Bring SS United States to Jacksonville?

[Ocklawaha]

The SS UNITED STATES is screwed if she want's to get anywhere near the core of Jacksonville as the Dames Point/Broward Bridge and nearby JEA Power lines are 160' high. The Ship is 213 feet high. Oop's JTA STRIKES AGAIN!

Frankly wouldn't the SS UNITED STATES, the USS OLYMPIA (also in Philly and also doomed to reef status), toss in the INDEPENDENCE AND ADAMS, along with a future USS JACKSONVILLE... and OMG! We WOULD have something Orlando/Miami/Tampa and all the rest could only dream of. Crazy thing is it's entirely possible - but due to our own neglect, will never happen short of Mayport. We all KNOW how Mayport would love this attraction.


OCKLAWAHA

[CS Foltz]

Mooring at Mayport is one option Ock...............also have a possibility at Jaxport or even offshore mooring! Run a shuttle.......lots of choices! By the way...........I think you mean JEA............but I do understand your fixation with JTA, those bovines are on my hit list!

[Ocklawaha]

Went back to check CS, nope, have it right, you see it is BOTH JEA (POWER LINES) AND JTA(BRIDGE) are TOO LOW!

I agree that we have lot's of other potential sites all along the river and Intercoastal between bridges, but it won't be the downtown attraction we all crave.

OCKLAWAHA

[CS Foltz]

I stand corrected Ock! Forgot about JTA and their connection with that stupid bridge which poses a problem! No one has taken into account the upgraded Panama Canal traffic.........they won't fit under the bridge either! Jaxport can blow it out their smoke stacks......won't happen!

[wsansewjs]

I have to agree with you, Ocklawaha. I am trying to do a research on what are the highest deck point of SS United States.

SS United States would not be able to get out of Delaware River through the bridge there until the lowest tides of the year have occur with so much weight on the ship to heave up and under the bridge.

Also, What are the highest clearance points of Hart and Matthew Bridges?

-shakes fists at the idiots during the times of the planning and constructions of the Dames Point Bridge-

[CS Foltz]

Dames Point is at 160' to high tide line and if the SS United States is 218'...........tide swing is not 58' from high to low so something high would have to be removed and not sure if stack removal, masts and the like would drop things even on a low tide entrance far enough........might have to do some research for sure!

[Ocklawaha]

Well her operating draft is 31' so it is possible to lower her 10' to drag her under, that coupled with stack removal MIGHT get her on the DT Side of the bridge, but the next two are probably a washout.

Maybe the old Ford Plant? Now there is a concept, A SHIP, A PIER, AND A BUILDING TO MATCH...

OCKLAWAHA

[Ocklawaha]

MATTHEWS 152'
HART 141'

Hey in December JTA turns 55! I know cuz' they interviewed me for their TV Show, we can all celebrate on the deck.

Probably cheaper to dig a canal across Arlington then to rebuild the bridges.

OCKLAWAHA

[wsansewjs]

Well her operating draft is 31' so it is possible to lower her 10' to drag her under, that coupled with stack removal MIGHT get her on the DT Side of the bridge, but the next two are probably a washout.

Maybe the old Ford Plant? Now there is a concept, A SHIP, A PIER, AND A BUILDING TO MATCH...

OCKLAWAHA

That is what I am actually looking at... I wonder how deep the water goes(parallel) to the back dock of the Ford Factory... If there is a small area that needs to be dredge out to slide SS United States into there like a nice glove box and the bow wouldn't stick out into the main waterway.

I would love to get blueprints of the Jacksonville Ford Factory, SS United States (I can easily request one from the Conservancy Group), and few advisors. I will personally motivate this movement of Bring SS United States to Jacksonville if possible.

I want to thank everyone here who have given their suggestions, ideas, discussions, two cents, and company to this thread.

-Josh

[Ocklawaha]

Here's some inside views of the factory... Lot's of details about reuse will be found in the threads, including a depth debate... tugs and barges still use the water around it.
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2008-jan-inside-the-ford-motor-company-assembly-plant

A restored twin plant in California full of ideas...
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2010-mar-ford-assembly-plant-comes-back-to-life

REALLY? While were in the take a ship from PHILLY mode, let's grab the Olympia, oldest steel ship afloat. She is susposed to now be closed and the museum does not have any funds, the Navy has decided to preserve her as a reef off NJ IF needs be... THIS IS THE VERY SHIP where the famous statement "You may fire when ready Gridley..." came from, in the battle of Manila Bay. Wouldn't see be cool sitting under our Spanish American War Battery? Would this be the only SPANISH AMERICAN WAR part site in the world?


OCKLAWAHA

[spuwho]

Bringing the "Big U" to Jax is a novel idea, however it has several major issues confronting it:

"On July 1, 2010, the Conservancy struck a deal with Norwegian Cruise Line to buy the ship from them for a reported $3 million dollars, despite a scrapper's bid for $5.9 million. The Conservancy has until February 2011 to buy the ship and satisfy Environmental Protection Agency concerns related to toxins on the ship. They then have 20 months of financial support to develop a plan to clean the ship of toxins and make the ship financially self-supporting, possibly as a hotel or development in Philadelphia or New York"

Source: Wikipedia

- The Conservancy is running out of time and money. As of 5/10 they only had $50k
- It only fits east of the Dames Point, even if the St. Johns gets it 45 foot dredging.
- It can't leave until it meets an EPA mandate
- Jax is not a destination for vacation travel, so customer base would be low (just ask Long Beach and the Queen Mary)
- It needs a high traffic destination (ie: NY or Philly) to be financially viable.

It would be cool to have such a ship close by, but the realities are that it just isn't sustainable. Running a cruise boat is expensive, running a 60 year old boat (even stationary) is a very expensive undertaking. The Queen Mary has gone through several financial reorgs and sales.

There are still 2 cruise liners parked at Green Cove Springs awaiting new owners, so unless they can find some seriously deep pocketed cruise ship nut, i would say this is a serious uphill climb.

[Ocklawaha]

Bringing the "Big U" to Jax is a novel idea, however it has several major issues confronting it:

- It only fits east of the Dames Point, even if the St. Johns gets it 45 foot dredging.
- Jax is not a destination for vacation travel, so customer base would be low (just ask Long Beach and the Queen Mary)
- It needs a high traffic destination (ie: NY or Philly) to be financially viable.

There are still 2 cruise liners parked at Green Cove Springs awaiting new owners, so unless they can find some seriously deep pocketed cruise ship nut, i would say this is a serious uphill climb.

Don't know where the won't fit the channel stuff, the channel is 41 feet for 21 miles and the ship drafts only 31 feet or 9 meters.

Jacksonville doesn't have to be a tourist center since virtually 50-75% of the surface tourist traffic to the east coast of Florida and a good 33% of the Disney traffic blows right through town and right over the river. Long Beach (...and I've lived there) is a freeway ride south of Los Angeles on a route that only takes you to LONG BEACH! In fact the LRT, previous PACIFIC ELECTRIC RY, as well as the Long Beach Freeway, Alameda and Long Beach Blvd. all come out of South LA, and end at the Pike.

Last dozen trips past Green Cove there is only one ship "moored" at the piers, (cars and trucks are parked, aircraft can be parked or tied down, trains spotted, and ships moored BTW).

OCKLAWAHA