Okaloosa County will sink the SS United States on Wednesday, moving the historic ocean liner's final voyage up by a day because of unsafe weather, in an operation set to begin at 1 p.m. CST about 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin, Florida.
The 990-foot ship will become the world's largest artificial reef. The original plan called for the vessel to be towed from Mobile, Alabama, on Nov. 9, anchored at the deployment site and sunk on Nov. 12, but forecasts of heavy winds pushed the sinking to Nov. 11 — Veterans Day. The sendoff ceremony scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday has been canceled.
"Safety is always a top priority in Okaloosa County," said Okaloosa County Board Chairman Trey Goodwin. "There is simply no reason to take an unnecessary risk when adjusting the schedule will allow us to carry out this historic deployment safely and smoothly."
"While the weather may have changed our plans, it has given this historic occasion an especially meaningful date. On Veterans Day, as we honor the men and women who served our nation, we will also honor the legacy of the SS United States, a magnificent ship that proudly bears the name of the country they so bravely defended," Goodwin said.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1999, the SS United States launched in the 1950s as both a secret military vessel and a luxury passenger ship. Often called "America's Flagship," the ship set the trans-Atlantic speed record and hosted celebrities including Judy Garland, Bob Hope and Salvador Dali on voyages between North America and Europe. As the ship aged and fell into disrepair, it changed hands several times before Okaloosa County purchased it for the reef project.
A nonprofit conservation group, the SS United States Preservation Foundation Inc., is suing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Okaloosa County to stop the sinking, but a federal judge denied the group's request for an emergency restraining order to halt the deployment this week.
The sinking has drawn national attention, and officials estimate hundreds of private boats will gather at the deployment site to watch. Okaloosa County is working with safety and security partners for the operation and expects bystanders to follow guidance from safety boats at the site. The county also plans to livestream the event, with a viewing link to be shared on thessus.com. The deployment location is 30° 07.148′ N, 86° 46.755′ W.
