SS United States: Historic ocean liner completes journey from Philadelphia to Mobile, Alabama

Fox29 ^ | March 3, 2025

[Ezekiel]

MOBILE, Al. - The SS United States has completed its voyage from Philadelphia to Mobile, Alabama, where it will be prepped to become part of the world's largest artificial reef.

The historic ship spent over a week being tugged down the East Coast after it ceremoniously left its pier in South Philadelphia where it had been docked for decades.

"The SS United States will never stop teaching us about American pride, purpose, and possibility." Warren Jones from the SS United States Conservancy said.

[DownInFlames]

That didn’t take long.

[OttawaFreeper]

Looking at the pictures of it in tow, it is that bit of a sad feeling that this is happening, but there were all of those years in which something regarding restoration and repurposing could have been done.

[George from New England]

Did it go most of the trip under its own power ?

Or was it tugged the whole way ?

[Macho MAGA Man]

It was towed the whole way.

[FamiliarFace]

Ping. If Okaloosa County (FL) bought the rights to it, why will it be anchored in Mobile? I think I’m missing something here.

[rdl6989]

I could be wrong, but I thought a company in Mobile was going to scrap it.

[Red Badger]

It will be prepared for scuttling by removal of all toxic chemicals and valuable recylables.............

[Red Badger]

Plau, we don’t have a port................

[FamiliarFace]

I see. Thanks. I haven’t paid a lot of attention to this. Figured you’d know something.

[odawg]

“Or was it tugged the whole way ?”

It is just the hull left.

[rlmorel]

I have never enjoyed watching ships get broken up...the SS United States will serve as a man-made reef, which is a pretty good fate for a ship.

I also appreciated the fate of the USS America, which was sunk by ordinance testing...not a bad way for a warship to go down.

But being cut up into scrap...I have never felt positive about that. There is something oddly obscene, the look of a warship with her bow cut off is reminiscent of a face that has had its nose forcibly removed.

My last ship just got towed to the breakers, and while it is 100% true there were times I HATED being on that ship, the fact remains that I spent several years aboard her at sea, slept in the bunks, stood on the flight deck in the dark of night in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with the Milky Way stretched brightly from one horizon to the other, saw porpoises surfing on her bow wave in the bright sun, and watched thousand of hours of flight operations from her deck.

For both better and for worse, she was my home, and an introduction to many things of life in those formative years of my young manhood.

So, yes. I will miss her in my fading memory.

[SkyDancer]

Back In The Day

Last Voyage

[mairdie]

Maybe fading, but what incredible memories. Always grateful for your stories.

[Ezekiel]

She didn't arrive under her own power. She was towed by

Name VINIK NO.6
Flag USA
IMO 7044328

Built in 1970, by Southern Shipbuilding Incorporated of Slidell, Louisiana (hull #88)..

VINIK No. 6

It just so happens that the chosen tug's IMO ID no. is loaded with key numbers that are highly representative and symbolic in the Jewish world:

70 -- it's a long list, from wine and secret to the lifespan of a key player, King David, to the length of the Babylonian captivity to the year for the destruction of the Second Temple.

443 -- Bethel, Beit El [בית אל] which is the house of God. Now David wanted to build a house for the name of the Lord God of Israel, but the project went to his son.

28 -- ko'ach [כח], meaning power, force.

https://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/5568048/jewish/Do-You-Need-Inner-Strength-28-Is-Your-Number.htm

Really, it all adds up:

70 + 443 + 28 = 541 = Israel [ישראל]

[cymbeline]

Puzzling to me why these enormous chunks of steel are sunk rather than salvaged. I’ve read that old cruise ships are sent to India or somewhere over there, and they are salvaged there.

The reason must be that it’s cheaper to make the iron from ore rather than from this scrap.

[rlmorel]

Thank you for saying so, mairdie!

[George from New England]

I guess all the fuel cleaning was done at Philly’s pier.

[George from New England]

“The reason must be that it’s cheaper to make the iron from ore rather than from this scrap.”

Humm. Isn’t the real truth about almost everything we are forced to recycle today !!

[NavyShoe]

Exactly so. The ASW platforms I called home have been decommissioned also. What you wrote above rings deep in my being.