June
SS United States will be the world’s largest artificial diving and fishing reef.
Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Bob Hope, and John Wayne were some of the many celebrities who cruised the SS United States after the iconic ocean liner was launched in 1952. She was the largest ship built entirely in the U.S. and the fastest cruise ship to cross the Atlantic Ocean in both directions. But that was another era. In late 2025 or early 2026, she becomes the world’s largest artificial fishing and diving reef. She will be sunk about 20 miles off Florida’s panhandle coastline near Destin and Fort Walton Beach. The Florida panhandle county of Okaloosa purchased the SS United States from the SS United States Conservancy for $10.1 million.
The SS United States stopped cruising in 1969. From 1996 until early 2025, she has been tied up in Philadelphia. Earlier this year, the 990-foot vessel was towed from Philadelphia to Mobile, Alabama, where Modern American Recycling & Repair Services has been stripping out old fuel, asbestos, and other hazardous material so she can be sunk pollution-free.
Grouper, snapper, and other marine life won’t know or care that Monroe and other celebrities cruised on the SS United States. But with the support of other sponsors, Okaloosa County will be building a museum to preserve the special memories of this historical vessel. For updates on the offshore deployment dates for the SS United States and on the museum’s progress, go to myokaloosa.com.
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Boat Racing’s New Triple Crown
When we hear “Triple Crown,” most of us think horse racing or billfish classics. Now we have another triple crown—the triple crown of powerboat racing.
The new triple crown is a new series of high-speed offshore boat races by Powerboat P1 Offshore that starts on Louisiana’s Lake Pontchartrain near Metairie June 20-22, moves to Lake Michigan near Sheboygan, Wisconsin, August 8-10, and concludes on Tampa Bay near St. Petersburg, Florida, September 5-7. In addition to the offshore boat races, each venue will also be hosting Jet Ski races.
There is another big schedule change this year. Sarasota, Florida, known as the “Indy 500 of Powerboat Races,” will not host its races this year. Powerboat P1 Offshore hopes to restart Sarasota’s races in 2026 or 2027. This is where its races started in 1986. For the latest information, go to p1offshore.com and p1aquax.com.
By: Bill AuCoin
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