The SS United States is a hell of an ocean liner. Not only is it huge, measuring in at 990-feet long, but it’s fast, too. In November, however, the ship that once carried Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando, Walt Disney, the Mona Lisa, and four presidents across the ocean, will meet its end of a life at sea. It will be scuttled on November 12 in hopes of creating the world’s largest artificial reef.
The SS United States is a very famous vessel. Called “America’s greatest ocean liner,” it was originally built as a passenger ship to move between New York and Europe. Because of the times, it also had the capability to transport troops across the ocean should the need arise. Construction took two years, starting in 1950 and ending with its maiden voyage in 1952. It was, at the time, the fastest ship to ever cross the pond, making it from New York Harbor to Bishop Rock off Cornwall, United Kingdom in just under four days. It then continued on to France and England.
But everything has an end, and the SS United States has been worn out by time and many ocean crossings. In November, it will be taken to the Gulf of Mexico and scuttled in order to make an artificial reef. A massive one.
It’s not a new idea — plenty of other old ships (and even two million tires) have been used to create reefs — but this one will be a big one. Along with 12 other ships, the SS United States will attract corals that are beneficial to all manner of sea life.
Clearly, though, a ship the size of the SS United States cannot simply be towed out and sunk to the bottom of the ocean. The team in charge of the scuttling, Destin-Fort Walton Beach, is cleaning the whole thing up, getting rid of any and all fuel, oil, paint, and PCBs, and basically anything that isn’t metal before they sink it. In order to do that, they’ll need to drill holes through its hull, ideally in a way that ensures it will land on its keel.
If all goes to plan, the SS United States will get a new life — a new life made to create more life.
