Hard to Starboard

This is the view from the bridge of the Queen Mary that is now berthed in Long Beach, California. As I stood here looking towards the bow of this magnificent ocean liner I wondered how many people had walked across the decking below me during their journeys across the North Atlantic Ocean. This ship was launched and christened 75 years ago and entered service in 1936 for the Cunard Line. She was in service for 31 years before being retired in 1967 at which point the City of Long Beach purchased her to become a hotel and tourist attraction. I cannot imagine what it would have been like for the 2100 passengers and the 1100 crew members to sail on one of those journeys to America, but it must have been pretty amazing sailing into the New York harbor.