Mom, Kim, and I went to Mobile to see the SS United States, a luxury liner built in the early 1950s. This is our last chance to see her in her final days. The SS United States beat the world record for crossing the Atlantic by 10 hours. The previous record had been set and held by the RMS Queen Mary and held for the previous 14 years. To date, no cruise ship has ever beat her record.
As transatlantic crossings became less frequent the SS United States fell into disrepair.
The SS United States was bought and sold many times and finally landed in the hands of a group formed as the SS United States Conservancy.
She was moored at Philadelphia’s Pier 82, owned by Penn Warehousing. In 2021 the ship’s mooring space rent increased from $850 to $1,700 per day. There were more issues behind the scenes and on September 12, 2024, the United States was ordered to be evicted.
In October 2024, Okaloosa County purchased the ship for $1 million. The County plans to sink her as the world’s largest artificial reef off Destin-Fort Walton beach.
She was towed by barge from Philadelphia to Mobile to be scuttled. Which means all hazardous materials, asbestos, lead paint, and anything else that can be harmful to the ecosystem where she will live.
We took a tour boat ride in Mobile Harbor so we could get a good close look at her.
She was enormous, towering above the docks. Despite her faded paint and obvious neglect, she is still beautiful. It would have been incredible to wander the ship in her heyday.
Our boat captain was deeply knowledgeable about the SS United States and shared some of her history. Marilyn Monroe, the Rockefellers, Cary Grant, Judy Garland, Salvador Dali, and many other rich and famous people of the time crossed the Atlantic on her. The interior was beyond luxury and even boasted a Steinway grand piano.
It is estimated that it will take about 18 months to completely sanitize her for sinking. Once that is complete, she will be towed to as a yet to be confirmed spot about twenty nautical miles south of Destin – Ft Walton Beach.
As well as the artificial reef, the SS United States Conservancy also plans to open a land-based museum. The museum will include ship artifacts, fixtures, furnishings, vintage audio-visual material, and archival documentation collected over the years. Salvaged items from the ship will include her radar mast and both funnels.
It was bittersweet. As we slowly cruised around her, I felt a loss of the glamor era of days gone by. But I also felt admiration. Her name, her story, and her mighty presence would continue on in a different form. The United States would not be forgotten.
After we left the pier we drove to Magnolia Cemetery, where our typical chaos ensued.
