Photo courtesy: Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners?
The historic SS United States will be sunk off Florida’s Gulf Coast a day earlier than planned after forecasts of heavy winds forced officials to move up the operation.
Okaloosa County announced Monday that the 990-foot ocean liner will be deployed as the world’s largest artificial reef on Wednesday, November 11, instead of Thursday, November 12. Deployment operations are now scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Central Standard Time.
The change comes as the legendary ocean liner makes its final voyage from Mobile, Alabama, to a designated reef site approximately 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin-Fort Walton Beach.
“Safety is always a top priority in Okaloosa County,” said County Board Chairman Trey Goodwin. “There is simply no reason to take an unnecessary risk when adjusting the schedule will allow us to carry out this historic deployment safely and smoothly.”
The schedule change also means the public sendoff ceremony originally planned for Wednesday afternoon at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center has been canceled.
However, a public viewing party will still take place at AJ’s Seafood and Oyster Bar in Destin beginning at noon Wednesday. A live feed of the offshore deployment will be shown on the venue’s large outdoor screen, with an online livestream link expected to be posted at thessus.com before operations begin.
County officials are also preparing for potentially hundreds of spectator vessels near the deployment site and are urging boaters to follow instructions from safety boats overseeing the operation.
The deployment will take place on Veterans Day, adding another layer of significance to the final chapter of America’s most famous ocean liner.
Built in 1952, the SS United States still holds the record for the fastest transatlantic crossing by an ocean liner. Following decades of inactivity, the vessel has undergone extensive environmental remediation in Mobile in preparation for its transformation into an artificial reef.
The sinking will mark the end of the ship’s 74-year history above water and the beginning of a new role as a diving destination and marine habitat off Florida’s Emerald Coast.
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