Officials in Okaloosa County, Fla., say they plan to sink the old ocean liner SS United States during the second week in November as an artificial reef about 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin-Fort Walton Beach.
It will be the end of the line for the 992’x101’ SS United States, once the pride of the U.S. merchant fleet and symbol of the nation’s post-World War II maritime prowess. The design by noted naval architect William Francis Gibbs shattered speed records for trans-Atlantic passenger vessels during its 1952 maiden voyage, averaging 36 knots.
“The Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners is working with our safety and security partners for a safe and efficient deployment,” according to a statement by county officials. “This is an exciting move forward to create a one-of-a-kind resource for the environment and for our tourism industry. More details on the deployment will be released in the coming weeks.”
During its colorful career the ship was a favored ride for international travelers, and U.S. business and entertainment elites. But sea transportation rapidly lost market share to the growing airline industry, and the SS United States was retired in 1969.
Ownership passed between a series of would-be redevelopers, but various plans to revive the ship for cruising or as an in-port waterfront hotel and leisure destination fell through. In 2011, then tied up at Pier 82 in Philadelphia, the ship was purchased by the non-profit SS United States Conservancy with hopes of restoring the ship as a museum.
But again, attempts to work with partners and patrons failed over the years. In summer 2024 the conservancy faced the threat of eviction by pier owners. Okaloosa County made its play for using the deteriorating ship as an underwater attraction, a $10 million project coupled with an onshore museum telling its history.
In late winter 2025, after an epic 12-day, 1,800-mile tow by the tug Vinik No. 6 along the East Coast, its 401st sea passage, the SS United States arrived in Mobile, Ala., for a year’s work of preparation before the sinking.
On shore, a museum under development will tell the ship's stories from then until its decommissioning in the late 1960s. The ship’s twin distinctive raked funnels have been saved to be a major architectural element of the museum.
