Okaloosa County Commissioners on Tuesday approved a contingent contract to purchase the ship, scuttle it in the Gulf of Mexico and establish a land-based museum to preserve the ship’s legacy, according to a news release. A vote on the contract was tabled last month because a lawsuit filed by Penn Warehousing, where the ship is currently docked, and the S.S. United States Conservancy.
Okaloosa County officials estimate $9 million will be needed to turn the ship into a reef, including $1 million to purchase the ocean liner.
The ocean liner is still docked alongside the Delaware River despite having missed a court-imposed deadline to leave Pier 82.
A federal magistrate judge agreed to suspend the Sept. 12 deadline after the ship’s owner, the S.S. United States Conservancy, and the dock’s operator, Penn Warehousing, ended up in court over the vessel’s release from the pier, it was previously reported.
The Conservancy filed a court motion to extend its deadline to Dec. 5, arguing Penn Warehousing prevented the group from meeting the deadline by requiring it to pay $3 million before it would release the ship from the port. An attorney for Penn Warehousing has not returned requests by NJ Advance Media for comment.
If the S.S. United States is sunk, it would, at 1,000 feet long, become the world’s largest artificial reef, surpassing the U.S.S. Oriskany, a former Naval ship previously sunk in the Gulf.
About 10,000 divers yearly explore the sunken Oriskany, resulting in over $3 million in annual economic impact, according to a news release.
“I am extremely proud of our team and the effort required to achieve this tremendous next step in bringing such a breathtaking vessel to the waters of Destin-Fort Walton Beach,” Okaloosa County Board Chairman Paul Mixon said in a statement.
Okaloosa County created a five-year plan to increase diving tourism off its beaches. Officials first eyed the S.S. United States for purchase first in 2022.
“Our artificial reef system has shown impressive growth through the years and this accomplishment confirms our commitment to remain good stewards of the environment, while also enhancing our community’s status as a premier diving and fishing destination,” Mixon said.
The ship, meanwhile, would remain afloat for potentially while it’s prepared for the ocean floor. A process to make the vessel environmentally sound could take over a year, and arranging the scuttling could take up to a year, officials said.
It was unclear Wednesday when the S.S. United States could be towed from the Delaware River .
The Conservancy hoped to explore several fates for the famed ship, such as converting it to a museum, but the court-ordered eviction left the organization with few choices.
“We are confident that the experienced and committed team in Okaloosa County fully appreciates the historic significance of the S.S. United States and our longstanding commitment to educating and exciting future generations about this unique expression of American maritime history and technological innovation,” Susan Gibbs , the Conservancy’s president, said in a statement. Her grandfather designed the vessel.
Known as “America’s Flagship,” the S.S. United States still holds the record for the fastest transatlantic crossing by a ship some 70 years later, at three days, 10 hours and 40 minutes, besting the RMS Queen Mary’s time by 10 hours. The ocean liner was retired from service in 1969 and ended in Philadelphia in the mid-1990s.
Escambia County , Okaloosa’s western neighbor, last month initiated a fundraising effort to purchase the ship, appearing to re-show initial interest in scuttling the vessel for diving purposes.
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