitre'd at a local restaurant, was along as well.  There were about 11 of us plus the owners cat.  I had invited my friend Tanya but she was out of town on business.

We departed ontime and most of us enjoyed some freshly brewed Belmont Brewing Company beer.  Jamie made our course straight out the Long Beach entrance and several miles out towards Catalina Island where we found the Queen Mary 2 working her way towards a noontime entrance to Long Beach Harbor.  It was a major spectacle with hundreds of boats either waiting inside the Long Beach breakwater or pacing the QM 2 towards the harbor.  In the air were many helicopters and several lighter than airships with local, national and international press.  Vessels ranged in size from inflateable to small and large sailboats and motorboats.  Even on the Elyssium, we were also susceptible to wake and other ocean swell and chop.  At least several times I witnessed my beer fall over and it was already on the floor!  I was amazed by the number of people aboard the QM 2 watching us.

Many QM 2 passengers were outside watching the event unfold.  Below right, notice that there are no people on the most forward part of the bow.  The QM 2 has a bulbous nose which is under water to help the ship slip through the water.  Under water, it is as far forward as the tip of the bow.