The SS United States, designed by Gibbs and Cox, is the fastest ocean liner to cross the Atlantic. Built under military secrecy, it broke transatlantic speed records in 1952, reaching 36 knots and racing past the previous record by ten hours. The ship’s interiors were stainless steel, and its interiors were stripped and sold at auction in the mid-1990s to remove carcinogens or contaminates.
The ship’s interiors were stripped by 1994, and she was towed to Philadelphia, where she has remained for 70 years. The ship’s interiors were auctioned off in 1984 after the owner’s financing collapsed. Fred Mayer, who bought the ship in 1992, sought to create a new design. The ship’s deck towers over the waterline and hatches are closed and locked except for rare instances when maintenance is needed.
Currently, the SS United States is fighting for survival in court proceedings after her dock rent doubled in August 2021. The ship’s interiors were stripped and sold at auction, leaving the ship in ruins. The ship’s design aimed for a streamlined, unfussy atmosphere with decorative motifs drawn from the sea and American history.
📹 Inside The ABANDONED S.S United States
Today I’m boarding one of the most iconic ships of all time. Sitting idle and powerless in Philadelphia, the SS United States was …
What happened to the United States lines?
United States Lines, a container ship line, was acquired by containerization pioneer Malcom McLean in 1978 and by the 1980s, it operated 43 vessels and was a leader in international shipping. The company spent over $1 billion expanding its fleet and acquiring competitors, Moore-McCormack Lines and Delta Steamship Lines. In anticipation of a worldwide surge in oil prices, United States Lines borrowed heavily to construct the Jumbo Econships, the largest cargo ships yet built.
However, as international freight rates fell and oil prices collapsed, the giant and slow Econships left United States Lines overcapacity, deeply in debt, and unable to compete with faster ships that were economically viable.
Under pressure from the debt accumulated by the fleet expansion, the company filed for bankruptcy in 1986. Most of the vessels were sold to pay creditors, and the company was formally liquidated by 1992. Following a revised reorganization plan approved by the bankruptcy court in 1989, United States Lines Inc. was restructured as Janus Industries Inc. in November 1990, with its shares distributed to creditors and the court-managed bankruptcy trust fund.
The company’s new management acquired Pre-Tek Wireline Service Company in 1996 and acquired hospitality assets from companies affiliated with investors Louis S. Beck and Harry Yeaggy in 1997. The former United States Lines decided to concentrate exclusively on the hotel business, spinning off Pre-Tek Wireline in 1998 and changing its name again to Janus Hotels and Resorts Inc. in 1999.
United States Lines briefly operated cruises in Hawaii under the name American Classic Voyages in 2000 and 2001. Construction began on the future Pride of America and a 72, 000-ton sister ship as part of Project America.
Who currently owns the SS United States?
The SS United States Conservancy, constructed in 1952, was a transatlantic cruise ship that operated between New York and Southampton. It had a total length of 990 ft and a waterline length of 940 ft.
Can you go inside the SS United States?
It is recommended that interested parties contact the SS United States Conservancy, as the ship is only accessible on select occasions. One may enjoy views from the pier or the nearby IKEA restaurant.
What was the true top speed of the SS United States?
The SS United States attained a maximum recorded velocity of 38 knots. This equates to a speed of approximately 45 miles per hour, or 32 knots.
Is there anything left of the SS America?
The ship, a total loss, was left to nature after discussions between its owners, towing firm, and insurance companies. The forward part went aground on a sandbar, and within 48 hours, the Atlantic surf broke the ship in two. The ship was declared a total loss on 6 July 1994. The 344 ft (105 m) stern section collapsed completely to port and sank in 1996, while the 379 ft (116 m) bow section remained intact. The wreck attracted onlookers and looters, with locals creating a zipline to carry off valuables.
Due to rough waves and strong currents, trying to reach the wreck was very unsafe. Over the years, several people trying to swim out to the wreck had died, while others had to be airlifted off once they got on board.
By 2004, the bow section continued to remain upright with water eroding away cargo hold no. 1, making the bow section extremely top heavy. In November 2005, the port side of the bow section collapsed, causing the liner’s remains to assume a sharper list and the remaining funnel detached and falling into the ocean. The hull began to break up, and by October 2006, the wreck had almost completely collapsed onto its port side. On March 20, 2007, the starboard side finally collapsed, causing the wreck to break in half and fall into the sea.
Is the SS United States bigger than the Titanic?
The SS United States, a 990-ft ship that was awarded the Blue Riband by Great Britain on its inaugural voyage in 1952, is currently facing eviction. However, following the resolution of its condition, which has been affected by corrosion, and the potential for eviction, it is anticipated that the ship will be able to remain in its current location.
Where is the SS America now?
America was a packet boat built in 1898 by the Detroit Dry Dock Company to transport passengers, mail, and packages between settlements along the North Shore of Lake Superior. It sank in Washington Harbor off the shore of Isle Royale in 1928, where the hull still remains. The wreck was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. America was 184 feet long, 31 feet wide, and 11 feet in depth, with a gross tonnage of 486 tons and a net of 283 tons.
It was powered by a triple expansion steam engine and two Scotch boilers, delivering 700HP. Less than a month after its launch, America began a daily run, transporting passengers and packages on Lake Michigan between Chicago and Michigan City, Indiana. In 1902, the ship was purchased by the Booth Steamship Company and transferred to service in Lake Superior, serving as a communications link for the western portion of Lake Superior.
Does SS United States still have engines?
The S. S. U. S., the fastest ship in the world, is set to undergo a major overhaul due to several obstacles. The steam plant, which was last run in 1969, will need to be replaced with diesels, converting it from a steamship to a motor ship. The EPA regulations may also pose a challenge as the engine rooms are filled with PCBs. Additionally, the upper levels of the ship will need to be reworked due to new regulations and economic changes, such as the increased demand for cabins with private balconies.
Crystal Crystal is currently conducting a feasibility study to cost the project out, which could lead to the ship being in limbo once again. However, the plan has upsides, as the United States would carry a marketable cool that no other ship can match. It is the only mid-century liner still afloat, apart from the retired Queen Mary. People who do not necessarily go on cruises may be interested in a trip on the S. S. U. S. Crystal, a midsize, upscale cruise line, might be interested in the idea.
The ship is structurally sound, having been built with a Cold War subsidy that stipulated it be toughened like a military vessel. It is still registered under the U. S. flag, allowing it to avoid American port regulations that limit access to foreign ships.
However, the 990-foot-long rescue greyhound is less likely to get chopped up on a dirty beach in India. The United States is the fastest big ship ever built, and turning it into doorknob parts would be like cutting down a 900-year-old redwood to make toothpicks. If Crystal and the conservancy get this right, the ship won’t be as fast as it was before.
What happened to the SS United States?
Since 1996, the SS United States has been moored in Philadelphia, where it has spent the majority of its retirement years at a dock on the Delaware River. As of 2021, the ship has been moored in Philadelphia for 25 years, which serves as a testament to its structural soundness and design, which made it the greatest American passenger liner of all time.
Where is the SS America today?
The SS America wreck, located in the North Gap of Washington Harbor at Isle Royale National Park on Lake Superior, is the second but most extensive shipwreck preservation project for GLSPS. The group founded by Ken Merryman in 1995 requested permission from the park service to repair damage to the forward crew’s quarters caused by the collapse of a divider wall during winter 1993-1994. The group believed that this preservation work was essential to preserving the integrity of their favorite dive sites and would lend credibility to the concept of preserving underwater historic sites.
Park management initially required approval from state archeologists of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, as well as the head of the NPS Submerged Cultural Resource Unit. However, with the help of Liz Amberg Valencia and support from Dave Cooper, Scott Anfinson, John Halsey, and Dan Lenihan of the SCRU team, approval was gained within two months for a post-Labor Day project.
Despite being denied permission in 1995, the petitioning group formed the non-profit Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society by the next spring. In 1996, with full acknowledgement and support of Isle Royale National Park, the newly formed GLSPS carried out the first successful underwater restoration project on a shipwreck in a US national park and most likely in the world.
Today, the SS America Project is an ongoing project that has documented, stabilized, and restored many rooms and portions of the shipwreck, which would otherwise be piles of debris.
📹 Touring the decks and interior of SS United States
70 years and it still holds the record for the fastest ocean liner to cross the Atlantic. As it sits in South Philly, we’ve seen the exterior …
My wife and I sailed on this great ship in 1959, shortly after we were married. Sailed from New York to France. Our room was one of the least expensive, up front in the bow and I think below the waterline. Bunk beds. We thought we were pretty clever and wanted to sneak to the first class area to watch a movie. Did so, Disappointed in that they showed the same movie the next day in our tourist class. The purpose of the trip was to visit my wife’s father who lived in Germany. He returned to Germany after his wife (my wife’s mother died.) She was raised by another couple who hid from her the information about her birth father until she was about 18 – 19. After we were married we decided we had to visit her real father. Best way to get there at that time was by ship. So the SS United States. . Had a great time visiting him. After in Germany for a short while I received my draft notice so back the the U. S. via the SS United States. Very stormy, no one allowed on deck as they were awash. My lone physical memento from the ship is a clothes hanger, naturally made from stainless steel.
I had a cabin right inside the bow on the last voyage of this ship in 1969. Stood on the upper deck right below the bridge. I watched her plow through the freezing cold North Atlantic. Met the girl that got away and went on to study at the Freie Uni in Berlin. Memory says we stopped at Le Havre and Bremerhaven. Last time I ever travelled with a trunk. By coincidence,I am now 81!
About 20 years ago, I watched a documentary on TV about the S.S. United States. They had one of the Captains who sailed her, standing in front of the now deteriorating ship. After talking fondly about her glory years to the camera, he stood with tears in his eyes and a said “I wish they would tow her out and sink her to the bottom of the sea as a decent burial. I’d rather have that than to see her rotting away on the dock.”
The amount of stuff removed from this ship is truly horrifying – I just can’t even comprehend how it could ever be put back into service or even shown to the public. Her only remaining impression of the era is purely from the exterior. Also Gibbs was absolutely obsessed with fireproofing his ship, after many recent disasters on other vessels of the time. The lack of wood wasn’t purely for weight (indeed in many applications wood would have been lighter). This was frowned upon by some when it came to the ships somewhat colder and stark styling / decor – others felt that it worked and contributed to the general modern feel Of the ship vs. her contemporaries. Elaborating on the props – the only way they could get the ship built with subsidy from the US government was if she had some value in wartime. She had to be easily converted into a fast transport (faster than any sub of the time) and as such her speed was paramount to the military as well – allowing her to leverage state of the art prop and power plant technologies. The cavitation marks on the prop are from the surface friction forces of the water on metal literally causing the water to boil – it’s difficult to comprehend the amount of horsepower being exerted on those things! Actually ONE of the SS United States’ FOUR props generated 14,000 more horsepower than the ENTIRE Titanic. That single prop you were touching lol. Tough to comprehend.
I love how Susan, and probably the whole conservancy, is so optimistic about how the ship could be saved…but man, even I sitting at home just looking at it through Jake’s footage, cannot fathom how you even think let alone start to restore or make anything out of something so historical but so faded and forgotten.
The film notes the lack of wood as a weight saving measure. Actually, that was for fire prevention, she was meant to serve as a troop carrier in time of war, that’s why she was so fast and why the Navy contributed, and as a result they used no wood inside, she even had a custom made piano that was aluminum!
Always fighting a war you can’t ever fully win with ships in the water, takes such an incredible effort and expense just to keep them afloat. Even the very popular and loved museum ships struggle with the cost, its a cruel calculus, especially if they’re just too big to get out of the elements. I always say never pass on a visit to a nearby ship- you never know when something will finally give out it’ll be gone forever.
The thing about these permanently docked ships is that – apart from the preservation bit – they need to be brought into dry dock to be restored/preserved. During their ocean going days, they would regularly receive dry dock inspections but I feel their fates have been left to the hands of building experts rather than naval architects.
I’m old enough to remember the hoopla when this ship was launched. Considering the current condition it is unrealistic to believe the ship can be restored and made a paying attraction due to the costs involved. This assumption is based on the many land based attractions which are less than half this ship’s age which have been built, used, and are now abandoned for my previously stated economic reasons.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!??! Omg! Your production value has just sky rocketed over the last few article! The drone shots, the music/sound, the coinciding flash backs, the adventure! Golly you have always been one of the best- i didn’t realize how much better you could become! Congrats man!! Always been incredible- now even more impressive! Love it! Thanks for sharing your passions with us! 👏❤
Sigh— it’s so sad to see how much of it has already been gutted. The costs to restore the interior would be astronomical— and even then, it’s still not the ‘real’ interior. Best case scenario for the ship is some kind of ‘Queen Mary’ style museum— and we all know how well that is going. 🙄 Wish there was an easy way to just park it in the desert somehow to slow the decay process.
In the 1960s, I was 10 years old. I used to accompany my father to his clients in Manhattan and Brooklyn. As we drove down the West Side Hwy, we saw the overwhelming SS United States in her berth. My father drove up, long before the days of heavy security, and we got a free tour of the extraordinary ship. Many many years later, I was flying into Philadelphia and saw the sad sight below me.
Jake, I just want to say thank you. You have done so much to save history when you can and when you can’t, to at least document it. You’re an amazing person and I just want to say, thank you for all that you do. The young lady who visited the SS United States as a visitor and was moved to become an overseer of this amazing ship is a truly wonderful and an amazing person, too. Thanks to you both for all of your hard work.
I was on this ship in 1956 when my grandparents sailed from Pier 86 NYC to Hamburg, Germany, on it. Just a mere 65 years ago. To this day as a little kid I’ve never forgotten the feeling of movement I got as the ship pulled out exactly at midnight and I felt like I was moving. Certainly amazing for me to see this ship today.
I’m into ocean liners and let me tell you, this beautiful ship was doomed from the start. She was launched without much fanfare or even a ceremony unlike a Cunard or White Star Line excited and anticipated christenings so no one really knew of her/her engineering was a secret. They also didn’t do much with her interior because she was honestly just a fancy military ship to the US government. She was described as bland, utilitarian and like a “floating hotel,” esp when compared to Queen Mary and-the-likes lavish and ornate interiors. She wasn’t trying to take part in the Blue Riband per se – the US just saw how well ships like The Queen Mary or Queen Elizabeth performed during their wartime service and wanted to get in on that/ocean liners that can be converted to troopships, and of course be the fastest. What they didn’t take into account, is that QM and QE were ocean liners built before they joined the war effort not the other way around (that’s also why they have such long and fascinating histories but I digress). Ocean liners just happened to function adequately as troopships but it grew to be impractical and fell out of service in the jet age so they were (sometimes) returned to transatlantic or cruise service if nothing worse happened to them. I don’t say this to down talk her, because she is a beautiful ship and a marvel of engineering and art intersecting, but she deserved to be more than a troopship with lipstick on. I wish they had put as much care into her interiors and definitely her upkeep as they did the engineering.
I remember the first time I saw this ship when I was a child. My family and I were crossing the bridge into Philadelphia and I had looked out my window to see these two massive Red smokestacks and a ship that looked very classy being black and white. Young me was in awe at the structure. This was around the year 2002 so she hadn’t been sitting dock for that long and the exterior was in much better condition than it is now. I had asked my parents if we could visit the ship one day thinking it to be a museum like the train ones in Pennsylvania. It’s a shame it sat for nearly 20 years in that one spot and it’s even sadder how the vessel was treated after she was pulled in the late 60’s.
I’m a cruise fanatic & had the privilege of going on the Grace line (with the authentic brass portholes you opened) & the gorgeous Michaelangelo, all Italian men, yum…back in the 60’s and 70’s as a young girl. Wow…leaving from NY, with the ticker tape…throwing & flowing across to our relatives on the pier, waving goodbye as the funnels blasted was so exciting! I live in Philly & to see her sitting there, the most beautiful and fastest ship in history breaks my heart. I had hoped that 1 cruise line would buy her & make her look exactly as she was both inside and out. Then, have her be “A Retro-Cruise”, for anyone who wanted “the experience to step back in the Time Machine of the glorious days of an authentic sea cruise!” Cruise lines have become so commercialized, the biggest ship now holds 12,000 people! I understand why people love them, but I am old school & enjoy the simplicity of peace, quiet, and looking at the awesome ocean. Baby boomers still enjoy being in their crib…the days were uncomplicated, filled with genuine joy and the romance of both sea and starry nights. If she ever were to regain her immortal beauty, I would jump at a chance to sail on her. Missing the real…good ole’ days! Bon voyage to all you cruiseaholics out there…⚓⚓⚓🐳🐳🐳😎😎😎👒👒👒🩴🩴🩴🧳🧳🧳🩱🩱🩱🌊🌊🌊🚢🚢🚢💖💖💖
I really do hope there’s a happy ending for t his beautiful, incredible ship. She’s one of the classic ocean liners left i n the world, the last one built by the US, and to this day holds the Blue Ribbon for fests Westbound Transatlantic crossing. It’s also worth noting, that while she looks rough on the outside, a hull survey done a few years ago found here hull integrity to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 97%.
Under normal conditions, the ship would have been scrapped some time about 1980 – maybe 1990. The biggest hurdles facing anyone trying to restore her are cost and viability. After spending tons and tons of cash, how much would anyone have to pay to sail or stay on her for her to recoup the restoration costs?
Hello from the UK. This is a really interesting and well made article. I think that the fact that so much of the interior of this ship has been destroyed is its biggest draw back. I can’t help thinking that while all of this trying to find a new home etc. is going on, it would deteriorate far less were it in dry dock. It would be good if something could be done to salvage and find a new use for it.
Me being from the UK, the queen mary is the one i should or shouldn’t have to prefer just because shes one of us, but im beginning to be a big fan of the ss united states. She looks like a right sized liner, not small and not too big. Shes fast and has a nice look to her, i am a huge Titanic nerd and the fact the ss united states has the same height and width compared to the Titanic also makes me become a much bigger fan of this ship, but her length is also just right. 300 meters is enough for a ship anyway
I went NYC to Southampton, England on the United States June 1964, returned on the America. Was 14 y/o and went 1st class with my grandparents. Quite a voyage! Another kid my age and I found the corridor that had a door at the end and when we opened it, there was the Bridge! The crew was very professional looking at their stations, and we made a hasty retreat lest they keelhaul us. The ship had stabilizers that would go out then in as the ship rocked from one side to the other. Remember that theater and pool on the United States and saw a 4 foot scale model of the America in Haddam, CT. Boy that would be a nice addition to the house!
SSUS is a metaphor for today’s America, I think. The best days of this ship coincided with the best years of the USA. And the way she looks today, well…connect the dots. The best thing to do with this ship is to convert it into luxury office, retail, entertainment, and living spaces and moor it permanently in a prominent location in Manhattan….where her glory days were….perhaps near the USS Intrepid. She is the Empire State Building of the Sea, for the USA…a memorial to our glorious days gone by…….
You’ve outdone yourself with this one…You successfully conveyed the sadness of her condition, the hopes for her future, the pang of guilt for letting such a historic Americana rot away. She may be a glimmer of her former glory now but you can sense that she’s not done yet. I hope the Conservancy is successful in its plans for her. You’ve done a tremendous job bringing so many emotions to the screen, especially the pride and hope that Gibbs’ granddaughter showed.
All around the world are groups of folk who have passion to restore deteriorating historical machinery. The sad reality is that that nostalgia more often than not comes with an exorbitant price tag. Technology always improves and what is cutting edge now will eventually become junk. Imagine if this was ‘rebuilt’ in software and was preserved for posterity as something like a guided VR experience – you are at least guaranteed that the ongoing maintenance costs wont mean you’re continually spending your weekends fundraising :\\
What you are looking at is, essentially, a ghost. A ship that spent more time in cold layup that on actual passenger service, whose original interior has been gutted and an exterior corrosion that goes well beyond paint job fading. Her conditions are so poor that any development project won’t go very far. And I believe her owners know that heritage and nostalgia are not even closely strong enough to attract clever money. I really hope they could find a profitable use for the ship that hasn’t to do with the scrapping industry but after the pandemic and the current value of scrap, I wouldn’t blame such a decision.
This brings back sad thoughts of one of my favorite things I never did (that’ll make sense in a second, I promise). Back in the mid-2000s I was doing freelance public relations writing for a handful of industrial companies in Maine (mostly writing articles for internal company news magazines). One of my clients was a major general construction contractor. At that time the company, which was mostly known for big industrial and highway jobs, was branching out into marine construction, and had either bought or was planning to buy one of the old shipyards down in Portland that built Liberty ships during World War II, looking to revamp it as the nerve center for that arm of the operation. I wrote a piece about that project in which I mentioned that one of my great-grandfathers worked in those yards during the war. One day in 2006 or 7, I forget exactly, my contact at the company called and told me, “We’re bidding on the contract to renovate the SS United States for Norwegian, and we think we’re going to get it. We’ll bring her up to Portland to do the work. We’re going to document the whole process and publish a coffee table book about it when we’re done, and (the company president) wants you to be the one to write it. You’ll have to live in Portland for a couple of years and you’ll have total access to the project. Are you interested?” Hell yeah I was, but then 2008 happened and the project, of course, didn’t. Alas, Babylon.
My great grandparents came over from Switzerland on that ship. We have a post card with the ship on it that they wrote their hellos and tellings of safe travel on it. My cousins and uncle live in Philadelphia and pass it every day for work. I’m from Pittsburgh but my whole family has a fascination with that ship.
Thanks for the memories… I travelled aboard in 1961 as well as the SS America. I was 11 years old and so excited to travel on the fastest liner in the world. I recognize many of the parts of the ship and visited her from ashore in Philly in 2012. Sad to see her like this, but it’s a miracle she hasn’t been scrapped, so who knows what the future will bring! Ever hopeful…
Dear United States of America, you are the richest and most powerful country in the world, and you built one of the greatest ocean liners of all time, a symbol of pride for your nation (which trounced one of my own country’s greatest liners, the Queen Mary), and you are apparantly content to leave it gutted and rusting in a dock. Can I ask, what are you doing? Please sort it out. From a friendly Englishman.
Nice Job. I’m fascinated with this ship. Always look for it when in the area. Got to view it dock side. There was a munsters movie (filmed in color BTW) where they travel to Europe to inquire about some inheritance. I remember 3 things about that movie, The plot, it was in color, and they sailed to Europe via the SS United States!
Ahhh man, that’s just a shell now, it’s soul has gone. It’s just lying in state at the dock. It’s looking like a reef in waiting. At least with old buildings you can hollow out the decayed insides, restore the exterior entirely and refill the interior space with what you want. Sure, its just taxidermy essentially, but its something. Not a feasible approach for ships though. Impressive article. Loved how the interview shot of Susan Gibbs shows the sheer of the ship and the length of the promenade, too. Ships don’t have sheer these days, and it’s a really cool feature.
Sailed from England to New York in about 1963 on USS United States. About halfway across, we had quite a storm, high waves and safety lines were rigged in corridors. Not too many folks in first-class dining, but my girlfriend (whose parents paid for the trip) and I were not sick and ate well. Ship did not slow down at all through the storm. You really could not enjoy the open deck because at a sailing speed of about 40 MPH, it was like standing up in a convertible at that speed.
Sorry to say but the attitude of the lady is quite irritating. The world dosent owe her anything. Yes its a very intresting pieace of history and yes hopefully it will get money to be restored.However this lady attitude is “irritating” to say the least. She dosent need to bash other ships and proyects. She dosent need to complain so much. There are many many things in the world that deserve attention. Sorry cat lady but you are scaring of the money away with your entitled attitude. Instead of being positive you are presenting as a very complicated society full of resentment. Not because you are the daughter of the designer or grandaughter that dosent make you owner, judge and execcutioner of the ship. You need better propaganda like the nice gentleman that was narrating.
Presidents and movie stars set sail on this ship. It even was on standby to use in the war because of its speed. It has sat in Philly rotting away. It truly is sad since it made history for its speed. The various, many greedy owners allowed people to strip all of the interiors away to make a quick buck. Jake, another historical building in Philly is the Divine Lorraine Hotel. It had quite a history, and its many owners allowed that to be scrapped. However, a rich businessman finally came in and restored it to apartments and it is in use today. You might want to check out the history if you’re in Philly again. Thank you for shining a light on SS United States.
The more we share articles like these the more possible it will be to bring her back. As negative as some of may feel about the current generation of people in this country, there will always be those interested in history. In the past few years we have seen long forgotten steam locomotives brought back into service. It takes awareness, and a good leader. Guys like Wick Moorman. I’d be curious to know what he has to say about this ship.
I personally think NYC would by far and away be the best location to dock this old ocean liner. It could easily be a very popular and cool attraction to go on as lots of people like to see this kind of stuff. It would be far superior to The Queen Mary if history is well documented and a form of original styling is put onto ship. At least nobody has to rebuild such a gigantic ship. It would just need some major repairs having to do with corrosion and some repainting. Interior is very gorgeous despite sitting for such a long time and there could possibly be a ton of space to use for various purposes.
I watched this ship arriving and departing from Southampton in the 1960s. It’s so sad that it has been allowed to deteriorate so much to the extent that it is probably too late to reconstruct her. It will be fabulously expensive to save her, and financially and commercially impossible. So sad. The Queen Mary has issues too from lack of timely maintenance. The Dutch saved their Rotterdam when it was in a running condition and didn’t allow it to deteriorate. A lesson there.
I get that it’s a very expensive historical object (60-80k per month), and also one which doesn’t have as much historical significance as the Queen Mary or SS America (which served during WW2), but it’s a work of art, and i hope she is restored and preserved. Would be even more awesome if she could be parked in her home port too.
Trying to turn these old ships into modern working enterprises simply isn’t cost/resource effective. It’s like trying to use old locomotives or old airliners in the modern age. Beautiful admirable etc, but not realistic. Everyone can try and “self-arrest” and save the ship all they want–it’s wishful thinking, and not going to lead to anything other than melancholy and nostalgia. Even as museum pieces they’re of terribly limited value and viability. Not trying to be unkind…just realistic.
Jake your articles have always excelled in terms of their production quality and it’s always been obvious you’ve taken a clear interest in getting the best possible shots you can. However I think you’ve really outdone yourself on this one, the framing of Mrs Gibbs with the expanse of corridor behind her is a stunning shot. Also, have you heard of the rumours to allow the RMS Queen Mary to sink due to the growing cost of repairs?
The recently decommissioned Enterprise carrier is ghostly at night. No lights, no sounds, no nothing. It’s weird seeing a carrier sitting there with no sounds. Carriers have a steady hum to them. It’s kind of sad to see because it was the first nuclear powered carrier. We still don’t know what we are going to do with it.
Is it just me, or dose this ship feel how our county has become? I know there is a lot of good, but it feels overwhelmed with all the bad. America use the have this Strong and Pride feeling, and now I feel we have become weak and is running with our tail behind our legs. I really hope this ship will be saved, and not be ripped apart like our county is becoming. And in fact if I could I would even want to volunteer to paint for a day or two.
So here we have another vid on the SS United States. While I have always appreciated what Ms. Gibbs and her organization have done over the years the sad fact is that there will never be enough millions to restore this mighty ship. Too many decades have gone by to ever hope for a restoration. What I believe is a more realistic option for the foundation is to just repaint the exterior of the ship and set it up as a static display. Anything more than that is just fantasy.
Fun fact, this ships sale was halted by the US to a foreign country because the ships design was classified for almost 3 decades. Not until the late 70s were the designs released to the public. The main reason it was so fast was the use of the forrestal class aircraft carrier engine design in this ship which was much much lighter than the aircraft carrier.
I remember in 1955 going from New York to I believe Liverpool on the SS Patch which was an old World War II troop Carrier. It took 5 days and the North Atlantic was certainly a challenge about two or three days out in the middle of it. The SS United States was regarded as the Cadillac of the ocean liners faring back and forth between America and Great Britain back then. By 1959 they were flying us back with a layover in New Foundland.
3:38 Bathing Beauties! Nice! I don’t know, man. The ship looks too far gone. It’s nice there are people hoping to restore it, but it might be better money spent building a replica, and going that route. Build it as close to original specs as possible. Sad to see her in this shape, but time does this to everything.
For those wondering, since it’s not said here, she will never sail again. You can see that Crystal lines envisioned their use for it as an active vessel. But the engineering study concluded that repowering her would effectively require sawing off the whole back end of of the ship, a nightmarishly expensive project.
I like the woman’s enthusiasm. But she’s too naïve and biased. Given the condition of the ship and the cost to not only refit the ship as a museum, make SS United States presentable, and find a home port is unrealistic. The idea of returning the ship to “service” shouldn’t even be considered given the amount of money that would have to be thrown into United States to make her operational, and capable of transporting passengers again. It maybe an unpopular opinion. But I say Reefing is the best option for SS United States. But who knows, maybe in a few years I’ll be wrong and somehow they end up saving SS United States. But looking at the state of Queen Mary. I won’t be holding my breath. Though I would like to be proven wrong.
The comments made about the RMS queen Mary by the head of the conservancy kind of bugs me. The RMS queen Mary carried millions of soldiers across the Atlantic during wartime outrunning numerous German submarines, she holds the record for the most people ever transported at sea and she held the blue riband for over 10 years. All this and she was built 15 years before the SS United States in the REAL golden age of ocean travel. The 1950s cannot be considered a golden age it’s just not the case. Many of the greatest European ocean liners had been lost during the war. SS United States was never a success, she was a national statement and form of American exceptionalism, that’s why the government funded her construction and why she was so fast. She was built in a time that the era was ending and only existed because of state support. Great ship but don’t anyone dare try and downplay the historical importance of the RMS Queen Mary or RMS Queen Elizabeth.
15:10 RMS Queen Mary was launched in 1934. SS United States was launched in 1951. If a ship 16 years newer couldn’t beat it, that would have been shocking.. The Queen Mary was also used in WW2 as a troopship, SS united states was not. Her original fittings were removed and then refitted after the war. I’m not sure why out of this entire documentary, this little quip annoyed me so much. It was such an odd thing to say, should the Queen Mary be sitting in a dock rotting away because another ship was faster? Get rekt. Would be amazing for this ship to have another lease of life though, it’s crying out to be saved.
I witnessed the auction of many items, a dr. in Newport News va. Bought many items,never knew what happened to them after her passing but hopefully they might have been donated to the mariners museum in Newport News VA. One of the United States propellers sits at the entrance of the museum to this day.
I would think if that ship was parked in New York harbor you could find more interest in saving it than in Philadelphia. You could even turn it into a artist community where artist would live and work. People could come on board and go through the different shops and as it is put back into something that looks like it did when it was an ocean going vessel. Maybe have a nice restaurant where people could come in the evening and dine. I just think you have to try anything you can to save this ship.
In 1962 my family rode this great ship from NY to England paid for by the USAF. My father was E7 in SAC and was transferred to High Wycombe in England. For some reason the military allowed my whole family (father, mother and 5 kids) to go there by ship rather than fly. Even I was just a little boy I remember how big the ship was and how many people were on board. We went swimming in the pool and i was surprised it was salt water. The Captain told us that the S S United States was the fasted passenger ship to cross the Atlantic. We were so proud to be Americans haha. What a great ship it was.
Excellent Documentation but where is the Heart of the Ship ??? Where is the THE ENGINE ROOM ??.. What Were her Boilers ? Were the Boilers Babcock & Wilcox or Foster Wheeler ? What kind and how many Steam Turbines ? Condensate and Feed Water Systems ? Did the Boilers burn Bunker-C or #2 Fuel Oil ? What did she use to turn Sea Water into Distilled Water and Fresh Water for the Galley ? Will the Engine and Boiler Rooms be restored ?
I Live in Philly and been lookin at this bucket of bolts my whole life, I firmly believe it will Rot there until the end of time….they wanted to make it a casino or something. When I take my kids to the Phil’s game they say “Yo dad the Titanic didn’t sink!” Looks like the Titanic arrival in Ghostbusters
Super Vid and a super sad story. Sadly this ship is a dead, empty hull for decades. As much as I wish to see her back flying colors in her old glory, I don´t see how this can ever happen. It would be rebuilding the ship and I don´t see that a all. SS United States is much bigger than SS Rotterdam. And even Rotterdam is not COMPLETELY rebuilt. I wish SS United States and the brave women and men who try to conserve her all the best but I really have my doubts. We are talking about a project north of 100 mio USD…
I would love to see a wealthy donor step in and maybe at least have the ship repainted and somewhat sealed up, but it some time and protect it a bit longer, may also move the process along to a restoration of sorts. The thing that pains me more than the interior has to be seeing the rust and faded paint.
It would be such a great thing if the S.S. United States were to to be restored and placed on the ocean again. I remember when this ship was docked in Norfolk, Virginia some time ago near the naval base. I’ve always had a heart for this ship and one day, I would love to see her pride so high after a full restoration! 🙂
Pulled from service in 1969 because … jet aircraft were taking over ?? Funny that very year Cunard launched the QE2 which went on to become one of the most successful Ocean Liners ever, along with RMS Aquitaine ( 1914-1950 ) and RMS Olympic ( 1911-1937 ) ; and now superceded by the RMS Queen Mary II . No – it wasn’t competition from air travel : the ship just became outdated, as all eventually do .
What they should do, is sell her to the US Navy for conversion to a hospital ship. The Navy’s two current ones are old, slow, converted OIL TANKERS!! They should be replaced with the “U.S.N.S” United States. With even modest engines, she’d be several times faster than the U.S.N.S. Mercy and Hope. With new powerful engines, she could reach disaster areas quickly and with her size be able to handle thousands of patients. She would become America’s global ambassador for humanitarian aid. And let’s be honest. The U.S.A. defense budget is over $700 billion. We could afford it easily. Prob cost less than a Virginia-class sub.
The interstate highway system crushed virtually all passenger railroading and much of freight railroading. The ‘United States’ crushed the ‘Queen Mary’ with speed. The Boeing 707 and modern international airports crushed the United States with convenience. Such are the casualties of technological progress. The challenge is finding a suitable payload activity that would generate AND sustain the cash flow needed to cover the maintenance. I took my children and their grandfather (1920-2010, USNA 1943) to see the New Jersey, the Becuna, and the Olympia, all historic treasures moored on the Delaware River waterfront. We happily paid the entrance fees but we only did it once even though we lived near Philadelphia. It’s hard to come up with a viable non-profit business model for old ships, as classy and historic as they may be.
I have worked on ships such as 1960 Empress of Canada, 1966 Home Lines Oceanic, 1964 Shalom/ Royal Odessey, the 1959 Rotterdam, and 1959 Sitmar Fairsea. I have utmost regard for the history of the SS United States. And I have the privilege of living 50 miles away from the RMS Queen Mary. I feel that the SS United states needs to go to some kind . . . any kind . . . .of structural use in its existing outward appearance. . . AS AN OCEAN LINER. It will never sail again, but let’s honor it by using it as a remembrance.
Rather then build a titanic 2 why don’t the worlds billionaires save this old hero. The United States is a spiritual successor to the titanic and is a far far better ship. Plus she’s still above water and never sank. That might appeal to folks, why sail on a floating hotel when you can experience what it used to be like, might be an appealing ad. In all truth airliners are nice but with all the packing of people like sardines into a plane and all the fighting, the acting out and the duct taping of those idiots to seats, ocean liners can use that too. Here’s another add for you. Tired of all the air rage? The acting out? The people acting like adult children? How about an easier way to get to Europe? No we’re not as fast as an airliner but you’ll get to start your vacation 3 days earlier on a real piece of history. Book a passage on the SS United States and see what it was like before ships had to hang water slides over the edge, or before they needed 5 night clubs. And my last one, Vacation simplified, book a passage on the SS United States and start relaxing as soon as you leave port. Nobody screaming at the flight attendants and you can leave the duct tape at home. What’s some peace, quiet and actual space worth to you these days?
My family came back to the States from Germany when I was around 5 or so on this magnificent ship! Is is so SAD to see her in this condition and has sat abandoned for all of these years! She is our country’s Namesake! It should be bought by the Government and turn into a museum or something. Like the USS Constitution. That pool they showed I swam in.
My favorite ship is the SS United States I like its structure and history and how it’s the fastest ocean liner built and still Carry’s the record today apparently it’s risking eviction from Philadelphia and they would have to scrap or sink it if that were to happen I really hope it dosnt also I’ve seen this ship a few times myself I hope it one day sails again or atleast gets restored
The once great ship has bee stripped of anything of value and is now just a rotting hulk. The preservation society for this ship are never going to rais the millions needed to restore her to anything like she was. people vote with their feet. Yes many have great memories of sailing in her but better left with these memories rather than watch the ship continually decay. She needs to go to the scrap yard or sinking out at see and even that is going to cost a large some of money
I would love to see the exterior restored to how it was when I crossed the Atlantic on her in May of 1958, and to have the interior used to create something wonderful. As stated, it is a clean, and very sturdy canvas to work with. BTW, the decks are not wood not to save weight, but to make the ship fireproof. The only wood allowed on board was the grand piano which was made of a wood that would not burn, and the butcher blocks in the kitchen. Even the draperies and bed covers were made from flame retardant materials.
My mother, Myra Duke, was on the 1952 TV show, Your Hit Parade. The whole cast from the Hit Parade came down to the ship to do the last show of the season live onboard the S.S. United States to celebrate it’s launching and her first ever sail from the New York Harbor. Not only was this ship a break through in innovation in ship construction but, the live TV feed that day, on the many differet levels of the ship, was the beginning of the first ever live television telecast: the creation of new television production; and television history. The S.S. United States! Long may she live!
We spend billions of dollars researching the affects of whale farts on woodpeckers. Maybe we could get our flagship cleaned up & fixed up. 🤔 Imagine a national lottery for tickets for every cruise. A free ticket from Maine to Alaska for everyone! Stops in places along the way. Time to invest in America again 🇺🇸
The RMS Queen Mary was launched in 1934. SS US 1951. Trounced 🤣 What do you expect. As the American government was impressed by the liners war efforts it makes you think if this was not one reason for the American government to go ahead with the cloak and dagger work. The truth was the other ship companies knew they could compete with aircraft . So they moved away from speed to luxury being the priority.
good luck to the conservancy, she is a fantastic piece of history. However, it would seem she is only a shell of her prior glory and I’m not sure it would be a viable attraction to see a re-imagined vessel rather than the actual one. Some billionaire that wants a yacht should buy it and modernize it.
Still carrying on about that thing. That ship can never compare to the Queen Mary. Susan is out of her mind comparing an art Deco masterpiece like the Queen Mary to that tacky ugly post modern crap vessel decorated with metal and aluminum with all the grace of a motel. Scuttle it out at sea already and move on.
We rode her in 1965 tourist class and 1969 to England, first class, then returning to the US. If you were part of the military, it was the only ship to return home on. Everyone absolutely loved it. She was a beautiful ship! I was only 12 going to England, 16 on return; so naturally remember the pool and teen club the most. tAs years went by I always remembered the pool as being “dark”. The pictures show why. here are very vew pictures of the pool originally and only a couple after it was pulled to Philly. Thank you for this great view of the pool they way it was! Whoa I forgot about shuffleboard! I also remember how disappointed we four kids were because it went too fast, the trip was too short. We wanted to spend a lot more time cruising the seas. I do have powerful memories pulling into NY harbor after being out of the states for four years. It was very emotional seeing the statue of Liberty for everyone back then. My family and I have been devastated to see what has become of her. I was on a cuise ship back in 2011 and imagine my surprise to see their library was called the SS United States in honor of this great ship! It’s really neat to see my dad’s scrapbooks of everything about the ship, his pictures on our trips and even I took a few. Between us we have menus, flags, passenger lists, the big flag banner, soap, etc and the weirdest thing of all – the sugar cubes! Typical oddities I love. Thank you for showing us this article. Do you sell DVD’s?
so many lovingly comments on this, people who have travelled on her ? philladelphians that looks at her while going to shops close to her docking place as if it were a philly building? so cool, brings to mind, why dont make it one ? dry her out, cut off hull section and make her stand on ground ? little paint job and can be a beautiful abandoned building. can even make it a very rustic homeless shelter ending her abandonment and would still be helping people crossing onto other side of their life, a new life outside the streets. idk. love the film. so professionaly made. thank you.
The holes you are pointing out were found in aircraft before the construction of this once mighty vessel. Check out the construction of multi engine aircraft before and during WWII. We call them liting holes. I would believe that their use in construction of United States, was the first use in a water born craft. I do like your production.
Was quite surprised to see how thoroughly cleaned and gutted the ships interior appears to be! its like an empty palette waiting to be reanimated! Why cant the Conservancy at least give guided tours of the ship to provide some much needed funds to at least help to maintain the current state that it is in? I never expect it to sail again but as long as its afloat and intact its ashamed not to find some purpose for such a magnificent piece of engineering!
The cost of abating this ship had to have been a small fortune, then transport of said asbestos, and properly disposing of it is all very difficult. I would not be surprised if it took five years to clean the ship out but I hope the wood, marble, and steel were used elsewhere and are not sitting in a dump.
I have so many neat crew items in my personal collection. I have signs from the dining rooms showing meal hours, one that says dining room is closed, cleaning staff sheets that were to be filled out when cabins cleaned. Engineering work pads for repairs to electrical, wiring, sound systems plumbing, lighting . Repair pads for the public rooms like upholstery, curtains, tablecloths and such. A sign showing the hours that hung at the ship’s laundry room. A sign from the baggage department, a sign from the ship’s travel office. 2 small signs from the chief steward if need clean linen. Debarkation forms and landing forms. Also a couple of forms that were to be filled out if worked overtime. Unused luggage tags, forms for the envelopes if put stuff in the purser’s safes. Everything is unused, none of the items are fill out. I have them protected in a binder now.
As an Englisman I cannot live further than 60 miles from the sea. As the lady says it’s disgusting that the finest US liner ever built should be allowed to rot while the British Queen Mary is doted upon. I wholeheartedly agree with her. Perhaps the Queen Mary was better kitted out, maybe it’s the ‘Queen’ thing that draws crowds I don’t know. One thing I do know for America to let this lovely ship die is beyond comprehension. How about moving 0.1% of the money you waste on arms to doing something useful. As a further argument how much has Afghanistan cost ? Fine old waste of money that was. I hope that winds a few up. Come on, ‘pull your finger out’ (Prince Philip).
Thank you Jake your very humble and thank you for creating this very special edition to a beautiful ocean liner When you showed that interview with that lovely lady it really moved me All I can say is that the amount of work and commitment and dedication and love that went into creating this beauty only for it to get in this state but its thank to the lady and what she represents and stands for Keep on doing what your doing Jake
Unfortunately this ship is only an empty shell at this point. I don’t see how this could be salvaged. Without any of the original interior I would not be interested in visiting. Sadly, the ship was looted and stripped of everything of interest decades ago, which effectively killed it. It would make more sense to pool the money and save the Queen Mary, which is still salvageable, instead of sinking money into this lost cause.
Found another odd one for coverage. Noticed this thing during a review of the film ‘The Fury’ which has a scene that takes place in an ‘indoor amusement park’ in the Chicago area that only lasted from 1975 to 1980 – before going derelict and being demolished around 1986. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Chicago
It’s a shame to see this amazing ship in this condition. But, it a pipe dream to think that it can be restored. It would take multiplied million just to do what is necessary above the the waterline. Multiplied million more to fix up a couple decks. They’ll throw a couple million away just trying to raise money as the previous owners did just to walk away in the end. Sad!
Thanks for your outstanding article. 10:56 The officer putting the glass on machine telegraph. Is that a vibration test? Greetings from sunny tropical THAILAND Johannes K. Lindgren, born in Suomi-Finland, who once sailed on a 4-master schooner in Baltic Sea. JKL aka “JohnnyBikeSanook!” A septuagenarian Kawasaki Vulcan 650 rider in a small village in northern Thai province Kamphaeng Phet.
The very fact that the ship is still in existence with a ninety to eighty percent structural integrity rating when it was evaluated speaks to the engineers dedication to safety and survivability. When you discussed the metal decks there was another primary reason they were built with steel and aluminum. The single biggest threat to ships at sea is fire. Fire can sweep through ships with amazing speed. That’s why the only wood on the ship was the cutting boards and the lounge piano. With it’s continued existence it’s my conviction that this ship has survived for a future purpose. Since the restoration is too large for one business entity it may fall upon the government to fund it for special purposes. Something that occurs to me is since our President has shown a penchant for placing our Olympic athletes in peril though many have serious reservations about it I’ve wondered whether it would be advantageous to have our people nearby but ready to leave at a moment’s notice. If the United States was fitted out it could sit at the nearest port to any venue as well as serve as a mobile training center. It was already designed to have spa, swimming, and recreation areas to serve a large number of people. Olympic Games are every two years since they alternate. Who knows what other purposes it could serve in the interim periods that could assist in special projects? Since there are continuously changing threats from our enemies that seek to do us harm you could consider this as an additional layer of protection for our citizens.
The Idea of restoring it as a functional vessel is just not viable. The cruise industry has moved on from this kind of thing to be more of a floating resort hotel experience. I also doubt that trans Atlantic pleasure cruising is very appealing or affordable to the modern travel customer. There are many negative points that could be made for pursuing any sort of tourist attraction conversion of the hull. It’s a beautiful ship. But, it’s time has passed.
IMO a good option is to turn the S.S. United States into a museum / hotel positioned in a dry dock with water removed allowing visitors and guests view the entire ship. Of course the hotel being a 5 star operated by several worldwide hotel companies as a joint venture to spread costs to rehabilitate and maintain. Dry dock would be provided either in Philadelphia or Brooklyn Navy Yards. NYC preferably because hotel rooms are never enough as tourism continues to reach record highs and probably the tourists would flock to stay on her! They saved the U.S.S. Texas, they can save the S.S. United States.