SS United States coming to Destin?

[spchampion]

News is flying around that Okaloosa County is looking to acquire the SS United States and turn her into an artificial reef. The ship is huge - more than 100 feet longer than the Oriskany and substantially more massive. It would be an extraordinary dive site.

Okaloosa County to acquire SS United States for world’s largest artificial reef off Destin-Fort Walton Beach

Okaloosa County has signed an agreement to purchase the SS United States, the historic ocean liner that holds the record for the fastest Atlantic crossing, with plans to create the world’s largest artificial reef off the coast of Destin-Fort Walton Beach.

www.getthecoast.com

 

[Johnoly]

than the Oriskany and substantially more massive.

So deeper too ?

I do think it will be an absolutely incredible addition to the gulf !!

 

[HalcyonDaze]

News is flying around that Okaloosa County is looking to acquire the SS United States and turn her into an artificial reef. The ship is huge - more than 100 feet longer than the Oriskany and substantially more massive. It would be an extraordinary dive site.

Okaloosa County to acquire SS United States for world’s largest artificial reef off Destin-Fort Walton Beach

Okaloosa County has signed an agreement to purchase the SS United States, the historic ocean liner that holds the record for the fastest Atlantic crossing, with plans to create the world’s largest artificial reef off the coast of Destin-Fort Walton Beach.

www.getthecoast.com

Oof. Mixed feelings; there were a lot of people who tried to get the SS United States preserved like the old RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach. It was going to be an uphill fight given how her public spaces had been gutted and how long she had sat idle, but in structural terms the ship is still in pretty good shape and the engineering spaces are still in good condition.





That said, if she's placed as an artificial reef it's a better fate than being carved up for scrap or going through the indignities that SS Norway and SS America did at the end. The big questions are how deep they'll have to sink it and how the saltwater corrosion will affect an aluminum superstructure on a steel hull.

 

[dorsal]

I suspect the queen Mary will also become an artificial reef sine is now not safe to be onboard.

The SS United States went through a number of owners who tried to turn her into something, really anything to save her. But a big ship has big costs. Sad to see her become a reef, but this way others can enjoy her.

 

[chaad]

So deeper too ?

I do think it will be an absolutely incredible addition to the gulf !!

I've heard the plan is to remove the funnels from the deck so it can be put down in shallower water. Their goal is to sink it as shallow as possible while still keeping the required 60 feet of clearance overtop. Nobody wants another Oriskany where the deck is below rec limits.

 

[HalcyonDaze]

I suspect the queen Mary will also become an artificial reef sine is now not safe to be onboard.

The SS United States went through a number of owners who tried to turn her into something, really anything to save her. But a big ship has big costs. Sad to see her become a reef, but this way others can enjoy her.

Queen Mary has actually gone back under the City of Long Beach's management and it seems like they're taking better care of her now; she reopened as a hotel in April 2023 and has been turning a profit. The problem with United States was that unlike QM she's been stripped down to the structural bulkheads on the inside (probably a good thing, since back in the 1950s when her designers were paranoid about fire there was heavy use of asbestos paneling) and none of the original furnishings remain; she'd have to be fitted out from scratch.

 

[dorsal]

Queen Mary has actually gone back under the City of Long Beach's management and it seems like they're taking better care of her now; she reopened as a hotel in April 2023 and has been turning a profit. The problem with United States was that unlike QM she's been stripped down to the structural bulkheads on the inside (probably a good thing, since back in the 1950s when her designers were paranoid about fire there was heavy use of asbestos paneling) and none of the original furnishings remain; she'd have to be fitted out from scratch.

Interesting. I was south of Long Beach last year for a conference and had thought about visiting. It was not open and from the sounds of things, not looking good.

 

[Waterwulf]

I traveled on the United States in the mid sixties when she set the speed record. We sailed out of Bremerhaven Germany to London and then the Captain opened the valves and she made it to New York Harbor in three and a half days.

My Dad was a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Army stationed in Germany with us, his family. We got orders to move Stateside and to report to Bremerhaven for transportation via ship. We arrived there just fine but all of the ships had been taken for troop and supplies transport to Viet Nam. We got stuck in Base Transient Housing, Dad, Mom, Brother, two German Shepherd Dogs, one Spitz dog and me. Yeah, it was bad. Two days later, Dad "requisitioned" a bunch of camping gear from Base Supply and we moved to a camping ground. Much better!

He had to check in every day to check on transport and after a few months, He was told that we were all shipping out the next day. Be at Pier So and So with your car and all of your belongings and your people all together at Whatever Hours. The next day, we arrived as ordered with our dogs, kids and crap all packed into a giant sized Chevy Kingswood Station Wagon. There were two ships there, one a beat up tramp steamer on one side and on the other, the SS United States. Crap! We're Enlisted People. The tramp steamer for us!

Then Dad got into a huge argument with the soldier in the little kiosk who was handling military transport arrangements. Lots of arm waving and slapping orders and paperwork. Finally, he came back to us but he was grinning. Apparently, he couldn't believe that we really were going to sail on the SS United States. He moved the car into a painted off area and we all got out. Then some guys swarmed all over it and it took off, up up and away and over into the SS United States!

I was a kid but I remember it as being very luxurious. There were swimming pools all over, a kennels for the critters, etc. It was very nice. The Captain must have been worried about North Vietnamese subs because he cranked it up and set a record that I think still stands today.

The second night out, we were eating dinner in the Captains Mess. (Dad had to wear Class A's when traveling and with his Medals, he looked impressive so we got invited) Mom and Dad were having a spat about who that guy two tables over was. "Yes, he is. No he's not. Yes yes I've seen him in the movies. That's him. No, it's not, etc. etc". I got up, walked over and asked him "Excuse me sir. Are you James Bond 007"? He looked at me and said "Yes, boy. I am Sean Connery James Bond 007".

I went back to our table and told Mom that she was right. They were both staring at me like I was growing horns. "Well, go ask him for his autograph". So I did and he did. He signed James Bond, 007, Sean Connery with the date on a napkin with the SS United States logo and a picture of the ship on it. I still have it.

I prefer not to look at her nowadays and instead, remember her as she was. She was beautiful, fast and huge.