Current:Home > Back'America's flagship' SS United States has departure from Philadelphia to Florida delayed-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
'America's flagship' SS United States has departure from Philadelphia to Florida delayed
View Date:2025-01-10 04:38:47
The historic ocean liner the SS United States will have to wait a bit longer to embark on its final voyage.
Often called "America's flagship," the SS United States measures at nearly 1,000 feet long and is the longest and largest ocean liner ever built in America. It still holds the speed record for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by a passenger liner, an honor earned on its maiden voyage in 1952, according to the SS United States Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that honors the ship's heritage.
The plan for the historic ship is for it to be towed by tugboats to Mobile, Alabama where it will be broken down to serve as an artificial reef. After that 12-month process – where hazardous materials, fuel and other parts that could harm the environment will be removed – it will be towed to the Florida panhandle where it will rest off the state's coast near Destin-Fort Walton Beach.
But the ship's Nov. 15 departure from the Philadelphia port where it has been docked for 28 years has been delayed "because of a tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico that could impede safe delivery of the vessel to its destination in Mobile, Alabama," Okaloosa County, Florida officials said in a press release.
The operation has been delayed "to ensure logistical details and procedures maintain ideal conditions for the move," Okaloosa County spokesman Nick Tomecek said, Delaware Online reported, part of the USA TODAY Network.
A new date has not been set.
Human head washes ashore:Found on Florida beach, police investigating: reports
The SS United States: What to know
Developed by shipping operator United States Lines and the U.S. government, the SS United States was part luxury liner – celebrity passengers included Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe, Bob Hope and John Wayne – and part secret weapon, the conservancy website says. Built with the help of the Pentagon, the ship could also quickly be converted into a troop carrier.
The SS United States is currently docked on Philadelphia’s Delaware River. The ship has been there since 1996 and can no longer move under her own steam.
Why will the SS United States become a reef?
Okaloosa County, Florida, which includes the cities of Destin and Fort Walton Beach, got the rights to the ocean liner last month to add it to its artificial reef program.
“Once deployed off Destin-Fort Walton Beach, at nearly 1,000-feet long, the SS United States will be a home for a diverse range of marine life and attract divers and anglers from around the world,” Okaloosa County said in press release, reported the Pensacola News Journal, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.
The exact location in the Gulf of Mexico for the vessel’s final resting place has not been set, but it is expected to be about 20 miles south of the Destin-Fort Walton Beach coast, officials said.
While there are benefits to artificial reefs – snorkeling and fishing among them – some sites have led to illegal dumping, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. And if what's sunken to make the artificial reef isn't properly broken down, toxic chemicals can leach out, some conservation groups say.
Contributing: Mollye Barrows, Juan Carlos Castillo, Matthew Korfhage, and Shannon Marvel McNaught
Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider.
What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day
veryGood! (69)
Related
- My Chemical Romance returns with ‘The Black Parade’ tour
- Vince Camuto 70% Off Sandal Deals: Get $110 Mules for $34, $110 Heels for $38, and More
- MacKenzie Scott gave 17 nonprofits $97 million in the first half of 2023
- What are peptides? Understand why some people take them.
- US Election Darkens the Door of COP29 as It Opens in Azerbaijan
- Keke Palmer Shares Difficult Breastfeeding Journey With Her and Darius Jackson's Son
- A list of the 5 new vehicles with the lowest average purchase prices in the US
- 'Blue Beetle' rises to the challenge, ends 'Barbie's month-long reign at box office
- FanDuel Sports Network regional channels will be available as add-on subscription on Prime Video
- You'll Buzz Over Blake Lively's Latest Photo of Sexy Ryan Reynolds
Ranking
- Multi-State Offshore Wind Pact Weakened After Connecticut Sits Out First Selection
- Britney Spears' husband, Sam Asghari, files for divorce in Los Angeles, court records show
- Kristin Chenoweth Mourns Death of Her Angel Birth Mother Lynn
- Is Dodger Stadium flooded? No, it was just an illusion
- Martha Stewart playfully pushes Drew Barrymore away in touchy interview
- Summer House Star Paige DeSorbo Shares Her Top 20 Beauty Products
- The Bidens will travel to Maui to meet with wildfire survivors and first responders
- Brown tarantula mating season is here! You may see more of the arachnids in these states.
Recommendation
-
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, 4G
-
Spain captain who scored game-winning goal learns after World Cup final her father died
-
Massive mental health toll in Maui wildfires: 'They've lost everything'
-
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow progressing from calf injury
-
Why California takes weeks to count votes, while states like Florida are faster
-
Watch Hilary press conference live: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass shares updates on storm
-
Meadow Walker Calls Husband Louis Thornton-Allan Her Best Friend in Birthday Tribute
-
Many Lahaina wildfire victims may be children, Hawaii governor says