MARS eh? Interesting...
MARS eh? Interesting...
Elon Musk and DOGE have found billions is waste, but there was no money to save this national treasure.
The SS United States is being towed to Mobile, Alabama, as part of a plan to transform it into the world’s largest artificial reef off Florida’s Gulf Coast. After sitting docked in Philadelphia for nearly 30 years, the iconic ocean liner—famous for setting the transatlantic speed record in 1952—left its berth on February 19, 2025, following months of delays. Okaloosa County, Florida, purchased the ship in fall 2024 for $1 million, within a $10.1 million project that includes towing, preparation, and sinking it about 20 miles off Destin-Fort Walton Beach.I did not know about the plan to make it into the world's largest artificial reef.Mobile was chosen over other options like Norfolk, Virginia, because it’s closer to the Gulf of Mexico, streamlining the operation, and offers a cost-effective facility for the prep work. Once there, at Modern American Recycling Services south of downtown Mobile, the ship will undergo a six-to-twelve-month process to make it environmentally safe for sinking. This involves removing contaminants like asbestos, PCBs, oils, and fuel, as well as stripping non-metal parts, portholes, and artifacts (like its funnels and radar mast) for a planned land-based museum in Florida. The hull will also be modified—likely with explosives to open valves and bulkheads—so it sinks upright in about 180 feet of water.
The decision reflects a shift from earlier hopes of turning the ship into a museum or hotel, which faltered due to cost and logistics. Okaloosa County sees the reef as a tourism boost, building on the Gulf’s reputation for artificial reefs—like the USS Oriskany sunk off Pensacola in 2006. Mobile’s role is temporary but critical, prepping the 990-foot vessel for its final underwater resting place, expected sometime between late 2025 and early 2026, depending on the remediation timeline.
Sailed to England on her with my family way back in 1959. What a vessel she was back then.
“Modern American Recycling Services (MARS)”
That’s where I worked until I retired. Actually I got pissed off and quit. I worked at that facility for 20 years through 4 different owners. It was a shipyard until MARS bought it and turned it into more of a scrapyard and then sold most of it to Austal.
I also wonder how often divers get foul hooked around these sort of structures?
My dad was stationed with the U.S. Navy at RAF Mildenhall from 1964-1967.
We returned to the States on the SS United States, landing in New York City in the summer of 1967.
My dad was the plane captain for Admiral John McCain’s (John McCain’s father). Probably had something to do with getting to come back to the states on the SS United States.
What’s Going on With Shipping? Update On the Final Voyage of SS United States | Tow by Vinik 6 | Off the East Coast of Florida
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yel57ljzVas