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[MID-NOVEMBER UPDATE]The History of the SS United States: America’s Greatest Ocean Liner

UPDATE NOVEMBER 14, 2024:

The SS United States was supposed to leave today or tomorrow for her tow down to the shipyard in Alabama. However due to the presence of bad weather in the gulf, the move has been postponed. A new departure date has been set.

UPDATE NOVEMBER 8, 2024:

Now that the Conservancy has come to an agreement with the pier owner and both have come to an agreement with Okaloosa County in Florida, her final itinerary has been tentatively set. November 14 and 15, ocean going tugs will work on maneuvering her out of her berth. It’s anticipated that is a tremendous amount of sediment between the ships keel and the ocean floor. As such, they may have to warp her down the slip to initially free her before her final transit down the Delaware River.

The SS United States will then call at a shipyard in Mobile, Alabama for the final preparations to begin and save whatever bits and pieces they want. Rumor has it that they will remove one or two funnels and keep them on land.

Here’s hoping this goes better than her sister. It’s still a very risky operation to move a vessel this old that has not been maintained at all.

UPDATE OCTOBER 12, 2024:

On October 12th it was announced that the SS United States Conservancy and Penn Warehouse & Distribution have come to terms and an agreement inline with the court ordered mediation between the two parties. Okaloosa County will still be receiving the vessel and have agreed to pay the overdue dockage retroactively to September 12th. It will then face additional penalties if the ship is not moved from the berth by December 12th. Maritime Executive is further reporting that Okaloosa County will be paying for most of the repairs to the pier in Philadelphia.

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 16, 2024:

In June of 2024 a Federal Judge in Philadelphia ruled that Penn Warehouse & Distribution, the owner of the pier that the SS United States is still tied up at, had the right to evict the vessel if the dockage were not paid. Penn then went ahead and doubled the dockage to $1,700/month. This then prompted the pier owner to seek out bids to sell the ship themselves under a separate initiative than that of the proposed $9 million sale to Okaloosa County.

This week, the week of Sept 16, that same Judge has ordered that both parties head to mediation to settle this dispute over the dockage. This comes on the heels of the Conservancy requesting a stay until December 05 to delay the ruling of eviction.

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 05, 2024:

We have the official response from the SS United States Conservancy. This was posted to their Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Dear SS United States Supporters:
We understand that many of you are deeply concerned about the fate of the SS United States as the September 12 eviction deadline looms. These anxieties have been compounded by today’s media coverage about the prospect of the SS United States’ potential conversion into an artificial reef in Florida. We are reaching out to share that the next chapter of the ship’s history is still being written and to provide additional background on the current situation.

Read the rest of the quote from SS United States Conservancy (click to expand)
As we explained in our last e-update, earlier this month the U.S. District Court denied the Conservancy’s request for a three-month extension at the ship’s Philadelphia pier, ruling instead that we have until September 12 to present a formal agreement to the court to remove the ship from Pier 82. Now legally obligated to comply with the Judge’s rulings, the Conservancy has been in discussions on a range of scenarios for the ship’s future, including proposals to deploy the SS United States as an artificial reef in tandem with a land-based museum and immersive experience incorporating iconic components from the ship. To comply with the court’s ruling, we have entered into a contingent contract with Okaloosa County, Florida, to advance this vision. We must emphasize that this proposal remains subject to various contingencies, including a successful negotiation with pier operator Penn Warehousing to extend the ship’s stay beyond the September 12 deadline, while the complex logistics of moving and reefing the ship are worked out. Unfortunately, some media outlets have published misleading stories today suggesting that such a deal is a fait accompli. It is not. There are multiple discussions underway and many unresolved matters that make both the outcome and timing uncertain at this point. Reefing is not the Conservancy’s preferred scenario for the SS United States. In an intense and all-hands-on-deck effort to keep the ship safely afloat, we have conducted a massive nationwide search for a new temporary location—a search that has thus far yielded no viable alternatives. With our hand being forced by Penn Warehousing, and scrapping being the only other viable option, we believe reefing is the more dignified outcome. Since its founding, the Conservancy has worked tirelessly to raise public awareness about the ship’s historic importance, organize exhibitions and events, and care for a major museum collection of artwork, archival documentation, and historic components from the vessel. Our primary goal has always been to repurpose America’s Flagship and celebrate her legacy as a symbol of innovation, strength, and pride. Redeveloping the SS United States has always been a uniquely complex, costly, and challenging undertaking. We worked in close partnership for five years with prominent real estate development firm RXR Realty, and more recently MCR Hotels, to advance a commercially viable development plan for the ship. In the end, Penn Warehousing’s actions ended our ability to continue searching and advocating for a viable location for the project and we are unlikely to realize our shared dream. We are now working diligently to salvage that dream as best we can, albeit not in the way we had originally envisioned, but in a way that allows the story of our nation’s ship to inspire generations to come. We completely understand that the prospect of reefing the SS United States may be challenging to contemplate. Many members of the Conservancy’s Board of Directors have been working to avoid such an outcome for over a decade. We vow to continue to do everything we can to best preserve her legacy each day leading up to the Court-imposed September 12 deadline, and we remain eternally grateful for your support and partnership in our shared mission.

UPDATE: As of the date of publishing this article, there are rumors circulating that the ship has been sold off to a county in Florida and will be scuttled off the coast of Destin, Florida. This is still yet unconfirmed and CruiseInd is looking to verify the report. It appears only in one industry publication which is citing a local Florida newspaper.

In the past we’ve looked at the greatest ship the United States has ever built. The 1951-built SS United States that sailed for the United States Lines from 1952 to 1969. Since then it has been sitting idle in various temporary homes with the latest being Pier 82 in Philadelphia since 1996. But what’s her full story, how did she wind up there. Well this is one post that will clear all that up.

Introduction

The SS United States, once the pride of American maritime engineering (and arguably still is), is an iconic symbol of the country’s post-war optimism and industrial might. Launched in 1952, this ocean liner was a technological marvel of its time, holding the title of the fastest transatlantic passenger ship in history. The story of the SS United States is not just about a ship; it’s a tale of ambition, innovation, and the shifting tides of global travel and commerce.

Conception and Design

The SS United States was conceived during the late 1940s, a period marked by America’s emergence as a global superpower. The U.S. government, recognizing the strategic importance of a fast, reliable passenger ship that could be converted into a troop carrier during wartime, collaborated with the United States Lines to create what would become the SS United States.

The ship’s design was entrusted to William Francis Gibbs, a renowned naval architect. Gibbs had long dreamed of building the world’s fastest ocean liner, and the SS United States presented the perfect opportunity to realize this vision. Gibbs prioritized speed, safety, and efficiency in his design, incorporating advanced materials and technologies that were cutting-edge for their time.

Engineering Marvel

The SS United States was constructed at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Virginia. One of the ship’s most remarkable features was its use of aluminum in the superstructure, which significantly reduced its weight and contributed to its speed. At 990 feet in length and with a gross tonnage of 53,330, the SS United States was not only large but also incredibly fast.

Powered by eight steam turbines generating 240,000 shaft horsepower, the SS United States could reach speeds exceeding 38 knots (about 44 mph). This made it the fastest ocean liner ever built, a record that still stands today. The ship’s engines were so powerful that they were classified by the U.S. Navy, and even today, some details of their design remain shrouded in secrecy.

Maiden Voyage and Service

The SS United States embarked on its maiden voyage on July 3, 1952, from New York to Le Havre, France. During this voyage, it shattered the transatlantic speed record, crossing the Atlantic in just 3 days, 10 hours, and 40 minutes, averaging a speed of 35.59 knots. This achievement earned the ship the Blue Riband, a prestigious award given to the fastest transatlantic passenger liner. The SS United States maintained this record for over six decades.

A rare photo of the SS United States docked in Manhattan in 1962 (Library of Congress)

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the SS United States was a symbol of luxury and American engineering prowess. It could accommodate nearly 2,000 passengers in first, cabin, and tourist classes, along with a crew of over 900. The ship was renowned for its opulent interiors, designed by Dorothy Marckwald, which combined mid-century modern elegance with the highest safety standards. The SS United States was also designed to be fireproof, with almost no wood used in its construction. The saying was that the only two pieces of wood found onboard were the butchers block in the galley and the Steinway grand piano in the first class lounge.

Decline and Decommissioning

The advent of turbofan airliners in the late 1950s marked the beginning of the end for all ocean liners. Air travel quickly became the preferred mode of transatlantic transportation, leading to a decline in demand for passenger ships. Despite attempts to keep the SS United States competitive, including luxury cruises and revised routes, it became increasingly difficult to operate the ship profitably.

In 1969, after just 17 years of service, the SS United States was withdrawn from active duty. The ship was laid up in Norfolk, Virginia, and its interiors were gradually stripped for auction.

Preservation Efforts

Despite its decommissioning, the SS United States remains a cherished symbol of American maritime history. Over the years, there have been numerous efforts to save the ship from the scrapyard. In 1976, Norwegian Caribbean Cruise Line under Knut Kloster, inquired about purchasing the ship to convert to a cruise ship and base her out of Miami. The US Government stepped in to block the sale. Rumor was that they did not want the ships design features and ships machinery to fall into foreign hands. (Knut Kloster then went on to purchase the SS France that was also laid up at the time and turned her into the SS Norway.)

Additionally since then, there had been many more attempts from various owners, millionaires, and corporations to try to restore the ship and use her in a floating hotel style concept or even as a gambling ship. These efforts have faced numerous challenges, including the enormous costs associated with maintaining and restoring such a large vessel. However, the SS United States remains docked on the Delaware River in Philadelphia, where it continues to inspire maritime enthusiasts and historians alike.

One of the more high profile attempts to reinvigorate the liner occurred in 2003 when once again Norwegian Cruise Line look to and actually purchased the ship, though this time it was under different ownership. Malaysia’s Genting Hong Kong, the large gambling and resort group then headed by Lim Kok Thay, purchased the SS United States as well as the SS Independence, in order to drastically grow the new sub-brand NCL America. The Independence was quickly resold to the scrap yard angering many. NCL American, to their credit, did their due diligence and had the vessel surveyed and inspected. Internally they assembled a team to see what all it would take to get the ship back up and running. I was able to read the surveyors notes at the time and, in summary, they concluded that the machinery would all need to be replaced but the hull was still structurally sound, a testament to both her design and construction. Replacing all machinery deep in the hull, would require too intense and complicated of operation in order to remove it. In 2010 NCL agreed to sell the ship outright to the SS United States Conservancy via a sweetheart deal.

Bit of an aside here, but a commonplace at this website, the failure of NCL America came as a surprise to no one. Long time followers out there know that I was very critical of then CEO Colin Veitch and their over-ambitious plans to start a US Flagged, Jones Act-compliant, based cruise line. This history really deserves a post of it’s own. This failure really did a number on any future prospects of responsibly building up a Jones Act complaint mega ship cruise line. We of course have just a handful of US flagged cruise lines left now.

The last major attempt was the widely publicized time that Crystal Cruises, also under Genting’s ownership, purchased the ship in February 2016 to, just like before, restore the ship to an operational cruise ship. This time instead of refitting her into general mass-market cruising, they wanted to sail her as a ultra-luxury cruise ship. Keep in mind this was 13 years after Genting Hong Kong’s first attempt. I really don’t know why they thought they could pull this off given that it sat dormant with very little maintenance in the hard marine environment. Sure enough in August 2016 the plan was terminated, and similar to before , the ship was sold back to the conservancy with a large donation to cover additional months of dockage (the fees for tying up a ship alongside a berth).

Since then there had not been another largely publicized plan put in pace other than a few developers looking to make a name for various projects of theirs.

Conclusion

The SS United States is more than just a ship; it is a testament to an era of American innovation and ambition. As the fastest ocean liner ever built, it set a standard for maritime engineering that has yet to be surpassed. While the ship’s future remains uncertain, its legacy as a symbol of American ingenuity endures. The SS United States serves as a poignant reminder of a time when ocean liners ruled the seas and America stood at the forefront of global innovation.