Stop the sink? People are still fighting, and failing, to ‘save’ the SS United States.
The ocean liner is slated to become an artificial reef Thursday.
The fight for the future of the SS United States continues for some, even as the 990-foot ocean liner’s new owners in the Florida Panhandle move full steam ahead with plans to sink it Thursday.
No one successfully stepped up to repurpose the vessel in the nearly 30 years it was parked in Philadelphia, despite the many pleas and efforts by the SS United States Conservancy, a nonprofit led by Susan Gibbs, the granddaughter of the ship’s designer.
Fearing the vessel would be headed to the scrap heap, the conservancy made the difficult choice in late 2024 to sell the SS United States to Okaloosa County, where it would be sunk and turned into an artificial reef.
Even so, the vessel has been the subject of at least two eleventh-hour lawsuits by different groups that aimed to “save” the hollowed-out vessel, much to the chagrin of its new owners.
“I will say that the folks that have [sued] have raised arguments that I don’t know that they truly believe,” said Okaloosa County spokesperson Nick Tomecek, noting the arguments to stop the sinking have changed. “I think they are trying to do whatever they can to keep the county from moving forward.”
The most recent legal challenge was brought on by Miami resident and co-founder of the SS United States Preservation Foundation Steven R. Perry.
The group asked a federal court this week to issue a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction prohibiting the towing, deployment, and sinking of the vessel. The group raised concerns regarding potential harms to marine life after the sinking due to the deterioration of coatings that would release chromium and zinc into the waters.
The group accused the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, among the defendants in the suit, of violating the National Environmental Policy Act for failing to “adequately evaluate the significant environmental consequences” of introducing certain toxic chemicals into the marine environment.
A judge denied the motion Friday, noting there was no verified complaint or affidavit filed “attesting to the truthfulness of the facts” in their claim. The plaintiffs also failed to “recognize the obvious substantial expense associated with the injunction,” U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers added.
The judge did leave the door open for Perry and the preservation foundation to raise the issue again, though it’s unclear whether they will. Neither Perry nor the group responded to a request for comment.
Perry has become a frequent presence at Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners meetings over the past two years. He studied and conducted technical work aboard the vessel for 35 years, according to the suit, taking part in a 2016 feasibility study on behalf of Crystal Cruises, an interested party at the time.
Perry is far from the only party interested in saving the SS United States’ frame. Previously, the New York Coalition to Save the Steam Ship United States argued the ocean liner should be spared sinking because of its historic value, which a judge dismissed last year.
Some of the holdouts have taken to calling themselves “never reefers,” going so far as suggesting public protest the day of the planned sinking. But public opinion, even among the most ardent of preservationists and ship enthusiasts, has largely steered in favor of sinking.
Nowhere is the shift more visible than in dedicated SS United States online spaces like on Facebook and Reddit, where fans share photos of the vessel throughout the years.
The proverbial ship, they say, has sailed.
Hundreds of online comments in recent days argue the preservation foundation and other parties who’ve tried to stop the sinking should shift their focus to building a museum in honor of the vessel. The time to save the ocean liner was when it was parked in Philadelphia, they say.
The preservation foundation’s own Facebook page is full of comments worried any delays could lead to the SS United States being scrapped for metal.
That’s because keeping a 990-foot ship docked is expensive. Okaloosa County has already spent more than $13 million to buy and prepare the SS United States for sinking. During its time in Philadelphia, SS United States owners shelled out more than $40 million on rent, insurance, and feasibility studies.
Okaloosa County officials, meanwhile, are not losing sleep over the latest attempt to stop the sinking. The county is expecting the sinking itself to be an economic boon, with hundreds of boats viewing the moment at sea and other events planned for the week.
One local diving company said it has already booked trips for this month.
Tomecek, the county spokesperson, reiterated that next week would be one of celebration.
The SS United States ”is going to live for a long time in the Gulf,” he said. “We’re just gonna keep on moving and keep on doing the work that we promised everybody we’d be doing.”
