Progress made to ensure SS United States can leave Philadelphia waters safely, Coast Guard says
David Boone of Cherry Hill has spent his life on the Delaware River. This retired tugboat captain has had a special connection to the SS United States.
"When she came up the river, myself and a few friends were on the only pleasure boat out there, taking pictures of the ship's arrival, which was really spectacular," Boone said, remembering the August 1996 event.
Later that year, Boone was responsible for maneuvering the ship, with a dozen tug boats, under the Walt Whitman Bridge.
"It was really interesting because they weren't sure whether it was going to fit under the bridge," he said. "They made all the adjustments and predictions and everything, but it never dawned on anybody will it fit."
They made it and towed the ship to Pier 82 in South Philadelphia, where it's been docked for 29 years.
"It's out of this world because it's completely dead. It's relying completely on the tugboats. There were 12 tugboats there that day and they did a masterful job," he said.
The Coast Guard this week confirmed to CBS News Philadelphia, after months of delays, that "positive progress has been made" in making sure the vessel can safely be towed down to Mobile, Alabama. Sources say that was the final hurdle to clear allowing the ship to finally leave Philadelphia.
The ship will be cleaned and prepped for sinking as part of an artificial reef off the coast of Destin, Florida. CBS News Philadelphia was told experts are now figuring out when the tide will be most favorable to move the SS United States.
The ship was expected to leave this past fall in 2024, but a tropical storm and last-minute concerns about a possible bridge strike canceled those plans. Additional testing was ordered and, as of last week, it has been concluded.
As for Boone, he had hoped there was life for the ship above water.
"This is the second best choice other than scrapping, which I really didn't want to see," he said.
CBS News Philadelphia reached out to a spokesperson for Okaloosa County, Florida, which now owns the ship after purchasing it for $1 million as part of a budgeted $10 million project to deploy the vessel as an artificial reef.
Officially, they had no update on when the ship would be moved. We asked the Coast Guard the same question and they said they preferred not to speculate.