"America's Flagship," the SS United States, is docked in the Port of Mobile and will be there for six to 12 months, being remediated to become an artificial reef in the nearby Gulf.
No, tourists cannot go onto the historic ship, even docked. They can get a close, passing waterside view of the largest ocean liner ever built in the United States. You might call these "cruise-bys."
Cruise-bys are being conducted by tour operators in the Mobile area.
They include:
Historic Blakley Park Tours. Boarding at the Mobile Convention Center. Dates, times, tickets and details here:
Perdido Queen. Boarding beside Cooper Riverside Park at 1 South Water Street, Mobile. Dates, times, tickets and details here:
The cruise-by dates are booking up, and more dates are being added. There is obvious interest in the ship.
The SS United States was built in 1950-1951 and, at 990 feet, is the longest ocean liner built in the United States. It was the luxury route from New York across the Atlantic during the 1950s and 1960s. It set the speed record for crossing the Atlantic on its maiden voyage, and the record still stands.
The ship was retired in 1969. It has sat idle for the past 25 years in the Delaware River in Philadelphia. Efforts to raise millions and save the ship have fallen short.
Last year, the ship was sold to Okaloosa County, Fla. for $1 million. They are paying contractors in Mobile to take historically significant artifacts and non-metal and environmental hazards from the ship. They will cut holes in the sides and configure it so that it will sink standing upright. It will be sunk in the Gulf of America about 20 miles offshore and become the world's largest artificial reef. A museum about the ship will be built ashore.
1819 News will go on a cruise-by and view the SS United States this week, hearing a tour guide's explanation and taking photos.
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 [email protected].
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