Video: SS United States Begins Final Journey To Become World’s Largest Artificial Reef

The famous ocean liner SS United States has started her final journey, leaving her long-time dock in Philadelphia.

After nearly three decades at Pier 82, the ship was carefully moved in preparation for a 14-day tow to Mobile, Alabama, where she will undergo environmental remediation before being sunk as an artificial reef off Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

Tugboats and crews carried out the complex manoeuvre, timing the movement with the midday high tide on the Delaware River.

The ship’s stern was first pulled across the slipway, followed by the bow, before she was resecured at Pier 80 on the north side of the slipway.

She will remain there until her scheduled departure on Monday, February 17. A final planning meeting is set for Saturday to confirm the details of the tow.

On Monday morning, tugboats will guide the SS United States into the Delaware River channel at low tide, expected at about 11:18 a.m. (local time).

The tow will take her past several key bridges, including the Commodore Barry Bridge (U.S. 322), the Delaware Memorial Bridge (I-295) and the Walt Whitman Bridge (I-76).

The Delaware River Port Authority has stated that bridge closures will be coordinated as she passes, though traffic disruptions are expected to be minimal due to the federal holiday.

The SS United States Conservancy, which has been involved in efforts to preserve the ship, will livestream the vessel’s passage under the Walt Whitman Bridge on their Facebook page.

The tow will be led by the powerful tugboat Vinik No.6, a twin-screw vessel with 5,700 horsepower. Okaloosa County, the ship’s new owner, has stated that real-time route adjustments will be made every six hours, taking into account weather conditions and currents.

A live tracking system will be available online for the public to follow her journey.

Once the ship arrives in Mobile, she will be docked at the Modern American Repair & Recycling Services facility. The remediation process will involve removing hazardous materials, including loose paint, PCBs, and fuel from her tanks.

Additionally, all windows and portholes will be removed. Her funnels and radar mast will be carefully dismantled and handed over to the SS United States Conservancy, which plans to incorporate them into a future museum and visitor centre in Destin-Fort Walton Beach.

The entire preparation process is expected to take one year before the vessel is finally sunk to create the world’s largest man-made reef.

As a farewell to the city, volunteers boarded the SS United States on Friday to set up special lighting. At nightfall, her bridge was illuminated in green, paying tribute to the Philadelphia Eagles, who recently won the Super Bowl.

The city was also hosting a championship celebration for the team.

Loyal fans gathered at the pier to witness the ship’s movement. The SS United States was built 75 years ago at the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company. When she entered service in 1952, she set a speed record for transatlantic crossings, averaging 36 knots.

She remained in passenger service for over a decade and later operated on occasional pleasure cruises before being retired in 1969.

Since then, the ship has changed ownership multiple times. Between 1980 and 2024, various attempts were made to restore her for commercial use or transform her into a tourist attraction. However, these efforts were unsuccessful.

The SS United States Conservancy owned the ship from 2011 until October 2024 but was forced to relinquish control due to a legal dispute with the pier’s operators. A court ruling ordered the ship’s removal, leaving the non-profit unable to relocate her.

She was sold to Okaloosa County for $1 million as part of a $10 million plan to repurpose her as an artificial reef.

Once deployed off the coast of Destin-Fort Walton Beach, the nearly 1,000-foot-long SS United States will become a vital marine habitat, attracting fish, coral, and other marine life. The site is expected to be an attraction for divers and anglers from around the world.

The county is working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies to ensure all environmental and safety regulations are met.

Reference: destinfwb

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