Where a Boat Goes to Die: The SS United States

What happens when a boat can no longer be refit? 

From July 3–7, 1952, the SS United States made its maiden voyage, breaking the eastbound-transatlantic speed record when it crossed the Atlantic Ocean in three days, 10 hours, and 40 minutes. Now it’s making one last trip — to the bottom of the ocean to serve as an artificial reef.

The 990-foot SS United States was a maritime marvel when it was created, and it still holds the record for the largest ocean liner built entirely in the U.S. The vessel represented a hallmark of American engineering, transporting thousands of troops, immigrants, and celebrities, including Bob Hope, Salvador Dali, Marlon Brando, Duke Ellington, and Walt Disney. It’s also more than 100 feet longer than the RMS Titanic. 

America’s Flagship rode high in the 50s, appearing in movies and operating at capacity, until the 60s hit. The introduction of the commercial jet liner quickly dampened the hype, and after 17 years, the SS United States was abruptly withdrawn from service. The U.S. Navy decided to put the vessel up for sale in 1978, initiating a series of ownership changes that culminated with Norwegian Cruise Line failing to rehabilitate it and placing it back on the market in 2009. 

Norwegian couldn’t find a buyer with a dock large enough for a 990-foot vessel, so they began accepting bids from scrappers. The news reached the SS United States Conservancy (SSUSC), which launched a “Save Our Ship” campaign that ultimately secured a leadership grant enabling the vessel’s purchase and maintenance for 20 months, according to the SSUSC.

While the SSUSC kept the vessel from becoming scrap, the SS United States remained docked at a Philadelphia pier for almost three decades — sitting dormant and rusting. The decaying vessel eventually found one final buyer after being evicted from its pier: Okaloosa County in Florida.

Okaloosa County plans to sink the skyscraper-sized ocean liner to create the world’s largest artificial reef. The vessel left The City of Brotherly Love on Feb. 19 and made the nearly 2,000-mile journey to Mobile, Alabama, arriving on March 3. It will now spend approximately six months being stripped of hazardous materials until it’s sent to its final resting place on Florida’s Gulf coast. 

While plans are already underway for the SS United States to be sent to its watery grave, perhaps its final trick is to defy the odds and once again become a novelty, even in its final resting place.