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SS United States headed to junk pile?
Philadelphia Business Journal ^ | February 23, 2009 | Peter Van Allen

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.”


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: oceanliner; scrap; ssunitedstates
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To: Nathan Zachary

No, don’t scrap the SS United States. Tow her out to sea, cover her with an enormous Stars and Stripes and give her a decent burial at sea, like they did for the remains of the battleship USS Maine.

Too many noble old ships wound up under the scrapyards’ cutting torches. The SSUS is special, JMHO.


61 posted on 03/11/2009 2:48:14 PM PDT by elcid1970 ("O Muslim! My cartridges are lubricated with pig grease!")
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To: americanophile

Save it. We can use the ship to take American leftists one-way to North Korea where they can live with a communist hero and eat tree bark.


62 posted on 03/11/2009 3:29:33 PM PDT by sergeantdave (obuma is the anti-Lincoln, trying to re-establish slavery)
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To: americanophile

It seems a shame to see her go, but all things come to an end. She served an honorable mission.


63 posted on 03/11/2009 3:30:59 PM PDT by Old Mountain man (Blessed be the Peacemaker.)
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To: Nathan Zachary

Sell it for 79 million worth of scrap to a US steel mill. At today’s prices and with union labor, it should make 100 million worth of new steel.

And, the demos and rinos would spend the 79 million on pork
as soon as it reached the treasury.


64 posted on 03/11/2009 3:39:33 PM PDT by Know et al (Everything I know I read in the newspaper and that's the reason for my ignorance: Will Rogers)
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To: AFreeBird

CV-67 not CVN.


65 posted on 03/11/2009 5:32:30 PM PDT by A.A. Cunningham
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To: A.A. Cunningham

opps, my bad. conventional, not nuke.


66 posted on 03/11/2009 5:48:19 PM PDT by AFreeBird
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To: rabscuttle385
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.
Wow, WTH?!? Thanks rabscuttle385.
67 posted on 03/11/2009 6:00:56 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/____________________ Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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To: GreyFriar
Afghanistan
Heh... you optimist you. ;')
68 posted on 03/11/2009 6:02:53 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/____________________ Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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To: OldEagle
It averaged 32 Knots... Three and a half days NYC to Le Havre.
Wow!
69 posted on 03/11/2009 6:07:31 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/____________________ Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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To: buccaneer81

“Not true. The QE 2 was used as a transport. As it was, the US took great pains not to appear to be aiding Britain during the Falklands war. All our help was covert and backdoor stuff, especially satellite and communications intel.”

That is what I thought!Thank you.


70 posted on 03/11/2009 7:19:26 PM PDT by Cheetahcat (Osamabama the Wright kind of Racist!)
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To: Mr. Lucky
“The Falklands claim is bogus. This boat was laid up before the Falklands War.”

Yes it has been there a long time they even auctioned everything off of it that could be moved as I am learning now.

71 posted on 03/11/2009 7:21:54 PM PDT by Cheetahcat (Osamabama the Wright kind of Racist!)
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To: PurpleMan

You take me tooooooooooo seriously. I was just giving the current politically correct “stimulus” response.


72 posted on 03/12/2009 5:00:38 AM PDT by GreyFriar (Spearhead (3rd Armored Division 75-78 & 83-87))
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To: CCCnative

The only thing I found was what Gondring sent you. Not much out there.


73 posted on 03/12/2009 12:01:35 PM PDT by JZelle
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