Can This Ship be Saved?

The SS United States, considered the ultimate transatlantic liner, is surely one of the most beautiful powered ships ever built. Despite her important position in American maritime history and her aesthetic appeal, the ship is threatened once again to be scrapped--and this time the threat is imminent.

Launched in 1952, the United States was intended primarily for passenger service but also to be quickly convertible into a high-speed troop transport--the construction was substantially government-subsidized for that reason. Overall design responsibility was with Willard Francis Gibbs, who had been thinking about ocean liners since he was in college: among the many other projects of the firm that he co-founded was the design of the WWII Liberty ships.

The engineer in charge of the propeller design for the United States was Elaine Kaplan, one of the very few women working in the field at that time--the prop design was considered innovative enough that it was classified for several years, along with details of the ship's underwater shape. Four geared steam turbines drove the ship with a total of 240,000 horsepower. On her maiden voyage, the United States broke the eastbound speed record (previously held by the Queen Mary) with an average speed of 35 knots, thereby winning the coveted Blue Riband, and did the same on the westbound trip. Normal service speed was 30 knots, with a maximum demonstrated speed of 38 knots. (35 mph and 45 mph, respectively.)

Operated by United States Lines, and carrying 1928 passengers and 900 crew, the ship quickly became a favorite on the North Atlantic run. Considerable attention had been given to the interior decoration, subject to the constraint that fireproofing was considered a critical design priority. There was an emphasis on 'restrained elegance over glitz and glitter.' As was standard in ocean travel at the time, the ship had a three-class structure: first class, cabin class, and tourist class.

By 1957, air travel was biting significantly into the travel market previously dominated by ocean liners. Labor problems in the early 1960s, resulting in some canceled voyages, did not help. The ship began operating in the Caribbean as a cruise liner, but her operating costs were high compared to other ships working in the area. Upon the completion of her 400th voyage in 1968, the ship was withdrawn from service.

Since then, there have been various owners and prospective plans: In 1976, the Norwegian Cruise Line planned to purchase the ship and convert her into a Caribbean cruise ship, but the U.S. Maritime Administration refused the sale due to the classified naval design elements of the ship. NCL purchased the former SS France instead. (These features were finally declassified one year later.)

The ship is now owned by the SS United States Conservancy, an organization run by Susan Gibbs, the granddaughter of the ship's designer Willard Francis Gibbs. They have been attempting to locate a seaport city that would be interested in developing the ship as a hotel and tourist attraction, similar to the Queen Mary in Long Beach—so far without success. There was also a recent and supposedly very serious project undertaken by one cruise line to look at converting the United States into a modern cruise liner, but this was eventually judged infeasible. The owner of the space where the United States is docked (in Philadelphia) attempted to double the dockage charge. A court did not allow that but ordered that the ship vacate the space by September. If $500,000 is not raised by that time--for towing and initial dockage fees at a new location--the ship will be scrapped or turned into an artificial reef.

Redevelopment of the ship would be expensive--especially given that the furniture and fixtures were removed and sold at auction many years ago. However, I believe that with good marketing, promotion, and political connection development, a successful fundraising effort to save the United States is possible.

There are several US memorial warships, and very appropriately so. It would be good to also have a ship memorializing the great age of transoceanic sea transportation. If you feel inclined to contribute, funds are urgently needed. Donations can be made at the link.

And if you know of a city that could benefit from the presence of this ship, and local agencies and/or officeholders that might be helpful, I'm sure the SSUSC would love to hear from you.