Gone but not forgotten: SS United States reaches Florida coast, Philadelphians reminisce, and new fans emerge with photos
Philadelphia, South Beach, and Fort Lauderdale are just a few places sharing photos of the former luxury ocean liner as it makes its way to Alabama for environmental remediation.
Just over a week ago, hundreds gathered along Freedom Pier in Gloucester City and at the South Philadelphia Ikea cafeteria to bid farewell to one of the city’s more (in)famous ships. Fans of the SS United States snapped digital mementos and shared stories of its time as both a functioning luxury ocean liner and a shell of a vessel.
Those tributes and homages have only continued in recent days on social media
Local artist Eric Kenney of Heavyslime designed a T-shirt that marks the ship’s almost 30 years in Philly that reads “BORN TO FLOAT DESTINED TO SINK.”
» READ MORE: With more than $40 million spent, the SS United States has finally left Philadelphia after almost 30 years
The quip is a reference to the ship’s future.
Following a highly publicized landlord-tenant dispute in federal court, the vessel was essentially evicted from its berth, given a deadline to find new parking arrangements. The first choice of the ship’s then-owner, the SS United States Conservancy, was to redevelop the vessel, but with no financial backers, scrapping it for metal was becoming the most likely outcome. That’s until Okaloosa County entered the picture. Florida tourism officials were successful in their plan to buy the ship for the purpose of sinking it and turning it into an artificial reef off the Florida Panhandle.
Still, the ship must undergo environmental remediation before it can begin its retirement in the Sunshine State. For that, the vessel must travel around Florida to get to Mobile, Ala., where the work is slated to take several months.
The two-week journey has also drawn new fans, who have reshared photos taken by Capt. Mike Vinik. Vinik — whose tugboat had been guiding the ship, which is incapable of self-propulsion — has been snapping photos of the journey, to the public’s delight. Some of Vinik’s photos make it seem as if the ship is traveling the foggy seas alone.
On Wednesday, some users took to Reddit to share photos of the vessel as it passed South Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., as part of what some are calling the ship’s “farewell cruise.”
“I know she was beyond saving but all these pictures really make me feel like she’s still got a bit of her old glamour in her,” wrote one user. “I’ll miss her.”
Meanwhile, other fans took photos and videos of the ship passing the Florida Keys on a sunny Thursday.
The SS United States still has about a week to go before it reaches Mobile. There is an online tracker fans can check out to see where the ship is in its journey. Okaloosa County officials hope they can have all remediation completed and the vessel ready for the big sinking before the year’s end.