SS United States delayed again due to winds, now set to ship out of Philadelphia on Wednesday
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- For the third time in a week, the departure of the SS United States has been delayed.
The new owners of the historic ocean liner now say it will begin its journey out of Philadelphia on Wednesday.
The ship was sold to Okaloosa County, Florida, last year with the goal of turning it into the world's largest artificial reef.
The first phase happened on Friday, while the city was celebrating the Eagles victory parade, and included moving the ship from Pier 82, where it has sat for decades, to Pier 80.
The next phase was then scheduled to happen on Presidents Day -- and then moved to Tuesday due to a high wind warning -- but is now been pushed back to Wednesday.
The ship is expected to be towed from Pier 80, into the Delaware River and out of South Philadelphia beginning around 12:51 p.m.
Tugboats are expected to maneuver the vessel out into the Delaware River channel and then don't he river during low tide at around 12:29 p.m., according to officials.
The ship will pass under various bridges, including the Walt Whitman Bridge (I-76), the Commodore Barry Bridge (US 322) and the Delaware Memorial Bridge (I-295) along the route. The Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) will be coordinating bridge closures.
The ship's new owners say they have completed the necessary safety requirements to move the SS United States.
Once it leaves Philadelphia, it will head toward Mobile, Alabama, where it will prepped to be sunk off Florida's panhandle.
The journey along the eastern seaboard is expected to take roughly two weeks.
You will be able to track the ship's journey on the Destin-Fort Walton Beach website, once it starts moving.
In fall 2024, Florida's Okaloosa County bought the derelict ship after approving a $10.1 million plan to relocate the ocean liner, sink it and build a $1 million seaside museum chronicling the cruise liner's history.
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The ship was originally supposed to leave Philadelphia in November but was delayed due to "logistical details." There was also a tropical disturbance in the Gulf.
Then, earlier this month, plans were in place again to move the ship, but that was halted due to a pier transition delay.
RELATED: Ship sinking expert explains how the SS United States will be prepped for its underwater grave
The interior of "America's Flagship" will need to be scrapped and rid of any toxins or asbestos before it can be sent to its underwater grave.
Preparing the vessel for deployment is expected to take about a year.
WATCH: Action News archive - Inside the SS United States
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.
The ship's final home will be under about 180 feet (55 meters) of water 20 miles (32 kilometers) off the coast of Destin, Florida.
Okaloosa County hopes the ship will become a destination for scuba divers and attract fish and other wildlife as a reef. It won't be the only shipwreck habitat they have.
The ship found its home on Pier 82 in South Philadelphia in 1996 after a nonprofit called the SS United States Conservancy saved it from the scrapyard in 2011. However, its plans to rehabilitate the ship never came to fruition.
RELATED: Action News archives: We take a look back at when the SS United States arrived in Philadelphia
Florida officials say they intend to "preserve the SS Unites States' storied history and the memories she has created for so many people over the years."
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.
