The SS United States, once the world's fastest ocean liner, is set to be scuttled in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday afternoon to become an artificial reef, concluding a long-running dispute over its future. The vessel will be sunk in a precision operation about 25 miles off the coast of Destin, Florida.
On Monday, a fleet of five tugboats moved the rusting ship from a quayside in Mobile, Alabama, to its final resting place. The liner, stripped of its two giant funnels and mast, will be barely recognizable from its heyday more than half a century ago, when presidents, royalty, and celebrities traveled in opulence between Europe and the United States.
A Record-Breaking Legacy
The SS United States still holds the blue riband for the fastest transatlantic crossing by a passenger liner. Its July 1952 eastbound journey took three days, 10 hours, and 40 minutes at an average speed of almost 36 knots (41.4 mph), a record that has never been surpassed.
The ship was withdrawn from service by the now-defunct United States Lines in 1969 amid declining passenger numbers and the growth of transatlantic air travel. Over the years, proposals to turn it into a floating hotel, museum, or hospitality venue failed to raise enough money or momentum.
From Dockside to Reef
The liner languished at docksides in Virginia and Pennsylvania as plans stalled, and a legal fight over its future unfolded. It passed through several owners, including the SS United States Preservation Society, a non-profit founded in 1992 to save it from scrapping.
In 2021, port authorities in Philadelphia doubled daily dockage fees to $1,700, an amount the conservancy said it could not afford. The vessel was eventually evicted by court order in 2024. It was destined to be broken up until Florida's Okaloosa County stepped in to purchase it for $1 million later that year, advancing the reef project.
Months of preparation followed the ship's relocation to Mobile, including removing internal fixtures and toxic materials. The ship will be sunk by controlled flooding, meaning no explosives will be used.
Diving and Museum Plans
Divers will be able to visit the 990-foot (300-meter) ship on the seabed, at a depth of about 180 feet, from this weekend. Plans are advanced for a shore-based museum featuring the funnels and items from the ship, and a pier from which diving trips to the reef will depart.
Susan Gibbs, the conservancy's president and co-founder, said the group was appreciative that people could still enjoy visiting the SS United States and hearing about its story. "While she will soon rest beneath the waves, her story will live on," said Gibbs, granddaughter of William Francis Gibbs, the ship's designer.
Gibbs noted that her grandfather would be touched that so many people worked hard to preserve what he considered among his finest accomplishments. "He had a true love affair with the ship," she said.
