In 1960 at age 8, my mother and I traveled from Montreal, Canada to Southhampton, England on a Cunard ocean liner, the RMS Ivernia. In the vastness of the mid-Atlantic, someone spotted a ship on the horizon behind us. The crowd gathered on deck as it became clear that we were sharing the ocean with another ocean liner that was coming our way. Within about 10 minutes that ship was along side us and was identified as The United States. The steam horns were sounded from both ships in greeting and passengers on both ships waved and screamed across the water at each other. The United States pulled ahead and within about 10 more minutes it slipped over the horizon on front of us. She was fast!!!!!
The other day I was watching the Tom Hanks movie called greyhound and I’ll be darned, There was a digital version of the United States prominently in the film.
It is not uncommon for ships and boats that have laid in a silt prone area for a long time to make a grave. The silt and mud builds up, but the movement of the ship pushes it away from the hull. So the ship is still fully afloat, but only in the grave she's made for herself. The grave will extended to the extent of the ships movement on her mooring lines. So it's not uncommon to have to dredge that silt and mud away before the ship can be moved out of that small area. But I doubt very much this is what postponed the United States movement - they would (or should) have surveyed the area around the ship when planning it's movement. Still think it's such a shame that it's the end of the road for the ship - but I think her fate was decided when they originally gutted her. Nine times out of ten the main reason for saving such ships is because you want to preserve history. If all of the history was ripped out of the ship all that time ago there is not much left to preserve. Imagine if the first thing they did with the Queen Mary was to totally get rid of her interior - she would not be here now if that had happened.
The rainy weather gave it a spooky look... reminds me of the ship on " Ghost Ship". I would guess it's just a shell now...all the copper and brass ...or anything worth salvaging...has been removed. It does seem sad that it couldn't have been turned into a museum or something.
I've been following the channel for Battleship New Jersey. It was recently drydocked and numerous videos were posted about the process starting from the planning phase all the way through and beyond. For United States, high tide would be to ensure enough clearance under the hull. As pointed out in another post, probably to clear silt which has accumulated near (but not under) the ship. Since she would need to be moved at low tide to get under bridges, the first step is a move to deeper water. BTW the Battleship New Jersey channel has posted videos of tours around the United States... it does look to be rather far gone for restoration to museum condition.
I took one of the tours on the last weekend that BB62 was in drydock, it was amazing to walk under a ship that big. I thought walking under the propellers would be the most impressing thing but it was the huge rudders that were even more impressive. It was a pipe dream that the United States would ever be restored, she had so much asbestos inside that she had to be completely gutted, look at any video of inside the ship now and it's just all completely bare, just decks and walls. The cost of rebuilding the inside of the ship to make it useful for anything would be more than building a new building on land. I am surprised it's going to be sunk, all that aluminum must be worth something to a scrapyard?
USS Coral Sea CVA43 Coral Sea is sitting on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico as an artificial reef. I believe it is larger than 1040' long? It was a Midway class aircraft carrier.
The evidence you show is very cool and compelling. How did you get the camera in exactly the same place both times? Did you set it on a permanent railing or something? It may be that there's a silt basin around the ship from it sitting in the same place for so many years. So it may be free-floating within its moorings, but if they try to tow it at low tide it will drag, making the tow more complicated. And they really really don't want something that big stuck. And it's also possible that they don't know precisely, so if they don't know that it's for-sure clear, then they'll tow it out at high tide to minimize the likelihood of it dragging. That may be the standard procedure for towing large objects, generally, or maybe on that river. I seem to think that when they towed the New Jersey down river and back up, they had a similar procedure. So that may just be The Way It's Done(TM).
Amazing that the ship has been rusting away since 1969 and now that its finally sold coach roaches coming out if the wood work lying then have a pkan for it.
Indeed. It is a shame to sink a ship that still floats. Nothing against the reef idea -- I know those can be helpful for underwater ecosystems -- but... really? There's literally no better use for an intact hull? Hope it sees lots of dive traffic, at least.
Thanks for the update, Fran!...it would make a really cool tourist shopping ship at dry dock where it's at. But it would take so much renovation! Even homes for the houseless would be a worthy end. But it will still be a cool diving experience for those that can afford that kind of fun. i feel what you mean though, - it's such a waste to see something that took so much work and employed so many people to just end up at the bottom of the ocean.
Hmm if you had a radio scanner you could maybe go and listen to what the sailors are talking about... Hey I got here before you cleared out the sexbot posts for once.
You sentimental fool, you. 😉 That close-up picture of the ship with all its chipped paint and corrosion would make a nice computer screen wallpaper. I often photograph such things for just that purpose.
The metaphoric resonances of all this! There's a lot to mourn, isn't there?
Mom my sister and I sail to France and to England in May 1962 on her. What a ship. beautiful
In 1960 at age 8, my mother and I traveled from Montreal, Canada to Southhampton, England on a Cunard ocean liner, the RMS Ivernia. In the vastness of the mid-Atlantic, someone spotted a ship on the horizon behind us. The crowd gathered on deck as it became clear that we were sharing the ocean with another ocean liner that was coming our way. Within about 10 minutes that ship was along side us and was identified as The United States. The steam horns were sounded from both ships in greeting and passengers on both ships waved and screamed across the water at each other. The United States pulled ahead and within about 10 more minutes it slipped over the horizon on front of us. She was fast!!!!!
The other day I was watching the Tom Hanks movie called greyhound and I’ll be darned, There was a digital version of the United States prominently in the film.
It is not uncommon for ships and boats that have laid in a silt prone area for a long time to make a grave. The silt and mud builds up, but the movement of the ship pushes it away from the hull. So the ship is still fully afloat, but only in the grave she's made for herself. The grave will extended to the extent of the ships movement on her mooring lines. So it's not uncommon to have to dredge that silt and mud away before the ship can be moved out of that small area. But I doubt very much this is what postponed the United States movement - they would (or should) have surveyed the area around the ship when planning it's movement. Still think it's such a shame that it's the end of the road for the ship - but I think her fate was decided when they originally gutted her. Nine times out of ten the main reason for saving such ships is because you want to preserve history. If all of the history was ripped out of the ship all that time ago there is not much left to preserve. Imagine if the first thing they did with the Queen Mary was to totally get rid of her interior - she would not be here now if that had happened.
What?
The rainy weather gave it a spooky look... reminds me of the ship on " Ghost Ship". I would guess it's just a shell now...all the copper and brass ...or anything worth salvaging...has been removed. It does seem sad that it couldn't have been turned into a museum or something.
I was looking at stuff on FB marketplace and saw the United States had a listing. lol
I've been following the channel for Battleship New Jersey. It was recently drydocked and numerous videos were posted about the process starting from the planning phase all the way through and beyond. For United States, high tide would be to ensure enough clearance under the hull. As pointed out in another post, probably to clear silt which has accumulated near (but not under) the ship. Since she would need to be moved at low tide to get under bridges, the first step is a move to deeper water. BTW the Battleship New Jersey channel has posted videos of tours around the United States... it does look to be rather far gone for restoration to museum condition.
I took one of the tours on the last weekend that BB62 was in drydock, it was amazing to walk under a ship that big. I thought walking under the propellers would be the most impressing thing but it was the huge rudders that were even more impressive.
It was a pipe dream that the United States would ever be restored, she had so much asbestos inside that she had to be completely gutted, look at any video of inside the ship now and it's just all completely bare, just decks and walls. The cost of rebuilding the inside of the ship to make it useful for anything would be more than building a new building on land. I am surprised it's going to be sunk, all that aluminum must be worth something to a scrapyard?
I was surprised when I heard it was moving, that thing has been a staple of the waterfront as long as I can remember.
That metal looks rotten. Such a shame to lose history like that.
USS Coral Sea CVA43 Coral Sea is sitting on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico as an artificial reef. I believe it is larger than 1040' long? It was a Midway class aircraft carrier.
The last I heard was that they are waiting for the Caribbean to calm down
Because it would cost more to salvage it for scrap than to tow it thousands of miles and blow a hole in it?
On google maps it looks like there is silt buildup behind the ship, so perhaps not stuck but blocked in.
Only *half* of the United States is stuck in the mud.
The evidence you show is very cool and compelling. How did you get the camera in exactly the same place both times? Did you set it on a permanent railing or something?
It may be that there's a silt basin around the ship from it sitting in the same place for so many years. So it may be free-floating within its moorings, but if they try to tow it at low tide it will drag, making the tow more complicated. And they really really don't want something that big stuck.
And it's also possible that they don't know precisely, so if they don't know that it's for-sure clear, then they'll tow it out at high tide to minimize the likelihood of it dragging. That may be the standard procedure for towing large objects, generally, or maybe on that river. I seem to think that when they towed the New Jersey down river and back up, they had a similar procedure. So that may just be The Way It's Done(TM).
You mark the tripod feet stances with chalk.
I’d say that the United States has been stuck in the mud for the last 8 years.
Amazing that the ship has been rusting away since 1969 and now that its finally sold coach roaches coming out if the wood work lying then have a pkan for it.
Oh, you're talking about the ship, not the state of our country.
(just kidding, I knew that from your past coverage)
Indeed. It is a shame to sink a ship that still floats. Nothing against the reef idea -- I know those can be helpful for underwater ecosystems -- but... really? There's literally no better use for an intact hull? Hope it sees lots of dive traffic, at least.
Thanks for the update, Fran!...it would make a really cool tourist shopping ship at dry dock where it's at. But it would take so much renovation! Even homes for the houseless would be a worthy end. But it will still be a cool diving experience for those that can afford that kind of fun. i feel what you mean though, - it's such a waste to see something that took so much work and employed so many people to just end up at the bottom of the ocean.
It will be sad for it to come to an end as a reef. It's better than going to the breakers, but not exactly preserving history.
Hmm if you had a radio scanner you could maybe go and listen to what the sailors are talking about...
Hey I got here before you cleared out the sexbot posts for once.
Two Thursday’s Ago. Simple
You sentimental fool, you. 😉 That close-up picture of the ship with all its chipped paint and corrosion would make a nice computer screen wallpaper. I often photograph such things for just that purpose.
Has to go under the bridge at low tide
Three bridges. But we're talking about the piers.
Thanks for the update - the ol’ gal prefers to have fresh lipstick before moving out of her comfort zone and into the waterways. Can you blame her? 🚢💕
The first thing I thought when I saw this title is oh no Fran‘s gonna make a political video
You can always count on at least one watcher to take up the challenge.
You have a keen eye!
❤️🔥FRAN❤️🔥