Posted on 03/11/2009 1:45:45 PM PDT by americanophile
Efforts to save the SS United States — a storied former ocean liner that has been mothballed in South Philadelphia — have apparently fallen through.
Two Washington, D.C.-based foundations that seek to preserve the ship are sounding the alarm that the historic vessel may be sold for scrap metal.
Robert Westover, who heads the SS United States Foundation, said this week that plans for refurbishment by Norwegian Cruise Line appear to be dead, and that the ship may be sold to a scrap dealer.
“I’m hoping this does not have a sad end, but it’s shaping up as an American tragedy,” said Westover, who started the SS United States Foundation 11 years ago to try to preserve the ship. It’s likely, he added, to be “headed for the scrap yard.”
Norwegian Cruise Line, which is owned by Hong Kong-based Star Cruises, said in April 2003 that it hoped to return the ship to service.
But this week the SS United States Conservancy, a second nonprofit, sent an urgent message to supporters: “In light of current economic conditions, the SS United States is now in grave danger of being sold for scrap.”
It added that “Star Cruises has provided no assurances that the historic vessel will not be sold for scrap.”
The SS United States, launched in 1952, set a speed record for westbound Atlantic crossings, averaging better than 35 knots an hour (or 41 mph). The record still stands.
The ship was built in Newport News, Va., for $79 million, in 500 days. In addition to duties handling transatlantic passenger service, it was used in 1962 in the Cuban Missile Crisis and in 1982 to transport British troops to the Falkland Islands. It is on the National Register for Historic Places. With the advent of air travel, the ship fell into disuse, and has not been used commercially since 1969.
It has been moored at a pier on South Columbus Boulevard since 1996.
Fixing it up would take millions.
Westover estimates that revamping the 990-foot ship to be a docked exhibit, much like the Queen Mary in Long Beach, Calif., would cost $100 million. To make it a viable, seaworthy cruise ship could cost $500 million, he said.
A last hope may be redirecting some of the $782 billion in federal stimulus funding — perhaps money earmarked for infrastructure.
To that end, Westover is appealing to Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., based on the fact that the SS United States was built in Newport News and could be returned to shipyards there for a makeover.
But Westover concedes that getting a piece of the stimulus funding “is a big old Hail Mary.”
When Norwegian Cruise Line bought the SS United States six years ago, it said it would refurbish it and add it to its fleet, using it on cruises between Hawaii and mainland United States.
Westover speculated that the cruise line’s motivation for buying the ship might have been driven by maritime law, which requires ships making domestic runs to use ships that are flagged, or registered, in the United States. Because there were a limited number of ships fitting that description, the SS United States may have seemed the most attractive option.
As to the ship’s future, Norwegian Cruise Line, which is based in Miami, said that it is evaluating its options, but offered few details.
“While all options for the ship are being evaluated, the SS United States Conservancy has been offered the opportunity to explore possibilities for the ship with the option of purchasing the vessel,” said AnneMarie Mathews, director of public relations for Norwegian Cruise Line.
An SS United States Conservancy spokesman, Dan McSweeney, said Norwegian’s asking price is $20 million.
“We must not let this national treasure fall into the wrong hands if she is sold,” said the SS United States Conservancy’s president, Susan Gibbs, granddaughter of the vessel’s designer, William Francis Gibbs. “While we understand the challenges posed by the economic downturn, this ship must be saved.”
Westover’s group, which has already spent an estimated $1 million in cash and in-kind contributions to save the ship, plans to hold a protest by the ship next month.
“Any other ship, I would not be wasting time. But I don’t want some kid to read five years from now that the ship that set the speed record that still stands could be hauled away for scrap,” said Westover. “It’s a great ship with our nation’s name on it.”
I think this ship should be saved, its nearly in the same class as the USS Constitution.
The Germans were nearly the least of their worries:
In December 1942, the Queen Mary was carrying exactly 16,082 American troops from New York to Great Britain, a standing record for the most passengers ever transported on one vessel.[7] While 700 miles from Scotland during a gale, she was suddenly hit broadside by a rogue wave that may have reached a height of 28 metres (92 ft). An account of this crossing can be found in Walter Ford Carter's book, No Greater Sacrifice, No Greater Love. Carter's father, Dr. Norval Carter, part of the 110th Station Hospital on board at the time, wrote that at one point the Queen Mary "damned near capsized... One moment the top deck was at its usual height and then, swoom! Down, over, and forward she would pitch." It was calculated later that the ship would have capsized had she rolled another 20cm.
I think the reporter was totally confused.
‘zactly.
Interesting site: http://www.ss-united-states.com/
If we need troopships that can work as superliners between wars we would be better off building new ones with up to date electrical systems, high efficiency diesel engines, and better maneuverability inshore. Also pools on the upper decks can be drained and covered over with a thin structure to form landing pads as was done with Canberra and QE1 in the Falklands. SS United States had her pool deep inside and her deck is too cluttered to quickly add a helicopter port. Not a big issue in the early 50’s, a deal breaker now.
Note that you can see it on Street View, too.
And to add to what you were saying about the port, note how there are places for ships all down the Delaware River—they don’t have to just go into a single port location anymore.
My thoughts exactly.
Correction to my post above should be QE2 not QE1.
About 19 years ago I toured the Carl Vinson with a comapany group. One of the spaces we toured was the bow anchor room. It was immaculate and in perfect order with murals painted on the wall everything in Navy shape down to the door knobs. I complimented the Master Chief in charge regarding how ship shape his space was. He said thank you sir and started telling me that they had just returned from sea where a storm in the Pacific put several blue water waves over the bow. Fully loaded a Nimitz Class carrier is about 90 feet water line to flight deck. He told me the Chief on duty on the brigde told him that he was worried she was not coming back up. Anyway the waves came in the anchor chain openings and tore the anchor room up. They had just finihed getting her back in shape. Scary stuff.
Poppa took me on a tour of that ship right after you were born in 1952, before it was delivered. I thought it was the most beautiful ship I'd ever seen. Wish it could be saved.
A fast, fast ship....44 knot top speed and could do 20 knots in reverse, as shown below on its sea trials.
Wow. Imagine the rest of the carrier group that was sailing with them. Would have been beyond terrifying on a guided missile destroyer.
Those refurbishing costs are terribly expensive.
We went to France in November 1964 on this ship. It averaged 32 Knots. They made the speed at night. It was rough sleeping, even for me. The screws were out of the water about half the time. Three and a half days NYC to Le Havre.
Ships have to earn their keep, otherwise, it is off to the scrapyard. Thus it has always been.
I see CVN 67 (JFK) there.
Let’s see a show of hands:
How many Navy Vets here attended Fire Fighting School in Norfolk Va under the shadow of the SS United States?? How many times??
I’ve lost count myself...
We sailed to the UK in 1969 on the United States. Back in the day, active duty military and DOD civilians could travel on these ships. On our sailing, there were several Army families aboard. The had been on board MATS aircraft ready to leave for Rhein-Main when they were taken off the plane at McGuire and taken by bus to the ternmnal in NYC. Some of them weren’t very happy. Lower ranking folks couldn’t travel in the summer as that’s when all the brass traveled. Earlier that year, we sailed from Yokohama on the SS President Wilson. Travel was not charged to annual leave; members received per diem and funds were provided for tips. The only thing we had to pay for was the booze.
I’ll be honest. I didn’t know any of this.
Still I don’t see it. Not in the condition that we are in financially.
And a nautical mile is equal to one minute of latitude.
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