Costly Repairs Cloud Future of Queen Mary : Landmarks: A new report says it needs another $6.2 million worth of work, making it too expensive to keep in Long Beach.

The Queen Mary should be dry-docked immediately for repairs to its rusty, leaky hull, according to a new report. The additional $6.2-million expense could jeopardize a City Council proposal to keep the ship in Long Beach.

City officials had been optimistic that they could persuade the Harbor Department to pay for $6 million in immediate repairs recommended by Rados International Corp. in a report released in July.

But a new Rados report issued this week modifies those earlier findings, saying $6.2 million is needed for the dry-docking, bringing the immediate repair total to $12.2 million.

“The City Council believes it is prudent not to take possession of the ship until these inspections have been completed and a commitment to fund the necessary repairs has been obtained,” Assistant City Manager John F. Shirey said in a statement issued Tuesday.

Harbor officials wanted to sell the money-losing tourist attraction to a Hong Kong firm for $20 million, but last week offered it to the city.

The Board of Harbor Commissioners was expected to approve the transfer Monday with the concurrence of the City Council, but that now seems unlikely.

City officials wanted the cash-rich Harbor Department to pay for about $6 million in repairs before the transfer--an amount that was expected to be approved, officials said.

But the harbor commissioners may now have to come up with the full $12.2 million before the City Council is willing to accept the ship.

Harbor Commissioner Joel Friedland said he would not vote to pay for the newly identified maintenance and repairs.

“That’s why I wanted to sell the ship to begin with,” Friedland said. “We had a solution for the ship and (the City Council) rejected it.”

The five-member Board of Harbor Commissioners could still accept the offer from the Hong Kong firm.

But Councilman Warren Harwood said the Harbor Department should foot the bill to keep the landmark in Long Beach. The Harbor Department has had jurisdiction over the ship since 1978.

“The harbor hopefully will assist with these maintenance problems, which occurred during their watch,” Harwood said. “A ship that doesn’t float doesn’t make a very good tourist attraction.”

Shirey said in his statement that the city would seek another evaluation of the hull and a second opinion on whether repairs could be made without removing the ship from the water.

Rados International, in its report last summer, noted significant corrosion of the ship’s hull but said a complete inspection could not be made because too much water had accumulated in the hull.

At the time, Rados said the corrosion could lead to failure of the hull, which could cause the ship to sink as much as 11 feet in its shallow berth and flood its lower compartments.

The water was removed, and last week Rados inspectors found heavy corrosion toward the stern of the ship and evidence of “weeping,” or slow leaks, in the hull.

“It’s eaten the heads of the rivets off and water is leaking through,” said Robert Rados Jr., president of Rados International. “No matter how little, there’s still a problem. Boats aren’t built to take on water.”

Rados International said it would cost at least $6.2 million to dry-dock the Queen Mary in Long Beach, repair and paint the ship and return it to its berth. Another $15 million in repairs and maintenance will be needed in the next three to five years, Rados said.

The future of the Queen Mary was clouded earlier this year when the Walt Disney Co., after years of losing money, announced it would not renew its lease.

The entertainment company closed the ship’s hotel and banquet facilities last Wednesday and laid off about 400 of ship’s 1,200 full-time and part-time employees.

Disney will run the Queen Mary’s tours, restaurants and shops until the end of the year.

If the city takes over the ship, it is expected to lease the attraction to a private operator.

The Queen Mary was built in Scotland and launched by Cunard Steamship Co. Ltd. in 1934. Long Beach purchased the ship for $3.45 million in 1967, and then spent $66 million over the next four years to refurbish it. The city has leased it to various operators over the years.