November 11, 2026
Colleen Claggett/For PhillyVoice
The SS United States, shown above during its departure from Philadelphia in 2025, is being sunk Wednesday afternoon off the Florida coast.
Nearly two years after it departed Philadelphia, the SS United States is set to be sunk Wednesday off the Florida coast.
The sinking is being livestreamed below. Programming begins at 1 p.m., with the boat's deployment starting at 2 p.m.
The deployment originally was scheduled to take place Thursday, but an inclement weather forecast moved it up a day.
The ocean liner, which broke the transatlantic speed record on its maiden voyage in 1952, will become the world's largest artificial reef after it comes to rest about 20 miles off the coast of the Destin Fort-Walton Beach. The ship is expected to settle about 180 feet below the ocean's surface, with its top deck about 60 feet below. That will make it a destination for both experienced and novice divers.
The reef also is expected to attract tuna, marlin and swordfish, making it an appealing fishing destination, too.
Under federal environmental and explosives rules, explosives cannot be used to sink the ship, Okaloosa County spokesperson Nick Tomecek told ABC News.
Instead, a system that once allowed the SS United States to pull seawater into its tanks to cool its boilers will be used to sink the boat, he said. The tanks have been removed, and once the valves are opened, water will enter the hull. Water also eventually will enter through 10-foot by 10-foot holes that have been cut into the decks and through more than 400 spaces where portholes have been removed.
The ship is expected to take 45 minutes to sink.
In preparation for the deployment, the ship underwent cleaning to remove toxic elements that pose a threat to the ecosystem. In total, 128 fuel and lubricant tanks have been emptied, cleaned, inspected and refilled with water. All exterior paint was removed, and officials said more than 200 samples have been collected to ensure that there aren't high levels of polychlorinated biphenyl. However, environmental activists have raised concerns about the possible presence of a toxic primer known as zinc chromate.
Two funnels, the radar mast and propeller also were removed from the ship as well as hundreds of historic artifacts.
In its heyday, the SS United States carried celebrities like Walt Disney, Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne, plus four presidents: Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy and a young Bill Clinton. But following its retirement, it spent nearly three decades docked in Philadelphia.
Following a lengthly legal battle between its longtime owner, the SS United States Conservancy, and the ship's landlord, Penn Warehousing, Okaloosa County purchased the vessel for $1 million in 2024. It was towed away in February 2025, and officials planned to spend $20 million to clean the vessel, sink it and build a museum about its history.
The museum will include the ship's funnels, radar mast, propeller and other historic artifacts from the ship.
Tomacek told PhillyVoice that Okaloosa County is "honored" to have the chance to work on this project.
"The SS United States has an incredible story to share with the world," Tomacek said in an email. "As the world's largest artificial reef, the SS United States will be visited by tens of thousands of people each year. It will become an incredible haven for marine life and provide countless opportunities for our tourism industry."
Two documentaries featuring footage from the sinking are expected soon after the deployment.
