Captain of the Queens

Captain of the Queens is a computer simulator and a learning tool allowing you to explore how a Captain or Harbor Pilot can maneuver the Cunard ocean liners. You are given a Bridge window that controls ship. If you are piloting the QE2, you have twin engines, a set of bow thrusters, a single rudder and 1 tug boat. The original Queen Mary has 4 engines and a single rudder and can use 2 tugs. The QM2 has a unique propulsion and steering system consisting of two pairs of pods that carry the propellers. Your challenge is to bring the ship to the dock in the harbor of your choice. Harbors include New York, Fort Lauderdale, Long Beach, Honolulu, Nawiliwili, Apia and Sydney.

The help file or operation manual is available at any time by pressing F1. You also get a small photo album showing each of the harbors.

Captain of the Queens is also a game that encourages you to compete with others or yourself on how skillfully and how quickly you can bring your ship into the harbor. After mastering the introductory level of difficulty you can increase the challenge by requesting variable wind speeds up to 100 knots and even random equipment failure. A special version of Captain of the Queens called Queens Time Trials is included in the package. It differs from Captain of the Queens in having a count-down timer. You set the amount of time allowed the player, 5, 10 or 15 min, and the game halts after his or her time is up. When it halts it displays how far the player was from the dock or, if docked, the amount of time it took to dock.

Cunard's classic ocean liner, the Queen Elizabeth 2, is the first ship in this simulation. The QE2 uses the classic ship design of twin, shaft-mounted propellers that are mounted in front, and to either side, of a single rudder. In general, the propellers drive the ship forward and in reverse and the rudder controls the direction. With forward thrust, the propellers increase the steering power of the rudder by driving water, albeit indirectly, over its surfaces to form a water jet to either side. You can steer the ship with either the rudder or the propellers. The ship also has 3 bow thrusters to help turn the ship or push the ship sideways toward or away from the dock.

The Queen Mary was the fastest ocean liner of her time with 4 propellers. She has but a single rudder for maximum speed efficiency, but this also places limits on her maneuverability. She lacks both bow and stern thrusters and is very difficult to bring in to the dock without the use of tugboats. You can, however, turn the ship and mimic the actions of a stern thruster by using the two outboard-most propellers against each other.

The Queen Mary 2 was built with an entirely different propulsion system. Instead of propellers on shafts, she mounts her propellers on pods that hang below the hull. An electric engine inside each pod drives the propellers. Two of the pods, the outer-most, are fixed but the more amidships pods are A“azimuthingA” and can rotate 360 degrees. This lends a very high level of maneuverability. The pods can also act as powerful stern thrusters.