SS United States Set for Final Voyage Ahead of Historic Sinking Off Florida

The SS United States, a retired American ocean liner, that was built during 1950 and 1951 for United States Lines, is towed out to sea on the Delaware River, on her way to Alabama where she is intended to be sunk to create an artificial reef, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., February 19, 2025. REUTERS/Matthew Hatcher

The historic SS United States, once the fastest ocean liner in the world, is scheduled to leave Mobile, Alabama, on Monday for its final voyage before being intentionally sunk off Florida’s Gulf Coast later this week.

The 990-foot vessel is scheduled to become the world’s largest artificial reef when it is scuttled on Thursday, about 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin-Fort Walton Beach, according to Okaloosa County officials. Deployment operations are expected to begin at 10 a.m. local time, weather permitting.

The U.S. Coast Guard has established a temporary 100-yard moving safety zone around the vessel and its towing vessels for the transit out of Mobile Bay. The tow is expected to reach the offshore deployment site Tuesday, ahead of Thursday’s planned sinking.

This story was originally published by gCaptain. Read the full story at gCaptain →