SSUS Awaits "Reefing" Date
- Diana Mathur
- Jun 4
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 17
Stormy Final Chapter for the Historic SS United States?
One project I’m currently involved with has been in a holding pattern and may have just got a green light: Superliner, a documentary directed by Bob Radler, produced by Kris Mathur, and executive produced by Mark Perry and the SSUS Conservancy.
Superliner follows the extraordinary story of the SS United States, the legendary ocean liner that still holds the transatlantic speed record more than seventy years after her maiden voyage. Today, the ship stands at the center of a debate over her future—and the timetable for her planned sinking as an artificial reef remains uncertain.
Several anticipated deployment dates have already come and gone.
To understand the SSUS general backstory, watch this short-form video created by Wes Mathur Media and filmed inside the remarkable Los Feliz home of ship geek, screenwriter, and former Conservancy president Mark Perry.
Catch a glimpse into one of the world's finest private collections of ocean-liner memorabilia, original SSUS artifacts, vintage travel posters, furnishings, and even authentic deck chairs from the ship, reminding us of what preservationists have spent decades fighting to save. This collection has since been dispersed to new caretakers.
The ship was acquired by Okaloosa County, Florida, with the agreement that the iconic funnels, radar mast, and thousands of historically significant artifacts will be preserved ashore in a future museum and visitor center, while the vessel itself is intended to become the world's largest artificial reef.
The SS United States is currently docked at a shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, where crews have completed environmental remediation. Fuel residues, PCB-containing materials, deteriorating paint, and other hazardous substances have to be addressed before the vessel may be deployed offshore.
Time-lapse footage documenting this painstaking cleanup process is currently in post-production as part of the documentary Superliner, capturing a rare behind-the-scenes look at the transformation of America's flagship for her final mission.
The process has drawn national attention after environmental activist Erin Brockovich publicly raised concerns about legacy industrial coatings on the ship, including zinc chromate and a known human carcinogen hexavalent chromium—materials commonly used when the vessel was built in 1952. Brockovich and other advocates argue that every possible precaution must be taken before the ship enters the marine environment.
Okaloosa County maintains that it is following all applicable regulatory standards and that artificial reefs have a long record of benefiting marine ecosystems and coastal economies.
Yet throughout the public discussions I reviewed, the County seemed far more animated when discussing projected tourism revenues and return-on-investment than when addressing the detailed environmental objections raised by critics. That does not mean the critics are correct. It does suggest, however, that some legitimate questions have yet to receive the level of public scrutiny they warrant.
The EPA and US Army Corps of Engineers may soon conduct their final inspections, issue permits for the reefing and begin a 30-day window for deployment of the ship.
With hurricane season in the Gulf running from June 1 through November 30, whether the SS United States makes her final voyage this year or next remains uncertain.
What is certain is that the ship's last chapter is proving nearly as dramatic as her first. If approved, she will continue her service in an entirely new form—creating marine habitat beneath the waves while preserving her historic legacy on shore for future generations.
For now, both the SS United States and the nation she once represented remain unfinished stories—still afloat, still resilient, but definitely having seen better days and charting courses through uncertain waters.
I'll keep you posted as developments unfold.
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