Throughout history, only a few ships have been awarded the Blue Band, a badge that awarded the fastest ship to complete the Atlantic crossing in both directions. The last liner that got it was the SS United States.
More than half a century after obtaining the Blue Band, the SS United States remains the last ship to have that distinction, but now it is a piece of junk that no one dares to restore, so they have bought it to sink it in the Gulf of Mexico and turn it into a tourist attraction.
In its day it was the merchant ship with the most powerful steam engines: it had 240,000 HP
Before commercial flights were available to almost everyone, the boat was the most popular means of transportation to cross the Atlantic Ocean. During the first half of the 20th century, the transatlantic They were especially popular and large companies fought to have the most luxurious ship or the fastest ship.
For many years, the speed record for an Atlantic crossing was held by the majestic RMS Queen Mary, but the SS United States took that record from her in 1952: on her maiden voyage, this ship crossed the Atlantic traveling east in 3 days , 10 hours and 40 minutes.
In this way, the SS United States obtained the Blue Band, a decoration that was offered to the liner that made the crossing across the Atlantic in the shortest time. Not in vain, when this ship was launched, it had the most powerful steam engines installed on a merchant ship to date, with a total power of 240,000 HP that was transmitted to four propellers.
It was never known what the maximum speed reached by the SS United States was; some media claimed that it could reach 43 knots (79 km/h), while others said it reached 38 knots (70 km/h).
Be that as it may, he could very quickly lead his 900 crew and up to 1,918 passengers. And he did it impeccably during his 17-year career crossing the Atlantic, but there was a time when passenger ships fell into disuse because airplanes gained a lot of popularity.
Foto: René Beauchamp.
It was then, in October 1969, when the SS United States stopped crossing the pond, after making 726 crossings and with the Blue Band still in its possession (in 2024 it still has it).
When its service ended, it passed from hand to hand for many years, until in 1996 it was towed to where it has rested until now: Pier 84 on the Delaware River in PhiladelphiaUSA.
With the passage of time it has been practically dismantled inside and has deteriorated greatly on the outside, but there have been several restoration projects to restore it to all its splendor, however, none have come to fruition, so its new owners have decided to give it a second life under the sea.
According to reports 6abcin October it was bought for 10 million dollars (about 9.33 million euros) by Okaloosa County to sink it in the Gulf of Mexico and turn it into the largest artificial reef in the world.
The idea is for it to be a tourist attraction for divers from around the world that is complemented by a museum on land dedicated to the history of the ship. The same medium ensures that the process of cleaning the ship, transporting and sinking will last at least a year and a half.
Image: Chuck Homier (Wikipedia)
Source: www.motorpasion.com
