The retired ocean liner SS United States is photographed on a dock in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The SS United States still holds the records for eastbound and westbound transatlantic crossings. AFP PHOTO/JEWEL SAMAD (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images)
BIJOU SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images/AFP
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BIJOU SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images/AFP
A giant ship sank off the coast of Florida yesterday, and the Coast Guard did nothing to stop it.
The SS United States is a retired ocean liner that was deliberately sunk on Wednesday to create the world’s largest artificial reef. After hours of slow descent, it finally disappeared beneath the waves at 10 p.m. ET last night. It now rests 180 feet below the surface, at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, in an upright position.
Measuring nearly 1,000 feet from bow to stern, the giant ship is longer than the Titanic. Once settled on the ocean floor, the ship’s hundreds of rooms, corridors and elevator shafts will become a deep-sea playground for divers, fish and other aquatic life.
This transformation gives the SS United States the opportunity for a second life and a new species of passenger.
Susan Gibbs has mixed feelings about the ship’s final voyage to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. She chairs the board of directors of the SS United States Conservancy and her grandfather, William Francis Gibbs, designed the ship more than 70 years ago.
“It’s a combination of grief, saying goodbye to her in her current form, but also gratitude and hope for what she will continue to give to the world,” she said. Morning edition
The liner made its maiden voyage in 1952 and broke the transatlantic speed record, winning the coveted Blue Ribbon on its first sail. He still holds the record more than 60 years later.
In the event of war, the SS United States could have been transformed from a luxury liner into a military transport ship. capable of transporting 14,000 troops for 10,000 miles without resupply, although it was never used for this purpose, according to the SS United States Conservancy.
1952: Cheerful crowds line the quay as the record-breaking liner, the SS United States, arrives in Southampton. She crossed the Atlantic in record time on her maiden voyage. (Photo by Mr. Fresco/Topical News Agency/Getty Images)
Mr. Fresco/Getty Images/Hulton Archives
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Mr. Fresco/Getty Images/Hulton Archives
By the end of its time on the water in 1969, the SS United States carried several notable passengers, including Harry Truman, Walt Disney, Marilyn Monroe, Walter Cronkite and a young Bill Clinton.
“She embodied the spirit of a nation so confident in its ability to accomplish extraordinary things,” Gibbs said.
The conservancy wanted to turn the ship into a hotel or museum, but due to legal and financial issues, ultimately sold it to Okaloosa County, Florida, in 2024. It was the county that decided to sink it.
In reality, it’s not easy to sink something designed to stay above water. So Okaloosa County called in the professionals.
Coleen Marine, a marine engineering company specializing in creating artificial reefs, led the project. Their president and co-founder Coleen O’Malley said they did their best to preserve the original design of the ship.
“We kept the actual hull. So it’s very recognizable,” O’Malley said. “We made the structure underwater look like it did above water.”
To sink the ship, the Coleen Marine team had to repair holes and irregularities in the hull to ensure it would sink properly. O’Malley explained that “the most important thing when sinking a ship is not how much water you put in. It’s about making sure the air gets out.”
The team also cleaned up much of the rusty exterior to create a more welcoming environment for aquatic life. Most importantly, the team wanted to ensure that the ship sank straight, without tipping or turning over. Overall, O’Malley said construction took more than 18 months.
O’Malley and Gibbs made the trip to the Destin coast and Fort Walton Beach to watch the SS United States disappear beneath the waves Wednesday.
Following its final moments on the surface, the SS United States Conservancy plans to build a museum in honor of the ship in Florida.
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