SS United States sinks off Florida to begin new role as artificial reef

The SS United States slipped beneath the Gulf of Mexico around 9 p.m. Wednesday, November 11, ending a prolonged sinking operation off Florida’s Panhandle. The historic ocean liner, which completed more than 800 Atlantic crossings, was deliberately submerged to become the world’s largest artificial reef.

Organizers had estimated that the ship could sink in as little as an hour, but much of the vessel remained visible at nightfall after work began on a cloudy afternoon. It eventually tilted to one side before disappearing quickly underwater. Nick Tomecek, a spokesperson for Okaloosa County, said part of the delay came from filling 128 fuel and lubricant tanks with water to help the ship settle evenly on the seabed.

The $13.5 million project was designed to draw divers and fishing enthusiasts while providing habitat for tuna, marlin and swordfish. The site lies about 25 miles southwest of Destin, between Panama City and Pensacola. Plans called for the liner to rest in roughly 180 feet of water, with its upper deck about 60 feet beneath the surface, a depth intended to allow visits by inexperienced divers.

Federal rules governing environmental protection and explosives barred the county and its contractor from using explosives, Tomecek said. Instead, preparations allowed seawater to enter the hull through piping previously used to cool the boilers. Crews removed the associated tanks, cut openings measuring 10 feet by 10 feet through the decks and removed more than 400 portholes. Officials advanced the operation by one day because of concerns about bad weather.

Built in Virginia by more than 3,000 workers during 1950 and 1951, the SS United States made its maiden voyage in 1952. Its average speed of nearly 41 mph surpassed the record Britain’s RMS Queen Mary had established in 1938 by 4.5 mph, according to an Associated Press report from the voyage. The crossing ended amid a gale with winds reaching 69 mph. At 990 feet long, the liner exceeded the Titanic’s length by 108 feet.

Its passengers over the years included Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Britain’s former King Edward VIII. Bill Clinton traveled aboard in 1968 on his way to Oxford University. The ship’s luxurious dining offerings included caviar, roast duckling and smoked ox tongue. After its decommissioning in 1969, attempts by a hotel magnate and Norwegian Cruise Lines to find another use for it failed. It remained docked in Philadelphia from 1996 until recently.

The liner joins an area containing more than 500 artificial reefs. The previous largest was the USS Oriskany, a 911-foot aircraft carrier sunk off Pensacola in 2006. Tomecek said the two sites are close enough for experienced divers to visit both in a single day. “We're trying to be the best diving destination in the world,” he said.

The reef project spared the ship from being scrapped, while some of its most recognizable features will remain on land. Organizers removed its 65-foot smokestacks for a planned museum celebrating the vessel. Susan Gibbs, granddaughter of the ship’s designer, welcomed the preservation effort: “I’m just so happy that we are able to save parts of her.”