SOS - Save our Ship

G

Gandalf0444

FVRR member
Personally I think this ship along with a lot of historic ships should be however all these will go on the wayside and be forgotten and left to rust...Obama isn't all he was cracked up to be so far,and I knew that before he was even elected but that's besides the point.
It seems as though the government and many other independent agencies are very selective of what they do an do not save...
For example the U.S.S. New Jersey(BB62) was saved and then docked at some port down south. Then it was moved up to Camden NJ where it should be. And that ship fought in all the more modern wars,end of WWII where it was decommissioned. Then recommissioned at the start of the Korean war,and fought all through Vietnam. Then once again decommissioned. Then it was once again called upon to aid in the civil war in Lebanon. Then it was finally decommissioned for the last time on Sept 12.1999.
Another good example is the U.S.S. Massachusetts(BB59)It was the class prior the class the U.S.S. New Jersey was in,and the resemblance between the 2 is astonishing,you can tell that the U.S.S. New Jersey and her sister ships were based of this design and mastered it further.
The Massachusetts started her duty on October 24 1942. She fought through WWII and then finally decommissioned on March 27,1947,and entered the Atlantic Naval Reserve. She was saved from the scrap pile when she was given to the Massachusetts Memorial Committee on June 8,1965,and she was enshrined at Fall River,Mass where she still rests today along with several other ships saved from the scrap pile.
Both these ships had very long history's,and it is no wonder they were saved. However you do not see many cruise liners saved from the scrap pile simply because they don't have the same sort of history as war ships do. If the Titanic slammed into he ice berg and survived,I am willing to bet it would have been saved since it was an amazing feat even though it was claimed "unsinkable". And even though some may consider the SS United States our flag ship. I do not. I think that our flag ships are those who proudly fly the American Flag,those ships who haul cargo,bring people to an exotic destination for fun,our modern day warships,and of course our warships who are decommissioned and sitting on the sideline as museums etc.
All of those are in my books considered flag ships.
That is the end of my rant:p
And my 40 bucks worth...
 
The SS United States, perhaps one of the most famous ocean liners of her time, has been
owned by Norwegian Cruise Lines since 2003. at $1,000 a day in docking fee, she was an
expensive asset wit no income of her own. She is to be listed for sale by Star Cruises
immediately. This ship, built in 1952, and the Flagship of America during her 17 year
Career, she is still the fastest ocean liner ever built, her 1952 records have never been
broken by a ship similar in size.

She is now in grave danger of being scrapped. I Urge anyone and everyone to get in contact
with the US Government. The ship is a prime candidate for a prestige project under Barack
Obama's Public works proposal. Her restoration would provide shipyard jobs restoring the
ship, and provide jobs at whatever city she ends up in as a Hotel, Convention center,
retail outlet, and entertainment complex. She is the Icon of the United States, our
Largest Ocean liner. She must no be aloud to be scrapped, her historic value is too great

http://ssunitedstatesconservancy.org/SSUSCPressRelease021009FINAL.pdf
 
USS United States

The USS United States is docked in Philadelphia PA, and is in a completely decrepid, delapidated condition, resembling a ghost ship. No telling how much asbestos, lead and PCB's are involved in a decade or longer extensive restoration. In this economy it is totally unlikely that it will survive. Costing billions of dollars...it will surely not survive the cutters torch. Sometimes you just have to let things go, and fade away into history...PA has denied all the funds for the PRR K-4 #1361, and such locos as the #1218 & # 611 may never run again...due to lack of funds. Doubtfully, Obama's plan will not include the USS United States.:mop: :'( :mop:It will be a sad day in history !
 
cascaderailroad said:
No telling how much asbestos, lead and PCB's are involved in a decade or longer extensive restoration.
Click to expand...

Very little actually. The ships interior was gutted back in 1994, to get rid of these items so the ship could sail as a fleetmate to the QE2. This never happened, so the ships interior is now a blank canvas, making an Hotel Complex restoration a hell of a lot easier, and cheaper.

The only PCBs and Asbestos left are in the engineering spaces, which were left alone. However, that little bit that is left is enough to make it illegal to export the ship outside the United States without first decontaminating her
 
This reminds me about what I heard on the news the other day........
French Aircraft Carrier from the late 50's forget name and because of the Asbestos has been towed around the world for the last 5 years has finaly found a company in northen England willing to scrap it so how much Are the French goverments towing costs if it costs a $1,000.00$ a day to park the SS America.......?????????
 
It's always sad when a piece of history cannot be preserved. I can't help but think of many other worthy vessels that were scrapped or scuttled, specifically many WWII warships that defended our nation, and some of those that paid a terrible price for the effort. A cruise ship, no matter how historic, pales in comparison to the warriors of the past.

My opinion only.
 
Euphod said:
It's always sad when a piece of history cannot be preserved. I can't help but think of many other worthy vessels that were scrapped or scuttled, specifically many WWII warships that defended our nation, and some of those that paid a terrible price for the effort. A cruise ship, no matter how historic, pales in comparison to the warriors of the past.

My opinion only.
Click to expand...

Hi Euphod,

I also hold a great passion for ships. And the warships always hold my interest. So do the luxury liners of the past, many of them now gone. I visited the Queen Mary when I was in the USA a few years ago. I marvelled at the huge size of what was a graceful lady of the sea.

But the big, fat warships always looked so impressive. At least some of them are still around, albeit in mothballs. The last big one I saw was the Missouri when it was deployed in the war around 1991. What a great vessel.

Pete
 
I know, but the least anyone can do is try to preserve ships. If you do not try, you cannot succeed. I intend to try to the best of my ability
 
I sincerely hope that this ship is saved.
Euphod has it right. It's sad that old WW 2 ships were scrapped rather than preserved. 2 examples that come to mind are the USS California and the USS Washington. The California was a battleship that survived Pearl Harbor and was scrapped in 1959.
The USS Washington was a North Carolina class battleship that had the distinction of being the only battleship to go one on one with another battleship in the Pacific. She earned numerous awards and citations for her actions. Because of the secrecy of the time, these were not common knowledge and her reputation suffered.
Both ships were named after coastal states and that should have been considered. Look at the success of the other battleship museums. To me, planes, ships, and of course locomotives need to be preserved for historic value.
Look at the pictures or videos you see of historic icons slowly dying in the elements. To me, this is no way for something to die. They were built to run, not slowly rot away.
 
U.S.S. United States.

It's always been a mystery to me why the U.S. never entered a serious contender for the Trans-Atlantic route untill the last day, so as to speak. Just before the air-liners took over?
This lucrative route has always been the preserve of mainly three countries Germany, France and Britain, though the North German Lloyd dropped out before ww2.
The much coveted trophy "The Trans-Atlantic Ribband" ( The Blue Ribband) was mainly shared alternately between France and Britain.
Another trans-Atlantic first was the laying of the trans-Atlantic telephone cable by the SS Great Eastern, date I can't remember. A ship built by Isimbard Kigdom Brunell of Gt. Britain who also built the largest ship of it's day, built of iron, the SS. Gt Britain.:)
 
Last edited:
EDWIN FOX

Although I am now a proud Aussie I was borna nd bought up in New Zealand. In my home town of Picton is a ship, that, I feel is as historic as USS CONSTITUTION or HMS Victory. She is the "EDWIN FOX" one of the world's first Compiste (iorn frame with wooden hull) ships, she is alos the world last surviing East Indiaman. Although she never sereved in "John Compnay" or under thier houseflag, she was built for them, to their design, but sold half complete to another owner, as they were over capacity at the time.

She made several voyages to India, served as a troopship during the Indian Mutiny and the Crimea, as a Convict ship to Australia and later as an Immagrant transport to Australia and New Zealand, carrying wool and tallow homeward. She eneded her days as a floating meat frezing works at Picton. When the meatworks came ashore, she became a coal hulk

SAhe was refloated in the early 1960's however a paln to restore her feel though and she was left to rot in Shakepeare bay

Refloated again in the 1980's her hull is toady presesereved under cover while hse is very slowly restored.

I would love the NZ Government to fund a full restoration, but with the economy the way it is I doubt it will happen.

It's amazing the old lady survived at all

I used to fish off her ecks as a child
 
Sorry to rain on your parade, but the SS United States cannot be scrapped. It's on the National Register of Historic Places.
 
sadly not true. that would be true if she was made a national historic landmark. As a historic place, the owner can still do what they wish with the ship. As a Landmark, she would be far more protected. However, the last time that subject came up, the only reason that she was not made a landmark was because her owners (Norwegian Cruise Lines) did not sign the papers saying they approve of the designation.
 
knil2gni said:
It's always been a mystery to me why the U.S. never entered a serious contender for the Trans-Atlantic route untill the last day, so as to speak. Just before the air-liners took over?
This lucrative route has always been the preserve of mainly three countries Germany, France and Britain, though the North German Lloyd dropped out before ww2.
The much coveted trophy "The Trans-Atlantic Ribband" ( The Blue Ribband) was mainly shared alternately between France and Britain.
Another trans-Atlantic first was the laying of the trans-Atlantic telephone cable by the SS Great Eastern, date I can't remember. A ship built by Isimbard Kigdom Brunell of Gt. Britain who also built the largest ship of it's day, built of iron, the SS. Gt Britain.:)
Click to expand...

Also for the sake of accuracy, the largest iron ship of its day was the Great Eastern, (another Brunel masterpiece) and in the end the US did manage to take (and keep) the Blue Ribband... the SS United States holds it to this very day.
 
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