SS United States - Fastest Cruise Liner and Flagship of US Merchant Marine - To Be Sunk!

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  • Опубликовано: 18 окт 2024
  • SS United States to be Sunk
    October 17, 2024
    In this episode, Sal Mercogliano - a maritime historian at Campbell University (@campbelledu), and former merchant mariner - discusses the decision to reef SS United States off the coast of Florida and the history behind the historic vessel.
    #SSUnitedStates #cruiseship #passengerliner
    Support What's Going on With Shipping via:
    Patreon: www.patreon.com/wgowshipping
    Twitter: @mercoglianos
    Facebook: @wgowshipping
    Email: mercoglianosal@gmail.com
    End of an Era: Historic SS United States Transferred to New Owners
    gcaptain.com/e...
    SS United States Conservancy
    www.ssusc.org/
    VideoSSUSC
    / @videossusc

Комментарии • 835

  • @Hillsidedojo
    @Hillsidedojo День назад +204

    Sad news, I immigrated from England to the USA on that ship in the 1960's.

    • @Gav_Jam
      @Gav_Jam День назад +9

      😮

    • @robturner7853
      @robturner7853 День назад +8

      Wow!!! Now thats some history.

    • @gridley
      @gridley День назад +6

      The QE2 launched in the late 1960s still exists in Dubai, UAE. Around the same time, the SSUS was retired & could have capitalized on 1950's nostalgia. But its interior was ripped out in the 1990s, so even if in better shape, maintaining it would have been a struggle. The QE2 apparently isn't too lucrative as a stationary business, & the QM in Calif often struggles too.

    • @kitt2000car
      @kitt2000car День назад +2

      @@gridley There have been other ships that were turned into floating hotels that failed. And eventually were scrapped.

    • @CawKee
      @CawKee 21 час назад

      Just curious, where did you settle in America? Any stepping stone towns/cities? 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

  • @svveritas9704
    @svveritas9704 День назад +90

    Sad news. I was a passenger on the SS United States in 1963. From France to NY.

    • @kyleglenn2434
      @kyleglenn2434 День назад +2

      Well you will have that memory forever. I can't even dive on the President Cleveland

  • @philhatfield2282
    @philhatfield2282 День назад +125

    I'm giving a thumbs up, not because I enjoyed this bit of information, but in honor of the S.S. United States.

  • @MarilynFromTarotClarity
    @MarilynFromTarotClarity День назад +171

    My uncle designed the turbine engine for this beauty. I will miss seeing her every time I pass her on the WW Bridge. I always say, 'Hi Uncle Bill,' whenever I pass the ship.

    • @JohnDrummondVA
      @JohnDrummondVA День назад +10

      So sad. I have wool blankets, an ashtray, and some other bits and bobs from her decommissioning. Folk from my hometown served on her as officers and crew. Here's to your Uncle Bill.

    • @MarilynFromTarotClarity
      @MarilynFromTarotClarity День назад +6

      @@JohnDrummondVA Thank you. :) I don't have anything from the ship, but I am proud of my uncle's accomplishment. No ship has ever crossed faster!

    • @garymartin9777
      @garymartin9777 День назад +5

      The engines were donated by the US Navy which had ordered them for a new carrier --- the USS United States, which was canceled in favor of nuclear ones coming along.

    • @charlesweaver2406
      @charlesweaver2406 День назад +1

      That's wonderful it was a fun time to do so, the competition was fierce between USA and England

    • @uweschmidt6052
      @uweschmidt6052 День назад +2

      Ich habe nichts von ihr, wie denn auch?
      Ich trage sie im Herzen❤. Eine Ära geht zu Ende. Endgültig!

  • @Marshal_Dunnik
    @Marshal_Dunnik День назад +94

    A sad end. The only silver lining, I suppose, is that being scuttled to form a reef and dive site is better than just scrapping.

    • @SaberToothBicycle
      @SaberToothBicycle 19 часов назад +1

      It is sad. It's a truism--that a boat is like a gap in the water into which large sums of money are hurled. A ship--is a much larger gap in the water.
      The costs eclipse the nostalgia in most cases long before now, but this was a long-foreseen inevitability. And I too agree--good to see it continue its service as an artificial reef.

    • @TOO_TALL305
      @TOO_TALL305 18 часов назад +1

      If only people were smart enough like y’all to understand that the costs would be extremely prohibitive to see her refurbished to museum use

    • @TheMotorGuyDirect
      @TheMotorGuyDirect 6 часов назад

      It’s a lot more respectful than scrapping. I think this was the only real option.

  • @harrybenson9983
    @harrybenson9983 День назад +49

    Back in 1959, as a boy, on my way to Germany aboard a Navy cargo ship, Dad was to be stationed in Germany. We were notified about four days out that the SS Uniited States was going to pass to the port side very shortly. We went out on a weather deck and witnessed it whizzing by on its way to the States. It was a magnificent sight. Sad to hear its fate.

    • @mojoneko8303
      @mojoneko8303 День назад +4

      That's about the time I sailed on the SS United States to Germany.

  • @TheRussianFloofCat
    @TheRussianFloofCat День назад +70

    The fastest ocean liner built. Current holder of the Blue Ribband. Left forgotten. And that's an absolute shame.
    Was in Philadelphia this past July and saw the ship with my own eyes. And that's a chance I'll never get again.

    • @dh2032
      @dh2032 День назад +1

      and the new are not getting any faster, so it's one a kind and the propellers replaceable consumables, like car tyres, they get worn out and replaced.

    • @charlesyoung7436
      @charlesyoung7436 16 часов назад

      The military specs that the SS United States was built to gave it enough horsepower to keep up with an aircraft carrier. Many believe that 38 knots was not its true top speed. Slightly larger than the Titanic, it actually weighed less due to the extensive use of aluminum in its superstructure. Would like to see the mast, with its internally accessible crows nest preserved somewhere. I went to the week long Norfolk auction in the 80's. Bought a sand painting panel out of the Navaho Lounge and the Taurus sculpture off the cabin class dining room wall. Got to see them in place on the tour given before the auction began. Not sure I'd go see the ship in its present shape even if tours will be allowed. Seeing her as she had been preserved seems good enough.

  • @carlmontney7916
    @carlmontney7916 День назад +50

    What a bitter end for a great lady. She ruled the Atlantic Ocean with speed and a grace never before seen, nor ever again. Then she was put aside and left to be forgotten. It's honestly heartbreaking that a famous piece of America like this was just left to rot away and fall apart.
    The ocean she once ruled over will now receive her and she will become one with it. Many will be able to still view her greatness as her journey ends
    RIP SS America 🇺🇲

    • @kyleglenn2434
      @kyleglenn2434 День назад +3

      AND she will never leave

    • @oldman975
      @oldman975 День назад +3

      Beautifully said. Thank you.

  • @TerryHickey-xt4mf
    @TerryHickey-xt4mf День назад +29

    when I was a kid in the 1960s we were waiting to emigrate to Australia from the UK, my parents rented a cottage on Hailing island for a short while. Every ocean liner that came into Southampton had to go past our cottage. The kicker was, as all the great liners headed strait at us from the channel, you could see their funnels appear over the horizon before the actual hull. When I first saw the United States it was love at first sight, the funnels had wings! how cool is that. The shape, the red white and blue, the trendy squat designed funnels and the fact it held the blue ribbon, all made this my favorite liner of all time. Today I am a very sad Pom.

    • @Wgowshipping1
      @Wgowshipping1 День назад

      My helpline is as follows!
      ... Firstly, plus 1571
      ... Secondly 412
      ... Lastly 0575
      I need to clarify a few things and share some important information and details with you. I'll be expecting it on WA!!

    • @richarddixon7276
      @richarddixon7276 День назад +1

      Me too.

  • @roderickcampbell2105
    @roderickcampbell2105 День назад +21

    For the SS United States. From Newfoundland, Canada

  • @Saddletramp1200
    @Saddletramp1200 День назад +17

    How fitting a time for this. I'm a Mariner & I will be homeless this Tuesday. Only tears.

  • @michaelridey1129
    @michaelridey1129 День назад +7

    I was a young engineer working at Newport News Shipbuilding on the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) in the late 1960's. The SS United States was tied up at one of the piers in the shipyard, alongside the USS Enterprise (CVAN 65), and the SS Manhattan, the first commercial ship to make the Northwest Passage. Never was able to get aboard any of these ships, but it was amazing to see so much marine history in one place.

  • @tonyInPA
    @tonyInPA День назад +9

    I’m a volunteer for USS NEW JERSEY just up the river, and over the last couple of months when coming aboard and then down below near the fantail i look to the southwest to see the stacks of the UNITED STATES still there.
    This weekend might be the last time I’ll see her and that’s sad.

  • @spiegeje
    @spiegeje День назад +12

    As a kid, I built a model of the ship along with QEII, Canberra and others. I always loved reading about the ship and am sad too. I do look forward to possibly diving on her in Okaloosa one day and pay her homage.

  • @imdeplorable2241
    @imdeplorable2241 День назад +6

    A huge THANK YOU to the S.S.United States and everyone who has ever served on it. STILL the fastest ship ever! Remarkable.
    Rest in Peace, ol' girl.💐

  • @gregfarmer1304
    @gregfarmer1304 День назад +12

    She’s actually quite similar to an Iowa. Same propeller configuration. Similar engineering plant. Now the speed makes a lot of sense!

  • @seanwoods647
    @seanwoods647 День назад +15

    I have been following this since the 90s. At this point I feel mostly relief that *something* is being done.

    • @scottlewisparsons9551
      @scottlewisparsons9551 День назад +2

      I agree. I feel the same way.

    • @Wgowshipping1
      @Wgowshipping1 День назад

      My helpline is as follows!
      ... Firstly, plus 1571
      ... Secondly 412
      ... Lastly 0575
      I need to clarify a few things and share some important information and details with you. I'll be expecting it on WA!

    • @crazychicken7125
      @crazychicken7125 День назад +2

      yeah, and honestly if the choice is between reefing and scrapping, I would rather have her be a reef. At least people and animals can get some more use and enjoyment out of her for a while more.

  • @iain4295
    @iain4295 День назад +9

    Well covered Sal, sad news indeed. Salty tears for the ship and the bitter death of rusting away. 😢

  • @agcala9619
    @agcala9619 День назад +8

    Thank you for this video. I was a passenger on the SS United States as a teenager and have great memories of the journey. Eva

  • @Torchmanz
    @Torchmanz День назад +8

    We are here for ya Sal. Salute to a real icon of Americana.

    • @Wgowshipping1
      @Wgowshipping1 День назад

      My helpline is as follows!
      ... Firstly, plus 1571
      ... Secondly 412
      ... Lastly 0575
      I need to clarify a few things and share some important information and details with you. I'll be expecting it on WA!!!

  • @Phileas_Albert_Sinatra
    @Phileas_Albert_Sinatra День назад +16

    i'm so happy that i mannaged to put together her kit months before this happen
    at least i can say my final fairwell to her on my exhibition (because i host one at my local libary where my model ships and trains are displayed)

    • @chrislongbeard
      @chrislongbeard День назад +2

      The Revell or IMC kit? I rebuilt a badly built IMC a couple of years ago.

  • @Fred_Bender
    @Fred_Bender День назад +6

    My father was one of the thousands of workers who built the S S United States . I was born in 1952 at the Newport News Shipyard .The hospital back then was at the shipyard . My father said it was a good place for a hospital since shipyard workers were getting bad injuries all the time .Later he got a job at Langley Air Force Base for NACA . I had a great uncle that was on a crew that made the anchor/chain that's at the Mariners Museum . I haven't been back there since they were building the Ronald Regan .

  • @Missvoodoomama
    @Missvoodoomama День назад +3

    My grandfather was a merchant marine who had the pleasure of spending time on this ship. I’ve got pictures of him on it 💜 I love that I get to learn more about the places he’s been through this channel! Thanks Sal👍

  • @wendygerrish4964
    @wendygerrish4964 День назад +10

    Wow I remember reading all about the SS United States when I was young. Its stats were amazing, and it looked so noble pictured cutting through the ocean.

  • @michaelmeehan9083
    @michaelmeehan9083 День назад +5

    I'm a base commander for US Submarine Veterans. I am so glad we've preserved as many WWII era submarines as we have. Come visit the Cod in Cleveland and the National Museum of the Great Lakes here in Toledo.

  • @aubreytycer8708
    @aubreytycer8708 День назад +6

    I boarded the United States in Norfolk in 1983. We bought linens and serviceware. It is an awesome ship.

  • @mike-cherylsmithson9539
    @mike-cherylsmithson9539 День назад +12

    Beautiful story. Like old friends, I felt the same way when my ship, USS Mississippi CGN40 was chopped up. Gut punch, but so many great memories.

  • @creativecatalyst777
    @creativecatalyst777 День назад +9

    I'm sorry for your loss. May she rest in peace❤🎉

  • @jackdamron382
    @jackdamron382 День назад +11

    When I taught a course on Marine Geography at Old Dominion University I assigned a field trip to the Mariners Museum in Newport News so the students could be aware of the history of the SS United States. The museum had an extensive curated display of the ship including artifacts and information about Gibbs. Sad news.

  • @waltrogers9770
    @waltrogers9770 День назад +6

    My grandfather was on her record-setting translant voyage. As a boy, when I went to Norfolk to visit my grandparents, I remember seeing her stacks dominating the waterfront

  • @chetcalhoun613
    @chetcalhoun613 День назад +6

    The prop arrangement sounds similar to Battleship NJ. It’s docked across the river from SS United States. Sad demise to a remarkable ship! Thanks for the video Sal!

    • @richardhiskett5422
      @richardhiskett5422 День назад +4

      Didn't Ryan visit the United States and say the engineering plant is essentially the same as the Iowas. All that power pushing a lighter ship.

    • @chetcalhoun613
      @chetcalhoun613 День назад +1

      @@richardhiskett5422 , I think he did…I’ll have to go back through his channel and look.

  • @austinrothjr
    @austinrothjr День назад +3

    I used to drive past her a lot in Philly a few years ago when I was living in northern VA and working in NJ. Now I’m an airline pilot and I love seeing her when flying into PHL. Flying in there in two days so I’ll have to give her a silent salute as we pass by.

  • @anthonyroberts7987
    @anthonyroberts7987 День назад +4

    Very lucky as a young boy to have seen her in all her glory arriving and leaving from Southampton. Sad news today. Memories returning tonight after watching this episode.

  • @kevinbarry71
    @kevinbarry71 День назад +7

    The pinnacle of commercial shipping except for one small detail; it lost money hand over fist. it was a marvel for its time; but it's time is long gone. At least they finally figured out what to do with it.

  • @radiosnail
    @radiosnail День назад +9

    A sad but honourable end. Ship preservation is so expensive. How many preserved ships in America will still be afloat in a century? Britain never preserved battleship let alone a liner. We were bankrupt.

  • @wtmayhew
    @wtmayhew День назад +5

    The SS United States proudly dominated the heyday of transatlantic travel. Living on as an artificial reef will allow her to educate future generations for at least a while.

  • @fubar1764
    @fubar1764 День назад +7

    In the brief moment I lived in Philly, I saw the United States across the road from the IKEA. Remember reading into it once I realized what she was! While I'm not surprised that she's not turning into a museum ship - the refurbishment would be way too much, it's sad to see such a piece of history be sunk..

    • @WALTERBROADDUS
      @WALTERBROADDUS День назад

      We already have museums in Philadelphia that are far more historically important and need care.

  • @phlogistanjones2722
    @phlogistanjones2722 День назад +2

    Thank you as always for the video Sal. I understand the strength of your feelings concerning this vessel. I am glad she at least will have a resting place of honor off the Florida coast as an attraction for divers and a new home for fish. Reefing is in my opinion a certain measure of respect. She deserved better but she got what she got.
    Peaceful Skies

  • @mattwilliams3456
    @mattwilliams3456 День назад +7

    Sad day for the nation, not just the merchant marine.

  • @Alphie_G
    @Alphie_G День назад +4

    My 👍 is for Sal’s coverage of this sad situation as well as for his excellent coverage of shipping and how it ties into our lives.
    From a different perspective, I’d give 👎👎
    That’s from the perspective of someone long interested in the history of ships and all things maritime.
    It is also flavored by being a nuclear science & marine engineering grad of Sal’s alma mater, NY Maritime.
    The flavoring goes even deeper. Can’t recall whether it was my 3rd or 2nd class (sophomore or junior) year at Maritime. But one weekend instead of heading home to Long Island I stayed on campus and then headed to Manhattan with a classmate. Somehow we wound up on the SS United States. After a self-guided tour we met one of the engineer officers and had dinner with him.

  • @malcolm20091000
    @malcolm20091000 День назад +8

    She was the fastest, but also many years late to the gate. She was profitable only for about 4 years, until the mid-1950s. The nostalgia, coming 40-50 years later, seems misplaced now.

    • @Wgowshipping1
      @Wgowshipping1 День назад

      My helpline is as follows!
      ... Firstly, plus 1571
      ... Secondly 412
      ... Lastly 0575
      I need to clarify a few things and share some important information and details with you. I'll be expecting it on WA!

  • @russellgrindle4409
    @russellgrindle4409 День назад +4

    In 1952 my family sailed ro England on the SS United States. What I remember is standing on the dock with my Mom and brothers looking up at the biggest thing that I had ever seen. We were a military family going to live with Dad in England.

  • @Apodicticus
    @Apodicticus День назад +4

    Wow. This brings back memories, My first ‘real’ job was at American Export Lines (17 Battery Place, NYC). Late 1973. They had already divested themselves of the SS United States (though I never missed an opportunity to point it out on I Love Lucy). They still operated the Savannah, if memory serves, but there were really no ports that would welcome the only privately-operated nuclear cargo vessel.

  • @additudeobx
    @additudeobx День назад +1

    Sal. in just this video clip of the SSUSS you have provided a great remarkable story of her history. I think it was a commendable, great story of her. I feel something to be proud of, not saddened by. She has served her time with HONORS.

  • @prof_sceptic
    @prof_sceptic День назад +2

    It is touching to see a love for a machine and feel for it ..!
    Ships have a Spirit and so do aircrafts
    I can empathize with the feeling of sorrow and sadness

  • @brucelytle1144
    @brucelytle1144 День назад +8

    Never saw her. When I first started sailing (after the Navy) in 79, I sailed on a few US Lines ships, all cargo. There were a lot of "old timers" that would wax poetic about how great it was to be on!
    There were alot that thought she'd be brought back as a cruise liner.
    A shame to see her go, yet for an overall good purpose, instead of rotting away pier side.

  • @slaytonmarks7537
    @slaytonmarks7537 День назад +4

    I remember traveling on that ship from US to France in the 60's. We had a beautiful suite. It had a beautiful swimming pool. Great memories.

    • @Wgowshipping1
      @Wgowshipping1 День назад

      My helpline is as follows!
      ... Firstly, plus 1571
      ... Secondly 412
      ... Lastly 0575
      I need to clarify a few things and share some important information and details with you. I'll be expecting it on WA!!!!

  • @danmorrissette4814
    @danmorrissette4814 День назад +2

    i Remember seeing Her when i was driving trucks to Philadelphia, just beside Penn Wharehouse. in 2000 She still had the Presidential Flag on Her Bow ! Majestic Ship ! 37Knots is incredible !!

  • @positivefandom9066
    @positivefandom9066 День назад +2

    Hello 😊. I wondered what would become of this vessel. So many enthusiasts have been making videos of her and reminiscing about her glory days.
    It’s too bad it couldn’t have been preserved.
    At least her existence is well documented. Thanks for the video 😊💎

  • @thedabblingwarlock
    @thedabblingwarlock День назад +22

    Unfortunately it seems like we're about 40 years too late to save her. Still, I hope she'll be a good home for wildlife.

    • @joeconnolly89
      @joeconnolly89 День назад +6

      she had a shelf life of less than 10 years anyway being made of aluminium and steel

    • @flinch622
      @flinch622 День назад +2

      Smart observation: there are big decisions to be made around the 30-35 year time frame for any large vessel. Wait too long, and drydock can become too big a question mark. Cofferdam work just to get in shape to approach full repairs? Very large price tag and extended lead times to form & fit sections needed. Just doing the ultrasonic testing work and the following engineering analysis is a hefty job.

    • @thedabblingwarlock
      @thedabblingwarlock День назад

      @@flinch622 Thanks. I appreciate the extra information, too.

    • @thedabblingwarlock
      @thedabblingwarlock День назад

      @@joeconnolly89 Funny how we keep trying that combo. This was the big issue with the Austal LCS design, well that and apparently the USN was like "Nah, we don't need an active anode on this thing! It'll be just fine."
      (I think anode is right but it could be a cathode.)

  • @George7Baldwin
    @George7Baldwin День назад +7

    When I visit IKEA, I sit at the windows and have a lunch. Watching the USS United States is the view at the port across the street.

  • @lyleparadise2764
    @lyleparadise2764 День назад +2

    I've had the pleasure of sailing on some of these old school cruise liners over the years when my dad preferred to travel by ship over airliners whenever possible. Thinking back, they were truly iconic experiences that I will never forget.

  • @kevinmyles6369
    @kevinmyles6369 День назад +9

    Sad affair they're getting rid of her but indeed will cost a fortune. She's a true monument 💔 Unfortunate really no private investors willing to purchase and still preserve her, making it a hotel and museum and such.. ugh 😩

  • @yourkomrade
    @yourkomrade 18 часов назад +2

    They should have turned it into a museum a long time ago. Beautiful ship.

    • @Wgowshipping1
      @Wgowshipping1 9 часов назад

      My helpline is as follows!
      ... Firstly, plus 1571
      ... Secondly 412
      ... Lastly 0575
      I need to clarify a few things and share some important information and details with you. I'll be expecting it on WA!!

  • @brucemurray2520
    @brucemurray2520 День назад +2

    Great episode. Thanks!

  • @Flokithedog
    @Flokithedog День назад +4

    I used to drive by that ship in Philly when I worked at a ships agency over there. RIP.

  • @roderickcampbell2105
    @roderickcampbell2105 День назад +4

    Breaks my heart. A beautiful ship. The United States was a very handsome vessel, but also will suffer the same fate of others.

  • @davidcottrell1308
    @davidcottrell1308 19 часов назад +1

    Wonderful vessel...When my family returned to the US from 3 years in Munich, Germany it was on this ship. We had a great trip.....great food, we got to watch a movie (I was 10 years old)...it was a blast!

    • @Wgowshipping1
      @Wgowshipping1 9 часов назад

      My helpline is as follows!
      ... Firstly, plus 1571
      ... Secondly 412
      ... Lastly 0575
      I need to clarify a few things and share some important information and details with you. I'll be expecting it on WA!!

  • @wrightsublette1701
    @wrightsublette1701 18 часов назад +1

    Dear Sal, I really enjoy your content and follow you & Ward Carol weekly. I’m a resident of Okaloosa County and I hope to come up at some point to see the SS United States while she is being prepared for her fate. Hopefully our paths will connect at some point over the next year. I was stationed in Norfolk in the 1980s, and also remember seeing her on the water front during my active duty in the USN 87-91. I would love to meet you one day. Cheers, - Wright Sublette

    • @Wgowshipping1
      @Wgowshipping1 9 часов назад

      My helpline is as follows!
      ... Firstly, plus 1571
      ... Secondly 412
      ... Lastly 0575
      I need to clarify a few things and share some important information and details with you. I'll be expecting it on WA!!!

  • @merlynsdad
    @merlynsdad 16 часов назад +1

    When I was a kid I remember seeing her being built at NN Shipbuilding. She was a gorgeous ship, and I felt a sense of pride seeing her from the old James River Bridge. Sorry to see her go but recreational divers should get the same feeling.

  • @mstallion98
    @mstallion98 День назад +5

    Yes very sad news. It does have a lot of history. While living in the Norfolk area in the late 70’s and early 80’s. I remember seeing it many times while it was docked in Norfolk. I believe it was docked in Norfolk during my entire time living there. Also I remember the auction they had for the items on the ship. Unfortunately I did not try to take advantage of that opportunity to get something from it.

  • @prsearls
    @prsearls День назад +7

    That is sad but I'm glad she'll not be turned into scrap. My one and only ship model was of the SS United States, I built in the 1950's (probably a Revell kit).This was unusual for me as I was really into airplane kits back then. It was a very nice-looking model.

    • @Palaemon44
      @Palaemon44 День назад +1

      I built it as well back in the fifties. The kit was reissued about twenty years ago and this time I built it with photoetch railings, rigged it, and mounted it on a simulated water surface inside a display case so it stays dust free.

    • @Wgowshipping1
      @Wgowshipping1 День назад

      My helpline is as follows!
      ... Firstly, plus 1571
      ... Secondly 412
      ... Lastly 0575
      I need to clarify a few things and share some important information and details with you. I'll be expecting it on WA!

  • @timothyreilly4499
    @timothyreilly4499 День назад +5

    A profound sense of grief.

  • @gunnergoz
    @gunnergoz День назад +1

    I was saddened at the news but glad to have found your channel. I have a particular interest in US liners as I was an "army brat" and crossed the Atlantic 5 tines by the time I was 16 (i.e. 1964,) going back and forth as my father was transferred. Ship travel was normal in those days, air crossings reserved for officers' families for the most part. I recall the first two crossings were on WW2 troopships, the Hodges and the Rose. Later cruises were on American Export Lines liners SS Constitution and SS Independence. The latter two vessels were a treat compared to the USNS transports, although the transports were not in their wartime state and were comfortable enough. I'd love to know what happened to the AEL liners - I think one or both of them might have ended up in Hawaii. Either way, I've subscribed and will peruse your videos in the coming days and weeks as they are of great interest and well made. Kudos!

  • @robertChapel
    @robertChapel Час назад

    Good to see your mention of Ujifusa's book. I have been interested in Gibbs and his firm, Gibbs and Cox.You didn't mention it, but building this ship was his life's dream. He had about a thousand people working in his design firm, doing lots of work for the US Navy, and kept a large model shop operating during the war years. One of their models of a destroyer is in Rickover Hall at the US Naval Academy. It is a cutaway model, perhaps 16 feet LOA, and shows every detail in all the compartments. The Gibbs and Cox model shop is long gone, but its reputation is still there for serious ship model makers today. You perform a real service, and you do know your stuff. Thank you.

  • @wenfritsch4647
    @wenfritsch4647 17 часов назад +1

    A late friend of ours was the chidrens program director on the uss UNITED STATES during the 50s

  • @deniseatkins9407
    @deniseatkins9407 День назад +5

    They tried to save one of the three sisters that transported people across the river Humber here in the UK. Unfortunately the Lincoln Castle, after being at several homes the trust didnt succeed in saving her and she was cut up for scrap another sister the Tatashall Castle is on The River Thames the other Farringford Castle is somewhere on the south coast.

    • @pigdroppings
      @pigdroppings День назад

      The British Labour gov took two of the ships of the line from the Napoleonic wars out to sea and sank them in about 1950.......insanity,

  • @michaelparker4457
    @michaelparker4457 17 часов назад

    Excellent Commentary on a sad state of affairs. Thanks so much for your efforts!

  • @mojoneko8303
    @mojoneko8303 День назад +1

    Damn I traveled from New York to Germany on this ship when I was 5 years old back in the 50's. My father was a US Army Sargent. It was a beautiful Ocean Liner. Nothing like the cruise ships today. I still remember leaving New York and seeing the Statue of Liberty. I still have the little book they gave to passengers about the ships services and schedule. So sad. I gave your video a like anyway in reverence to this great ship.

  • @AndrewUtz3
    @AndrewUtz3 День назад +4

    Sal, I believe the plan for one funnel at least is to place it at the museum the conservancy is going to build on shore nearby her reefing location.

    • @Wgowshipping1
      @Wgowshipping1 День назад

      My helpline is as follows!
      ... Firstly, plus 1571
      ... Secondly 412
      ... Lastly 0575
      I need to clarify a few things and share some important information and details with you. I'll be expecting it on WA!!!!

  • @k9killer221
    @k9killer221 День назад +6

    I think being laid down to rest as a dive destination is the most honourable end possible. It will remain far longer and retain honour/fascination into the far future. As the ship stands now, it's a stripped out hulk, rusting away on the quayside. And scrappage means it's gone forever.

    • @kentvesser9484
      @kentvesser9484 День назад

      Yeah, it was pretty obvious decades ago that there wasn't going to be a financially sustainable repurpose of the ship either as an operational vessel, hotel, or museum. How it managed to linger for so long after that is an ode to sentimentality and the inability to get rid of old junk. In many ways, it likely should have never been built as the writing was on the wall already in the early 50's for the end of the ocean liner as propeller planes were regularly crossing oceans already and jet based passenger aviation was clearly on the horizon and likely to make ocean liners even less viable. This ship was all about the fastest passage, and planes were already blowing it away when it's keep was laid. It's like building the fastest horse drawn wagon while Henry Ford is starting production of Model T's.

  • @nickdawson9270
    @nickdawson9270 День назад +6

    Magnificent ship from a bygone era. I think I saw her once passing the Lizard Point off the UK south-west coast in the 1960s at speed.
    Did the DoD insist on a non-flammable grand piano?

    • @AndrewUtz3
      @AndrewUtz3 День назад +2

      That was William Francis Gibbs who insisted all the materials she was fitted and decorated with be flame-proof. Even the cloth materials were fibreglass. That’s amazing you had the opportunity to see her sailing by!

    • @nickdawson9270
      @nickdawson9270 22 часа назад +2

      @@AndrewUtz3 Regarding flame-proofing, I believe that was to enable the ship to double as a troop ship during the Cold War period in Europe.
      Regarding the sighting, I was in my early teens staying at a hotel beside the lighthouse at Lizard. The building is still there but now a youth hostel. Beneath the lighthouse is a brightly painted wall marking the official eastern end of the oceanic crossing, I imagine for Blue Ribband purposes. I guess from offshore, aligning the white lighthouse tower with the vertical strip on the wall beneath provides a finishing line for record attempts.
      The liner in question was passing on the horizon at speed and I was looking through a fairly powerful telescope owned by the hotelier. I recall it was difficult to track the ship through the eyepiece , because it was moving so fast. I cannot be certain it was the SS United States. I was told it was. I presumed he would know because of regular sailing times to and from NY. Judging by the speed, what else could it have been? I like to think it was and imagine what a trans-Atlantic crossing would feel like today.

  • @eddiea1213
    @eddiea1213 День назад +4

    I was 3 years old when it was launched. RIP

  • @billykershaw2781
    @billykershaw2781 День назад +4

    Bibliography Sal...well done...

  • @JPaul60
    @JPaul60 День назад +6

    I remember seeing the ship docked down river from US Navy NOB in Norfolk in the 70's. You had to go past it on Hampton Roads Blvd going in and out of the base. I'm not a big fan of sinking ships for reefs there's just something wrong about sunken ships. I would have had it scrapped years ago and at least recoup some of the cost some of the owners have incurred being obstinate. Every piece of equipment has a life span and memories are better than unnecessary costs. Saving the screws is a great thing and I'd like to see them.

    • @garymartin9777
      @garymartin9777 День назад

      Hampton Blvd.

    • @jeffreyhill8040
      @jeffreyhill8040 День назад +1

      You beat me to it... I was about to add that the ship had sat there, just south of the D&S Piers, at least from '74 to '76, when I was aboard ship. My ex-wife and I rented a little open boat with an outboard, from the Navy Recreational Services, and cruised the waterfront.
      Went idling down the port side of the United States and ran our hands along the big riveted plates. Quite the perspective from the waterline, looking up.

  • @MLGVorkScoper
    @MLGVorkScoper День назад +1

    11:54 I understand your grief here. A vessel I knew was reefed in 2018, Twin Capes, and I watched the video once and never again. I knew a lot of the crew and quite a few said they didn't watch it at all. So sad to see but certainly better than razor blades.

  • @michaelflaxcombsr9095
    @michaelflaxcombsr9095 День назад +1

    HELLO SAL, I CAN APPRECIATE HOW YOUR FEELING. SOMETIMES A SHIP LIKE THIS , IS LIKE PART OF SOMETHING THAT BEEN IN YOUR OWN HISTORY! SHIPS ARE USUALLY REFERRED TO AS HER, OR SHE. AND ITS NOT QUITE AS BAD AS BEING SCRAPED . AT LEAST IT WILL BE THERE AS LONG AS IT CAN LAST ON THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN. BUT ITS STILL A SAD DAY! GREAT VIDEO AND REPORTING ON HER HISTORY! TAKE CARE AND STAY SAFE BUDDY!

  • @janerkenbrack3373
    @janerkenbrack3373 День назад +2

    I feel the same, Sal.
    I would love to have a world where enough people wanted to cross the pond on a ship, so treasures like the SS United States could continue.
    Second to that, I wish we had a world where the great ship could live a second life in all her glory.
    And third to that, I don't know. But becoming a reef in more or less one piece is a lot better than scrapping or bombing.
    I find some solace in hearing that so much of her insides had been stripped and sold off, and that her props have homes. What's left is just the shell. In a way, she's already gone.
    She was the fastest ever.

  • @Feline_Frenzy53
    @Feline_Frenzy53 День назад +1

    How perfectly awful! I was so hoping they could save her. I am very sad. Thanks Sal for bringing us this tragic news. I'm glad though that she will be a reef instead of being dismantled.

  • @Lookingoutthere
    @Lookingoutthere 21 час назад

    Great work Sal as always.

  • @leefromoakville3810
    @leefromoakville3810 День назад +11

    It’s always a sad affair when any ship is sunk, but the real tragedy is the lack of cars and neglect she was allowed to endure for so many years.

    • @bryanst.martin7134
      @bryanst.martin7134 День назад +4

      As a marine service technician, the upkeep of a small vessel in water is several thousand per year for a 35' boat. This thing is 1000' long? She has to be drydocked, and bottom cleaned and repainted every 3 years. The parasitcs would cost millions of dollars, otherwise the sea turns her to ore. Then there are those pesky storms... She will now shelter many from the turbulent storms. They tend to swim all day.

    • @AndrewUtz3
      @AndrewUtz3 День назад

      Her superstructure is made from aluminum. That made her more durable against the weathering on the topside. It kept basic upkeep in these years since her interior fittings were stripped more economically feasible than it would have been otherwise. The ocean is impressive in its ability to return whatever is immersed back into its constituent elements. How long can a ship go between dry-docking and repainting the hull before corrosion sets in?

  • @patsfan614
    @patsfan614 День назад +1

    I was fortunate to get a tour of her a few months back. Sad times for the ship

  • @Lakridza67
    @Lakridza67 День назад +1

    Oh that’s so sad Dr Sal! Really heartbreaking,😭💔

  • @who2u333
    @who2u333 День назад +3

    Although disappointing, I'm glad that the ship will stop just rusting away. She deserves better.

  • @ArthurRogers-qm1gt
    @ArthurRogers-qm1gt 13 часов назад

    I share your feelings Capt. Sal about the SSUNITED STATES. As a life long merchant seaman, who is medically beached I really miss the ships, sea, and the many shipmates I made over the years. The iconic SS UNITED STATES represents a symbol of what the U.S. MERCHANT MARINE used to be, and no longer is. Such a shame the vessel now must meet her current demise as an artificial reef in the Caribbean Sea. That said it is better for her to RIP in Neptunes Kingfdom than in the Ship Breakers Yard. It is still hard for this old Mariner to swallow.
    Art Rogers, Hawsepipe Mariner

  • @2gnospam
    @2gnospam День назад +1

    Remember cruising a small boat by it on the Elizabeth river in Norfolk about 1980. Sorry to hear of it being sunk.

  • @Comm0ut
    @Comm0ut День назад +5

    Artificialy reefs are wonderful for aquatic growth and fishery support. It had its day but in 2024 it's nothing but scrap shaped like a ship.
    Now it can entertain (its purpose was to entertain passengers after all) divers for hundreds of years.

    • @davidgenie-ci5zl
      @davidgenie-ci5zl День назад

      It wont last 100s years. look at what is left of the titanic. it will collapse into a rust stain quickly.

  • @JackPitmanNica
    @JackPitmanNica 18 часов назад

    Just wanted to say, I enjoy the touch of keeping the thumbnail on the first few seconds of the video. I had no idea until I just noticed, but I often want to see the thumbnail for a little before the video shows. Sals videos do that because he puts the thumbnail as the first couple seconds. I love it !

    • @Wgowshipping1
      @Wgowshipping1 9 часов назад

      My helpline is as follows!
      ... Firstly, plus 1571
      ... Secondly 412
      ... Lastly 0575
      I need to clarify a few things and share some important information and details with you. I'll be expecting it on WA!!!

  • @bobkoski3964
    @bobkoski3964 20 часов назад +1

    During the last Century, I attended shipboard and aircraft fire fighting school in Norfolk under the shadow of the SSUS. She looked a whole lot better back then than she does now. We shall have to wait and see what it will take to get her ready for reefing.

    • @Wgowshipping1
      @Wgowshipping1 9 часов назад

      My helpline is as follows!
      ... Firstly, plus 1571
      ... Secondly 412
      ... Lastly 0575
      I need to clarify a few things and share some important information and details with you. I'll be expecting it on WA!!

  • @mikemorgan4432
    @mikemorgan4432 18 часов назад +1

    I is a great loss, I hope in future we wake up and regain our ability to build great Ocean going vessels again.

  • @59jm24
    @59jm24 День назад +3

    38 knots at sea, the jet age, 380 knots in the sky

  • @berthaduniverse
    @berthaduniverse День назад +1

    Great News!

  • @paulkersey2179
    @paulkersey2179 День назад +1

    Pretty much how I feel, but I think it was always inevitable, thanks for your excellent coverage of this story.

  • @garymartin9777
    @garymartin9777 День назад +4

    It may have been in Newport News briefly but it was docked in Norfolk for at least 8 years after its 1969 retirement. The amount wasted on dock fees for 55 years is astounding.

    • @Wgowshipping1
      @Wgowshipping1 День назад

      My helpline is as follows!
      ... Firstly, plus 1571
      ... Secondly 412
      ... Lastly 0575
      I need to clarify a few things and share some important information and details with you. I'll be expecting it on WA!!!

  • @itellyathis
    @itellyathis День назад +1

    Thanks!

  • @robjohnson8660
    @robjohnson8660 День назад

    Thanks Sal

  • @craigtheng
    @craigtheng День назад +8

    Thank goodness!! It's a dilapidated dump that no one is ever going to waste the money on to restore. Ryan from the Battleship New Jersey channel did a tour of it a few years ago; it's a gutted hulk.

  • @threemarksat210
    @threemarksat210 День назад +1

    Sad news, but far from the worst thing happening in the US today. Who ever thought I would want to know what's going on with shipping? Carry on Sal, luv ya bro, thanks for the news.

  • @markiangooley
    @markiangooley 23 часа назад +1

    My late Mom’s favorite ship. In the 1950s before she got married she’d save up her money and go between the U. S. and Germany (she was originally from near Königsberg, her mother and sisters were living in West Germany and she was living in Chicago, but she’d visit them) by ship sometimes. For her trip on the United States she booked an upper class cabin and was at the Captain’s table at least one night.
    Sad that this is how the ship will end up, but not really a surprise…

    • @Wgowshipping1
      @Wgowshipping1 9 часов назад

      My helpline is as follows!
      ... Firstly, plus 1571
      ... Secondly 412
      ... Lastly 0575
      I need to clarify a few things and share some important information and details with you. I'll be expecting it on WA!

  • @PhD777
    @PhD777 День назад

    Thank you very much for doing this video!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸