S.S. United States Heads To Florida To Become Artificial Reef

The Coast Guard has set up a temporary moving safety zone around the S.S. United States and its towing vessels as the 990-foot liner leaves Mobile, Ala., for an artificial reef site in the Gulf.

The rule was published in the Federal Register October 30. It covers all waters within 100 yards of the tow through the Mobile River Channel, Mobile Bay and into the Gulf. It is effective November 6 through November 16 but will be enforced only during dead-ship tow operations.

The zone begins when the ship leaves the Modern American Recycling Services facility in Mobile and ends at the territorial sea boundary, about 12 nautical miles off Destin, Fla. Vessels may not enter without permission from the captain of the port, Sector Mobile, on VHF-FM Channel 16 or at 251-266-5888.

Departure depends on weather. The Coast Guard will issue a Broadcast Notice to Mariners with exact times. AL.com reported the ship is expected to leave around 10 a.m. November 9.

The Coast Guard cited restricted maneuverability, wake and vessel congestion as the main hazards. Towboats, deep-draft traffic, offshore supply boats and fishermen between Mobile and Destin should plan around the transit and expect spectator craft.

Capt. M.O. Vega, captain of the port for Sector Mobile, signed the rule.

Built by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company and designed by William Francis Gibbs, the S.S. United States entered service for United States Lines in 1952. On its maiden voyage, it crossed the Atlantic eastbound in three days, 10 hours and 40 minutes, averaging more than 35 knots, and claimed the Blue Riband. It is still widely reported to hold the transatlantic speed record for a passenger liner.

The ship was withdrawn from service in 1969 and spent nearly 30 years at a Philadelphia pier. Okaloosa County, Fla., agreed in 2024 to buy it from the SS United States Conservancy, and it was towed to Mobile in early 2025 for preparation.

The county plans to sink the ship as the world’s largest artificial reef about 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin-Fort Walton Beach. Deployment is set to begin around 10 a.m. November 12, weather permitting, after a public sendoff ceremony at 1:30 p.m. November 11 at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center. Officials expect hundreds of spectator boats and urge mariners to monitor Channel 16.

Featured photo caption: The S.S. United States docked in Mobile. (Photo by WSRower via Wikimedia Commons)