Liner SS United States Sunk as Artificial Reef off Florida
The famous ocean liner SS United States has been sunk as an artificial reef off Destin, on the Florida Panhandle in the southern United States, on 11 November. Destin lies on the Gulf coast between Pensacola and Panama City, and the wreck now rests at about 30° 07′ N, 86° 46′ W, where it will become a dive site.
Marine contractors cut holes in the hull and interior so that water could flood in faster. The ship took about eight hours to settle and go down, rolling to port before sinking. An inspection was planned to check whether she is resting upright, and divers can visit the wreck from 12 November.
Built at Newport News, Virginia, the SS United States entered service in 1952 and set a record on her maiden voyage as the fastest passenger ship to cross the Atlantic. She sailed for 17 years before air travel and high fuel costs made her uneconomic. Over the following decades she passed through US government ownership, several private owners and finally a non-profit conservancy, which could not find a workable plan to save her.
From the CrewMirror Blog
Okaloosa County in Florida bought the ship for reefing. After cleaning inside the hull and a last-minute lawsuit that failed to stop the sinking, she was towed from Mobile, Alabama. At nearly 1,000 feet (about 300 metres) long and about 53,000 gross tons, the county believes she is the world’s largest intentionally created artificial reef.
The liner joins other famous ships whose stories still draw interest, such as the Titanic, whose original insurance policy is going to auction in England, and the wartime steamer whose wreck was recently found off Maine.
CrewMirror Takeaway
The SS United States was built for speed in an age when ships were the main way to cross oceans. Her end as a reef is a reminder of how fast technology and economics can change the shipping world that seafarers work in.
