Save the SS United States - Independence Campaign

ssMaritime.com & ssMaritime.net

With Reuben Goossens

Maritime Historian

“Save the Classic Liners Campaign”

Provided by www.timeanddate.com/clocks/free.html

Please Note: Pages Two, Three & Four contain the history and photographs of the greatest American ship – bar none – ever to be built - the SS United States. This great Trans Atlantic Liner is not only America’s finest maritime engineering feat, but she also reached the heights of greatness in maritime design allowing her to become the holder of the “Blue Riband” and the fastest Atlantic liner ever to be built! Page Four has a series of photographs by Ryan Rea taken of her in August 20, 2007.

SS United States set’s sail for the United Kingdom

(From the author’s collection)

Introduction

Please Note: There IS REALLY GOOD NEWS below this Introduction

Betrayal!

We must never forget that NCL betrayed their promise to the people of America the minute they sold the beautiful SS Oceanic, ex SS Independence to the Indians and sadly she departed San Francisco illegally and her owners, thanks to this Campaign was fined over a half a million dollars as we advised the EPA - Environmental Protection Agency with details. We certainly do not believe that NCL CEO Colin Veitch and his Asian superiors, the executives of Star Cruises, a company owned by the Chinese/Malaysian Casino organisation, being the Genting Corp, care much about SS United States, America’s greatest maritime achievement either. They would simply dispose of her just as they did of the grand French Dame SS Norway, ex SS France and the delightful SS Oceanic (Independence) as Jane Poh and one of the other executives told me in Kuala Lumpur in 2002 that they intended to upgrade their fleet with new ships and “sell all our old tonnage.” I was a guest of Star Cruises at the time and the Norway was part of the discussion and I knew then that she was a doomed ship, long before the tragic explosion, which was due to NCL’s negligence as proven by the court!

This classic intimate liner had the makings of a boutique style cruise ship, but NCL decided she was worthy to be broken up!

Today this once fine ship lies off the coast of Alang broken in two and is a wreck – Thank you NCL!

Although the messages below are now out of date I have left them for memory sake, for times were very difficult and NCL was ready to sell the SS United States to the breakers at one time, for they had been invited to inspect her, according to what a breaker had told me!

AMERICA, it is about time you got off your backsides and start making contact with your Government, your Senators and the media. The truth is, the Government is willing to spend billions on space exploration and on the war effort, etc, but, somehow they have forgotten America’s great maritime history in passenger shipping. America was built with the help of the hundreds of ships that crossed the Atlantic. These ships transported English, Irish, Scottish and Europeans to your shores, people that made your country great! However, the vast majority of these ships were not American, but British, Dutch, German, Italian, Scandinavian, and French, countries who built some of the greatest liners to cross the Atlantic to and from New York. Then came the greatest single American Passenger Liner ever to be built after the SS America, and she commenced her triumphant maiden voyage from New York to Southampton on July 3, 1952. SS United States crossed the Atlantic in three days, 10 hours, and 40 minutes, breaking the Trans-Atlantic speed record, thus snatching the much fought after “Blue Riband” from the Cunard’s Grand Lady of the Sea, RMS Queen Mary.

AMERICA – Time is running out, thus, get the ball rolling, and remember the ball is in your court, you can either let the SS United States as it seems the Independence has already been lost, or see the her berthed in New York to become a national maritime monument and a tribute to American Maritime ingenuity, a country that produced one of the greatest liners ever built!

Supporters of the “Save the Classic Liner Campaign” around the world, this is not just a campaign for Americans, but one we should all support for this is a liner that MUST be saved for today she is the ONLY major American Passengers Liner left, one that has a great story to tell ou=r children and she should be retained and refitted (in stages) to follow that which has been done with the RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach.

Events so Far

Let us look at the events since April 1, 2003. Colin Veitch announced that NCL had purchased the SS United States and SS Independence with that BIG promise that NCL would restore SS United States and the Independence and that they would be returned to cruising within US waters under the American flag. Of course we all know that by obtaining these two famed American liners, NCL had a specific motive, it was to sway the US Senate with the setting up NCL America, a US flagged cruise company, which has now become a reality. However, regardless of all the ongoing promises, both ships were neglected and rusting away with the Independence renamed Oceanic and sold to the Indians and due to depart mid Jan 2008, and the SS United States is in a state of absolute disgrace as she is rusting away in Philadelphia.

Well done NCL, that’s top quality maintenance – even rats would do a better job!

Again, we need to remember that NCL America/Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL), are now partially owned, but wholly managed by the Chinese/Malaysian cruise company Star Cruises, who themselves are owned by the Malaysian giant Genting Casino Group. Therefore, the future of SS United States will be decided by a Casino operator, and their only concern is PROFIT, PROFIT, PROFIT, and frankly they have very little care for a classic liners, let alone Americans, Malaysia is an Islamic Nation and does not care about historic ships!

This photograph clearly shows how NCL is looking after the greatest American ship ever built

Photographer unknown

Thank you NCL/NCL America/Star Cruises – You are great with promises, but short on delivery!

Colin Veitch also said at the time that the hull of the SS United States would be refurbished in a US shipyard and that the re launched SS United States would add 1,000 American onboard jobs as well as around 5,000 onshore jobs. Frankly these promises sound too good to be true, and frankly the key word here is “true.”

In a video produced by NCL, Colin Veitch promises that the “Big U” WILL sail again, although it will cost a great deal more to restore this Grand old Lady, than to build a new ship. But, he also said, “Ongoing engineering studies are encouraging, indicating that the SS United States could be rebuilt to "today's safety and stability standards.” But he continued “It won't happen next year, as NCL has other international projects to finish first.”

If you believe that, you will believe anything, the situation the SS Norway has found itself in proves that. It is clear, after all the promises made, Star Cruises is intent on having her beached and broken up, this was a “watertight” clause in the contract of sale, when she (renamed Blue Lady) was sold to Bridgend Shipping/Haryana Steel, Alang, who sold her to Sanjay Metha of Priya Blue Steel who has just begun breaking her up. When Star Cruises sold her, they told the Malaysian Port Authority that she was going to Dubai to be repaired, however, this was not the case as the captain and the crew were Indians and employed by the breakers. She did stop for one night in the United Arab Emirates for provisions on her way to Alang. The same applied when Norway left Bremerhaven, Authorities were told that she was going to Asia for repairs and that she was going to be returned to service. The truth was that upon arrival at the outer anchorage at Port Klang, a number of breakers had already been invited to inspect her. One of these is well known to me and he advised me that he was boarding her at Port Klang, yet, she had only just arrived. Thus, it was obvious that NCL’s parent company Star Cruises intended to get rid of the Norway one way or another and NOTHING was going to stand in their way. The watertight contract had a multi million dollar clause that the ship could not be sold for a commercial use, including a hotel, museum, no, she could only be sold to a breaker! That is the cold blooded mind we are fighting and thus we must get the SS United States out of the hands of Star Cruises/NCL one way or another!

Colin Veitch promised that she would be repaired, and cruise from Miami again – Here is the fulfilment of his promise!

Photograph © November 2007 mediavigil.blogspot.com

How did NCL & Star Cruises handle the SS Norway

Many of us have followed the saga of what NCL/Star Cruises have done with the Norway (built as the last great French Trans-Atlantic Liner, SS France).

The “Save the SS France, Norway Campaign” has now long concluded and she is but a memory as she after a long fight was broken up, be it illegally. In addition the SS Independence is another fine all American ship NCL that was wilfully destroyed by NCL, who sold her to an in-house company who resold her to an Indian, Mr. Anil Sharma who only buys ships for Alang breakers. See: Save The Classic Liners Campaign for the full details.

“Save the Classic Liners Campaign”

Great News for the SS United States

July 2, 2010: As I already stated back in April 2010 on “Save the Classic Liner” page, that an agreement to buy the historic SS United States for $3 million by the “United States Conservancy” has now become a reality, although back on April 20, I had no details and it was not official, but thankfully, it has proved to be true! Now this fine American liner will not be heading the breakers, although I was advised that Indian breakers had offered several million dollars more for her than NCL accepted for her. Obviously NCL is attempting to win back their lost American support from the massive loss of passenger numbers due the sale of the fine American ship SS Independence, first sold to an in-house company the California Manufacturing Co, based in the NCL head office in Florida, who renamed her Oceanic, who in turn sold her to an Indian who ONLY buys for Indian breakers, They renamed her Platinum II and she is currently just off the coast of Alang and will soon be broken up. In addition there was the long NCL/Star Cruises tragedy of the SS Norway, ex SS France also sold to Alang and broken up after a long fight by this campaign and a long court case! However, we can be joyful that at least this fine ship is being saved and that she will survive like the SS Rotterdam, and I pray that the United States will receive the kind of support and financial backing as that tiny nation. Apparently a substantial amount of the funding for the ship is being provided because of the generosity of Mr. Gerry Lenfest a Philadelphia philanthropist.

The next step is that the sale still has to pass the EPA – being the American “Environmental Protection Agency” concerns related to any toxin’s that may still remain on the ship, especially in her paint on her hull, etc.

Captain Dan McSweeney the Executive Director of the “United States Conservancy” stated that for the Conservancy becoming the potential owner is “an eye-opening experience for us.” said Dan McSweeney, the conservancy's executive director. As part of the package the United States Conservancy will have to pay the $60,000 a month fee for upkeep of the ship in Philadelphia, where it is berthed.

WE do need to remember is this, even if all should go well, it will be a long time before we will see this great liner back at a berth and open to the public, for she is mostly an empty shell and all her luxury fittings have now long gone. Whilst she was in Turkey to have al the asbestos removed in 1999 her interiors were gutted down to mostly the bare metal, and therefore in order to go and explore the ship today you will need a torch (flashlight) to manage your way around. Her accommodations can only ne seen form markings on the floor that show where the walls once were.

However, at this time she is safe and now it is up to all those who have a desire to see her saved and restored that can play a part in having her saved for the future on a long term basis!

We need to understand that the conservancy’s exclusive agreement with NCL to buy the ship expires in February. Under the agreement with Mr. Lenfest the philanthropist, the group has 20 months of financial support to develop a long-term plan that would eventually make the ship financially self-supporting, but we need your financial support NOW and you can do that in a number of ways, like becoming a plank owner. I have and have certainly purchased more than one, so please follow my lead and start by doing this. They will email you a beautiful certificate that you can print and frame, I have them all framed and they look great!

Please assist the United States Conservancy to turn the SS United States into a fine waterfront maritime museum, hotel, tourist centre and convention centre, or whatever they decide she is best suited for. The have a superb board of people and I am assured that they will make all the right decisions!

Although the above does not mean certain salvation of this great ship, I am glad that there is a band of good strong band of Australian, British, Dutch and American men and women for that matter who will continue the “Save the Classic Liners Campaign” around the world, and together we have already achieved great things in the past! Now with the American campaign up and running I hope that the great SS United States will stand a good chance. But, it will take a great deal of hard work to continue and I pray that especially Americans will back this great ship, and here is just one way to do this!

Become a “SS United States ~ Plank Owner”

Please become a “Plank Owner” by donating $25 for a single plank, but buy more than one! Visit: www.ssusplankowner.org and there you can donate! I am a multiple “Plank Owner”, thus PLEASE join me and support this great American ship and help to save her and ensure that she will have a great future!

Visit: www.ssusplankowner.org and Buy a Plank!

Also Visit http://ssunitedstatesconservancy.org for further news and articles on the ship

I trust that all our supporters will continue to support Alex and Corey for we will need your help, thus, please come aboard and join our new crew on the bridge!

Remember, keep right on reading ssMaritime and you will keep on discovering all sorts of gems and there is a great deal more to come!

Please remember to visit the Save The Classic Liners Campaign page on a regular basis, as all news will appear there FIRST!

Reuben Goossens.

SS United States - INDEX

Page One … “Save the SS Unites States Campaign”

Page Two … SS United States the Great Trans-Atlantic Liner – History page

Page Three … Photo Page One

Page Four … Photo Page Two - SS United States as seen on Aug 20, 2007

Also Visit: http://ssunitedstatesconservancy.org

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Who is the Author of ssMaritime?

Commenced in the passenger Shipping Industry in May 1960

ssMaritime.com & ssMaritime.net

Where the ships of the past make history & the 1914 built MV Doulos Story

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“Save The Classic Liners Campaign” & “Classic Ocean Voyages” pages

Photographs on ssmaritime and associate pages are by the author or from the author’s private collection. In addition there are some images that have been provided by Shipping Companies and private photographers or collectors. Credit is given to all contributors. However, there are some photographs provided to me without details regarding the photographer/owner concerned. I hereby invite if owners of these images would be so kind to make them-selves known to me (my email address may be found on www.ssmaritime.com only), in order that due credit may be given. I know what it is like, I have seen a multitude of my own photographs on other sites, yet these individuals either refuse to provide credit or remove them when asked, knowing full well that there is no legal comeback when it comes to the net. However, let us show these charlatans up and do the right thing at all times and give credit where credit is due!

This notice covers all pages, although, and I have done my best to ensure that all photographs are duly credited and that this notice is displaced on each page, that is, when a page is updated!

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