Kategorie: News
Former passenger steamer to become giant artificial wreck
The SS United States, once a symbol of speed and luxury, is to be converted into an artificial reef in the Gulf of Mexico. After almost 30 years moored in Philadelphia, the ocean liner embarked on its final voyage in spring 2024. The ship was towed to Mobile, Alabama, where it was decontaminated and prepared for sinking.
The plan as previously announced was to sink the ship during DEMA 2025 in order to maximize participation by international journalists and diving industry professionals in the event “on board.”
The final gutting and cleaning of the SS United States has been delayed, and the sinking of the ship has been postponed from November 2025 to spring 2026.
We will keep you informed about further developments.
Further information:
SS United States dives: From record-breaking ship to artificial reef!
History of the SS United States
The SS United States, also known as “The Big U,” is a truly special passenger steamship. With a width of 30.7 meters and a length of 302 meters, it is 30 meters longer than the Titanic and is actually the largest ship ever built in an American shipyard.
The ship was also the fastest, although its top speed was kept secret for many years. Even today, there are still some discrepancies, but it seems to be generally accepted that its speed was around 38 knots, which corresponds to 70 kilometers per hour (there are alternative figures of over 44 knots or approx. 80 kilometers per hour).
Why was the ship built for such a high speed? The SS United States was built in 1952 for $79.4 million for United States Lines, with the US government subsidizing $50 million of the construction costs, but there was a special agreement for the subsidy: the SS United States was to be used as a troop transport ship with a capacity of 15,000 soldiers in the event of war. For this reason, its maximum speed was a closely guarded secret.
In the meantime, however, it was to serve as the epitome of American engineering and an oasis of comfort, as the American answer to competing companies such as the British Cunard Line or the French Line (which was later bought by Norwegian Cruise Line). According to the current owners, the ship's many prominent passengers included Marlon Brando, Coco Chanel, Sean Connery, Gary Cooper, Walter Cronkite, Salvador Dali, Walt Disney, Duke Ellington, Judy Garland, Cary Grant, Charlton Heston, Bob Hope, Marilyn Monroe, Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, John Wayne, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
By all accounts, the SS United States was modern and impressive without being ostentatious. The interior design was a blend of Native American and aquatic motifs that paid homage to the elements with modernist embellishments and a predominant use of green and blue tones.