Farewell, SS Independence

What's missing from the photo above?  You're looking at a view of the BAE Shipyard in San Fransisco taken  earlier today, and conspicuously absent from the image are the distinctive smokestacks of the former SS Independence, which has been parked on the waterfront for more than a year. As photographer Dollar Bin explains, this is a"view of a newly vacant pier 70 shipyard, now that the Oceanic Independence has left to meet her doom." 

The 1950s-era ocean liner has been towed away.  Where'd it go?  We fear she's en route to India, where she may be broken up for scrap.  (There's a lively debate about this taking place in the comments to our previous post on the Independence.)

Jonathan Haeber reports that "SS Independence will be towed away to the breaker beaches of Alang, India. According to two to three sources, the boat has not only been sold by Norwegian Cruise Lines, but she’s also going to leaving the U.S. this coming Thursday."

If you have any further insights, please keep us posted. In the meantime, we'll miss having the Independence as a neighbor, and thank goodness Prof. Haeber did such a great job documenting the ship while it was here. Not only that, but he's also been digging up some great artifacts from the ship's historic past, including some superb vintage passenger photographs, like this one which was taken aboard the Indy in 1956:

So long, bon voyage, and aloha, SS Independence.  We hardly knew ya, but we sure appreciated you.

(Hat tip: Tom Purcell)

UPDATE, 08 February, 2008, 6:52 pm
John Navas sent us a link to his lovely (but pathos-infused) photo of the Independence being towed past Alcatraz:

UPDATE, 09 February, 2008, 8:38 am
Jonathan Haeber headed out to the Golden Gate Bridge to say his own goodbyes to the Independence as it departed San Francisco. Here's his farewell photo:

LINKS:
Breaking News: SS Independence Leaving San Francisco (Bearings blog post by Jonathan Haeber)

SS Independence History (Photoset by Jonathan Haeber)

PREVIOUSLY:
Exploring the Ghost Ship SS Independence

The Post-Retirement Adventures of the USS Tripoli

The Arrival of the Queen Mary 2

(IMAGES: Historic photos from Tunnelbug/Jonathan Haeber.)

Comments

[BlueNorway]

It appears that the SS Independence leaving without a real destination port and without decontamination is the last move by the American DHS's attempt to take over the passenger cruise industry by framing all of the breakers and companies as sponsors of terrorism. The (SS) Constitution was already sunk. See Http://BlueNorway.Org/

[A. Nonymous]

At least the Scientolgists didn't buy the liner and sail it around the world, attempting to destabilize and take over small African nations.

L.Ron Hubbard actually did this in the 1970's on the S.S. Apollo.

Check xenu dot net for documentation.

[Ted Liversidge]

I was a Staff Officer on the Independence back in the the mid 60's. My dad had been a crew member on the Constitution from day one till he died in '65 so those ships were very close to me.

The Independence is now on a breakers beach in India. Such a sad end to a great ship.

Ted

[E Logan]

No Ted she is NOT on the alang beaches but is currently layed up in Dubai India and is up for sale. she has recieved much interest in being converted into a hotel ship.

[Noclegi Ustka]

Those ships were very close to me.
The Independence is now on a breakers beach in India. Such a sad end to a great ship.Maiby it sould be a hotel,or museum?

[Mark]

I work at Blooms Saloon on Potrero Hill, I loved looking down the street and seeing those lovely smokestacks everyday. Even with that silly paintjob she was beautiful.

[J. Yong (KAHI)]

Farewell Indy! Aloha, A Hui Hou, Malama Pono! We loved you here in Hawaii, where you and your sister Cony lived. Too bad China didn't buy you for scrap, then you could have sunk yourself next to your sister in these Hawaiian waters you so loved! Mahalo nui loa, Indy! From the staff of Land Operations / Hawaii office.

[Eddie]

It's so sad to see another piece of American heritage gone down the tubes to a foregn interest intent on rendering it to nothing more than scrap in the end. She should have been cleaned painted and at the very least put to use in our own country. At the very least, the ship could have been made into an attraction for people to see the marvels of engineering that these ships were.

[mark tollisen]

i also worked on both the independence and constitution they were home to me if the indy is going to be scrap let her sink next to her sister the connie not be taken apart ncl refused me my final good bye to this ship in 2006 i am now disabled and this adds to my depression now not only i can not ride my harley davidson but the only other thing i had in my miserable life i will never see again when american hawaii went bankrupt i was on my 6 weeks off i now hope that ncls two ships pride of america and pride of hawaii are cursed until they no longer own both ships the independence and constitution were heavily responcible for their being built started by american hawaii cruises this is another stab in my heart the independence should have never been allowed to leave america she should have been cleaned up and made in to a hotel and museum mahalo ncl take everything we had and throw away what you do not want mark tollisen crew member /stand by supervisor /warehouse manager 1992/2001

[alang]

at present as on 10/10/2009, ship is anchored near the ship breaking yard of the alang (india). it was towed by baracuuda tug of leo shipping.

[Bill Chefalas]

Gentlemen,:

While searching the net for various articles on the S.S. Independence, I came across yours, and in particular, the item about the "Funship" in 1968.

I was one of three graphic designers and construction managers of the renovation to the Independence, and in 1968, was responsible for the final design and performed the actual physical layout of the painted sunburst super-graphic and "Jean Harlow's" eyes, on the exterior sides of the ship, which at that time was drydocked in Baltimore, MD .

I took many pictures of the ship, including the one published on your website.

BTW: Besides WWII warship camouflages, this was the first super-graphic to be painted on the side of a ship.

Sincerely,
Bill Chefalas AIBD