04-03-2025
SS United States not the first ship to become artificial reef in Gulf
ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (WKRG) — When it comes to sinking things in the Gulf — 'We've sank dredges and ships and barges and tugboats and all kind of stuff' — David Walter, owner of Walter Marine in Orange Beach, is the go-to-guy. He has done it more than two dozen times from Texas to Florida.
But sinking a ship is not as easy as you might think, 'The most difficult part is planning to sink it.' First, it has to be cleaned. 'It is an enormous job they have ahead of them. It has to be cleaned well enough to eat off, ' Walter said.
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In 2013, the 270-foot freighter the Yokuma docked at Walter Marine to begin the process of removing oil, and any asbestos, stripping any lead paint, any and everything to make it safe for sinking. The same will have to be done for the SS United States.
'That is a big ship going in there and cleaning all that out. A lot of the cabins have all been stripped but down in the engine room you still got the engines and all that and it's going to be difficult,' said Walter.
When it comes to the actual sinking, Walter uses a more controlled method by cutting holes in the hull and sides that can be unplugged once she is out to sea. 'You have to get the hull full of water before the top goes down and if that is not planned properly it could turn over or land on its side,' said Walter.
The sinking of the Yokuma, renamed The Lulu, was the best-case scenario. She sits upright, a little more than 55 feet below the surface and is full of sea life. With any luck, the SS United States will join her in about a year or more.
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