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The historic SS United States will travel the Delaware Bay, but not this week

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The historic SS United States will travel the Delaware Bay, but not this week

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The journey of the historic SS United States from Philadelphia to Mobile, Alabama, originally set to begin later this week, has been indefinitely delayed.

After the iconic ship was evicted from its longtime home in South Philly, the nonprofit SS United States Conservancy made a deal with Okaloosa County, Florida, to sink it off the coast as the world’s largest artificial reef. The ship must go to Alabama first for cleaning and other preparations.

Okaloosa spokesman Nick Tomecek announced last week the ship would begin its journey down the Delaware River and Bay on Friday, marking most Delawareans’ last chance to see the ship from land. However, on Tuesday, Tomecek said operations have been delayed “to ensure logistical details and procedures maintain ideal conditions for the move.”

The county is also monitoring a tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico that could impact the ship’s journey, Tomecek said.

A new departure date has not yet been set.

Why is the ship important?

The SS United States hit the water in 1952 as “an ambassador of America’s post-war industrial power and a technological marvel,” the SS United States Conservancy website says.

Developed by United States Lines and the U.S. government, the ship was part luxurious passenger liner, hosting a slew of celebrities, and part secret weapon, the website says. It still holds the transatlantic speed record and, at the time, was able to transport more troops further, without refueling, than ever before.

The ship was retired in 1969 as transatlantic flights became more common. It changed hands numerous times after that, landing with the conservancy in 2011. Now, the SS United States is America’s only remaining “great ocean liner,” the website says.

Background: Massive, historic ‘America’s flagship’ must leave Philadelphia port. But where can it go?

The conservancy has been trying for years to find a suitable port for a redeveloped, mixed-use version of the ship, but when a lawsuit forced them to get the boat out of Philadelphia or scrap it, they opted to take Okaloosa’s offer to turn it into the world’s largest artificial reef.

Why does the ship have to be sunk?

The 50,000-ton SS United States is gigantic, over three times the length of the Cape May – Lewes Ferry and more than 100 feet longer than the Titanic. Pier 82 in south Philadelphia, which the ship has called home since 1996, is one of the only piers big enough to dock it.

The conservancy signed a contract to moor the ship at the pier with Penn Warehousing in 2011. When Penn doubled the rent in 2021, the conservancy refused to pay more and Penn took them to court, the conservancy’s website says. That ultimately resulted in the contract being terminated, forcing the conservancy to find a new home for the ship immediately.

Background: America’s largest ocean liner was evicted from Philly. Now Florida wants to sink it

“Unable to save the SS United States in her current state and under a binding court order, we faced the painful but unavoidable choice between scrapping America’s Flagship or converting her into an artificial reef in tandem with a land-based museum,” the website says. “We chose the latter as the most dignified path.”

The conservancy signed a contract with Okaloosa County in October. The county’s plan is to sink the ship about 20 miles south of the Florida Panhandle region to create a reef.

Conservatively, artificial reefs have a nearly 14,000% return on investment, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, mainly due to increased economic activity, notably tourism related to scuba diving.

Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on southern Delaware and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Twitter @MarvelMcNaught.

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