USS Oriskany could be getting some company. Escambia considers sinking SS United States

Pensacola is coming up on the 20th anniversary of the sinking of the USS Oriskany. The “great carrier reef” as it’s called was sunk more than 22 nautical miles southeast of Pensacola Pass in 2006. It remains one of the most popular draws in the area for divers, but some say more shipwrecks are needed if Escambia County wants to attract more divers and the business they bring.

Could the long-retired passenger ship, the SS United States be the answer?

Launched in 1952 and once the fastest passenger ship to cross the Atlantic to England and France, the SS United States is now facing eviction from the pier in Philadelphia it has called home for nearly 30 years. The court gave the nonprofit organization, SS United States Conservancy, until September to move.

Some members of Escambia’s Marine Advisory Committee would like to move the ship to Pensacola and sink it offshore as another artificial reef and diving attraction.

“Just down the road in Okaloosa County, they realize that putting these reefs out there is going to get people to come visit,” explained Kerry Freeland, Marine Advisory Committee chairman. “People still come from all over the world to dive it, but right now we're kind of like a one trick pony.”

Freeland says Okaloosa County leaders have been sinking ships and money into the area to build up business. He said they are tapping into tourist development dollars to find and purchase wrecks and the strategy is working, making Destin an especially popular destination for divers. Freeland and others would like to see Escambia County follow Okaloosa County’s lead and invest more into procuring and providing artificial reefs in the form of ships.

“We’ve been building up reefs over the last three years with the remnants of the old 3 Mile Bridge and money from the BP oil spill,” said Freeland. “While it’s good for the marine environment, they’re not necessarily popular with divers. We don't have the sizzle that the shipwrecks bring, so we’ve been asking marine resources to find us a large wreck. Well, they did, the SS United States.”

Freeland asked the county and the public for support to bring the retired passenger liner to Pensacola at Monday's Marine Advisory Council meeting. At nearly 1,000 feet long and roughly 175 feet tall, the SS United States would be even bigger than the Oriskany. The smokestacks would need to come down, but once they’re gone Freeland said it would be sunk in the Gulf at a depth of 180 feet.

The cost of purchasing the ship and preparing it for the plunge is not final, but Freeland expects the expense would be in the same ballpark as the $10 million spent on the USS Oriskany project. The money would cover towing the SS United States from Philadelphia, then cleaning out pollutants and getting it ready to submerge.

It’s an expense Freeland said would more than pay for itself in the long run. For example, for every dollar spent on the Oriskany, the community saw about $150 in return. According to a study by the University of West Florida, the Oriskany had a total economic impact of $2 million and 37 jobs in the first year. Researchers also found the addition of another large ship near it would increase the value significantly.

“A reasonable expectation of the addition of the SS United States to Escambia County’s artificial reef will be at least $2 million per year and create at least 37 new jobs,” the UWF study said. “These benefits are in addition to the jobs and expenditures in the local area from the ship preparations and reefing activities. The lifespans of other local large ship artificial reefs (e.g., freighter San Pablo) justify an expected lifespan of the SS United States Reef in excess of 100 years, yielding hundreds of millions of dollars in economic benefits.”

H2O Below Dive Charters owner, Captain Douglas Hammock, supports adding the SS United States to Escambia County’s artificial reefs. Hammock says tourists charter a trip with him to the Oriskany at least once a week. Most are technical divers and he hopes future shipwrecks offer more options for recreational divers, as well.

The county has some recreational shipwrecks options but Hammock says they could use more of them and more marketing to get the word out about them.

“I just had four tech divers from Los Angeles, California, rent a U Haul truck, come to Pensacola, Florida, rent a house for seven days, spend $16,000 with me diving the Oriskany, doing tech dives. They had to eat somewhere. They rented a house here, they bought gas, you know, they went out and visited all the bars and they drove from California to do it. Is that not revenue for Pensacola?”

Both Freeland and Hammock agree divers like diversity and adventure and a greater variety of dive sites brings more visitors.

“It's just a great opportunity to put Pensacola back on the map with regards to being a diving destination,” said Freeland.

During Escambia’s Special Marine Advisory Committee meeting on Monday, the committee members unanimously agreed to support the project. Some also made donations toward the cause, as did other meeting attendees who are invested in marine and diving related businesses. Together, they collected more than $21,000.

Escambia's MAC also sent a letter to each of the commissioners recommending that the county pursue acquisition of the SS United States. The decision to pursue the project will ultimately be up to the board. Time is of the essence because the ship has been court ordered to leave its dock in Philadelphia by September.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Ship SS United States could be Escambia's next big artificial reef