SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- The last U.S. liner, the Independence, launched 57 years ago in Massachusetts, was at sea Saturday, sailing to what could be the last port.
The vessel, renamed the Oceanic, was sold last year to an unidentified buyer.
When the Independence was towed from San Francisco Friday, its destination was listed as Singapore, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. But speculation in the port was that the vessel was headed for an Asian scrap yard.
"She is one of the great ships," said William Miller, author of a book about the Independence. "But she has had her day, absolutely. I would bet you 50 cents she will be sold for scrap."
The Independence and its sister ship, the Constitution, were the last liners built in the United States to sail under the U.S. flag. The Independence spent years sailing between New York and Genoa, carrying passengers who included President Harry Truman.
After trans-Atlantic services declined, the Independence eventually found a home in Hawaii, used for one-week cruises from 1980 to 2001. The ship became another victim of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks when its owner went bankrupt.
The Independence's last voyage under its own steam was to San Francisco Bay.
