The legendary transatlantic liner SS United States, the fastest passenger ship in history, will be deliberately sunk this Thursday off the coast of Florida to become the largest artificial reef in the world, according to the EFE agency.
The operation, however, could be moved up by a day: according to forecasts of strong winds, the authorities of Okaloosa County are considering starting the sinking on Wednesday, November 11, at 1:00 p.m. Central Time, instead of the Thursday initially announced.
The ship will be towed to a point located about 22 nautical miles —approximately 41 kilometers— southwest of Destin-Fort Walton Beach, in the Gulf of Mexico, where it will rest on the seabed at a depth of about 55 meters.
With a length of 302 meters, the SS United States surpasses the Titanic by more than 30 meters and will, by far, be the largest artificial wreck ever created, exceeding the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany —at 270 meters— sunk off the coast of Pensacola in 2006.
The technical plan involves filling 120 tanks with approximately 6.6 million liters of water and opening holes in the hull to achieve a controlled descent that should not exceed 45 minutes. The upper decks will be about 18 meters below the surface, accessible to divers.
A team of around 30 people led by Captain Tim Mullane spent months carrying out decontamination work in Mobile, Alabama, removing more than 300 portholes, the four propellers, wiring, glass, plastic, and chemicals from over a hundred fuel tanks on the ship.
Alex Fogg, head of Natural Resources for Okaloosa County and marine biologist leading the initiative, described the scale of the challenge: "The SS United States is undoubtedly the Everest of projects."
Fogg also noted in statements to the public broadcaster NPR that the sinking will generate both environmental and economic benefits by attracting a wide marine biodiversity and divers from around the world. He also acknowledged that there was no viable funding to restore the ship and return it to service.
The total budget for the project amounts to $10.1 million, which includes the acquisition of the ship, its transportation, preparation, sinking, and the construction of an onshore museum. The county purchased it in 2024 for one million dollars from the SS United States Conservancy.
The project faced a final legal hurdle: the SS United States Preservation Foundation filed a lawsuit in early November to stop the sinking, but Federal Judge M. Casey Rodgers dismissed it on November 6 due to a lack of sworn statements and questions regarding the standing of the plaintiffs.
Built in the early 1950s, the SS United States operated the transatlantic route between New York and major European ports until 1969, when the rise of aviation rendered it obsolete. On its maiden voyage in 1952, it crossed the Atlantic in three days, ten hours, and 40 minutes, a speed record for passenger ships that remains unbroken. Among its illustrious passengers were four U.S. presidents and celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly.
The public will be able to follow the sinking live through the website TheSSUS.com. Coleen O'Malley, co-founder of the company in charge of the operation, summarized the unique nature of the event: "There is no bigger project, and there will never be another like it because ships like this are no longer being built."
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