Progress has been made to ensure SS United States can safely leave Philadelphia waters, Coast Guard says

David Boone of Cherry Hill spent his life on the Delaware River. This retired tugboat captain had a special bond with the SS United States.

“When she came up the river, me and some friends were on the only pleasure boat there, and we took pictures of the ship’s arrival, which was really spectacular,” Boone said, recalling the August 1996 event .

Later that year, Boone was responsible for maneuvering the ship, with a dozen tugboats, under the Walt Whitman Bridge.

“It was really interesting because they weren’t sure if it would fit under the bridge,” he said. “They made all the adjustments and predictions and everything, but it never dawned on anyone that it would fit.”

They made it and towed the ship to Pier 82 in South Philadelphia, where it has been docked for 29 years.

“It’s out of this world because it’s completely dead. It’s completely dependent on the tugboats. There were 12 tugboats there that day and they did a masterful job,” he said.

The Coast Guard confirmed to CBS News Philadelphia this week after months of delays that “positive progress has been made” in ensuring the ship can be safely towed to Mobile, Alabama. Sources say this was the final hurdle to be cleared, allowing the ship to finally leave Philadelphia.

The ship will be cleaned and prepared to sink as part of a artificial reef off the coast of Destin, Florida. CBS News Philadelphia was told that experts are now figuring out when the tide will be most favorable to move the SS United States.

The ship was expected to sail in 2024 last fall, but a tropical storm and last minute worries about a possible bridge attack canceled those plans. Additional testing was ordered and has been completed as of last week.

As for Boone, he had hoped there was life before the ship surfaced.

“This is the next best thing, short of demolition, which I really didn’t want to see,” he said.

CBS News Philadelphia reached out to a spokesperson for Okaloosa County, Florida, which now owns the ship after bought it last fall for $10 million.

Officially, they had no update on when the ship would be moved. We asked the Coast Guard the same question and they said they preferred not to speculate.