YOUR Grandfather..Helped a lil girl have a lifetime of amazing memories of the ship! My parents,2 older big brothers and I sailed on the SS United States to and from Bremerhaven,Germany to NYC and back on Home Leave, the 17 yrs qw lived in Frankfurt! DAD was US GOVT! My parents adopted me from a German Orphanage when I was 11 months old...What an Amazing Life I've had!!! Also sailed on the SS CONSTRUCTION AND INDEPENDANCE! SO BLESSED...MISS THOSE DAYS...BUT SHAPED MY LIFE! FOREVER GRATEFUL....🥰
I sailed on her twice when I was a small lad. Even in the north Atlantic during the winter, Santa Claus somehow found the ship and delivered presents to us.
In 1966 my dad was in Viet Nam and due to return home in the fall and go on to his next assignment...Germany! At college I had heard a news blurb about the shipping lines asking military personnel to request travel aboard the SS United States. I shot a letter off to him as quick as I could telling him that's what we ought to do, because with all the traveling we as a military family did, we had NEVER gone via ship! The excitement was almost unbearable as I waited to hear from him. Sure enough, we received orders to travel by ship (the United States!} to Germany! I felt like a puppy with a bad case of the wiggles as we waited time to travel to the East coast where we were to board. I'd been overseas once, to Japan via airplane and just couldn't wait for THIS adventure! Just approaching this huge, beautiful ship with my jaw dragging the ground was almost more excitement than I could stand! Awe doesn't begin to describe the feeling as I looked up at it. I wasn't disappointed...I wandered around ohhhing and aweing with each step and must have looked like Country Cousin Goes to the City! That was THE single most fantastic trip I had EVER been on, or would ever again. It was positively BEAUTIFUL, inside and out...amenities were unbelievable, as was the cuisine. And the atmosphere was positively magical! To this day I have NEVER slept as peacefully and well as I did on that gentle, wave riding dream! Nothing but OCEAN for as far as you could see! We even hit the tail end of a hurricane and were supposed to hold onto safety ropes strung all along the walkways...nope, didn't have to hang on even once, and even managed to walk a perfectly straight line (of course I had just had my first few glasses of champagne at the time to celebrate going to Europe since I was all of an adult then...all of 19! Ya think that helped?!) I saved every beautifully printed menu, post card and shipboard memo we received, for posterity so I'd know it wasn't all just a really beautiful dream! THANK YOU Callan (?) for bringing back a wonderful memory!!
What a fantastic story! I envy you so much. Of course, I was too young to really enjoy the twilight of the superliners, but I enjoyed reading all about their decline and decommissioning in magazines in the 1960s and 1970s. Rail travel too.
I'm so glad I found this video, thank you. My mother emigrated to the US from England on the United States in 1954. It's a shame what's happened to this once great seafaring vessel.
I sailed westward on the ship in late 1968. It was grand, comfortable and exciting. I still have some of the elaborate daily menus. Progress is sometimes sad.
Her superstructure and most of the intrrior was made of aircraft aluminum and her propulsion was the same used in our WW II battleships cruisers and destroyers. The props were also a new design. That much power plus built of aircraft aluminum, he designed a top fuel dragster. And she now and still owns the speed records from South Hampton UK to New York. She was built as the safest and the fastest oceanliner not a cruise ship but an oceanliner. Plus she is absolutely beautiful!
My Dad worked on the SS United States for over 10 years till 69. I had gone on the ship numerous times as a kid while she was docked in NY and last sadly saw her in Philly while going to Villanova University. Took pictures while at Philly to show my dad who was shocked to see her in such sad shape but still appreciated the pictures which he showed to shipmates he kept in touch with. I believe they even were given a tour of the ship at one point.
Thank you Simon for putting a spotlight on Americas Flagship. Ive been peripherally involved for over a decade and have seen first hand the incredible work being done by the many who champion her. She's in the best possible hands right now and with luck, can be preserved for generations to come.
When I was a kid my bedroom window looked out over the SS United States' berth on the Upper West Side of NYC. I have wonderful memories of many of the great liners of that age coming and going, just outside my windows.
My mother worked for Gibbs and Cox during WWII in personnel. We went to see the S. S. United States often when she was in port. Her funnels/stacks were recognizable miles away. Her current condition is painful but does vicariously reflect the state of the country. She deserves better. Thank for posting this.
I first spotted this vessel across Philadelphia from my apartment and I can say that it is genuinely one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in person, including the pyramids, great Zimbabwe, the Cutty Sark, Ankor Wat, and much in between. It has a spooky majesty that’s hard to describe.
I can remember as a boy watching her across the bay, coming in and going out of New York Harbor. Once we were out fishing in the bay, and she was heading out to the ocean. Couldn't have been more than a couple hundred yards from her as she went by. I was stunned by how big she actually was, having only ever seen her from the beach some miles away. She was beautiful.
I traveled on a cruise to the Caribbean on the United States with my folks in the mid 1960s. With late booking we got a couple of small interior cabins toward the aft of the ship. On the way back to NYC there was a storm ahead so the ship went pretty slowly until the storm broke. Then all hell broke loose as the ship raced back to port to stay on schedule. The sound and the vibration in those little cabins we had was intense! I have no idea about how fast she was going, but it was far over her regular cruising speed.
Some things will never go away. Day, night, love, Brady in the Super Bowl, LeBron in the Finals, inept Congress, and The SS United States. She's made it this far. She'll see the light one day
Simon, I don't know if you will ever read this. However I want you to know I am having a really really bad day. Like lost my family kind of bad day. I will not bore you with any details but, I am not exaggerating on how bad. The reason I tell you is: I am watching this to try to not think about how angry, sad, and over all depressed I am right now. Listening to you having, your happy tone of voice, for a few moments it cheered me up and I thank you for that.
I grew up with this ship. My parents still live just outside Philadelphia, and every time we would go down to the waterfront, we went right past it. I always hoped it would be restored one day.
I remember seeing her drawings on display in the Mariners Museum in Newport News as a boy. She still holds the Atlantic crossing record, No? She's a beaut. It's a shame they let her furnishings be stripped.
Brilliant! Thanks for your honest and enthusiastic coverage of this truly iconic liner. We are working diligently to ensure the SS United States has a permanent future. Much gratitude for your piece.
Perhaps when you find an investor (since you want to find someone who wants to INVEST in its future) please make it a condition of ownership that they put money toward maintenance such as painting or repairs instead of only raising false hope for refitting that never happens. As it was once said, you need to have some skin in the game.
After WWII, my parents came back to the U.S. on an overcrowded Army troop ship . A few years later, my maternal grandmother came over on S.S. United States 🚢 🌌🔭
To be fair, 35 knots is an impressive speed for a steam-powered ship. The Aircraft Carrier I rode upon, during my time in the Navy, topped out at 35 knots, and that was a NUCLEAR vessel!
I was a young sailor in the late 70s. My ship docked at the Destroyer and Submarine piers at the Norfolk Naval Operations Base. I remember seeing the SS UNITED STATES tied up at the nearby civilian terminals. She was a sad sight then.
I'm actually doing a presentation on William Francis Gibbs (my second one relating to him and the SSUS to date) as part of my last big project for the school year, and maybe I'll try my hand at making a model of the Big U as well. It'd be the first scratch-built model I've ever done. Thanks a BUNCH for doing a video on her. Means a lot. I got to see her during a service trip in Philly: the first ocean liner I've ever encountered. It was a dream come true. Absolutely love her - she's beautiful, she's big, she's blue, she's FREAKISH FAST - everything I'd want in a ship and I'm glad she's well on her way to being restored. Hope you do one on Queen Mary 2 later. Then I would've gotten videos on my 3 favorite ships of all time (Titanic, US, QM2). :D
I've actually seen this ship as in Philadelphia, across the street from an Ikea store. Such a beautifully magnificent ship of a bygone time. Sad that it has been rusting away. Amazing that so many celebrities and politicians used this incredible ship to travel at breakneck speeds.
10:50 Harry Manning was never a pilot for Amelia Earhart. He was supposed to be her radio operator but dropped out or was let go after her crash in Hawaii. He returned to Pan American where he was on leave for Earhart.
My great grandfather was a chef on the SS Vaterland and got stuck in NYC when the war broke out. He met my great grandmother in the city and the rest is history. I would t be alive today if it weren’t for this ship
That’s an incredible story! They were suppose to turn around in day and go back. Instead they stayed for over three year before the ship was reverse engineered for service again. Your grandfather must have accepted Wilson’s offer of U.S. citizenship?
So glad you’ve done a video on this! Raising awareness is crucial. It is a travesty this great ship of historic significance and an engineering marvel has been left abandoned.
Do an episode on the English Electric Lightning,It was britains first supersonic aircraft and was able to intercept the U-2 and Concorde jets and even fly higher then them,It was basically 2 jets with a seat and air intake at the front.
Just FYI the Normandie’s superstructure was not made of wood. Neither were any of the big liners of that time. The lack of wood on SS United States that Simon mentions should refer the interior areas of the ship. Many past (and future) liners had wooden clad interiors. SS. United States did not.
Of course, the Normandie burned because it was chuck full of flammable life-jackets, and the Navy had changed the fire-hydrant valves but not the fire hoses theselves, so the hoses didn't fit the altered valves. And the fireboat fire-fighters were getting paid overtime, so even after the fire was extinguished, they kept pumping more and more water into the ship.
Interesting stuff, as ever. I had thought that the United States had been mothballed since being taken off the transatlantic run, so news of it's voyages to the east and back came as a surprise. One complaint: not even a glimpse of a photo of her home from home Southampton. While Southampton Water may not be the most spectacular natural harbour in the world it is about the only one that hosts or has hosted all the great ships, cargo and passenger, yet is rarely referenced. Ho hum.
While in the u.s. navy, our ship was berthed in the front (bow) of the USS United States. There was no ladder to board her, as much as I would have loved to explore her. This was early mid 70s in Norfolk Va. She did looked a little worse for the ware, but still beautiful! Totally regal.
Grew up near there. Remember when it was towed in. Gone by it hundreds of times, been up to it a few times. I knew what it was and what it meant. I know it’s time I’d short. I agree I hope it gets saved.
I was lucky to see her in 2018..............my mom, my older sister and myself arrived in NY on May 5, 1953 on that grand ship. Brought tears to my eyes to see her.
Awesome ship! We used to take our boat and go along side it in Philadelphia harbour. It is absolutely gigantic when looking up at it from the river! Great video!
Crossed the Atlantic twice in the '50s on Cunard liners as a military (R.C.AF.) brat at the ripe old age of 10 going and 14 coming back when S.H.A.P.E. H.Q. was still in Paris. Beautiful trip both ways, Le Havre - Quebec City. An experience not available any more I suspect, nothing like the cruise ships of modern days.
Suggestion: The ferry service between San Diego Bay and Coronado. Before the Coronado Bridge was built, many passengers, and their cars, traveled between San Diego and Coronado. Many of those folks were on their way to the Navy Base located on Coronado. These days the ferry transports San Diego locals and tourists to Coronado to enjoy a day of shopping, dining and soaking up the sun at the beach. Along those lines, I think a Geographics about Coronado would be very interesting. As for a Mega Project, the Silver Strand, the highway linking San Diego to Coronado, would be worth looking into.
I heard that when the RMS Titanic II get's launched and is sailing, the SS United States will end up being a competitor. And too bad there wasn't a Bing Crosby and Bob Hope "Road to" movie scene that was filmed on the SS United States because in Road to Morocco. the RMS Aquitania is used and in Road to Singapore the SS Normandie was in it. I can't wait to see the ship get back in service (Maybe). I made a concept of what I think it wiould look like if it was put back in service. I'm also still working on my SS United States model. It will be going next to my MS Stockholm (1948) model, RMS Britannic model, RMS Britannic II model, MV Britannic and RMS Saxonia model. The SS United States is one of my favorite ships.
@@angrydoggy9170 Might look like a bargain, but don't look surprised when you fill her up for the first time, hope you have quantum discount at your petrol station.
44 knots would be very impressive for a ship that length, since it would be significantly beyond its theoretical hull speed, the speed at which a vessel's bow wave meets its stern wave, and a ship with a displacement hull begins digging itself into its own wave.
@@JugSouthgate Maybe that's right. If it were 44mph they meant, that might be pretty close to its actual theoretical Hull speed. On the other hand, if you just keep adding power, even to a displacement Hull, it's eventually going to have to overrun its bow wave and speed up, and 250,000 horsepower is not insignificant. We can't be sure, but there are a wealth of apocryphal accounts of US aircraft carriers going way beyond their Hull speeds, hitting 60 knots or better.
@@joshbobst1629 if my math is right, 44 mph is about 38 knots. Wikipedia says the ship went that fast in trials, so it all fits. In any event, crossing the Atlantic at an average speed of about 35 knots/40 mph is just awesome.
I was lucky enough to be on her a couple of years ago, I was part of a group studying a proposal to move her to a new permanent location in Brooklyn. The intent at the time would have been to make her into a museum, floating hotel, and office space. Not sure how seriously the trust considered the idea but I really enjoyed being part of that study.
Growing up outside of Philly(on the Jersey side, I think my house might be in the video!) I loved seeing this big ship when crossing the bridge. It wasn't until I was older that I tried to figure out what ship this was(and if it would ever sail again). I love it, and I love hearing the story!
So glad that this ship has gotten a video made on it from Simon and crew! It truly is a monument to a bygone era! I have donated to its conservatory. It feels like a shame to let it be scrapped like many of its predecessors.
I caught a glimpse of this ship a few years ago while in Philly, though her story reminds me of the Battersea Power Station (Megaproject/Sideproject video idea?), which sat abandoned for many years being passed from one proposal to another. In the end, things did happen though and it's been under redevelopment over the last few years. And pigs fly. Allegedly
Just thinking, maybe move it to San Pedro CA as the Battle ship Iowa is there and the Queen Mary is one city over in Long Beach and there both open for tours. Thanks again for the video.
If restored with the addition of some commonplace casino games i.e. black jack, bingo, Gai Pow poker, craps and Bacharach , and a couple of Vegas style girl dancer shows, Eben if it is a simple cruise overnighter just beyond the legal jurisdiction seems like a great return to the fun and just a touch of intrigue to babe all enjoy a wonderful time.
They should either restore the ship to its former glory or scrap it. It pains me to see a beautiful ship such as the SS United States slowly rot and decay like this.
I feel the same about the SS America, the SS United States’ former running mate. At least that she returned to the sea and became something of a curiosity in the Canary Islands for a while.
@@LazloRolka A paint job and exterior refurbishment would go a long way to generate the necessary financial interest to save the ship, I've always thought.
@@ksorsomeplace can't they just stick it in a big tourist city and turn it into some kind of mixed use venue. Part shopping venue part business venue make part of it a hotel add some restaurants, part of it could be museum, art gallery, event hire, function rooms, wedding venue etc. So much could be done with this. The interior is a blank canvas to start fresh. The exterior could be painted smartly and lit with modern stylish lighting at night. I imagine it could be a great attraction in the location location and investment
Video Idea: The ESS Northumbria. Construction started in 1965 to haul crude oil around the world. The ship had many issues, structural etc, cracks in the hull etc. The ship was nearly a kilometer long. This was at a time when the Suez canal was having some issues. A very interesting story.
I mean European company's like White Star Line, Cunard line, French and Italian lines were quite Superior. The SS United States was the only ship that could compete with it's European rivals.
Doesn't that make them (European ships of the same) inferior? I mean they had decades to build better ships and had more experience, but they never beat SS United States for 17 years.
@@karldergrosse-333 Because when the SS United States was built it was at the end of the Ocean Liner era. And the companys built interiors after what was popular at the time.
You do realize that White Star Line was an American-owned company, right? They used the British flag as a flag of convenience, but they were owned by JP Morgan’s International Mercantile Marine. It’s actually why the USA was involved in the Titanic inquest
This would be a bit different, but Notre Dame Cathedral would be awesome. I recall it took a long time to build and many of the construction techniques were highly challenging for the time. Also, lots of history to discuss.
Amiens or Reims cathedrals are less known than Paris Notre Dame, but these cathedrals are even more impressive. And due to the restoration works in progress, filming these cathedrals would also be easier. th-cam.com/video/pdpTUgso07w/w-d-xo.html
Fantastic video 👏👏👏 I appreciate how you showcase some of the amazing that make up the glory days. It would be fantastic if you did a video on the golden age of rail travel with trains like Southern Pacific's Daylight. SP helped rebuild San Francisco after the 1906 Earthquake & many California towns are named after high ranking railroad executives! Like Huntington Beach was named for Henry Huntington, a railroad magnate involved with Southern Pacific (I believe). Southern Pacific also formed Greyhound bus in the 80s (I think it was the 80s) & they founded SPRINT! Thanks to all the old telegraph wires that followed the railroad right of way; they used it to create SPRINT - Southern Pacific Railroad International Telephone! Now that's a fun fact! Keep up the great work!!! 👏👏👏
Im old enough to have taken her,Eastbound several times, to Harve first class, courtesy of U.S. diplomatic corps. She still holds the record for fastest crossing ever...for a passenger liner.... its sad to see her in this shape...Heres hoping she gets a new home,and refurbishing...
Credit to Simon and Oliver. At a glance the title of the videos seem, like ugh another ship? Yet I always find myself utterly enthralled by these very interesting videos. People often say you can have quality but not quantity or you can have quantity but not quality yet you guys pull it off every time. As for a video suggestion maybe do a video on Beijing Daxing International Airport the biggest in the world, I would love to know more about how a airport the size of a city can function so efficiently.
Great video, a future suggestion would be the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the history is interesting and then the false cutting of the ribbon opening ceremony is a great story.
My uncle was Chief Engineer on United States for much of her service. The Navy underwrote most of the cost because of the usefulness of Queen Mary And Queen Elizabeth as troop transports due to their speed and with a Cold War looming the US Navy wanted a fast and as fireproof ship as could be constructed. She could cruise at 35knts and up to 38. According to him she was capable of "Dash Speeds" of 42-44 Kts for brief periods as this was hard on the reduction gears. She, like Queen Mary will never sail again except under tow. QM is approaching not even to be towed. My personal opnion is to scuttle them as artificial reefs once stripped of any environmently hazardous materials. Give these ships something more dignified than the breakers.
I've seen her up close. A few years ago I was picking up a load of rolls of paper in my semi at the port of Philadelphia. The load crew went on lunch break so I walked to end of the warehouse and there she was. It was something to behold. It was like looking at history thinking of who all had sailed in her.
It was the only project at NNSY&DD that both my father and grandfather worked. Its a large facility with numerous projects at any time. Each employee who worked on the USS United States received a framed print which listed its numbers. (As a kid, I thought it odd that it listed troop capacity.)
Your videos are so cool. Subscribed and bell is on. Also, I don't know if you know this, but if you make timestamps in the description of the video, youtube will show the little segments on the playback bar. So like: SS Vaterland - 2:08 Liberty Ships - 3:05 and so on. Given that your videos are well segmented, this would be easy to do and it looks and feels very cool. Thank you for the content. Keep up the good work.
Just a quick correction. The superstructure of the ship was made of aluminum instead of steel to save weight. The superstructure would never have been built from wood as mentioned twice in the video.
The vessel was obsolete at launch, a gas hog. 4 turbines each 53000 hp, it had probably been more that enough with 3. Heavily subsidized the few years it operated. She held the Blue Riband 1952-1990. The current holder since 1998 is the "CAT LINK V" with 2 days, 20 hrs and 9 min.
I've visited the location a few times. It's a sad place of you see it today knowing it once was so beautiful and powerful. Thanks for covering this topic.
Personally Alan Turing will always be the biggest unsung hero of ww2 tbh but Liberty ships were truly amazing but Turing was the on that made it possible to secretly and selectively stop u boats attacking them :)
Drive by this rusting hulk when I take Delaware Avenue toward the sports complex here in Philly. It's amazing how many times someone has come a long to 'save' the ship, only for those plans to sink. Sooner or later, I imagine the ship itself will too.
I was sent to Navy fire school in Norfolk in 1972. We were no farther than 200 yards from it during our instruction and putting out a test fuel fire around a steel jet mock-up. The instructor said that they didn't know what to do with it at the time.
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Daddy is that you
Love how interesting your videos are
Please make a video about Bar Lev Line, costing around $300 million in 1973.
Please do a video on the ss America
Amazed you didn't include a link to the organization that's the current owner of the ship.
My grandfather helped build this ship. I still have a painting, much like one shown in the video, that was gifted to him by the shipyard.
Making it threw the build without injury or life long back problem would of been a good gift
That's awesome, gotta love those bits of family history that tie into world history!
YOUR Grandfather..Helped a lil girl have a lifetime of amazing memories of the ship! My parents,2 older big brothers and I sailed on the SS United States to and from Bremerhaven,Germany to NYC and back on Home Leave, the 17 yrs qw lived in Frankfurt! DAD was US GOVT! My parents adopted me from a German Orphanage when I was 11 months old...What an Amazing Life I've had!!! Also sailed on the SS CONSTRUCTION AND INDEPENDANCE! SO BLESSED...MISS THOSE DAYS...BUT SHAPED MY LIFE! FOREVER GRATEFUL....🥰
9:55 correction - draft is the depth of the bottom below the waterline. Freeboard is the distance between the waterline and the deck.
Also 9.5m is not 990ft.
@@Sgt_SealCluber that had me really confused even though I knew it was wrong
Yep, they biffed that one big time
They often make this mistake when discussing ships.
I was literally about to post that....good thing I saw this first so I didn’t repeat it!
I sailed on her twice when I was a small lad. Even in the north Atlantic during the winter, Santa Claus somehow found the ship and delivered presents to us.
That is amazing!
This is hands down one of my favorite comments ever.
@@jamesmoore9271 Thanks!!!
Well saint nick was a sailor after all ;)
Literally nothing escapes his over-generousity, not even America's fastest ocean liner lmao
In 1966 my dad was in Viet Nam and due to return home in the fall and go on to his next assignment...Germany! At college I had heard a news blurb about the shipping lines asking military personnel to request travel aboard the SS United States. I shot a letter off to him as quick as I could telling him that's what we ought to do, because with all the traveling we as a military family did, we had NEVER gone via ship! The excitement was almost unbearable as I waited to hear from him. Sure enough, we received orders to travel by ship (the United States!} to Germany!
I felt like a puppy with a bad case of the wiggles as we waited time to travel to the East coast where we were to board. I'd been overseas once, to Japan via airplane and just couldn't wait for THIS adventure!
Just approaching this huge, beautiful ship with my jaw dragging the ground was almost more excitement than I could stand! Awe doesn't begin to describe the feeling as I looked up at it. I wasn't disappointed...I wandered around ohhhing and aweing with each step and must have looked like Country Cousin Goes to the City!
That was THE single most fantastic trip I had EVER been on, or would ever again. It was positively BEAUTIFUL, inside and out...amenities were unbelievable, as was the cuisine. And the atmosphere was positively magical! To this day I have NEVER slept as peacefully and well as I did on that gentle, wave riding dream! Nothing but OCEAN for as far as you could see!
We even hit the tail end of a hurricane and were supposed to hold onto safety ropes strung all along the walkways...nope, didn't have to hang on even once, and even managed to walk a perfectly straight line (of course I had just had my first few glasses of champagne at the time to celebrate going to Europe since I was all of an adult then...all of 19! Ya think that helped?!) I saved every beautifully printed menu, post card and shipboard memo we received, for posterity so I'd know it wasn't all just a really beautiful dream!
THANK YOU Callan (?) for bringing back a wonderful memory!!
What a fantastic story! I envy you so much. Of course, I was too young to really enjoy the twilight of the superliners, but I enjoyed reading all about their decline and decommissioning in magazines in the 1960s and 1970s. Rail travel too.
@@markmh835
Rail travel is making a big comeback.
I'm so glad I found this video, thank you. My mother emigrated to the US from England on the United States in 1954. It's a shame what's happened to this once great seafaring vessel.
I sailed westward on the ship in late 1968. It was grand, comfortable and exciting. I still have some of the elaborate daily menus. Progress is sometimes sad.
Her superstructure and most of the intrrior was made of aircraft aluminum and her propulsion was the same used in our WW II battleships cruisers and destroyers. The props were also a new design. That much power plus built of aircraft aluminum, he designed a top fuel dragster. And she now and still owns the speed records from South Hampton UK to New York. She was built as the safest and the fastest oceanliner not a cruise ship but an oceanliner. Plus she is absolutely beautiful!
My Dad worked on the SS United States for over 10 years till 69. I had gone on the ship numerous times as a kid while she was docked in NY and last sadly saw her in Philly while going to Villanova University. Took pictures while at Philly to show my dad who was shocked to see her in such sad shape but still appreciated the pictures which he showed to shipmates he kept in touch with. I believe they even were given a tour of the ship at one point.
these liners are so much more beautiful than the floating hotels we have now, so sleek fast and elegant
A ship's Captain I met once referred to the multi decked cruise ships as "Those top heavy pieces of junk". I concur.
@@BELCAN57 I call them gnocchi (dumplings).
Isn't THAT the TRUTH!
But you can't deny that those thing are huge and keep getting bigger
@@BELCAN57 i call them bricks with stern like bow
Thank you Simon for putting a spotlight on Americas Flagship. Ive been peripherally involved for over a decade and have seen first hand the incredible work being done by the many who champion her. She's in the best possible hands right now and with luck, can be preserved for generations to come.
When I was a kid my bedroom window looked out over the SS United States' berth on the Upper West Side of NYC. I have wonderful memories of many of the great liners of that age coming and going, just outside my windows.
10:00 draft is the distance from waterline to keel, freeboard is distance from waterline to deck. Also 9.5 m is NOT 990 feet.
My mother worked for Gibbs and Cox during WWII in personnel. We went to see the S. S. United States often when she was in port. Her funnels/stacks were recognizable miles away. Her current condition is painful but does vicariously reflect the state of the country. She deserves better.
Thank for posting this.
I first spotted this vessel across Philadelphia from my apartment and I can say that it is genuinely one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in person, including the pyramids, great Zimbabwe, the Cutty Sark, Ankor Wat, and much in between. It has a spooky majesty that’s hard to describe.
I can remember as a boy watching her across the bay, coming in and going out of New York Harbor. Once we were out fishing in the bay, and she was heading out to the ocean. Couldn't have been more than a couple hundred yards from her as she went by. I was stunned by how big she actually was, having only ever seen her from the beach some miles away. She was beautiful.
My father-in-law has a similar story about the Queen Mary on her last journey. I bet it wasn't there very long
I traveled on a cruise to the Caribbean on the United States with my folks in the mid 1960s. With late booking we got a couple of small interior cabins toward the aft of the ship. On the way back to NYC there was a storm ahead so the ship went pretty slowly until the storm broke. Then all hell broke loose as the ship raced back to port to stay on schedule. The sound and the vibration in those little cabins we had was intense! I have no idea about how fast she was going, but it was far over her regular cruising speed.
Some things will never go away. Day, night, love, Brady in the Super Bowl, LeBron in the Finals, inept Congress, and The SS United States. She's made it this far. She'll see the light one day
We can only hope. In many ways she mirrors the actual country right now.
You missed one the USS Constitution.
@@dorsk84 two actually. The Queen of England I'm convinced is a robot
This is sitting outside the best buy I go to lol.
Don't just stand there, fix it!
Yeah man. Buy it and fix it up.
Get a wrench man
I think it’s closer to the ikea and Chick-fil-A but true Best Buy is there
Lucky bastard.
Simon, I don't know if you will ever read this. However I want you to know I am having a really really bad day. Like lost my family kind of bad day. I will not bore you with any details but, I am not exaggerating on how bad. The reason I tell you is: I am watching this to try to not think about how angry, sad, and over all depressed I am right now. Listening to you having, your happy tone of voice, for a few moments it cheered me up and I thank you for that.
I grew up with this ship. My parents still live just outside Philadelphia, and every time we would go down to the waterfront, we went right past it. I always hoped it would be restored one day.
I remember seeing her drawings on display in the Mariners Museum in Newport News as a boy. She still holds the Atlantic crossing record, No?
She's a beaut. It's a shame they let her furnishings be stripped.
Brilliant! Thanks for your honest and enthusiastic coverage of this truly iconic liner. We are working diligently to ensure the SS United States has a permanent future. Much gratitude for your piece.
Good luck with that.
Perhaps when you find an investor (since you want to find someone who wants to INVEST in its future) please make it a condition of ownership that they put money toward maintenance such as painting or repairs instead of only raising false hope for refitting that never happens. As it was once said, you need to have some skin in the game.
Thanks
from guns to maga projects you have surprised me dude
Hey dude, love your gun channel, I am happy to see you here.
For April fools you guys need to cover the pyramids being built by aliens totally straight faced.
Yes we need this!
@@andromenia1 I second this
Indeed. Be as convincing as possible haha
Sponsored by Raid: Shadow Legends!
Straight faced aliens?
Don’t they smile? 🙂
Or are they just dull? 😐
After WWII, my parents came back to the U.S. on an overcrowded Army troop ship . A few years later, my maternal grandmother came over on S.S. United States 🚢
🌌🔭
The 24 dislikes are from the destroyers that were outrun
Jake Broderick , OMG... so funny... but so true! LOL
To be fair, 35 knots is an impressive speed for a steam-powered ship. The Aircraft Carrier I rode upon, during my time in the Navy, topped out at 35 knots, and that was a NUCLEAR vessel!
@@jacob4920 still steam driven
I'm sure destroyers wouldn't care about a grimy old liner outrunning them.....if you're talking about modern ones atleast-
I grew up in philly and I always loved driving I-95 and seeing that rusty old ship.
I was a young sailor in the late 70s. My ship docked at the Destroyer and Submarine piers at the Norfolk Naval Operations Base. I remember seeing the SS UNITED STATES tied up at the nearby civilian terminals. She was a sad sight then.
I'm actually doing a presentation on William Francis Gibbs (my second one relating to him and the SSUS to date) as part of my last big project for the school year, and maybe I'll try my hand at making a model of the Big U as well. It'd be the first scratch-built model I've ever done. Thanks a BUNCH for doing a video on her. Means a lot. I got to see her during a service trip in Philly: the first ocean liner I've ever encountered. It was a dream come true. Absolutely love her - she's beautiful, she's big, she's blue, she's FREAKISH FAST - everything I'd want in a ship and I'm glad she's well on her way to being restored. Hope you do one on Queen Mary 2 later. Then I would've gotten videos on my 3 favorite ships of all time (Titanic, US, QM2). :D
I've actually seen this ship as in Philadelphia, across the street from an Ikea store. Such a beautifully magnificent ship of a bygone time. Sad that it has been rusting away. Amazing that so many celebrities and politicians used this incredible ship to travel at breakneck speeds.
10:50 Harry Manning was never a pilot for Amelia Earhart. He was supposed to be her radio operator but dropped out or was let go after her crash in Hawaii. He returned to Pan American where he was on leave for Earhart.
My great grandfather was a chef on the SS Vaterland and got stuck in NYC when the war broke out. He met my great grandmother in the city and the rest is history. I would t be alive today if it weren’t for this ship
That’s an incredible story! They were suppose to turn around in day and go back. Instead they stayed for over three year before the ship was reverse engineered for service again. Your grandfather must have accepted Wilson’s offer of U.S. citizenship?
So glad you’ve done a video on this! Raising awareness is crucial. It is a travesty this great ship of historic significance and an engineering marvel has been left abandoned.
She is not abandoned but rather has been sitting idle...awaiting her renaissance.
Do an episode on the English Electric Lightning,It was britains first supersonic aircraft and was able to intercept the U-2 and Concorde jets and even fly higher then them,It was basically 2 jets with a seat and air intake at the front.
Just FYI the Normandie’s superstructure was not made of wood. Neither were any of the big liners of that time. The lack of wood on SS United States that Simon mentions should refer the interior areas of the ship. Many past (and future) liners had wooden clad interiors. SS. United States did not.
I vote nation wide crowd funding to help restore this elegant ship once again.
Of course, the Normandie burned because it was chuck full of flammable life-jackets, and the Navy had changed the fire-hydrant valves but not the fire hoses theselves, so the hoses didn't fit the altered valves. And the fireboat fire-fighters were getting paid overtime, so even after the fire was extinguished, they kept pumping more and more water into the ship.
Interesting stuff, as ever.
I had thought that the United States had been mothballed since being taken off the transatlantic run, so news of it's voyages to the east and back came as a surprise.
One complaint: not even a glimpse of a photo of her home from home Southampton. While Southampton Water may not be the most spectacular natural harbour in the world it is about the only one that hosts or has hosted all the great ships, cargo and passenger, yet is rarely referenced.
Ho hum.
Great vid...my family sailed on her in 1968 when we moved to Germany...I was 11 at the time...brings back memories
While in the u.s. navy, our ship was berthed in the front (bow) of the USS United States. There was no ladder to board her, as much as I would have loved to explore her. This was early mid 70s in Norfolk Va. She did looked a little worse for the ware, but still beautiful! Totally regal.
The draft or draught of a ship at 9:50 is from the waterline to the keel - not the waterline to the deck.
Also, the video lists the draft at 9.5m (990 ft). Looks like they carried over then length to the draft. Excellent video though
Grew up near there. Remember when it was towed in. Gone by it hundreds of times, been up to it a few times. I knew what it was and what it meant. I know it’s time I’d short. I agree I hope it gets saved.
Thank you, well done.
Literally always pass this thing on the bridge into Philly.
Thanks for doing this one!
I was lucky to see her in 2018..............my mom, my older sister and myself arrived in NY on May 5, 1953 on that grand ship. Brought tears to my eyes to see her.
Awesome ship! We used to take our boat and go along side it in Philadelphia harbour. It is absolutely gigantic when looking up at it from the river! Great video!
I wish they would do something and restore this ship. What a wonderful ship and I saw it sailing once a long time ago.
Crossed the Atlantic twice in the '50s on Cunard liners as a military (R.C.AF.) brat at the ripe old age of 10 going and 14 coming back when S.H.A.P.E. H.Q. was still in Paris. Beautiful trip both ways, Le Havre - Quebec City. An experience not available any more I suspect, nothing like the cruise ships of modern days.
Suggestion: The ferry service between San Diego Bay and Coronado. Before the Coronado Bridge was built, many passengers, and their cars, traveled between San Diego and Coronado. Many of those folks were on their way to the Navy Base located on Coronado.
These days the ferry transports San Diego locals and tourists to Coronado to enjoy a day of shopping, dining and soaking up the sun at the beach.
Along those lines, I think a Geographics about Coronado would be very interesting. As for a Mega Project, the Silver Strand, the highway linking San Diego to Coronado, would be worth looking into.
I heard that when the RMS Titanic II get's launched and is sailing, the SS United States will end up being a competitor. And too bad there wasn't a Bing Crosby and Bob Hope "Road to" movie scene that was filmed on the SS United States because in Road to Morocco. the RMS Aquitania is used and in Road to Singapore the SS Normandie was in it. I can't wait to see the ship get back in service (Maybe). I made a concept of what I think it wiould look like if it was put back in service. I'm also still working on my
SS United States model. It will be going next to my MS Stockholm (1948) model, RMS Britannic model, RMS Britannic II model, MV Britannic and RMS Saxonia model. The SS United States is one of my favorite ships.
Excellent video. Thank you
I’m looking for a seaworthy vessel to go fishing. This one seems like a bit of a bargain.
Thats the spirit! 👍
Some easy-start and a lick of paint and she'll be right!
You can also buy a cruise ship now that COVID-19 crashed the demand for cruises.
@@carlramirez6339 That’s not entirely what I’m looking for, I’m looking for a bit of a DIW job. 😋
@Logan Jones. Asbestos has been gone since the early 90s, and it was looked over by an engineering team in 2016 who said it was sound.
@@angrydoggy9170 Might look like a bargain, but don't look surprised when you fill her up for the first time, hope you have quantum discount at your petrol station.
44 knots would be very impressive for a ship that length, since it would be significantly beyond its theoretical hull speed, the speed at which a vessel's bow wave meets its stern wave, and a ship with a displacement hull begins digging itself into its own wave.
I think the reports of such speeds are the result of people confusing knots with miles per hour.
@@JugSouthgate Maybe that's right. If it were 44mph they meant, that might be pretty close to its actual theoretical Hull speed. On the other hand, if you just keep adding power, even to a displacement Hull, it's eventually going to have to overrun its bow wave and speed up, and 250,000 horsepower is not insignificant. We can't be sure, but there are a wealth of apocryphal accounts of US aircraft carriers going way beyond their Hull speeds, hitting 60 knots or better.
@@joshbobst1629 if my math is right, 44 mph is about 38 knots. Wikipedia says the ship went that fast in trials, so it all fits.
In any event, crossing the Atlantic at an average speed of about 35 knots/40 mph is just awesome.
I was lucky enough to be on her a couple of years ago, I was part of a group studying a proposal to move her to a new permanent location in Brooklyn. The intent at the time would have been to make her into a museum, floating hotel, and office space. Not sure how seriously the trust considered the idea but I really enjoyed being part of that study.
A mega or side project on the Patrol Boat River and Patrol Craft Fast.
Growing up outside of Philly(on the Jersey side, I think my house might be in the video!) I loved seeing this big ship when crossing the bridge. It wasn't until I was older that I tried to figure out what ship this was(and if it would ever sail again). I love it, and I love hearing the story!
So glad that this ship has gotten a video made on it from Simon and crew!
It truly is a monument to a bygone era!
I have donated to its conservatory. It feels like a shame to let it be scrapped like many of its predecessors.
You should do a video on the competition for the Blue Riband, lots of amazing ships competed for it
I caught a glimpse of this ship a few years ago while in Philly, though her story reminds me of the Battersea Power Station (Megaproject/Sideproject video idea?), which sat abandoned for many years being passed from one proposal to another. In the end, things did happen though and it's been under redevelopment over the last few years. And pigs fly. Allegedly
Just thinking, maybe move it to San Pedro CA as the Battle ship Iowa is there and the Queen Mary is one city over in Long Beach and there both open for tours. Thanks again for the video.
If restored with the addition of some commonplace casino games i.e. black jack, bingo, Gai Pow poker, craps and Bacharach , and a couple of Vegas style girl dancer shows, Eben if it is a simple cruise overnighter just beyond the legal jurisdiction seems like a great return to the fun and just a touch of intrigue to babe all enjoy a wonderful time.
They should either restore the ship to its former glory or scrap it. It pains me to see a beautiful ship such as the SS United States slowly rot and decay like this.
I feel the same about the SS America, the SS United States’ former running mate. At least that she returned to the sea and became something of a curiosity in the Canary Islands for a while.
Nah not scrap it, but if worst comes to worst, being sunk as an artificial reef is probably the best plan
It's just peeling paint. She's been fully analysed and she's still 97% tensile strength. But a paint job is 200k alone.
@@LazloRolka A paint job and exterior refurbishment would go a long way to generate the necessary financial interest to save the ship, I've always thought.
@@ksorsomeplace can't they just stick it in a big tourist city and turn it into some kind of mixed use venue. Part shopping venue part business venue make part of it a hotel add some restaurants, part of it could be museum, art gallery, event hire, function rooms, wedding venue etc. So much could be done with this. The interior is a blank canvas to start fresh. The exterior could be painted smartly and lit with modern stylish lighting at night. I imagine it could be a great attraction in the location location and investment
I've been suggesting this one for a bit now, thanks Oli!
Video Idea: The ESS Northumbria. Construction started in 1965 to haul crude oil around the world. The ship had many issues, structural etc, cracks in the hull etc. The ship was nearly a kilometer long. This was at a time when the Suez canal was having some issues. A very interesting story.
I mean European company's like White Star Line, Cunard line, French and Italian lines were quite Superior.
The SS United States was the only ship that could compete with it's European rivals.
Doesn't that make them (European ships of the same) inferior? I mean they had decades to build better ships and had more experience, but they never beat SS United States for 17 years.
@@karldergrosse-333 Because when the SS United States was built it was at the end of the Ocean Liner era.
And the companys built interiors after what was popular at the time.
You do realize that White Star Line was an American-owned company, right? They used the British flag as a flag of convenience, but they were owned by JP Morgan’s International Mercantile Marine. It’s actually why the USA was involved in the Titanic inquest
Nationalistic prick waving is unnecessary.
This would be a bit different, but Notre Dame Cathedral would be awesome. I recall it took a long time to build and many of the construction techniques were highly challenging for the time. Also, lots of history to discuss.
Amiens or Reims cathedrals are less known than Paris Notre Dame, but these cathedrals are even more impressive. And due to the restoration works in progress, filming these cathedrals would also be easier.
th-cam.com/video/pdpTUgso07w/w-d-xo.html
Informative as ever Simon. Love your videos and the research that goes into them 🙏👌
Good video 👍
Thanks for the video I’ve been waiting on this for a while!
If any Ship deserves to be restored and preserved as a great American Icon; THIS IS IT !
Fantastic video 👏👏👏 I appreciate how you showcase some of the amazing that make up the glory days. It would be fantastic if you did a video on the golden age of rail travel with trains like Southern Pacific's Daylight. SP helped rebuild San Francisco after the 1906 Earthquake & many California towns are named after high ranking railroad executives! Like Huntington Beach was named for Henry Huntington, a railroad magnate involved with Southern Pacific (I believe). Southern Pacific also formed Greyhound bus in the 80s (I think it was the 80s) & they founded SPRINT! Thanks to all the old telegraph wires that followed the railroad right of way; they used it to create SPRINT - Southern Pacific Railroad International Telephone! Now that's a fun fact!
Keep up the great work!!! 👏👏👏
I grew up right outside of Philadelphia and used to see the ship often. She is an awesome sight! I would love to see her restored!
Always good ships! I got to check out the model on my first day of orientation at the yard.
Height of waterline to deck is the freeboard. Waterline to depth of keel is the draft. Very important to know if you don't want to run aground.
Im old enough to have taken her,Eastbound several times, to Harve first class, courtesy of U.S. diplomatic corps. She still holds the record for fastest crossing ever...for a passenger liner.... its sad to see her in this shape...Heres hoping she gets a new home,and refurbishing...
Credit to Simon and Oliver.
At a glance the title of the videos seem, like ugh another ship? Yet I always find myself utterly enthralled by these very interesting videos.
People often say you can have quality but not quantity or you can have quantity but not quality yet you guys pull it off every time.
As for a video suggestion maybe do a video on Beijing Daxing International Airport the biggest in the world, I would love to know more about how a airport the size of a city can function so efficiently.
Always great stuff! Love your show!
I have a friend who immigrated to the USA from Latvia on the last trans Atlanic voyage of this ship.
Great video, a future suggestion would be the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the history is interesting and then the false cutting of the ribbon opening ceremony is a great story.
Very good video... Well informed. 🇺🇸
The SS United States is the best Ocean Liner ever build and yet it sits rusting and rotting away in Philadelphia Harbor
Did a drop and hook at a yard in Philadelphia, right under the bow of this huge ship. Pretty wild up close.
My uncle was Chief Engineer on United States for much of her service. The Navy underwrote most of the cost because of the usefulness of Queen Mary And Queen Elizabeth as troop transports due to their speed and with a Cold War looming the US Navy wanted a fast and as fireproof ship as could be constructed. She could cruise at 35knts and up to 38. According to him she was capable of "Dash Speeds" of 42-44 Kts for brief periods as this was hard on the reduction gears. She, like Queen Mary will never sail again except under tow. QM is approaching not even to be towed. My personal opnion is to scuttle them as artificial reefs once stripped of any environmently hazardous materials. Give these ships something more dignified than the breakers.
I've seen her up close. A few years ago I was picking up a load of rolls of paper in my semi at the port of Philadelphia. The load crew went on lunch break so I walked to end of the warehouse and there she was. It was something to behold. It was like looking at history thinking of who all had sailed in her.
It was the only project at NNSY&DD that both my father and grandfather worked. Its a large facility with numerous projects at any time. Each employee who worked on the USS United States received a framed print which listed its numbers. (As a kid, I thought it odd that it listed troop capacity.)
Thank you
1:35 - Chapter 1 - A man named gibbs
3:25 - Chapter 2 - The big ship
5:50 - Mid roll ads
7:35 - Chapter 3 - SS United states
10:35 - Chapter 4 - Ready for service
12:20 - Chapter 5 - Trouble ahead
14:40 - Chapter 6 - An uncertain future
- Chapter 7 -
- Chapter 8 -
Your videos are so cool. Subscribed and bell is on.
Also, I don't know if you know this, but if you make timestamps in the description of the video, youtube will show the little segments on the playback bar. So like:
SS Vaterland - 2:08
Liberty Ships - 3:05
and so on.
Given that your videos are well segmented, this would be easy to do and it looks and feels very cool.
Thank you for the content. Keep up the good work.
Just a quick correction. The superstructure of the ship was made of aluminum instead of steel to save weight. The superstructure would never have been built from wood as mentioned twice in the video.
He made it clear that the superstructure was aluminium but also that it incorporated next to nothing wood.
The vessel was obsolete at launch, a gas hog. 4 turbines each 53000 hp, it had probably been more that enough with 3. Heavily subsidized the few years it operated. She held the Blue Riband 1952-1990. The current holder since 1998 is the "CAT LINK V" with 2 days, 20 hrs and 9 min.
I've visited the location a few times. It's a sad place of you see it today knowing it once was so beautiful and powerful. Thanks for covering this topic.
Personally Alan Turing will always be the biggest unsung hero of ww2 tbh but Liberty ships were truly amazing but Turing was the on that made it possible to secretly and selectively stop u boats attacking them :)
I have heard that the hull design below the water line was kept secret for many years. Great video, THANKS.....
Do one about the Romanian Parliament in Bucharest.
There’s a geographic about that I think
th-cam.com/video/opoGlCP20Co/w-d-xo.html
Drive by this rusting hulk when I take Delaware Avenue toward the sports complex here in Philly. It's amazing how many times someone has come a long to 'save' the ship, only for those plans to sink. Sooner or later, I imagine the ship itself will too.
A good way for investors to sink their money (no pun needed)
Stalking you on IG while I listen to this video. Good video!
Love your videos! How about something on the great Clipper ships?👍
Please do a video on the Gateway Arch in St Louis
I was sent to Navy fire school in Norfolk in 1972. We were no farther than 200 yards from it during our instruction and putting out a test fuel fire around a steel jet mock-up. The instructor said that they didn't know what to do with it at the time.