Dear SS United States Supporter:

As you know, U.S. District Court Senior Judge Anita Brody ruled in June that the SS United States’ landlord, Penn Warehousing, could not double dockage fees without notice in its effort to force America’s Flagship from Pier 82 in Philadelphia. However, the court also directed the irreplaceable national symbol to vacate the pier by September 12, 2024.

While the Conservancy was vindicated in not being compelled to pay a large sum of back rent to the SS United States’ pier operator, the Judge’s decision gives us a very limited window to find a new home for the SS United States, raise the necessary resources, and manage the technical preparations required to move the ship.

Since the ruling, we have been aggressively exploring potential temporary berths for the SS United States in the Philadelphia area and other port cities along the East Coast. We are also taking all necessary steps to prepare the ship to leave its current pier safely.

To help ensure the Conservancy is able to explore all avenues to relocate America’s Flagship, we have filed a motion with the court requesting a short extension of the deadline to move the vessel from September 12, 2024 until December 5, 2024.

Relocating a ship the size of the SS United States is complex and costly. It requires funds for insurance, tugs, surveys, and dock preparations to ensure the ship’s safe passage to a new home. You, our generous supporters, have already helped us raise over $100,000 of our $500,000 campaign to offset those costs and other urgent expenses.

Other factors, including this year’s intense Atlantic hurricane season forecast and the extensive technical preparations associated with the ship’s tow, require some additional time to safely implement. That is why we are simply asking the court for a reasonable extension to ensure the Conservancy can investigate all suitable and available locations and prepare the ship for a move, before being compelled to reef or scrap the historic vessel, an outcome supporters across the nation and around the world have worked hard to avoid.

As we've said previously, when the SS United States has faced imminent danger before, our supporters have always stepped up to save her from destruction. While the Conservancy is responsibly preparing for all possible scenarios, we have great faith that our global community of supporters will help us meet this latest challenge.

We will continue to keep you closely informed of our plans and will share additional updates in the days to come. We remain deeply grateful for your continued support of the SS United States Conservancy as we continue to work tirelessly to save this soaring symbol of American pride and innovation.