A shared humanity: SOS for SS United States

This is an SOS for SS United States. An open letter to America.

And I write this statement with a sense of urgency and heartache.

The SS United States is a historic ship who holds significant merit for America. However, if you consult the news, you may begin to seriously question where America is at and what her priorities are.

The vessel SS United States exists with us now. But, the clock is ticking and ever more quickly. In a matter of just a day or two – a period that can be counted in mere hours - it is likely that an official announcement will be made, determining that SS United States will either be intentionally sunk or sent to a breaker’s yard.

It is an unfortunate and deeply troubling situation for anyone who cares about history, national identity and what fundamentally makes us human. And it all arises thanks to one small US-based company who appear to have taken an almighty strop.

More about SS United States

• SS United States: Why her preservation matters
• SS United States: American historical hypocrisy at it's finest
• Heritage evicted: SS United States ordered to leave berth by September

This business is known as Penn Warehousing. With a company website that looks like it hasn’t been updated since the early 1990s, Penn Warehousing appear to be a business out of touch with how the real world functions. Combine that with a Glassdoor review that cites only 23% of employees approve of CEO John Brown and you wander into even dodgier territory.

In 2021, Penn Warehousing demanded that the SS United States Conservancy – a group made up of well-meaning volunteers and heritage enthusiasts - suddenly paid double in monthly docking fees, an eye-watering $1,700 per day – to store the ship in southern Philadelphia’s Pier 82. The fight started from there.

Fighting to save America's maritime masterpiece

Understandably, in a bid to protect not only their rights but also their ship, the conservancy fought back. They stated the sudden increase in rent had never been negotiated and in fact went against Penn Warehousing’s very own rental agreement.

Much like a rogue landlord, Penn Warehousing ignored all counterargument and took the SS United States Conservancy to court. In doing so, it threatened to sue the group while actively pursuing making the SS United States homeless.

Penn Warehousing’s lack of compassion and greed for hefty sums of money now threaten a physical embodiment of America’s pride and national heritage. And its all over some rent.

In the subsequent court proceedings, Penn Warehousing not only demanded extra rent and all the unnegotiated back-payment of such, they also claimed SS United States had damaged Pier 82. No further explanation of this particular accusation has been publicly offered.

Craig Mills, an attorney for Penn Warehousing recently stated “After decades of decay and delay, it is time to acknowledge the unavoidable and return Pier 82 to productive commercial service.” But what is a berth for, other than docking a ship?

Penn Warehousing currently have a customer residing in said berth and they are making money from that arrangement. Any ship in position could cause damage, it is an unavoidable aspect of operating a port. The logic doesn’t make sense and simply sounds like an excuse to cover up a subtle form of social cleansing. Boot the SS United States out, charge the next willing mug twice as much, who might also damage the pier somehow.

But Penn Warehousing are no longer alone in considering how to get rid of SS United States . Likely primarily rooted in economic concern, all of America seems poised to discard one of their own and an icon at that.

Most will argue, given estimates of approximately $400 million, that the SS United States simply costs too much to retain, fix and transform into an alternative public venue such as a floating hotel or museum.

As such, enthusiastic debate currently rages across the nation on how best to trash a vessel that means a great deal to a great many people and America as a whole. You’ve got to ask, whatever happened to preserving the past and facilitating national pride?

Of all the counties, Florida seems to be the most excited about the possibility of sinking SS United States. They propose to make her an artificial reef.

Granted, this is a potential solution for a ship that has nowhere else to go. It can be agreed that it is a more dignified way of relocating a ship than scrappage. Equally, it is important to acknowledge that an artificial reef can boost biodiversity in an otherwise stale marine environment. Fish populations often swell by shipwrecks and, with them, fishermen follow suit.

Additionally, there is talk of how deliberately sinking the SS United States could provide a perfect playground for divers and how, in turn, their need for accommodation, food and entertainment while in town could boost a given county’s finances. But surely any ship could serve as an artificial reef rather than the one which was once America’s flagship?

Economy vs Reality

In a tough and unpredictable economic climate, it is easy to see how SS United States has suddenly become a valuable carrot on the end of a stick.

Currently two counties in Florida – those of Okaloosa and Escambia – are on the cusp of a bidding war for the soon-to-be homeless ship. Both state a keen interest in obtaining SS United States and making her the world’s largest artificial reef. But at what cost to everyone else?

In the long-term, is this really a solution that people will go on to congratulate the highest bidder on? I guess it depends on what you see when you look at SS United States. To many, she is a historical liner that was once America’s pride and joy. I fear, however, to many more Americans, the ship simply represents several fistfuls of dollars.

From the other side of the Atlantic, I am listening to the ongoing discussions on the fate of SS United States, my eyes are pricked with tears. It makes me ask - does everything really come down to money and the acquisition of a fast-buck?

All SS United States needs is somewhere to reside. The conservancy is not asking for a financial bailout.

One of the interested counties has stated that a special museum conveying the ship’s history will be made near to where she will be sunk to become an artificial reef. As a maritime enthusiast, I already believe – before a single brick of said museum is put in place – that I have no compunction to visit this kind of venue.

An enthusiast wants to engage with the real thing and take heart from the fact that it still exists. Great joy can be taken from the fact that it can still be seen and touched.

I already anticipate a young child asking the awkward question of ‘If this ship was so great, why did you sink and destroy her?’. Would-be curators may hope this query will never asked but it’s just a matter of time. Children can cut through smoke and mirrors with ease. Indeed, I myself would like to ask America the very same question.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not so disillusioned that I can’t comprehend how boosting a given area’s economic potential via an artificial reef is tempting, justifiable even. I understand that people must have a means to earn a living, a chance to improve prospects in their locale.

In the country where this SOS emanates from, the cost of day-to-day life is a relentless challenge. People are genuinely struggling to have the basics like never before. My generation don’t know if they’ll ever get to buy a house, whether they should have children or not, if they’ll ever be allowed to retire or when this gloomy economic depression will end. I empathise, I am living in these circumstances as I write this.

Of course I would not deny an area the opportunity to right itself. If I had no heart, I would not care about the SS United States nor be troubled by her predicament. However, even when my own bank balance has periodically dwindled, I have clung to my principles and the things that mean something to me. It is human to want more than just the functional.

We take inspiration from certain cues in our culture while taking comfort from the past. We feel a need to connect with generations gone by and their aspirations. They help remind us of our own and to understand where we have come from.

Is it really only about money?

If money was the only priority, we wouldn’t appreciate older items or mark state occasions. We wouldn’t have museums and we wouldn’t relay our real-life narratives to the next generation. We need much more than money and brutal functionality.

We need beauty, history, culture, soul, a shared humanity. From time-to-time we might need a dollar but we don’t deconstruct our national monuments when economics get tight. I sincerely hope we would never dream of it.

And what of maritime enthusiasts and those who appreciate a historical vessel – what do they make of the circumstances surrounding SS United States? If the ship is sunk, many will never get to see her for real. Once she slips under the waves, she isn’t coming back.

Who seriously wants that reputation hanging over them? Will any county really be able to proudly announce ‘Yes, America had a national icon in the form of a ship once but we bought her for cheap and deliberately sunk it.’ It’s absurd.

I am not American but I do feel like I am watching an American nightmare in maritime heritage unfold. Even across the Atlantic, there is appreciation of how special SS United States is. I sit here and wonder why America can’t see it for themselves.

How can a country be so blind to something that they themselves created which is so magnificent? Pardon my ignorance but how can American citizens be so gregarious while making these very plans?

Would you set the White House on fire so keenly? Would you catapult a wrecking ball towards the Statue of Liberty simply because tourists will spend their disposable income where she lands if you were to do so? It’s nonsense, shambolic and disgraceful. America should be ashamed of itself.

SS United States is an iconic vessel that once represented all that is loud and proud and utterly American. She possesses revolutionary technology, impressive strength and a deeply fascinating history.

Her unashamed funnels carried the colours of red, white and blue – those of the American flag – high and wherever she went. She was America wherever she arrived, the ultimate representative for a proud nation.

And she was a damn fast ship at that. It is rumoured she could do 40 knots. Even now that’s almost unheard of. SS United States happens to the last true holder of the Blue Riband, a famed prize keenly competed for between shipping fleets. SS United States crossed the Atlantic quicker than Cunard’s Queen Mary.

That in itself is an impressive feat. RMS Queen Mary is one of the, if not the best ship, in the world.

SS United States: A wartime hero who never was

Had the need become apparent, SS United States could have helped defend America from the potential threat of the Cold War because she herself had significant military development deep within her structure. She looks like a passenger liner but secretly she has a naval heart.

SS United States was also one of safest ships in the world. Sail today and the ship you travel upon has likely taken some safety notes from SS United States in one way or another.

Lessons from catastrophic maritime disasters that occurred before the 1950s were fastidiously woven into her very fabric. You can’t set her on fire and even if she were to tilt badly, there used to be enough lifeboats for everyone on each side. No-one was going to be left behind.

Since 1996, SS United States has patiently waited for a brighter day within Pier 82 in southern Philadelphia. In that time, much of her patriotic paint has flaked off and inevitable surface rust has progressed along her once sharp and sleek lines.

But don’t be fooled. Despite the launch of SS United States having taken place way back in the early 1950s, a recent survey found that her hull remains surprisingly intact, solid, viable. You see they made things well back then. She doesn’t have any of this modern, disposable rubbish with a short-shelf life deliberately factored in. SS United States was made to last and mostly she’s still holding up.

To someone unaware of the engineering genius that she represents, she likely just looks at first glance like a tired ship in dire need of the heave-ho. But I can assure you she is not.

But try telling that to Penn Warehousing. For them, it literally seems that the sooner SS United States leaves their pier, the better. It is literally a case of ‘get out’, come hell or high water.

For many Philly residents, SS United States is thought of as a welcome entity, something familiar and interesting nestling in their locality. Despite her now faded appearance, the ship attracts history and maritime enthusiasts from around the world who bring both their curiosity and spending money into town.

The ship hasn’t exactly been abandoned in Pier 82 either. She is the genesis point for and is being looked after by a well-meaning team known as the SS United States Conservancy. Many are volunteers who understand the ship’s place and importance in American history.

Serving as the conservancy’s President and co-founder is Susan Gibbs, grand-daughter of William Francis Gibbs. William was one of America’s most notable naval architects who happened to design the SS United States.

A final SOS call for SS United States

I currently fear for everyone who works at the SS United States Conservancy. Not only are they going through an extremely stressful and financially taxing situation with the ship, the process of it all is the equivalent of having all your dedication and hard work thrown back in your face.

The SSUSC are passionate individuals who have invested a great deal of time, effort and their own money into keeping a part of America’s heritage alive. I dread to think how devastating it is to have numerous meetings occurring across your native land that all discuss how best to sink something you have worked so tirelessly to keep afloat. If SS United States is sunk, most of the aspirations the conservancy have sink with her.

There is no need for this situation. It needn’t be like this. Yes, SS United States needs a new pier to call home and yes it is hard to deny that she doesn’t look a little worse for wear. But America is the richest economy in the world and what it looks like to every other country is that she can’t afford or isn’t willing to keep a hold of her national treasures.

If I were American, I’d find that more than just a tad embarrassing.

In this situation, where is the America the rest of the world knows? Where is the gung ho, the pluck, the American dream? As I end my message on the SS United States, I implore America to think again. Sinking this ship and making some money from the process is an option but it’s not very American. It doesn’t resonate with American values.

America is the country that does things, not because they are easy but because they are hard. Save yourselves and your country’s reputation by saving your ship. This is an SOS for SS United States. Please respond.