SS United States in Philadelphia. Her sinking is planned for spring
2026.
SS United States has been laid up for many years, but the end is now in sight for the greatest passenger ship to come out of America. The current owner, the SS United States Conservancy, has finalised an agreement with Okaloosa County, a district in the north western part of Florida, for the latter to buy the ship and sink it as an artificial reef. A recent court order required the removal of the ship from her current location. Within the time frame allowed, it was not possible for the Conservancy to find an alternative location, hence the decision to sink her.
SS United States, designed by William Francis Gibb, was ordered in 1949 and entered service in 1952. On trials, the 53,329gt ship achieved a speed of more than 38 knots, but her true top speed is thought to have been 43 knots. Built with a passenger capacity of about 1,900, she had been designed so that at times of war she could carry up to 14,400 troops.