Not Yet Plain Sailing for the SS United States

When the SS United States first set sail in 1952, the great ocean liner was a symbol of the country's engineering and strength, and it shattered the record for the fastest trans-Atlantic crossing for a passenger ship. Decommissioned in 1969 following the financial collapse of the United States Lines, its rusting hull has since struggled to find a permanent home.

Okaloosa County, FL, located on the Florida Panhandle, with Destin at its center, purchased the 990-foot-long vessel to sink in the Gulf of Mexico as an attraction for divers and sport fishermen alike. The County allocated $10 million for the project, directing $4 million to cover the purchase and towing, as well as the construction of a museum, and contingencies. Before its sinking, the ship must be ecologically prepared and made safer for divers, which will cost $6 million and take up to a year to complete.

Today, the SS United States is docked in Mobile, Alabama. After being towed from Philadelphia down the Delaware River and around the tip of Florida, she is being prepared for sinking. However, there remains the problem of finding a suitable location with a usable depth for divers, as bordering counties compete to locate it near their boundaries.

You see, in 2006, the U.S. Navy, in partnership with the State of Florida, sunk the 880-foot-long aircraft carrier USS Oriskany, 26 miles southeast of Pensacola, to be the world's largest artificial reef. A study from the University of West Florida says the USS Oriskany generated $4 million in revenue for Pensacola during its first year.

With that much at stake, it is no wonder there is an ongoing tug-of-war for the final resting place of the SS United States.

Okaloosa County, with a large diving community in Destin, 45 miles away from Pensacola, is in the captain's chair when it comes to determining the location. Okaloosa County has three suitable permit areas off its shore. But the counties on both sides of Okaloosa, hoping to get their hands on tourist revenue, want to sink it close to their borders with Okaloosa. Bay County, home to Panama City Beach, has offered $3 million to have the SS United States sunk close to it; $2 million would assist with the deployment, and $1 million is earmarked for promotion. The Escambia County Tourist Division has offered $2 million to locate the ship closer to its boundary, half for deployment and half to promote both the USS Oriskany along with the SS United States.

Dive companies in the surrounding area are concerned that if they can't reach the ship with their dive charters, they will lose business. The ship is expected to double dive business in the area, bringing in an additional 7000 divers a year. Patrick Green, owner of Panama City Dive Center, told Bay County that if the ship isn't sunk in a location where he can reach it from his dock, he'll consider relocating his operation. The closest proposed site to Panama City Beach is 35 nautical miles from Panama City.

Okaloosa County hopes the ship will be sunk this fall. The 50-foot funnels must be removed so the ship can be sunk at a depth where the main structure and upper decks will be accessible to more divers, starting at depths of 55 to 65 feet. The ship will rest in approximately 180 feet of water, with access holes cut in. The shipyard at Mobile is also removing asbestos, wiring, loose paint, and millions of gallons of water contaminated with fuel oil.

While all these efforts are ongoing, Okaloosa County is considering the proposals from their neighboring counties. For now, their goal is to attract non-divers, such as history buffs and ship lovers, to the County. They will build a museum and include artifacts from the ship. One of the museum's biggest attractions will be the ship's iconic 50-foot-tall stacks.

But not so fast, Florida.

Members of the New York Coalition to Save the Steam Ship United States Inc. believe the historic steamship should be saved and converted into a floating hotel or museum in Brooklyn and have filed a lawsuit to prevent Okaloosa officials from sinking the ship.

Okaloosa County still believes it's in the driver's seat.

Carol D. Cox