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.
It can join the Oriskany, which has met a similar fate.
I was joking with my wife, the other day, that if wind power blades would sink, there would be ample place for storage as “artificial reefs”.
“so it sinks upright in about 180 feet of water.”
I’m trained to be a recreational diver and my limit is 120 ft.
I’ll never dive down to 180 ft. I don’t have the equipment or training. So who is this reef for?
Habitat for sharks, swordfish, sea stars, octopus, shrimp and many other kinds of fish?
Most artificial reefs are much shallower so people can go there.
“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.”
That’s the plan, anyway. Zoom in to the red flag, because it will swap itself to a sat view:
https://share.garmin.com/SSUNITEDSTATES
Let’s see how it goes once she is moored directly across from the hospital ship Comfort, so much in need of a healing. (For “some reason” the USS Comfort is still hanging around — work was expected to be finished on Jan 3rd.)
True heading 268°
Re: SS United States —
>>>
The USNS Comfort was built at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. under her original name the S.S. Rose City (MA-301). The Rose City was one of the first San Clemente Class Tankers built, many called them the “super tankers”. The Rose City keel plates were laid down on May 1975, and she was ready for service in 1976. USNS Mercy was originally the SS Worth, launched in 1976.
>>>
Initially, planners studied the possibility of acquiring and converting the luxury liner SS United States to a hospital ship, but concluded the ship would not be adequate. Then the Navy approached the US shipbuilding industry, outlined its requirements for a hospital ship, including number of beds, surgical and laboratory facilities and overall space requirements, and solicited proposals.
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/tah-19-history.htm
In related news, the satellite view “just so happened” to capture that parking lot project when the prepped ground looked like a lead coffin.
I noticed that because it’s all part of the running analog to the midrash about Joseph’s lead casket being pulled out of De Nile.
The time has come:
I can well afford to look like an OCD nutcase with all of my odd posts filled with seemingly unimportant details, but that’s because they are on average, oh say about 20 moves behind where I’m at in real time. 😉