A ship that once raced the Atlantic and held its speed record for more than seventy years is making a last crossing, this time not to a port but down to the seabed off Florida's coast. Okaloosa County has taken it on for a single purpose: to let it become the largest artificial reef in the world, a new home for Gulf sea life and a new reason for people to visit the shore. Its earlier life, built for speed and for war, has given way to a quieter role, measured now in the slow growth of coral and the drift of fish through its opened hull. Whether that second life takes hold will unfold over year
SS United States To Be Scuttled Off Florida, Becoming World's Largest Artificial Reef
No ocean liner has crossed faster since
Mark
Why is this ship such a big deal beyond the reef idea?
Mimi
Because of what she did in 1952. On her first voyage she crossed the Atlantic in three days, 10 hours and 40 minutes, beating the Queen Mary by 10 hours. She still holds the record for an ocean liner.
Mark
So why sink her instead of saving her?
Mimi
Several plans over the years fell through. After nearly 30 years in Philadelphia, county officials say she faced possible sale for scrap. Okaloosa County bought her to make a reef.
Luke
Careful with that scrap detail. It comes from county officials, who have an interest in how the purchase is framed. The report doesn't say how close a scrap sale actually was.
Mark
What has been done to make the ship safe for the water?
Mimi
Officials say environmentally unsafe materials have been removed, holes cut in the hull, and passageways made for marine life.
Luke
Again, that's officials' description. The report doesn't list what was removed or mention any independent inspection.
Mark
And the benefits?
Mimi
The county names Gulf marine habitat and tourism opportunities as the aims.
Luke
Those are stated goals, not results. Nothing in the reporting says how much habitat or tourism this will produce, or what it cost. We'll only learn that over time, and we don't yet know the sinking itself went as planned.
The Pulse
- A livestream is set to begin at 2 p.m. Wednesday as the SS United States prepares for its final, deliberate sinking off Florida.
- The 1952 liner, once a transatlantic speed champion, has been pulled from its long Philadelphia exile and towed down the East Coast and around Florida.
- Okaloosa County bought the ship from the brink of scrapping, aiming to turn it into the world's largest artificial reef.
- Crews have stripped out environmentally unsafe materials and cut openings through the hull so marine life can move freely inside.
- The outcome now hinges on whether Wednesday's sinking goes exactly as planned and how the reef performs for habitat and tourism in the years ahead.
A ship that once raced the Atlantic and held its speed record for more than seventy years is making a last crossing, this time not to a port but down to the seabed off Florida's coast. Okaloosa County has taken it on for a single purpose: to let it become the largest artificial reef in the world, a new home for Gulf sea life and a new reason for people to visit the shore. Its earlier life, built for speed and for war, has given way to a quieter role, measured now in the slow growth of coral and the drift of fish through its opened hull. Whether that second life takes hold will unfold over years, as the sea decides what the ship has become.
At 2 p.m. on Wednesday, a livestream will show the final act of the SS United States, the ocean liner that set a transatlantic speed record on its first crossing in 1952. Once it settles on the seabed off Florida, it will become the world's largest artificial reef.
The ship was built as a showpiece of American engineering and designed to double as a troop carrier. On its maiden voyage it averaged 36 knots, crossing in three days, 10 hours and 40 minutes, beating the Queen Mary by ten hours. No liner has crossed faster since.
Its working life ended in 1969, when it became a reserve ship. For nearly thirty years it sat along Philadelphia's Delaware waterfront while plan after plan collapsed, until it faced the prospect of being sold for scrap.
Okaloosa County stepped in, buying the ship with a clear purpose: a healthier habitat for Gulf sea life and a new draw for visitors. Tugs pulled the liner down the Delaware River and out to sea, then around Florida on a final voyage under tow.
Officials say the ship is ready for the sea floor, with unsafe materials removed and holes cut through the hull to let marine life move through it. What comes next is the sinking itself, and then the slower test of how the reef serves the Gulf and its visitors over the years.
At 2 p.m. on Wednesday, a livestream will begin showing the final act of the SS United States, an ocean liner that set a transatlantic speed record on its first crossing in 1952 and is now about to be deliberately sunk off the coast of Florida. When it settles on the seabed, it will become the world's largest artificial reef.
The ship was christened in 1952 and was regarded as a showpiece of American engineering. It was also built to double as a military vessel, one that could carry thousands of troops. On its maiden voyage it broke the transatlantic speed record in both directions, averaging 36 knots, just over 41 mph. The crossing took three days, 10 hours and 40 minutes, which beat the time set by the RMS Queen Mary by 10 hours. No ocean liner has crossed faster since; the SS United States still holds the record.
Her working life wound down in 1969, when she became a reserve ship. Her long retirement was spent along Philadelphia's Delaware waterfront, where she stayed for nearly 30 years according to county officials. Several plans for the vessel came up over that time, and each one fell through. By the end, the ship faced the possibility of being sold for scrap metal.
That is where Okaloosa County, Florida, entered. The county closed on an agreement to buy the ship, stating that the purchase was made for the sole purpose of deploying her as an artificial reef to enhance Gulf marine habitat and tourism opportunities. Two goals are named there: a healthier habitat for sea life, and a new draw for visitors.
Last Friday, tug boats pulled the liner down the Delaware River and out to sea. From there she traveled down the East Coast and around Florida, a final voyage under tow rather than under her own power.
Officials say the ship has been readied for the sea floor. All environmentally unsafe materials have been removed. Holes have been cut into the hull, and passageways have been opened up, which are meant to let marine life move through the vessel and thrive there.
What remains to be seen is whether the sinking goes as planned on Wednesday, and then how the reef performs over the years as habitat for Gulf marine life and as a destination that brings tourism to the area.
Notable Quotes
The county bought the ship with the sole purpose of deploying her as an artificial reef to enhance Gulf marine habitat and tourism opportunities.— Okaloosa County
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