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.
