S.S. United States

[Crow]

    Just got back to the campground from the east end of the island. We were here to see her come into Mobile Bay, and we just watched her go out to become an "artificial reef" off Destin.

[Crab Pot]

Any photos?

I visited civil war Fort Morgan a couple years ago in Mobile Bay.

Nice area.

[Patudo]

I saw the Queen Elizabeth 2 come in once.  The great ocean liners of the past had a kind of graceful elegance and charisma sadly lacking in today's floating apartment blocks. 

It should be an amazing structure fishing-wise, though.  I'd love to fish, or even drive around an artificial reef like the Oriskany with the echo sounder on, some day. 

How deep will it be sunk?  I read that the Oriskany had to be sunk in over 200 feet of water to ensure it wasn't a navigational hazard, and the United States has got to be considerably bigger. 

[oc1]

Whew.  It sure was a long and controversial process to get this far. A lot of people thought she deserved better.

[Crow]

That's correct, Steve! There was quite a bit of protesting, and a few lawsuits involved in the process! I just saw that the "sinking: has been moved up from Thursday, to Wednesday because of weather concerns. As to the depth...not sure....they did remove the funnels, as part of the "get ready: process, because they would have been a navigation hazard by not being "deep enough". The USS Enterprise is due to enter Mobile Bay really soon...it's "in transit" right now...on it's way to the "breakers yard". We hope to watch it come in. The Enterprise is "too dirty" to become a reef (the reactors can't be removed without tearing the ship apart)

[Crow]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-ss-united-states-and-her-final-destination/

[happyhooker]

A lot of effort went into trying to save the United States.  Shes been sitting in Philly for who knows how many years; bucks scrounged up to save her went to pay rent at her dock.  Were going to make her a museum, then a hotel, then office space, then a homeless shelter, but it all fell through.  Couldn't find a port willing to take her either.  So sad.

Frank

[oc1]

I guess sitting on the bottom of the ocean is better than being cut up for scrap.  They should deploy a nice S.S. United States buoy to mark her grave for the fishermen.

[Crab Pot]

Here is a link.

https://www.foxnews.com/travel/famed-ship-carried-presidents-movie-stars-faces-dramatic-end-75-years

[Gfish]

Wow, cool! A symbol of American ingenuity, pride and determination to be all we can be; a shining city on the hill!
Dry dock it and turn it into a homeless encampment.

[oldmanjoe]

   There is a live Utube going on .   

[Patudo]

Damn, that will be an incredible reef structure. 

I wonder how much thought went into its position - like, would you position it kinda along the prevailing wind/current to make for an easier drift along the structure?  Though, would it not hold more fish if positioned somewhat across the current, to create (even) more shelter and upwelling? 

She is, very slowly, slipping away now.  The passing of any vessel is always a little sad but this one will continue being appreciated by thousands after she goes to her final resting place.

[oc1]

The sinking was like watching grass grow and then when it got down to the cut-outs on the hull it went fast.  Within minutes of going under they confirmed that it landed upright like it was supposed to.

[Crow]

Yeah, I thought it would be over pretty quickly, but it seemed like several hours before you could see it was "serrling" at all.  I hope we can see that USS Enterprise come in, tomorrow! So far, I haven't seen a "time", just the "day".