Latest news with #SSUnitedStates
National Geographic
09-07-2025
- General
- National Geographic
Meet the man who sinks the world's biggest ships for a living
How a professional ship-sinker is about to turn a famous ocean liner into the world's largest artificial reef The SS United States is towed at sunset past Key West, Fla., headed to Mobile, Ala., Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, where it will be prepared to be used as an artificial reef off Florida's Gulf Coast. Photograph by Rob O'Neal, The Key West Citizen/ AP Photo Deep in the belly of the S.S. United States, some seven decks below the first-class lobby once graced by John F. Kennedy and Elizabeth Taylor, Captain Tim Mullane stands inside one of the liner's 120 fuel tanks and stares up at a 30-foot wall slathered in oil. Armed with a power washer and outfitted in a white Tyvek suit and rubber boots, the 54-year-old Navy veteran pulls the trigger and blasts away. Mullane sinks ships for a living and he's prepping the United States, one of the biggest ocean liners ever built, for its soon-to-be home on the sea floor off the coast of Florida's Okaloosa County, where it will transform into the largest artificial reef on the planet. Along with a 30-person crew, Mullane is in the middle of a six-month process clearing all toxic materials from the ship and preparing its interior to be flooded with water, all in the hopes that, on the fateful day, the ship will arrive upright, toxin-free, and in one piece. 'We're the morticians of the ship, taking it to its final resting place,' he says. Mullane is equal parts ship-sinker and reef maker—a deep-see reef deployer, as the dozen or so working in the U.S. are known. The business of turning old ships into new reefs first took off in the 1980s and 1990s, when many World War II warships were decommissioned and scuttled. In the U.S., the practice has primarily been focused in the waters off the East and Gulf Coasts as counties and states have invested in the subaquatic tourism industry. More artificial reefs mean more divers, which means more economic revenue for beach towns. It's why Okaloosa County paid $1 million to the S.S. United States Conservancy to purchase the ship that sat rusting away for nearly three decades at a Philadelphia dock. For Mullane, who co-founded his company, Coleen Marine, with his wife Coleen O'Malley in 2014, ships have been an ever-present part of life. After four years in the Navy, he worked in the shipbreaking industry, where he sliced old hulks into shards and sold them for parts before melting what remained. Then, in 2002, the state of Florida approached him with a curious job. State officials were looking for someone to fully strip and clean the U.S.S. Spiegel Grove, a Cold War-era Navy transport ship that had been relegated to the military's mothball fleet on the James River in Virginia. But the Spiegel Grove wasn't being sold for parts—it was slated to become a diving destination off the coast of Key Largo, Florida. Mullane jumped at the opportunity. 'I've always looked for a niche, and the Spiegel Grove opened my eyes,' he says. (Shipwrecks may help tropical fish adapt to climate change.) Magazine for all ages starting at $25/year Since then, O'Malley estimates that 75 percent of their business has gone to creating artificial reefs, with the remaining jobs going to sinking ships offshore to protect coastlines and prevent beach erosion. Each job is different, just as each ship is different. But the broad strokes are the same: paint needs to be chipped off the railings, fuel tanks need to be power-washed, portholes must be popped out, and insulation materials removed. It would seemingly be easy, then, for the hundred-plus contracts to blend together—an endless series of tasks and to-dos until the final box is checked and water comes rushing in and it's on to the next job. Yet even as his books have filled, Mullane knows that many of the ships he has sunk have held a special place in the hearts of passengers and crew who rode upon them. 'To lose them, it's pretty depressing,' Mullane says. The SS United States during her speed trials. Photograph courtesy of Charles Anderson, SS United States Conservancy Archives Collection The S.S. United States is currently docked at a pier in Mobile Bay, Alabama, where Mullane and his team are stripping away hazardous material that could harm sea life. The paint that once gleamed now looks like crocodile scales. More than 300 portholes have been removed, with a couple hundred more to go. Four massive propellers have been detached. And in a couple weeks, a 200-foot crane will be called in to hoist away the two iconic 65-foot funnels. 'There is not a bigger project,' says O'Malley, 'and there will never be a bigger one because they don't build ships like this anymore.' To become an artificial reef, ships must adhere to local and national regulations in place to protect marine life that will make it their home. Assisting Mullane to ensure the United States meets the requirements is Alex Fogg, a marine biologist hired by Okaloosa County who advises on artificial reefing projects. Fogg and Mullane have check-ins each morning before coffee to lay out what the day's tasks will entail. Once Mullane's team is done popping portholes and blasting away oil residue, Fogg will inspect the ship to certify that the required toxic substances have been removed. 'The S.S. United States is certainly the Everest of a project,' Fogg says, noting that after he's done his pass, the EPA and other regulatory agencies will inspect the ship to ensure it meets state and federal standards. Once that's done, they can schedule the actual sinking, which Mullane hopes will happen in November. To send the United States to her watery grave, Mullane's team will fill all 120 fuel tanks with 1.75 million gallons of water before a tugboat pulls the ship 150 miles to the reefing spot off the Florida coast. Then comes the tricky part. At strategic spots along the external hull, just a few feet above the waterline, the 20 crew members onboard will use high-power blowtorches to sear open dozens of holes. Using firehoses, they'll blast seawater into compartments throughout the ship to flood the ship's bowels. (Visiting shipwrecks is suddenly a lot easier than you think.) As coordinated, scheduled, and regulated as Mullane's plan is, there's still a hefty amount of risk involved. If water is pumped in unevenly or if the hull starts taking on water too early, the ship could sink prematurely or roll over with crew aboard. That's what nearly happened in 2002 with the Spiegel Grove. After Mullane's crew was finished stripping and cleaning the ship, a separate volunteer team was brought on by the state of Florida to sink the ship. But before they were ready, the ship capsized and only partially sank, requiring the state to hire a company to come in and finish the job as it bobbed upside down in the Atlantic. To avoid this fate, Fogg and Mullane will work with a team of engineers in the weeks before the sinking and create a model of the ship to understand where the holes need to be cut so that the liner sinks upright. Provided everything goes according to plan in November, as seawater breaches the holes cut into the hull and floods the ship's belly, Mullane's crew will evacuate by hopping onto a nearby tugboat, with Mullane being the last one to step off. Once the United States starts sinking, he estimates it'll take less than 45 minutes for the ship to make it 180 feet down to the seafloor. Back inside the fuel tank, Mullane drops the power-washer and climbs the ladder out of the tank. 'You leave with oil in places that you question how it got there,' Mullane says with a gruff laugh. The captain maneuvers his way through a maze of shadowy corridors littered with paint chips, then up a few flights of steps to the sprawling deck. He stares up at its two funnels still cutting into the sky. 'Some days, I sit on part of the ship and just look at her,' Mullane says, 'She is just a beautiful ship.'
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Campaigners call on Donald Trump to save historic liner with links to Southampton
A campaign group has appealed to US President Donald Trump to save a historic steam liner with links to Southampton that is due to be sunk. The New York Coalition to Save the SS United States has appealed to the federal courts and President Trump to try and stop the vessel being sunk off the coast of Florida. Owner of the SS United States, Okaloosa County, plan to sink the vessel and create the world's largest artificial reef. Campaign group, the New York Coalition was created last October - just two months after Okaloosa County bought the vessel. The Coalition argues the SS United States has 'inestimable historic value to which the people of the United States have a sovereign interest from being sunk dismembered or destroyed." In letters sent to the office of Attorney General, Pam Bondi and President Trump, the Coalition asked whether the ship should be taken for public use with just compensation paid to the county. READ MORE: Pictures show inside SS United states before ship is sunk Okaloosa County have dismissed the legal appeal launched by the Coalition and said that the organisation was only "involved itself for the sole purpose of preventing the county from following through on its plans." It also added that so far, the Trump administration is yet to confirm it is aware of the action being taken by the New York Coalition to save the SS United States. For 17 years the liner powered through the Atlantic making constant journeys between Southampton and New York, and was met crowds of almost 70,000 when she first came to Hampshire in 1952. The SS United States was also the fastest ship in the world at the time. Before being passed into the hands of Okaloosa County, the vessel's last owner, the SS United States Conservancy planned to turn the liner into a floating hotel venue - but these plans never got off the ground. It is so far unclear if the legal motion by the New York Coalition will affect Okaloosa County's plans for the SS United States.
USA Today
02-05-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
NY group appeals to Trump to stop SS United States from being sunk
NY group appeals to Trump to stop SS United States from being sunk Show Caption Hide Caption SS United States docks in Mobile before becoming artificial reef The SS United States will remain in Mobile for about six months before it will be sunk to become the world's largest artificial reef. The lawsuit appeals to President Trump to save SS United States as "not just a matter of preserving a historic vessel, but honoring the legacy of American greatness." A motion by Okaloosa County to dismiss the lawsuit claims group suing "involved itself for the sole purpose of preventing the county from following through on its plans." With no order to halt work Okaloosa County's contractor continues efforts to make the ship ready by early next year to be towed about 20 miles off Destin and sunk to create an artificial reef A group calling itself the New York Coalition to Save the Steam Ship United States has appealed to federal courts to save the 1950s ocean liner from being sunk off Okaloosa County's coast A group calling itself the New York Coalition to Save the Steam Ship United States has appealed to federal courts, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and President Donald Trump in a last-ditch effort to prevent the iconic 1950s-era superliner from being sunk off Florida's Gulf Coast to create the world's largest artificial reef. The Feb. 10 appeal said that preserving the ship amounts to "not just a matter of preserving a historic vessel but honoring the legacy of American greatness." U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers on April 23 denied a motion by Okaloosa County, Florida, the owner of the SS United States, to have the lawsuit dismissed. The case was originally filed March 2 in U.S. District Court in Pensacola, Florida. The New York Coalition to Save the Steam Ship United States was created last October, about two months after Okaloosa County bought the vessel with plans to remove it from a port in Philadelphia it had occupied for nearly three decades. Is it too late to save the ship? By Feb. 10, when the group sent letters to Bondi and Trump, preparations were well underway to haul the 990-foot liner to Alabama, where a contractor would begin removing all non-metal materials from the vessel so that it could be sunk in an environmentally-friendly manner. The journey begins: SS United States starts last voyage to its final destination – at the bottom of the Gulf In a court document, the coalition says its members are dedicated to preserving historic landmarks in New York. It calls the SS United States "an American-built steamship of inestimable historic value to which the people of the United States have a sovereign interest from being sunk, dismembered or destroyed." In letters addressed to Bondi and Trump, the group appealed to the nation's highest offices to decide whether the SS United States should be taken for public use with fair compensation to the county "rather than allowing the ship, which is due to be irrevocably cut apart, dismembered and sunk as an artificial reef in the waters of the Gulf." The letter says the ship, if saved, "could become among the greatest economic and cultural sites in Brooklyn." An illustrated look: How SS United States, bigger than Titanic, will become world's largest artificial reef The county argues the New York coalition's claims are baseless. "(The group) asks this court to restrain the county from utilizing its tangible property as it desires," the motion to dismiss said. It notes that the SS United States had been left for almost 30 years at its Philadelphia mooring site and suffered irreparable damage there due to lack of proper care. The ship, which in its heyday bore four presidents across the Atlantic Ocean and broke transatlantic travel records, had several owners after being retired in 1969. Its most recent owner before Okaloosa County, the SS United States Conservancy, purchased the ship in 2011 with plans to transform it into a hotel, condominiums or multi-purpose venue. "Such plans never came to fruition," the motion to dismiss said. "And in 2024 the conservancy and its vessel faced imminent eviction from (its berth) Pier 82 (in Philadelphia)." The county claims the New York Coalition to Save the SS United States didn't enter the picture until two months after Okaloosa County bought the ship and began preparing to move it. The group "involved itself for the sole purpose of preventing the county from following through on its plans." Looking back: With SS United States set to be sunk, passengers remember the iconic ocean liner The motion noted that as of March 28, when the motion was filed, the coalition had heard nothing from the Trump Administration regarding the vessel. "At present, the (coalition) does not know whether the Executive Branch of the United States is even aware of the letter, let alone whether it is being considered," the motion said. Work already underway to prepare for sinking The county's motion said that while seeking possession of the SS United States, the New York coalition failed to request that Okaloosa County halt the work of preparing the ship to be sunk. The coalition argues that moving the prominent outside features such as the vessel's two prominent smokestacks will forever preclude "any hope of preserving the ship afloat and intact." With no order to halt work, crews in Mobile, Alabama, continue work to make the ship ready by early next year to be towed somewhere about 20 miles off Florida's Gulf Coast and sunk. "Crews have removed some deck paint from the upper decks and have made a lot of progress on cleaning all 121 fuel tanks on board, Okaloosa County spokesman Nick Tomecek said in an email to the Panama City News Herald, part of the USA TODAY Network. "Work is also progressing on removing wiring and all other non-metal items on board the ship." The county has agreed to expend more than $10 million to create the world's largest artificial reef, and part of the funding go toward creating an SS United States Conservancy museum. Tomecek said when the smokestacks are removed in coming weeks, at least one of them will be preserved and displayed at the museum.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Historic ship embarks on final voyage to become world's largest artificial reef: 'An emotional maritime moment'
An ocean liner that holds the transatlantic speed record and once carried movie stars and presidents across the sea is about to embark on a new voyage — at the bottom of the ocean. The SS United States, long celebrated as America's flagship, will soon be transformed into the world's largest artificial reef, according to Nice News. The ship had long been out of use and was under a court eviction order, putting it in the crosshairs of being scrapped. Instead, the historic vessel will be carefully prepared and sunk off the coast of Florida, becoming a permanent home for marine life and an intriguing destination for divers and researchers. "This is an emotional maritime moment," Capt. Joseph Farrell, a ship-sinking and reef expert, told NBC Philadelphia. "The SS United States is a testament to America's might and engineering ingenuity. Her sinking is the final chapter for the last all-American-made, America-flagged ocean liner." And it's easy to understand the nostalgia. The ship, which is over 100 feet longer than the Titanic, set off on its maiden voyage in 1952 and once carried John F. Kennedy, Walt Disney, Judy Garland, John Wayne, and Marilyn Monroe as an iconic symbol of Americana. Its next journey may just be the most meaningful yet. The SS United States Conservancy has long been working to protect the ship's legacy, and former President Bill Clinton called it "a symbol of our country's industry and accomplishment." However, attempts to find a new port or make it an attraction have failed. Luckily, artificial reefing offers the SS United States a new life that preserves its legacy in an eco-friendly way. Artificial reefs help restore damaged ecosystems by providing shelter for fish, coral, and other marine life. They also ease pressure on natural reef systems by drawing tourism and supporting coastal economies. This is a perfect example of how communities can honor their cultural heritage while also boosting local economies and building a cleaner, safer future for all of us. "As the World's Largest Artificial Reef, the story of the SSUS will be told to thousands of divers from around the world as they explore her unique design and features," a news release stated. "She will also benefit her surrounding ecosystem and become home to countless marine species that will thrive from the presence of her structure." How concerned are you about the plastic waste in our oceans? Extremely I'm pretty concerned A little Not much Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
NBC News
04-04-2025
- General
- NBC News
Historic ocean liner off Florida's Gulf Coast will soon be the world's largest artificial reef
A historic ocean liner will become the world's largest artificial reef once it reaches its final resting place off Florida's Gulf Coast. Competing diving businesses are vying for the massive ship to be scuttled closer to them, while one group is suing to stop the ship from being sunk at all. The SS United States, a nearly 1,000-foot vessel that shattered the trans-Atlantic speed record on its maiden voyage in 1952, is going through a monthslong scouring at the Port of Mobile in Alabama. Workers will empty and clean all 120 fuel tanks, as well as remove chemicals, wiring, plastic and glass. 'There's a lot of nasties on vessels that were built back in the '50s,' Okaloosa County coastal resource manager Alex Fogg said. 'Basically, when it's ready to be deployed, it will be a steel and aluminum structure.' The SS United States is set to join Okaloosa County's more than 500 artificial reefs, which include a dozen smaller ship wrecks. Officials hope to draw tourists and generate millions of dollars annually for scuba shops, charter fishing boats and hotels, as well as provide habitat for critical fish species and other sea life. 'The goal here is to be the dive capital of the state of Florida,' Fogg said. 'We're even trying to surpass the Florida Keys.' Fogg said they expect to have the SS United States sunk by the end of the year at one of three permitted locations, all just over 20 nautical miles from Destin, Florida. All three locations are the same depth, about 180 feet of water to the sand, but the vessel is so tall that the top decks will be about 60 feet from the surface. 'That's very much within the beginner diver profile, and those deeper depths will be certainly attractive to those technical and advanced divers,' Fogg said. Bay County officials have agreed to offer $3 million to Okaloosa County to sink the SS United States closer to Panama City Beach. Visit Panama City Beach President and CEO Dan Rowe said his area has one of the largest dive boat fleets along the northern Gulf Coast. Bay County has a long history of developing technology used in underwater exploration and the U.S. Navy's dive school is located at Naval Support Activity Panama City. 'Diving is part of our DNA,' Rowe said.
