The SS United States is expected to be sunk in the Gulf of Mexico during the second week of November, ending the former ocean liner’s long effort to find a permanent home and turning it into an artificial reef off Florida’s coast. Okaloosa County plans to deploy the 990-foot ship about 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin-Fort Walton Beach. A county spokesperson said the timing will depend on weather and other logistical factors. County commissioners are working with safety and security partners on the operation, the spokesperson said, describing the project as a potential resource for the environment and the county’s tourism industry. The ship is expected to become the world’s largest artificial reef. Preparations have included removing nonmetal materials and cutting openings into the ship’s hull. The vessel is to be sunk without explosives. The planned sinking closes a chapter that drew sustained attention in Philadelphia, where the ship spent nearly three decades docked at Pier 82. It left the Delaware River under tow in February 2025, bound for Alabama to be stripped and prepared for deployment off Florida. Over the years, owners spent more than $40 million on the ship, its upkeep and plans for its future. The SS United States Conservancy, its previous owner, sought alternatives to scrapping the ship, including appeals for preservation funding. Okaloosa County purchased it in 2024 as a tourism project, a plan that prompted opposition from preservation advocates. A New York coalition later pressed for public funding to save the vessel, but its effort did not halt the county’s plans. For many Philadelphians, the ship had become a familiar landmark along the South Philadelphia waterfront. Its departure followed years of uncertainty over its fate; now, the county’s timetable points to one final voyage and a new role beneath the Gulf’s surface.