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Escambia County Misses Chance To Sink SS United States For A Reef
August 31, 2024
Escambia County has missed out on acquiring the SS United States to sink offshore as an artificial reef.
Okaloosa has signed an agreement to be ratified next week to purchase the historic ship for $9 million.
Escambia County had discussed potentially buying the ship. Escambia County Commissioner Jeff Bergosh said in July that it would take a commitment of $10 million, but Escambia never made an offer.
The Escambia County Marine Advisory Committee is expected to discuss the idea at a Monday afternoon meeting.
The SS United States is 990 feet long, 100 feet longer than the Titanic. It is just over 101 feet wide, and 53,330 tonnes. The draw at the load line was 36 feet-4 inches. The ocean liner was built between 1950 and 1951 for Unite States Lines. It was taken out of service in 1969.
The nonprofit SS United States Conservancy is working to relocate the ship from Philadelphia to comply with a court order.
Earlier this summer, U.S. District Court Senior Judge Anita Brody ruled that the SS United States’ landlord, Penn Warehousing, could not double dockage fees without notice in its effort to force America’s Flagship from Pier 82 in Philadelphia. However, the Court also directed the Conservancy to remove the irreplaceable national symbol from Pier 82 in Philadelphia by September 12, 2024.
Comments
46 Responses to “Escambia County Misses Chance To Sink SS United States For A Reef”
I am ok with it being scuttled for a reef, but only if it’s in an area where people can dive and explore it (maybe not all of it). Its an amazing and beautiful ship but it’s in awful condition. I honestly haven’t ever even heard of it. At least having it where people can view it, even if under water, would be something at least.
This ship should have been saved long ago, but Americans don’t realize what they lost until it is too late. What a shame and a pity. Typical though.
Sink it or scrap it. It’s an empty, rusting hulk. We can’t preserve everything and this is a perfect example of something not worth the effort.
Let the the former Philadelphia Naval Yard take it. As a former
worker there and a Navy veteran. I think it would be a perfect place. When I started working, there, the Intrepid was there and many retired ships and a couple of subs. They always fascinated me. The USS United States should stay in Philadelphia.
The proud ship as we knew her is indeed long gone. I suppose even more money could be spent recreating her glory (without all that asbestos) but to what end? She’d be like another Disney attraction, all fluff and hype if the shell is not sound to warrant the effort
Do not allow this amazing ship, this ship that still holds the Atlantic ocean crossing speed record, this ship that the U.S. Government help pay for, don’t sink her. This Ship deserves BETTER TREATMENT!
The FACT that this ship is STILL afloat speaks volumes as to her design.
This Ship brought my Family to America IN STYLE.
Our Government should repurpose this ship. Our Government WASTES BILLIONS of dollars annually. Surely it can SAVE THIS ICON THAT BEARS THE NAME “United States”
Please keep the ship in Philadelphia or @ the Navy Yard!
Needs to be saved as a Museum or Casino!
Everything (& everyone) has its expiration date. No matter how much tender care we take, we cannot preserve even ourselves for much more than 100 years, if that. So the honorable and glorious ship forever & ever, amen, shall lie in the graveyard of the Gulf of Mexico creating our wonderful sea creatures a natural habitat. How wonderful is that!
Be ye comforted, fellow Escambians.
Let the ship go for crying out loud. You can not save every ship. Either sink it or sell it for scrap. It costs a fortune to keep these boats afloat just from the maintenance and repair. If a city like Philly does not want it then be done with it. The ship is a hulk and rusted. Time to move on. It’s a safety hazard if it stays there
It’s sad and pathetic that considering the trillions of dollars we’re wasting on all sorts of crap in this country that somebody, just one billionaire or the government for that matter, can’t save a historic ship like that. Still the fastest ocean liner ever to cross the Atlantic there are a lot of junk ships they could sink for a reef in the mothball fleet. Sinking the SS United States is a tragedy.
A lot of talk, feelings and etc. At 81 I by myself restored a 1927 Chev one ton truck last year. The family of the original owner were going to crush it for scrap. We now drive it here and there.
I know compassion and Glee of this sort of effort. But my experiences working for three of the greatest American race teams, as a telephone communications tech, 7 years in the Arctic with USAF and 30 as Engineer at LV Casinos I can fathom the feelings and any effort needed toward this ship. Maintenance is mentioned. Without hull maintenance, zink electrolysis pads and etc, chances of a safe hull are minimal. That would eliminate any floating endeavor. The Queen Mary has been scruplessly maintained.
Then if, as mentioned, the interior has been gutted you really don’t have much to work with.
Sometimes brutal common sense and finding the best effort is the only thing remaining.
Yesterday I drove 80 miles in a copy of my 1967 championship winning 1937 Chevrolet Coupe. And last week I got a telephone call from my partner who raced the car with me.
But in a few years I will die and that’ll be the end of that. My family don’t care. The chances of someone picking it up and actually knowing the history is minimal but it might happen.
So as sad as it may be that the ship has seen it’s last days and it’s future is not good. Some things that we might want to do we can’t.
Those who had the ship up to this point in time either through financial reasons or just neglect and ignorance failed the ship and it is now not worthy. Maybe they were even arrogant but I do not know that for a fact.
Bottom line is they did the best they could from their point of view and now somebody’s going to have to make a big decision.
Grown up people often have to make big decisions and often those decisions are very painful.
Tears!
Piece of junk.
The U.S. United States, is a rusted out hulk with nothing left internally. She was built at a time when the military would provide upwards of 75% of the cost, if the ship met certain standards. She was built out of steel and aluminum. There was no wood used. If you’re picturing the interiors of the Titanic, you’d be wrong. She was designed to the 1950’s styles. Painted steel and aluminum, black linoleum made with asbestos, wall paper made of asbestos, walls made with asbestos panels, and all materials used for the beds, chairs, sofas, etc., made from asbestos materials. She was stripped to her outer hull, to remove the asbestos. Anything and everything significance has been removed. To preserve her would require around $500 million. To bring her back to life, in excess of $1 billion. Let her go folks, let her go…
Awesome! I can think of about 10 million ways to better spend $10 million
The ship may not be in danger of breathing. There Is an underutilize port in New England conservancy is currently in discussion with. Hopefully a deal Will be agreed to before September 12.
Just like airplanes and other transportation things, this ships time has come and gone.
An artificial reef would help the environment, ecosystem and make for a great place for people to scuba dive. I’m all for it. The economic benefits in the long run will outweigh the cost of trying to keep it above water. Now let’s move onto something more important.
Boo hoo. We didn’t waste millions of dollars on an artificial reef that would take several decades just to pay for the fuel to haul it here let alone the overall cost which would take a century to recover from. Let Eglin pay for it.
If we are going to throw money at old ships, how about a USS Liberty memorial…oh wait, our “greatest ally” wouldn’t like that.
I think
I wonder if The SS United States Conservancy have/had gone as far as reaching out to someone like Clive Palmer; the Australian billionaire who has/had plans to build a modern-day ocean liner designed to look like the Titanic. Clive Palmer seems like the kind of guy who could appreciate a historic ship like the SS United States. I’m not an economists, but I would assume that purchasing, restoring or modernizing, and operating a ship like the SS United States, would sill be more cost effective than designing, securing a shipyard, hiring a workforce of shipbuilders and engineers, and constructing a brand new ship to have the outward appearance of a ship built over 110 years ago, while still abiding by the modern day maritime building and safety standards for an ocean going passenger vessel.
I lived in Turkey for 2 years as a kid. We drove across Europe and brought our 67 VW Fastback with us leaving from LA Havre. Sailing back to New York was a trip I’ll never forget. The S.S. . United States was an amazing ship. For me, one of the highlights was having real American food!
Escambia might not have gotten the prized USS United States but we have added funds to repopulate the shell fish creatures in the bay.
It would have been cool to say we owned the USS United States but Pensacola can’t be number ONE at everything. We have the US Blue Angels with the true 1st female pilot. And we are first in Settlement!
Destin tries too hard lol
I too sailed from new york to England on her in 1966 when I was a snot nosed 4year old with my military father who secured 1st class accomodarions for our entire family of 6. I still have some memorabilia from the sailing including our names on a guest roster and a few other items…what a great experience as a young boy!
I think the SS United States is an awesome ship that we do not need to lose. It’s our history. It’s a historical ship and it needs to stay with us for the rest of its needs to move back where it was built at. In Is Norway Virginia, where it should go, so people around the concede. A great ship better than the Titanic.
So please keep our history alive. Keep above the water and let’s take care of this ship. God bless America, God bless the s. S United States ship, I hopefully 1 day the ship will be back in service and I will definitely take a voyage. On it.
To the unaware, this ship cannot be saved – that time passed decades ago. Shes been stripped of anything and everthing of value as well as not being given routine maintenance. This is largely the fault of the conservancy trust, a similar fate almost happened to the Texas. My question would be why is anyone being compelled to pay anything for the right to sink her, and who is benefitting from that money. Its going to cost even more to prep and detoxify the hulk.
Really!! The people of this county are in desperate need of many different things to help daily lives continue getting a ship or sink ain’t one of them !! Take a look at the county over all lots of crime old abandoned houses some people about to starve to death living in filthy run down places people living on the streets begging for anything they can get !! So you see that ship has no priority over any of this !! Yeas it has sentimental value but not enough to override the needs of the people in this county if you gonna waste our money waste it on the people who own it !! Waste it on the people who gave it to the county!!!!!!!
I would understand to have kept it as a museum piece like the SS Alabama in Mobile. I don’t know about spending that kind of money to sink it! Not very many divers go down that far to explore these sunken treasures.
My Mom and I toured the ship when it was docked here years ago. It was an incredible experience. There’s money out there for anything else somebody who thinks they are important gets. Save the USS United States.
Very sad that a famous historical icon of United States shipping could not have been preserved. Long Beach has the former British RMS Queen Mary, the QE2 was converted into a destination site in the Emirates. The US government wastes billions in worthless projects here and abroad. Congress should have recognized what a great symbol this ship represents and allocated funds for her restoration, relocation and conversion into a museum like many naval vessels have been. I have fond memories of having sailed on her twice.
Okaloosa has been on a tear the past few years in regards to artificial reefs. They absolutely had the resume to take on this project.
I went to England on her when i was 3 years old in 1957. I remember some of the trip, but not all of it.. I hate to see this beautiful and historic ship sunk for a reef. I was hoping she would be used for a hotel and museum somewhere on the east coast. I grew up in Norfolk and Va.Beach, just a few miles from Newport news where she was built. If she is sunk, i eant my aches spead over her. Rip ss united states. Your a true legand.
Save the ss united state’s
Don’t forget they let the USS Lexington slip away also.
I don’t want to see this great ship turned into a artificial reef. Such a waste of this ship.
Somehow in 1964 the US Army sent my Major Father, his wife and 4 children to his final duty station in Germany aboard the SS United States. As a mischievous 10 year old, I had 7 days to explore this magnificent ship. Two movie theaters. Two swimming pools. A bowling alley and food almost 24 hours a day. I don’t remember just how many “tea times” were held or how many games of chance and otherwise there were but if it served anything to eat, this voracious 10 year old found it. As such, I have followed the journey of this incredible ship from being stripped down for a hospital ship to the way too many years of neglect. Why is it that suddenly in it’s 11th hour do people finally decide there is worth in an object. This magestic, formerly Luxury liner is but a rusting shell of her former beauty and opulence. It breaks my heart. However, as many an American Sailor has been laid to rest beneath the waves of the oceans they sailed, so should this withering lady of the Atlantic. It’s not economically feasible to refit her nor even salvage her steel. She could forever have a place in American history as a great location to fish and dive. She would become a habitat for untold numbers of species of aquatic life and a destination for scuba divers of all skill levels. Who knows, she may be my last dive before I give into the aging process. Why not let her go out with a bang, instead of a whimper?
$100s of billions every year to other countries and can’t even preserve an American piece of history. Yet Queen Mart is in La etc.
I guess most of it was gutted many decades ago which certainly complicates things.
I’m glad it won’t be cut up for scrap but it’s a good example of so many things wrong with the country. Decades of bad decisions made by people in power to make themselves wealthy is now trickling down to set up a less prosperous country for our kids.
And they know it. Great job boomers.
Typical
Understand what everyone says here and their points. I just think that if we can send billions to other countries but can’t even save a historical ship named after our country. It holds the record to this day for the fastest crossing,s, heck we have the Queen Mary in California which the SS United States best it’s record by 10 hours.. It’s a part of our history.. Does anyone even think about that. I think it’s disgraceful, I’ve been to Philadelphia and seen it with my own eyes.Its a special ship.
I had suggested to the conservency andthe Baltimore Maritime Commission to try to locate the United States to a berth in the Camden Piers which presently are home to the historic NS Savannah and the WWII troop ship John W. Brown. The Brown still sails once per year. All I’ve heard are crickets, nobody even got back to me with so much as a “no thanks” if that’s the decision. I think it would be a wonderful, historic addition to this destination.
Needs of a few should not override the needs of the many that drives Pine Forest abovec1-10.
Fix the damn road!
@Local
Trust me, Walton and Santa Rosa counties have the money. The influx of people in the last 3 years has swelled their coffers to overflowing. With all the unchecked growth new construction, permits, impact fees they have plenty. IMO
Like the song from “Frozen”, Let it go, let it go. Now, spend those tax dollars wisely on projects that will enhance recreational activities for the majority of residents and visitors.
it would not be for divers alone. recreational fishing would also benefit along with the associated businesses that cater to the outdoor crowd. it would have been well worth it in the long run.
We got Bergosh out at the right time before he kept wasting money..
Well Jeff, now you know why you were voted out. You don’t do anything till it’s too late. Yeah, maybe it was not worth 10 million to do so but sometimes it would be nice if Escambia took a few chances. Even if it did not generate that diving income at least it was beneficial to the marine life. But, now Okaloosa takes the lead, good job.
GOOD .. TOO MUCH TAX MONEY
Aww dang
That’s too good.
I think that’s a lot of money to spend for such a small amount of people to be able to enjoy underwater.