SS United States' departure out of Philadelphia delayed | Here's what we know
The vessel was originally scheduled to depart Philadelphia on Nov. 15, 2024, at low tide.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Plans to move the SS United States out of Philadelphia have been delayed, officials said Tuesday.
The vessel was originally scheduled to depart Philadelphia on Nov. 15, 2024, at low tide. A new date has not been set.
Officials said the delay is due to "logistical details" and procedures to maintain ideal conditions for the move. A tropical disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico was also a concern.
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City commissioners in Okaloosa County, Florida, have approved a $10.1 million plan to relocate the ocean liner and sink it off the coast of Destin-Fort Walton Beach. The plan includes building a $1 million seaside museum chronicling the cruise liner's history.
The historic ocean liner -- which holds the record as the fastest ever to cross the Atlantic Ocean -- will be cleaned in Mobile, Alabama. The interior will be scrapped and rid of any toxins or asbestos.
Once the clean-up is finished, the vessel will then be towed back out to the Gulf, where it will travel about 20 miles southeast to just off the shores of Destin-Fort Walton for it to be sunk.
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Christened in 1952, the SS United States was once considered a beacon of American engineering, doubling as a military vessel that could carry thousands of troops. On its maiden voyage in 1952, it shattered the transatlantic speed record in both directions, when it reached an average speed of 36 knots, or just over 41 mph (66 kph).
On that voyage, the ship crossed the Atlantic in three days, 10 hours and 40 minutes, besting the RMS Queen Mary's time by 10 hours. To this day, the SS United States holds the transatlantic speed record for an ocean liner.
It became a reserve ship in 1969 and later bounced to various private owners who hoped to redevelop it but eventually found their plans to be too expensive or poorly timed.
It has loomed for years on south Philadelphia's Delaware waterfront.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
