This morning I took the ride to Philadelphia Airport to drop Mom off for a trip back home to warmer weather in Florida. with air temps this morning at 18 she was ready to return to the 70 degree weather down in Bradenton. She had a good week back up here in New Jersey, catching up with friends and family for the holidays.
As we headed down I-95 I looked over and saw the hulk of the SS United States moored which has been in the news down here as of late. The 990 foot long ocean liner is slated to make the trip from Philadelphia down to the waters off Okaloosa County near Destin, Florida as part of a reef rebuilding program. The county purchased it for 1 million dollars and another 9 million spent on clearing environmental issues and transportation. The final voyage was put own hold as some last minute sea worthiness concerns are being addressed.
Built in 1951 it made several trans-Atlantic voyages before its last run in 1969. Since 1996 it has been berthed at Pier 82 in South Philly. The ship has been stripped of it's state rooms, restaurants, and mechanical rooms to become home
for Florida's marine life. It will be a win for the angling and diving communities. But before it gets to its final resting place it'll head to port in Mobile, Alabama for final preparations before it being sunk 180 feet down in the Gulf Of Mexico.
Getting the ship down to Mobile won't be an easy task. Three tug boats will tow the 53,000 ton ship some 1800 nautical miles at 5 knots per hour, according to a report by 6 ABC, Philadelphia. Philadelphia sits at river mile 100 and the towing operation will have to navigate the Delaware River and pass under the Walt Whitman, Commodore Barry, and Delaware Memorial Bridges before heading out to sea. Below is an illustration published by USA Today.
The journey will take about two weeks and the final preparations in Mobile, Alabama will take about a year. It is a huge undertaking to create the largest artificial reef in the world. What could possibly go wrong?