SS United States Conservancy hopes investors give propeller a whirl [photos]
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Looking for a Father’s Day gift for that hard to shop for boat enthusiast? How about getting him a 60,000-pound propeller?
The SS United States Conservancy is offering the propeller — measuring 18 feet in diameter — from the storied ship docked in Philadelphia to the highest bidder by June 4. If no one bids more than $100,000, the propeller will be sold for scrap metal.
“It’s not only what played a critical role in the ship’s speed, but it’s a beautiful sculptural object,” said Susan Gibbs, conservancy executive director.
Proceeds will go toward restoring the ship, which still holds the speed record for trans-Atlantic travel, as a stationary mixed-use museum development and complex. The plan includes hotel and retail space, as well as a museum celebrating the ship’s history, said Gibbs. That effort is expected to cost around $300 million.
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