Florida county reaches contingent agreement to buy and sink the SS United States

The prospects for the historic cruise ship the SS United States, which has been docked in Philadelphia for years and locked in a protracted legal battle with its landlord, are looking up.

Or, more accurately, they’re looking down — as in down to the bottom of the sea where the hulking mass of a ship, at nearly 1,000 feet long, could become the world’s largest artificial reef.

That possibility took a step forward on Tuesday after the leaders of a Florida county agreed to a contingent contract to buy the SS United States with plans to sink it.

The development is the latest in the corkscrew twists that have seen the owner of the ship, the SS United States Conservancy, try to rescue it from being scrapped for its metal while fending off an eviction effort by its landlord in federal court.

Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and Okaloosa County commissioners approved up to $10 million to buy, transport, dock and ultimately sink the SS United States as an artificial reef to make it a scuba diving and fishing destination that would draw tourists and benefit the local economy.

If the effort to bring the SS United States to the county is successful, it would join another destination artificial reef, a decommissioned Essex Class attack aircraft carrier, the USS Oriskany, which was sunk off the coast of Pensacola, Fla., in 2006.

“At the time of the sinking, the Oriskany was the largest artificial reef structure ever deployed,” according to a 2021 University of Florida study.

The report found “significant economic activities and impacts were realized during the year immediately following the deployment of the Oriskany.” That ship draws 10,000 divers a year, generating $3.6 million a year in direct spending on lodging, food and other services, according to county records.

Last-ditch outcome

The conservancy made it clear in recent months that it viewed the reefing of the ocean liner reluctantly as a possible outcome after having invested years in spearheading other projects to restore it to its former glory.

The conservancy president, Susan Gibbs, said in a statement that her group had “worked tirelessly for over a decade to secure a new home for the SS United States and repurpose the historic ocean liner as a floating, mixed-use development.”

However, facing a court-ordered eviction deadline from its Philadelphia pier, the conservancy had few viable options left.

“We are confident that the experienced and committed team in Okaloosa County fully appreciates the historic significance of the SS United States and our longstanding commitment to educating and exciting future generations about this unique expression of American maritime history and technological innovation,” Gibbs said.

The vessel would be moved from Philadelphia after initial preparations and a towing plan are completed.

An earlier proposed agreement to convey the SS United States to the county said it would be sold for $1 million as a “dead ship,” permanently withdrawn from navigation.

The county would also pledge up to $1 million in “hard costs” to support the construction of a land-based museum. The museum is expected to feature a one-of-a-kind experience for visitors and include iconic components from the ship, including the vessel’s radar mast and at least one of her signature funnels.

Racing the clock

A county memo from Tuesday noted that “time is of the essence.”

A deadline to relocate the ship by Sept. 12 was lifted as court-ordered mediation began that resulted in a “new and fair dockage fee” through Dec. 12 that Okaloosa County plans to pay as part of its acquisition. The county projects moving the ship “well before” the Dec. 12 cutoff.

After it is relocated to Florida, it would take more than a year to complete the necessary environmental remediation of the ship and another six to 12 months to arrange the vessel’s deployment, the county said.

“The exact deployment location offshore Destin-Fort Walton Beach has not been determined, but it is projected to be deployed at a depth that will be widely accessible, providing ample opportunities for novice, intermediate, and advanced technical divers,” the county said.

Ship for the history books

The SS United States was launched in 1951 and still holds the transatlantic speed record, achieved on her maiden voyage using only two-thirds of her power. She transported presidents, stars of stage and screen, heads of state, tourists, members of the armed forces, and immigrants until the advent of the jet age forced her retirement in 1969.

Among the luminaries that traveled on the SS United States were four U.S. presidents — Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, and Bill Clinton — plus stars like Marlon Brando, Sean Connery, Duke Ellington, Salvador Dali, Walt Disney, Judy Garland, Cary Grant, Bob Hope, Marilyn Monroe, and John Wayne.

Additionally, the ship was designed as a top-secret, convertible troop carrier and Cold War weapon that could transport 14,000 troops 10,000 miles without refueling. The vessel is widely considered the pinnacle of American post-war maritime engineering.