Crossing Tacks With SS ‘United States’, Soon To Become a Reef

The SS United States is in the news as it is being towed from Philadelphia to Alabama, where it will become the world’s largest artificial reef when it’s sunk in that gulf to the south of the country. At the time of its launch, the SS United States was the fastest ocean liner ever built, and set the transatlantic record in 1952. A decade later, local sailor Bob Hanelt was on a training voyage from Vallejo to Rio de Janeiro and back aboard Cal Maritime’s training ship Golden Bear when they crossed tracks with the SS United States.

Bob sent us the photo above, which he took as the Golden Bear was en route to Panama. As he relayed the current news, “[It] brings to my mind a day in 1963 when the Queen overtook California Maritime Academy’s Training Ship Golden Bear as the training ship was westbound to the Panama Canal from Brazil. At daybreak SS United States was hull down astern with only her bright red funnels appearing above the eastern horizon and, by nightfall, she had passed us and disappeared over the western horizon. Off-watch midshipmen crowded the training ship’s rails to watch her overtake and pass us. Hail to the Queen!”

After graduating from Cal Maritime Bob had a long career in the local shipping industry, but he and his wife Kristi also found time to circumnavigate from 1972–74 aboard their 53-ft Sparkman & Stephens yawl Skylark. You can learn more about Bob and Kristi’s circumnavigation in our Good Jibes Episode #136 with host Moe Roddy.

Skylark has moved on and continues to be well cared for in her new home in Monaco. For many years Bob and Kristi also owned the wooden 40-ft Schock cutter Lydia, which participated in numerous Master Mariners regattas over the years. Crossing paths with the SS United States is just one of the many stories Bob has accumulated over his lifetime on the water.