Florida Officials Sink SS United States to Create Massive Reef

The historic SS United States was intentionally sunk on Wednesday off the coast of the Florida panhandle to become the world’s largest artificial reef.

Operations began at 1 p.m. Central time, according to Okaloosa County officials. They moved the deployment up from Thursday due to forecasts of heavy winds and unsafe weather.

The vessel settled about 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin in 180 feet of water. It joins artificial reefs in the county’s waters.

Before the final tow from Mobile, Alabama, maritime contractors completed extensive remediation. Teams removed fuel and lubricant tanks and cleaned decks, according to Fogg.

Workers also cleared out bilges, grease, watertight doors, elevators, and wiring. Federal environmental and explosives regulations prevented the county from using explosives to scuttle the vessel.

Instead, workers cut large holes in the decks. They opened internal valves to flood the hull with seawater, as detailed by PBS.

Built between 1950 and 1951, the 990-foot luxury ocean liner surpassed the RMS Titanic in length. On its maiden voyage in July 1952, the ship crossed the Atlantic from New York to Europe in three days.

The crossing took 10 hours and 40 minutes. It captured the transatlantic speed record that remains unbroken.

Operated by United States Lines, the ship was designed to convert quickly from carrying 2,000 passengers to transporting troops. Over its decades of service, it ferried presidents, foreign leaders, and Hollywood icons.

Rising operating costs and commercial aviation led to its retirement in 1969. The vessel spent nearly three decades docked along the Delaware River at Philadelphia’s Pier 82.

After restoration proposals failed to materialize, Okaloosa County bought the ship. Tourism officials and a donation from Coastal Conservation Association Florida supported the project.

Legal challenges from preservation groups seeking to halt the project were rejected in federal court. That allowed the tow out of Mobile to proceed on November 9.

Before the sinking, organizers removed hundreds of historic artifacts. Those items include the bar from its smoking lounge, to be displayed at a planned land-based museum.

“It was our goal to make sure that she wasn’t lost forever,” said David Lawrence, a member of the board for the SS United States Conservancy.