PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — In just a few days, the SS United States will head for his last journey southwhere it will be sunk as an artificial reef off the Florida Gulf Coast.

Action News spoke to the world’s leading expert on ship sinking – who also created the current record holder for the world’s largest artificial reef – about what this mission will entail.

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Capt. Joseph Farrell of Resolve Marine says crews will check the tides to determine the best time to begin their journey.

He says the SS United States will have to move away from the dock at high tide, which is expected to happen Thursday. It will then have to pass under the Walt Whitman Bridge at low tide Friday morning.

SEE THE CALENDAR: HERE

It will take about two weeks to get to Mobile, Alabama.

The historic liner – which holds the record for the fastest to have crossed the Atlantic Ocean – will be cleaned, the interior scrapped and cleared of any toxins or asbestos.

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Once that process is complete, it will be moved off the coast of Destin, Florida, to be sunk, which Captain Farrel said is difficult for those familiar with the ship and its history.

Captain Farrell led the sinking of the US aircraft carrier USS Oriskany in 2006, which is currently at the bottom of the gulf off the coast of Pensacola, Florida.

The USS Oriskany holds the title of largest artificial reef in the world, until the SS United States breaks that record in a year or two.