After last week's failed attempt to move the SS United States, the historic ocean liner is now scheduled to leave its pier in South Philadelphia on Monday morning. The ship is destined to be sunken off the Florida coast to become the world's largest artificial reef.
The ship first will be towed from Pier 82, where it has been docked for decades, to Pier 80 at 2:47 p.m. Friday – about the time the Eagles Super Bowl parade is winding down. On Monday, at 11:18 a.m., the ship will be towed down the Delaware River, beginning a two-week journey to Mobile, Alabama, where it will undergo preparations for its future as a diving and fishing destination.
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The new departure date was announced Thursday afternoon by the tourism development department in Okaloosa County, Florida. The county purchased the SS United States for $1 million in September, ending years of efforts by the SS United States Conservancy to preserve the vessel.
Plans to move the SS United United States repeatedly have been rescheduled in recent months due to technical challenges related to the tide on the Delaware River and visibility conditions.
The SS United States is 990 feet long – 100 feet longer than the Titanic – and weighs 53,000 tons. Tugboats will move the ship to Pier 80 and then maneuver it out onto the Delaware River on Monday morning, when it will be towed south on the river during low tide to allow room to pass beneath the Walt Whitman, Commodore Barry, and Delaware Memorial bridges. The Delaware River Port Authority will close all three bridges to traffic as the SS United States passes beneath them.
The SS United States was most recently scheduled to depart Philadelphia last Saturday, but its departure was postponed at the request of the U.S. Coast Guard, which cited a "combination of factors" for the delay. Okaloosa County officials said they have completed the necessary safety requirements by local, state and federal agencies to move the SS United States in two steps on Friday and Monday.
The SS United States Conservancy said the new plan remains subject to last-minute changes or cancelations due to weather and other factors. Ahead of the departure, preservationists in New York have pushed for President Donald Trump to intervene to save the ship, citing potential environmental risks and a desire to restore the vessel for public visitation. Former President Joe Biden declined to pursue last-ditch efforts to preserve the SS United States.
For people who want to see it depart in person, the conservancy recommends watching from the parking lot of the IKEA shopping center at 2206 S. Columbus Blvd. or, on the New Jersey side of the river, from Phoenix Park in Camden.
South of the Walt Whitman Bridge, spectators will be able to see the vessel pass from Fort Mifflin, 6400 Hog Island Road in Philly. In New Jersey, vantage points include Fort Nassau in Brooklawn and Freedom Pier in Gloucester City – both in Camden County – and Red Bank Battlefield Park and the RiverWinds complex in West Deptford in Gloucester County.
Piers 80 and 82 are within an area secured by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration. The public cannot access the piers.
The SS United States Conservancy will livestream the ship's departure on Facebook beginning at about 11 a.m. Monday. The ship's movement also can be tracked via GPS on the Destin-Fort Walton Beach website.
The SS United States has been at Pier 82 in South Philadelphia since 1996. The ship's storied history includes carrying four presidents and various celebrities over the years and holding the transatlantic speed record it set on its maiden voyage in 1952. The ship remained in service until 1969.
Okaloosa County plans to invest more than $10 million in the reefing of the SS United States. The project will support the surrounding ecosystem by creating a home for a variety of marine life, in addition to the tourism the vessel is expected to generate. The ship will spend about a year in Alabama to be stripped of hazardous materials and fuel that could be harmful to the environment. It also will undergo modifications to make sure it lands upright on the gulf floor when it is submerged.
Officials have not yet determined the exact location along the Gulf Coast where the SS United States will be reefed, but it's expected to rest about 20 nautical miles south of the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area. The county also will partner with the SS United States Conservancy to create a land-based museum there that celebrates and commemorates the ship.
