Forward Funnel Of SS United States Removed As It Prepares To Become A Reef

The iconic forward funnel of the historic Ocean liner SS United States was removed from the ship on August 3, 2025, as the ship is being prepared to be converted into an artificial reef.

The massive funnel was equal to the height of a 6-story building, and it was removed with the help of a crane placed alongside and lowered onto a barge.

SS United States Conservancy informed that they were working with the ship’s buyer, the Florida Okaloosa County, for transporting and storing the funnel.

All the equipment and connections inside the funnel were removed before, and cuts were made along the funnel’s base to ease its removal.

The funnels were a characteristic element of the ship’s design, which still holds the title from 1952 of being the fastest liner to cross the North Atlantic Ocean.

Designer William Francis Gibbs developed the Sampan capped funnel to keep soot away from decks, and as ships grew bigger, the funnels did too, with the SS United States having one of the biggest funnels on a liner.

The ship is to be sunk off the coast of Florida’s Destin-Fort Walton Beach area. Hence, all its cargo booms, propeller, steam anchor, and radar mast were removed for preservation.

The second funnel will also be removed in the coming days.

Even windows from portholes, other fittings on the interior and exterior and the promenade deck were removed, including deck covering.

The team will also begin working on the hull to remove the loose paint.

No timeline has been given, but there are plans to complete the reefing by 2025 end.

The Conservancy is moving forward with the plan to create the future SS United States Museum and Visitor Experience.

Several groups have tried to block the hull’s reefing and were trying to prevent the removal of the structural elements, arguing the ship is on the U.S National Register of Historic Places.

Source: Maritime Shipping News