Alabama and the Gulf waters have become the artificial reef capital of the world. Another reef will be added, and it will be the world’s largest.
After many delays, the retired ship SS United States will leave Philadelphia on Monday, President's Day. Its destination is Mobile.
Following initial problems and delays, all safety requirements for moving the ocean liner from South Philly to Mobile have been completed.
The SS United States, a 70-year-old passenger liner, holds the speed record for a transatlantic crossing. It has been at Philadelphia’s Pier 82 since 1996. Built in 1950-1951, it is in serious decline.
Here are the plans for the last launch of the ship:
Friday, Feb. 14, 2025: Move from Pier 82 to 80 in Philadelphia. Crews will be in position and ready to make the shift at high tide at 2:47 p.m. DONE.
Monday, Feb. 17, 2025: SS United States will leave Pier 80 and begin the journey down the Delaware River at low tide at 11:18 a.m.
Alabama ship watchers and others can track the ship's journey via GPS. The tracking will start when the vessel begins moving operations.
The ship was recently delayed again. It was originally expected to depart South Philly in the fall of 2024, but plans were canceled due to a tropical storm and a possible bridge strike.
The journey to Mobile is expected to take about two weeks. Work on the ship at Mobile facilities will take about 12 months and employ over 200 workers.
Upon arrival, the vessel will be turned into an artificial reef as contractors remove hazardous material, including nonmetal parts and fuel to ensure this deployment is clean and not harmful to the environment it aims to benefit.
Okaloosa County in Florida’s Panhandle region purchased the ship for one million dollars. When it is finally dropped into the Gulf waters, it must land upright on the bottom.
The exact location along the Gulf Coast for the vessel's deployment has not been set, but it is expected to be about 20 nautical miles south of the coast.
The official history of the ship in the SS United States Conservancy reads:
The SS United States is an historic ocean liner known as “America’s Flagship.” She is the fastest passenger ship ever built and the largest ever made in the USA. The SS United States still holds the transatlantic speed record and is the last of America's great 20th century ocean liners. Since the vessel’s launch over 70 years ago, she has served as an enduring iconic symbol of American innovation and engineering might. She is the only ship to bear the name of her namesake nation.
Like the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and the Washington Monument — there’s only one SS United States. The ship was an ambassador of America’s post-war industrial power and a technological marvel. The soaring symbol of grace and grandeur touched the lives of over one million passengers, thousands of crew members, and countless others who were thrilled by her mere presence in New York or Europe flying the Stars and Stripes. The vessel still holds the transatlantic speed record, achieved on her maiden voyage using only two-thirds of her power. She served as a Naval auxiliary ship and was packed with top-secret features.
Details on the SS United States can be found here.
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler writes about Alabama’s people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at ZeiglerElderCare@yahoo.com.
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