After delays and more delays, the SS United States is scheduled to leave Philadelphia on Monday, Feb. 17, after preparations being set in place on Friday, Valentine’s Day.
In an update Thursday, Okaloosa County’s Tourism Development Department in Florida said all the safety requirements for moving the ocean liner from South Philly to Mobile, Alabama, have been completed.
Officials are ready for SSUS to become the world’s largest artificial reef.
Here are the plans to move the ship:
- Friday, Feb. 14, 2025: Move from Pier 82 to 80 in Philadelphia. Crews will be in position and ready to make the shift at high tide at 2:47 p.m.
- Monday, Feb. 17, 2025: SS United States will leave Pier 80 and begin the journey down the Delaware River at low tide at 11:18 a.m.
You can track the ship’s journey via GPS. The tracking will start when “the vessel begins moving operations,” according to the release.
There is a disclaimer that this is a tentative schedule, and dates, times and more could change.
The ship was recently delayed once again about a week ago. The SS United States was originally expected to depart South Philly in the fall of 2024, but plans were canceled due to a tropical storm and a possible bridge strike.
The journey is expected to take about two weeks.
The release said, “Upon arrival, the vessel will continue its rebirth into an artificial reef as contractors remove hazardous material, including nonmetal parts and fuel to ensure this deployment is clean and not harmful to the environment it aims to benefit.”
For the ship to land upright underwater, the preparation process will take about a year after modifications are made.
“The exact location along the Gulf Coast for the vessel’s deployment has not been set, but it is expected to be about 20 nautical miles south of the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area,” as said in the release.
