SS "United States" World's Largest Artificial Reef

[GordMay]

Officials in Florida’s Okaloosa County, hope to send the SS “United States” to the bottom of the Gulf, to create the world’s largest artificial reef, a diving attraction that boosters hope will generate millions of dollars a year in local tourism spending for scuba shops, charter fishing boats and hotels.

The largest [990 feet long, 53,330 tons] passenger ship, ever built in the U.S., the SS “United States” shattered a record for the fastest trans-Atlantic crossing, by a passenger liner, on its maiden voyage, in 1952. On that voyage, the ship crossed the Atlantic in three days, 10 hours and 40 minutes, besting the RMS Queen Mary's time by 10 hours. To this day, the SS United States holds the transatlantic speed record for an ocean liner [average speed of 36 knots].

But, the plan* hit a snag Tuesday, after local officials in coastal Okaloosa County in the Florida panhandle postponed [until the board’s next meeting, on Sept. 17] a vote, on the plan [$9 million budget] to buy, and purposefully sink the SS “United States”.

Currently, the largest international artificial reef is a short trip over on the panhandle in Pensacola, Florida, where the 888-foot-long USS "Oriskany" now sits on the Gulf floor.

* The Proposal ➥ https://okaloosacountyfl.iqm2.com/Ci...93&Inline=True

SS UNITED STATES ➥ https://www.maritime.dot.gov/multime...3%2C330%20tons.

Oriskany Reef ➥ https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/...eefs/oriskany/