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Road Trip Part 1: Saying goodbye to the S.S. United States [1]

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Date: 2025-06-07

Back in March I wrote up my encounter by proxy with the S.S. United States, the record-setting ocean liner now destined to become an artificial reef. (Or maybe not?) I was on a cruise ship several months earlier, the Norwegian Jade, and the ship’s library is also a museum dedicated to the liner.

The pilot house of the Perdido Queen, a tour boat operating in the Port of Mobile, AL.

I took a trip to see family on the Gulf Coast several weeks ago, and took advantage of the opportunity to actually see the S.S. United States in the port of Mobile, Alabama. She’s docked there undergoing final disassembly before being towed out to be sunk off Destin, FL as a tourist attraction. The ship is visible from the expressway running along the west side of the port. You can get a closer look by taking a harbor cruise with the Perdido Queen.

The interior of the ship has been pretty much gutted, asbestos removed, etc. Some of the final work will involve removing the two iconic smokestacks, reportedly the largest ever constructed. They are expected to end up on display at two separate exhibits eventually. The Mast/Crow’s nest will also be removed, also for an exhibit.

Even in her current state, rusting and forlorn, the ship is still impressive. Just to look at her lines is to appreciate how fast she must have been. According to the tour guide, the record she set for crossing the Atlantic may not actually show how fast she could go. Reportedly, the captain at the time was holding some speed in reserve against the possibility that someone would try to set a new record with a faster ship. He planned to be able to set a new speed record.

Alas, no faster ship was ever built, so we’ll never know what she could truly do. The Norwegian Cruise Lines ship Norwegian Jade has a museum dedicated to her because NCL actually owned her at one point and would have brought her back into service, according to the tour guide. They couldn’t do so because the Department of Defense refused to declassify the ship’s technology that made that speed possible.

How she looks today. The letters “United States: on the bow are 3 feet high, to give some idea of size.

One of the ship’s propellers. Several of them are being saved to serve as exhibits.

Stern view of the S.S. United States, still showing her home port.

Another view of the S.S. United States, with Mobile, AL in the background

The setting sun shines on the S.S. United States as she is readied for her final voyage.

One of the features on the tour was a woman who had sailed on the S.S. United States as a child. (Sorry, I failed to get her name.) She had home movies taken by her father on the trip as well as memorabilia of the ship. It’s hard to appreciate now how iconic the ship was, nearly 75 years ago. It was a symbol of American expertise and national pride. Sic transit gloria Mundi.

Memorabilia of the S.S. United States

The ship was a cultural icon in its day — the highwater mark of the end of an era.

Table setting for the S.S. United States — and a cast metal toy version of the ship.

Is this the final chapter for the S.S. United States? Okaloosa County in Florida reportedly paid $10 million for the ship and the work needed to prepare her for sinking — to create a tourist attraction. (There’s something mind-boggling about picturing a county legislature debating this idea.) This article in the Pensacola News Journal has information on that, along with a lot of material on the ship.)

However, there’s a last minute legal battle to block the sinking.

The New York Coalition to Save the SS United States has brought a lawsuit and has appealed to President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi:

"The SSUS, an iconic and irreplaceable testament to American achievement, is on the brink of being lost forever," the coalition wrote in its letter to Trump. "This is not just a matter of preserving a historic vessel: it is about honoring the legacy of American Greatness and of the many who traveled on the vessel. We implore you take prompt executive action by ordering the taking of this precious symbol of American engineering and shipbuilding for public use."

Will the legal battle save the ship at the last minute? It would have been far better to have done so before the liner was gutted; perservation costs would be staggering now. Of course Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos could pay for it all with what’s pocket change for them. Trump could easily use the money from his crypto scam to do so. Pitch it to appeal to their vanity, and who knows?

As it happened, I got one last chance to see the ship. Flying out of Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport to Atlanta, the plane flew along the Gulf Coast for a bit before turning towards Atlanta. I just happened to see the ship as we flew over Mobile, and grabbed a shot through the airliner window.

The S.S. United States is at 3 O’Clock in this photo, flying over Mobile, AL

This is part 1 of my recent road trip. I have a couple of more installments in mind, including one showing two of the Navy ships Hegseth wants to rename...

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