Sad Day For the SS United States

[dwco5051]

SS United States leaving Philly under tow on it's way to become a reef. I remember when it was moored in Norfolk over by the firefighting school. Used to look over at her rusting away and remember when it set the record for the fastest trans-Atlantic crossing. The vessel broke the trans-Atlantic speed record on its maiden voyage, crossing eastbound in three days, 10 hours and 40 minutes at an average of more than 35 knots.
For anyone who like me has nothing better to do on a snowy afternoon but track ships here is her current position. The US is not sending an AiS but the tug Vinik 6 is. Traveling a 7.2 knots. https://www.vesselfinder.com/?imo=7044328

It’s headed to Mobile for asbestos removal and prep for Scuttling. Then it will be towed into the Gulf and sunk. The ship's final home will be under about 180 feet (55 meters) of water 20 miles (32 kilometers) off the coast of Destin, Florida.

 

[flashback]

I suppose it could be worse, a reef seems a fitting end..

 

[FLATHEAD]

Saw that ship many times while traveling I95 through Philly. Even as rusted and run down as it was it was an eye catcher. Never knew anything about the ship till fairly recently.

 

[aspeck]

Love the vessel finder link!

 

[jlh3rd]

flew over it dozens of times landing in philly.

 

[southkogs]

Well, it's sad that she's outta' service. Cool old ship like that would be neat out at sea. But, I scuba dive some of the sunken ships off the Gulf Coast. They make really amazing environments to go enjoy the wildlife ... and honestly you get to really see a lot of the ship that way too.

LOL ... I probably have a better chance to visit her underwater than I would if she was sailing

 

[cyclops222]

All the local gambling casinos do the same thing. Without getting seasick. And a lot safer year around.
Oh well.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Well, it's sad that she's outta' service. Cool old ship like that would be neat out at sea. But, I scuba dive some of the sunken ships off the Gulf Coast. They make really amazing environments to go enjoy the wildlife ... and honestly you get to really see a lot of the ship that way too.

LOL ... I probably have a better chance to visit her underwater than I would if she was sailing

Sounds cool diving those sunken ships.

They were doing tours of the ship by appointment and a 250$ fee per person.

 

[bigblocksarefun]

Caught most of her trip down river. Even being towed she just glided through the water. I was heading for the navy yard but they left early. The two right lanes on the I-95 bridge over the Schuykill just kinda stopped. Then I realized why:


So when I could I turned around and headed to and across the Barry to a park I knew of right there:





I headed to the DelMemBr and saw her rounding the turn to the north as I went over. Since it wasn't really too far out of the way, I headed to Delaware City. Must have a generator hooked up to her, her nav, deck and stack lights were all lit up as she went past Pea Patch:

 

[dwco5051]

Great pictures. I was only 12 or 13 years old when she first sailed and didn't realize until later in life how impressive 44 miles per hour (38 knot) was for a large ship. Even today I know many people who have pleasure boats that can't reach that speed. The other thing I never knew until lately that one fire room had Babcock & Wicox boilers and the other Foster/Wheelers. Probably just to confuse the Snipes in the black gang.

 

[racerone]

Read that it was going down in 180' of water.----Many divers might hesitate to go beyond looking at the stacks.

 

[jlh3rd]

kinda impressive, even under tow....it's as if those big stacks would be saying "get out of my way".

 

[dingbat]

Read that it was going down in 180' of water.----Many divers might hesitate to go beyond looking at the stacks.

Sounds awful shallow for a boat that is a 175 ft. tall from keel to top of stacks unless it’s laying on it’s side or the stacks are remove prior to sinking

 

[southkogs]

Read that it was going down in 180' of water.----Many divers might hesitate to go beyond looking at the stacks.

Read the same thing ... and I'm one of those divers! I'm more of a tourist.

Sounds awful shallow for a boat that is a 175 ft. tall from keel to top of stacks unless it’s laying on it’s side or the stacks are remove prior to sinking

... thought the same thing after I read it.

In 2006 they sunk the USS Oriskany in the Gulf near Pensacola. I've not done this one, but she's sitting upright on the bottom. The hull is resting at 212ft, flight deck at 145ft and the island makes it up to 70ft.

In 2013 they sunk the Yokamu in the Gulf out of Perdido Pass in Alabama. She's now called the Lulu, sits on the bottom at around 115ft, and the wheelhouse is up closer to 60ft. <== More likely to visit this ship

Maybe if they knock the funnels down some, and let her settle, she'll give the sissy divers like me something to visit around 50ft or so.

 

[bigblocksarefun]

Read that it was going down in 180' of water.----Many divers might hesitate to go beyond looking at the stacks.

Stacks won't be there, they will be removed (or at least one will) and be part of the land based museum. Here's a concept from the conservancy's website (the one prop out front is the only one left that is laying on her stern, the rest are distributed throughout the NYC area):

 

[bigblocksarefun]

Great pictures. I was only 12 or 13 years old when she first sailed and didn't realize until later in life how impressive 44 miles per hour (38 knot) was for a large ship. Even today I know many people who have pleasure boats that can't reach that speed. The other thing I never knew until lately that one fire room had Babcock & Wicox boilers and the other Foster/Wheelers. Probably just to confuse the Snipes in the black gang.

The hot rod steam propulsion plant of a fast battleship or later carrier without all the weight in armor & ammo.

 

[bigblocksarefun]

And now there's a hiccup: https://1819news.com/news/item/batt...-to-be-sunk-as-worlds-largest-artificial-reef
50+ years and no one gave a sh!t, now that there is plan being executed here comes the lawsuit smh.

 

[airshot]

Good looking vessel, she looks fast...even going slow !

 

[FLATHEAD]

And now there's a hiccup: https://1819news.com/news/item/batt...-to-be-sunk-as-worlds-largest-artificial-reef
50+ years and no one gave a sh!t, now that there is plan being executed here comes the lawsuit smh.

There was a group here in Pa that mounted some kind of argument about preservation don’t remember the specifics. Didn’t gain much traction.

 

[jlh3rd]

according to all the articles I've read about re-purposing the ship over decades, all of those avenues had been exhausted. A museum, a refit, a shopping "plaza", a restored exterior display with historical status.
the universal conclusion was too much money.
The objectionists always only offer gripes , never their own energy or money.