SS "United States" World's Largest Artificial Reef

[GordMay]

Officials in Florida’s Okaloosa County, hope to send the SS “United States” to the bottom of the Gulf, to create the world’s largest artificial reef, a diving attraction that boosters hope will generate millions of dollars a year in local tourism spending for scuba shops, charter fishing boats and hotels.

The largest [990 feet long, 53,330 tons] passenger ship, ever built in the U.S., the SS “United States” shattered a record for the fastest trans-Atlantic crossing, by a passenger liner, on its maiden voyage, in 1952. On that voyage, the ship crossed the Atlantic in three days, 10 hours and 40 minutes, besting the RMS Queen Mary's time by 10 hours. To this day, the SS United States holds the transatlantic speed record for an ocean liner [average speed of 36 knots].

But, the plan* hit a snag Tuesday, after local officials in coastal Okaloosa County in the Florida panhandle postponed [until the board’s next meeting, on Sept. 17] a vote, on the plan [$9 million budget] to buy, and purposefully sink the SS “United States”.

Currently, the largest international artificial reef is a short trip over on the panhandle in Pensacola, Florida, where the 888-foot-long USS "Oriskany" now sits on the Gulf floor.

* The Proposal ➥ https://okaloosacountyfl.iqm2.com/Ci...93&Inline=True

SS UNITED STATES ➥ https://www.maritime.dot.gov/multime...3%2C330%20tons.

Oriskany Reef ➥ https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/...eefs/oriskany/

[motion30]

That boat sat up in Philadelphia for a long time, I wonder if it came down to Florida on its own power or they towed it all the way

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by motion30

That boat sat up in Philadelphia for a long time, I wonder if it came down to Florida on its own power or they towed it all the way

It's still in Philadelphia; but would be TOWED to Florida, if the deal goes through.
She's previously been towed to Ukraine [1992], and back [1994].

The USS ‘United States’ went out of service, in 1969; passing through several owners, being stripped, and finally towed to Philadelphia’s Pier 82 [Penn Warehousing & Distribution, Inc. (PWD)] in 1996. The SS United States Conservancy purchased her in 2011. In 2022, PWD doubled the docking fee to $1,700 per day, leading to the eviction order.

The $9 million deal includes the $1 million sale price, $1 million toward the land-based museum, and the remainder for remediation*, transport [towing], and deployment as a reef.

* She would undergo surveys, and environmental remediation, before being towed to Destin, Florida.

[OldManMirage]

Wow, $1700 a day. And I thought my slip rental was expensive !

[LakeSuperior]

Maybe it's just me but these sterile artificial dive sites take some of the child-like wonder out of shipwreck diving.

Methinks they are just gymnasiums for divers.

[GordMay]

Conservancy, landlord headed to mediation ,amid ongoing rent dispute, for historic ocean liner
➥ https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news...liner/3969243/

Video [2:27] ➥ https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news...lphia/3969404/

The SS United States Conservancy, that oversees a storied, but aging, ocean liner, and its landlord, Penn Warehousing, are headed to mediation, as they attempt to resolve a years-old rent dispute, that could force the historic ship out of its berth, on the Delaware River in Philadelphia.
A timetable, for the mediation, has not yet been determined.

[Rocinante33]

Originally Posted by OldManMirage

Wow, $1700 a day. And I thought my slip rental was expensive !

That works out at $1.71/foot, which seems good for Philly! I wonder if it includes power and water ?🤔

[OldManMirage]

Originally Posted by Rocinante33

That works out at $1.71/foot, which seems good for Philly! I wonder if it includes power and water ?🤔

Ha, you're right ! I didn't think about it like that, but when you do it doesn't seem all that bad.

[barnakiel]

US sinking to the bottom


mg


just when I thought things could not get any worse


;-(
b.

[Rohan]

It seems like no matter how thoroughly it was cleaned, it would still put a heck of a lot of grease and oil in the water.

[GordMay]

If a new berthing site is not found, SS “United States” may no longer be able to claim the title “Most Famous Ship that Didn’t Sink.”
➥ https://news.usni.org/2024/09/06/the...states-stalled

SS “United States” Departing Norfolk Naval Shipyard in 1952. ~ US Navy Photo




On a side note:
“Here’s why it Took four Weeks to Scuttle USS “America”, the Only Supercarrier Ever Sunk”
➥ https://theaviationgeekclub.com/here...rier-ever-sunk

[Tillikum]

Originally Posted by GordMay

....


On a side note:
“Here’s why it Took four Weeks to Scuttle USS “America”, the Only Supercarrier Ever Sunk”
➥ https://theaviationgeekclub.com/here...rier-ever-sunk

Good story, except submarine captains have been "sinking" super-carriers for decades on exercises;except the exercise referees rule against them usually. I remember reading about this in Proceedings when I was in high school. Three or four torpedoes into one and the referee announces "you reduced her combat effectiveness by ten percent" etc.

They cried when Billy Mitchell sank that battleship too; human nature hasn't changed unfortunately. These days of course it's not just "big ship admirals" who have a vested interested in the purported survivability of super-carriers: they're one of the key methods of geopolitical "force projection" and therefore admitting vulnerabilities is highly problematical for the political brass as much as the military.

As for the SS United States, maybe Elon Musk could buy her and turn her into a floating university.

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Officials in Florida’s Okaloosa County, hope to send the SS “United States” to the bottom of the Gulf, to create the world’s largest artificial reef, a diving attraction that boosters hope will generate millions of dollars a year in local tourism spending for scuba shops, charter fishing boats and hotels.

$9 million budget

That seems like an awful lot of money. I have rarely seen a government budget proposal that actually results in the revenue that is projected.


Regardless of whether they should spend the money, it would be quite impressive to watch it go under.

[JBsurfin]

Originally Posted by motion30

That boat sat up in Philadelphia for a long time, I wonder if it came down to Florida on its own power or they towed it all the way

Last article I read, it has no power plants.. S.S. United States no longer has a working propulsion system. The ship's engines were last run in 1969, when it was retired from service. It was reviewed by many cruise ship line experts and determined its not worth upgrading , or using in todays market.

[Captain Steve]

Sad for me to see. I crossed the Atlantic with my family on the SS United States in August 1954 (very pleasant) and returned to New York on her in December 1954 (it was very rough on the return voyage and everyone was sea sick except my father). I was 6 when we went over and 7 when we returned.

My mother was English, a war bride, and this trip was my third visit to England.

By 1960 everyone was flying to Europe on jets. My first crossing was on a Lockheed Constellation in 1948 when I was 1. The flight took 24 hours with stops in Newfoundland and in Ireland. I of course don't remember any of it.

The SS United States was part of the war reserve fleet, designed to carry troops in case of war. She was one of the fastest ships ever to sail.