Lawsuit seeks to stop SS United States sinking days before tow

A veterans’ preservation group sued Nov. 3 to block the Nov. 9 tow. The case number points to the same federal judge who threw out the last lawsuit to save the ship in 2025.

The SS United States is set to leave Mobile, Alabama, on Monday, Nov. 9 for its final trip. A nonprofit wants a federal judge to stop it first.

The SS United States Preservation Foundation and co-founder Steven R. Perry sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Okaloosa County on Nov. 3 in federal court in Pensacola, Cruise Hive and the Pensacola News Journal reported. On Nov. 4, they filed an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order.

The motion asks the court to block “the towing, deployment, and sinking” of the 990-foot ocean liner.

The case number, 3:26-cv-05339-MCR-HTC, carries the initials of U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers. She dismissed the last major lawsuit to save the ship in August 2025.

As of late Thursday, no ruling had been reported. Okaloosa County still plans to sink the ship Nov. 12 about 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin-Fort Walton Beach, the date we reported Oct. 28.

Here’s a look at the SS United States and its artificial reef plan:

Who is suing to stop the SS United States sinking?

The foundation describes itself as a group of veterans and seafarers, Cruise Fever reported. Cruise Hive said its board includes marine engineers, historians and mechanics.

“She was built to sail these waters, not be sunk beneath them,” Perry said.

Foundation secretary Matt Lesiw told the Pensacola News Journal that “serious questions remained unresolved while the sinking moved forward.” The group says it doesn’t oppose Okaloosa County’s reef program, only the choice of this ship.

What does the SS United States lawsuit claim?

The complaint lays out three main arguments, the News Journal reported:

• Toxic paint: The Corps approved the project without a full environmental impact statement, despite zinc chromate paint on the hull that contains hexavalent chromium.

• Historic review: The Corps’ review under the National Historic Preservation Act was incomplete.

• Pieces already gone: The county kept removing historic features, including the funnels, radar mast, last propeller and portholes, while that review was still open.

A footnote in the motion says the complaint also claims Endangered Species Act violations.

The motion leans on an expert estimate of about 59,334 pounds of zinc chromate. The filing notes that figure comes from historical specs and modeled surface area, “rather than direct measurement.”

The group wants the court to toss the Corps’ permit change and its finding of no significant impact, and to bar the tow and sinking until the Corps complies.

What has Okaloosa County said about the lawsuit?

Not much yet. The county and the Corps hadn’t responded to the complaint when the News Journal and Mid Bay News published Thursday.

Cruise Fever reported the county’s position: it followed all state and federal guidelines in preparing the ship, federal EPA reef guidance doesn’t require removing intact paint, and it’s moving ahead on schedule.

The county’s FAQ page is blunt. The coating “is not a federally regulated substance when it comes to artificial reefing.”

When will the SS United States be sunk?

Here’s the plan, unless the court steps in:

• Nov. 9: The tow leaves Mobile through Mobile Bay, with a 100-yard moving Coast Guard safety zone.

• Nov. 11: A public sendoff starts at 1:30 p.m. at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center.

• Nov. 12: Deployment begins at 10 a.m., weather permitting, inside a one-nautical-mile exclusion zone. A viewing party starts at 9 a.m. at AJ’s Seafood and Oyster Bar in Destin, and a livestream link will go up at thessus.com.

The county’s FAQ says the ship will rest in about 180 feet of water, with its upper deck around 55 feet down.

Has anyone tried to stop the sinking before?

Yes. The New York Coalition to Save the Steam Ship United States sued in 2025. Rodgers dismissed that case on Aug. 6, 2025, ruling the group lacked standing. She called its injury “manufactured and self-inflicted.”

What is the SS United States’ Disney connection?

Walt Disney sailed on it more than once. The ship also co-starred in Disney’s 1962 movie Bon Voyage! with Fred MacMurray and Jane Wyman, and part of the film was shot aboard during an Atlantic crossing.

The liner launched in 1951. On its July 1952 maiden voyage, it crossed the Atlantic eastbound in 3 days, 10 hours and 40 minutes, averaging 35.59 knots. It left service in 1969.

It sat in Philadelphia from 1996 until Feb. 19, 2025, and reached Mobile on March 3, 2025. Okaloosa County bought it in October 2024 for $1 million and set aside $13 million for the whole project, including a land-based museum, paid with tourist bed tax money.

Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• Cruise Hive (Nov. 5, 2026), the tip, the filing dates, the restraining order motion, Coast Guard zones and the event schedule

• Pensacola News Journal (Nov. 5, 2026), the plaintiffs, the three claims, the relief sought and the foundation’s quotes

• Cruise Fever (Nov. 5, 2026), Okaloosa County’s position and Perry’s quote

• Mid Bay News (Nov. 5, 2026), the county’s comment status and suit details

• Get The Coast (Aug. 7, 2025), the 2025 dismissal and Judge Rodgers’ ruling

• FOX10 (Nov. 1, 2026), the sendoff and viewing party details

• Okaloosa County (Nov. 5, 2026), the FAQ coating quote, reef depth and project budget

• Wikipedia (Nov. 5, 2026), the ship’s history, speed record and Bon Voyage! details

AI Disclosure: All articles are assigned, edited and reviewed by an experienced human editor before posting. Like most modern newsrooms, WebReef Media uses a variety of AI tools to help with accuracy and efficiency. Ways AI may be used in article creation include research, grammar, fact-checking and ideation, as well as occasional AI generated or enhanced thumbnails or graphics. No articles are generated or posted without human oversight or involvement.