SS United States' departure from Philadelphia delayed once again
You may not believe it, but the iconic SS United States' departure from Philadelphia has been delayed once again.
After revealing plans to begin the ship's move to Okaloosa County, Florida, there were some additional questions by the Coast Guard on how the massive ocean liner would be moved from its slip at Pier 82, a couple dozen feet north into Pier 80, multiple sources told CBS News Philadelphia. As a result, the ship's scheduled Saturday trip from Philly to Mobile, Alabama, has been delayed.
On Wednesday, Okaloosa County officials announced that the SS United States was finally ready to leave Philadelphia this weekend after months of anticipation and delays. The plan initially called for the ship to move from Pier 82 to Pier 80 in Philadelphia around 6 a.m. Thursday, but it was then pushed back until 8:21 p.m. Now, that move from pier to pier is off, which means Saturday's 4 a.m. Philadelphia departure date has been delayed.
Sources said the delay has created a domino effect, and now the ship won't be able to meet the window where the tides are the lowest. They said there's disappointment over the delay.
If the ship ever leaves Philadelphia, it's scheduled to head to Mobile, Alabama, before being sunk in Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and turned into an artificial reef.
The SS United States was expected to depart Philadelphia in the fall of 2024, but a tropical storm and last-minute concerns about a possible bridge strike canceled those plans. Additional testing was ordered and concluded last month.
Okaloosa County bought the ship for $1 million as part of a budgeted $10 million project to deploy the vessel as an artificial reef.
"This is the second best choice other than scrapping, which I really didn't want to see," said David Boone, a retired tugboat captain from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, with a special connection to the SS United States.
As of Thursday, there's no new date set to move the SS United States.
