SS United States.... Eviction Day

[Laszlo]

The day has finally come, who knows when the ship will finally be moved......

 

The SS United States was built in 1952 for the United States Line. Not only was she a ship of state, she broke the transatlantic speed record on her maiden voyage. She till holds the Blue Riband for being the fastest Ocean Liner. She crossed form New York to Southampton in  3 days, 12 hours, 12 minutes, averaging 35.5 knots.

However, The SS United States was laid-up in 1996 and still is.

In 2003 the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) purchased the SS United States and effectively promised to return her to service as a ‘state-of-the-art’ cruise ship.

Most industry insiders and commentators, including ship guru’s Bill Miller and the late John Maxtone Graham, were very sceptical that NCL would actually return her back to service. Apart from the immense technical difficulties, it would cost many times more to convert a fifty years old Ocean Liner, into a modern cruise ship, than it would to build  a completely new ship.

In 2009 NCL had sold the SS united States. They had done very little to the ship, in the time that they had owned her, apart from surveying her extensively.

At a modest 53,329 gross tonnes it is difficult to imagine that the ‘Big U’ could accommodate the type of facilities and types of staterooms  that modern cruise passengers expect.  After all, such a ship would need to appeal to the cruising masses and not just Ocean Liner fans. Her  existing internal spaces and low superstructure would probably not be sufficient for balcony cabins, big  atrium’s and multiple dining rooms etc. that modern cruise passengers now expect as standard.  However, extra decks could of course be added, but would probably destroy her ‘classic’ profile.

 

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The deadline has arrived for the SS United States to vacate its current home along the Delaware River, though it doesn't appear that the vessel will move any time soon.

Earlier this year, a federal judge sided with Penn Warehousing that the once-great ocean liner can't stay at Pier 82 in South Philadelphia past Sept. 12. According to court documents, Penn Warehousing warned the SS United States Conservancy, which oversees the vessel, it was prepared to impose a $3 million penalty if the ship is there on Sept. 13.

In August, CBS News Philadelphia learned that the SS US could be sunk off the coast of Florida, and that the Okaloosa County Board of Commissioners was expected to take up the matter at a meeting in early September.

At that Sept. 5 meeting, the board postponed voting on whether the ship would be taken there and sunk off the coast as an artificial reef. County Administrator John Hofstad said the county "hit a wrinkle" with their pier operators, and asked for the vote to pushed two weeks until Tuesday, Sept. 17.

Following that meeting, sources told CBS News Philadelphia that any plans to move the ship are complicated. Because the SS United States is so tall, sources said the ship would come within "feet" of the Walt Whitman Bridge deck, and navigation would need to be timed for the lowest tide. Meetings about traffic on the bridge and in the shipping channel still have to happen.

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/ss-united-states-deadline-vacate-south-philadelphia-pier/

 

 

 

Edited September 12 by Laszlo

[Crown Vic]

Sailed on the SS United States during ‘the day’. Crossed Southampton - New York City in 4 1/2 days in a First Class cabin. Pity the ship was not used in the same way as the RMS Queen Mary, now in Long Beach, California, or the ss Rotterdam now in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Great memories.  Cheers…

 

 

[IAcruising]

Sad.

 

Good luck to Penn Warehousing getting $3M from the Conservancy. Not gonna happen.

 

[chengkp75]

11 hours ago, IAcruising said:

Sad.

 

Good luck to Penn Warehousing getting $3M from the Conservancy. Not gonna happen.

 

However, since this is a maritime debt, they can place an "in rem" lien on the ship, and send the US Marshal's Service to seize the ship, which they can then sell to repay the loan.  The USMS charge a maximum of $50k in commission.

[chengkp75]

Sorry, that should have said, "repay the debt" not loan.  That commission to the Marshals includes the Marshals doing the actual selling of the ship, so Penn Warehousing don't need to do anything to collect the value of the ship.

[ronrythm]

6 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Sorry, that should have said, "repay the debt" not loan.  That commission to the Marshals includes the Marshals doing the actual selling of the ship, so Penn Warehousing don't need to do anything to collect the value of the ship.

What happens if the Marshals can’t find a buyer? Or the price doesn’t even cover the Marshals costs?

[chengkp75]

21 minutes ago, ronrythm said:

What happens if the Marshals can’t find a buyer? Or the price doesn’t even cover the Marshals costs?

scrap value alone is more than $50k

[njhorseman]

Per this article, at a hearing on Friday the judge overseeing the case suspended the deadline and sent the case to be mediated by a federal magistrate:

https://6abc.com/post/hearing-could-chart-new-course-ss-united-states-amid-latest-legal-battle-historic-ocean-liners-future/15298213/

[Panhandle Couple]

Destin FL is in the running to get the ship sunk off the gulf coast as part of a manmade reef system.  It will be the largest item sunk in the gulf for reef formation.

[lizinvan]

Wonder if it is sister ship to the USS America?  Mother and aunt sailed from UK to New York with  her arriving August, 1948

[lizinvan]

3 minutes ago, lizinvan said:

Wonder if it is sister ship to the USS America?  Mother and aunt sailed from UK to New York with  her arriving August, 1948

Correction; must have been the SS America:)

[chengkp75]

The SS America was 10 years, and eons of shipbuilding technology older than SS United States.  The America was about half the tonnage (both GT and displacement) smaller than the SSUS.  The America had only 2 propellers, while the SSUS had 4.  The America was rated at 37,400 horsepower, while the SSUS had a whopping 240,000 horses (over 6 times the power).  America had a top speed of 25 knots, while the SSUS could do 30-38 knots.

[Crown Vic]

5 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

America had a top speed of 25 knots, while the SSUS could do 30-38 knots.

On my transatlantic 4 1/2 day run, the average speed was over 34 knots. Rough weather was not much of a deterrent for speed. Of course the ship was built to be ‘requisitioned’ in time of war. Believe aluminium was the metal of choice. Notice the spelling. Was told the only wood on board was for the Wheel on the Bridge and a ‘cutting board’ in the galley. Cheers…

[chengkp75]

Aluminum was used for the superstructure, steel was used for the hull.

[Crown Vic]

4 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Aluminum was used for the superstructure, steel was used for the hull.

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