Tag Archives: SS United States

Okaloosa County Sets Tentative Date for SS United States Project

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Okaloosa County Sets Tentative Date for SS United States Project

Okaloosa County officials are planning to sink the SS United States this April, according to a report by Fox10 News.

Set to become the world’s largest artificial reef, the former ocean liner will be sunk 22 miles west of Destin-Fort Walton Beach.

Acquired by Okaloosa in 2023, the 1952-built vessel is currently being prepared for the operation in Mobile.

The process included remediation and decontamination of all of the ship’s interior areas and outside decks.

Carried out by Coleen Marine, the project also saw the removal of the ship’s two funnels, as well as its main mast, which will be used in a future land-based museum.

According to Fox10 News, Okaloosa County has already removed all the oil and fuel that were still onboard the vessel.

“She had 200 tanks onboard, so all that fuel and oil had to be removed. What they do in that process is suck it out of there and take it to an environmentally safe area,” Nick Tomacek, Okaloosa County Public Information Officer, was quoted as saying.

Contractors removed other hazardous materials as well, including non-metal parts, ensuring the deployment is clean and not harmful to the environment it aims to benefit.

Other modifications were also made to ensure that the vessel will land upright underwater following the assisted sinking operation.

He added that final Coast Guard inspections are set to start soon, with the exact deployment date dependent on weather conditions.

“While some folks did not want to see her sink, this is the next phase of the SS United States’ life, and she’s going to be enjoyed by divers, anglers and enthusiasts for years to come,” Tomacek said.

Okaloosa County also plans to livestream the reefing event on the Destin-Fort Walton Beach YouTube channel.

Out of service since 1969, the SS United States spent most of the last three decades docked at a commercial dock in Philadelphia.

SS United States Must Move From Philadelphia Pier By Sept. 12

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The SS United States ocean liner, which sits laid up at Pier 82 in Philadelphia, will need to vacate its berth by Sept. 12, 2024, according to U.S. District Court Senior Judge Anita Brody.

The ruling came from a dispute between the SS United States Conservancy and the ship’s landlord, Penn Warehousing, over docking fees.

The Conservancy said the ruling was a victory, as the court said that Penn Warehousing double not double dockage fees on the ship.

On the flip side, the ship will need to find a new home in short order.

“While the Conservancy was vindicated in not being compelled to pay a large sum of back rent to the SS United States’ pier operator, the ruling makes clear this iconic American symbol is in peril,” said Conservancy President Susan Gibbs, the granddaughter of the ship’s designer, William Francis Gibbs.

“The judge’s decision gives us a very limited window to find a new home for the SS United States and raise the resources necessary to move the ship and keep her safe. We must do both to avoid the tragic fate that countless supporters from around the world have worked for over a decade to prevent,” said Gibbs.

The Conservancy said it has been actively exploring potential pier locations in the Philadelphia area and along the East Coast able to accommodate the nearly 1000-foot-long ocean liner.

“We have also been engaging in targeted outreach to federal and state officials who could help with that effort,” the group said in a statement.

SS United States Conservancy Reaches Deal to Explore Redevelopment of Famed Ocean Liner

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SS United States

Photo: Brian W. Schaller

The SS United States Conservancy has entered into an agreement with commercial real estate development firm RXR Realty to explore options for the revitalization of the historic SS United States. 

According to the Conservancy, over the next several months RXR Realty will be working to determine the viability of the SS United States’ redevelopment and will explore a range of potential locations for the historic vessel. In connection with its work, RXR will also be paying a substantial portion of the ship’s carrying costs and making other investments during this option period, including assembling a team to assess the vessel’s interior spaces and explore concepts for the ship’s revitalization. 

The SS United States, aka “America’s Flagship”, has faced an uncertain future in recent years. In 2015, the SS United States Conservancy, which owns the transatlantic liner, was nearly forced to the scrapping of the ship due to mounting costs, only to be saved by an outpouring of public support that helped the Conservancy raise an additional $600,000 to save the ship. The following year, Los Angeles-based Crystal Cruises reached an agreement to purchase the iconic 1950’s era vessel with the goal of converting it into a modern, luxury cruise ship in compliance with all modern safety, environmental, and technical standards. But ultimately that deal too fell through after a technical feasibility study determined that the plan was a little too far fetched. Crystal instead ended up donating $350,000 to the Conservancy to help with ongoing costs.

Now, RXR Realty will go through its own due diligence process, but both sides are hopeful that a plan can be reached to redevelop the ship. 

“The SS United States is one of America’s great vessels and an icon of American engineering and design,” RXR Realty says. “Given our history of repurposing and updating some of this country’s most historic structures, we are now working with the SS United States Conservancy to explore what options might exist for the ship, going forward. We are currently at the very beginning of this process – a process that will require substantial work on all sides. At the end of this period, we will have a better sense as to whether we have a viable plan and, if so, the specifics of that plan and in which waterfront community it might be actualized.“

The SS United States has been laid up at a dock in Philadelphia since 1996.