|
As America's Flagship departed from Philadelphia (image right courtesy of the Associated Press), Conservancy President Susan Gibbs released a statement on the historic occasion, saying in part, "Today, the nation’s sole surviving ocean liner will glide down the Delaware River to begin the next chapter in her uniquely American story. As the fastest ship to ever cross the Atlantic travels for the first time since arriving in Philadelphia in 1996, we are reminded of the postwar high-water mark that the SS United States so gracefully and powerfully embodied when she was launched in 1951... During this period of intense political polarization, America’s Flagship, built through a public-private partnership as a luxury liner and a top-secret, high-speed, troop transport to protect our national interests overseas, illustrates the power and the promise of coalescing around a common cause."
"We are grateful to the people of Philadelphia for their steadfast support and appreciation of the SS United States over so many years. As home to so many historic national landmarks, Philadelphia has been a fitting port-of-call for almost three decades. We also thank everyone who has supported the SS United States Conservancy during our 14-year stewardship of America’s Flagship, and we wish her “fair winds and following seas” on her historic journey to her new home,” Gibbs concluded.
During the SS United States' two-week tow along the eastern seaboard, Okaloosa County’s contractors will be utilizing real-time route planning, which will adjust the ship's course every 6 hours based on weather and currents. This makes her specific route and timing challenging to predict. You can track the ship's course HERE.
| 
