PHILADELPHIA — An SOS is ringing out from the SS United States in South Philadelphia, which needs to find a new home by September. And if its stewards don't find a new berth for the vessel, the "Queen of the Seas" may ultimately head to the scrap pile.

A yearslong dispute between the SS United States Conservancy and its landlord at Pier 82 — where the ship has been posted since 1996 — ended June 14, with a federal judge giving the ship's stewards 90 days to vacate the premises.

With the clock ticking, the conservancy launched an urgent fundraising campaign last week to raise half a million dollars that would help cover moving expenses. The 1,000-foot-long vessel is incapable of self-propulsion, so a move would require tug boats in addition to insurance and other dock preparations.

The conservancy has aimed to give the SS United States new life since it took possession of it in 2011, but the stewards warn that without a temporary home and funds, the vessel could be lost forever.

"Our search for a new temporary or permanent location has been ongoing and began well before the litigation, but if a dock cannot be found in the coming weeks, we'll be forced to commit to reefing or scrapping the vessel," said conservancy board member Warren Jones in a statement.

But just where the ship could go remains to be seen. The conservancy is prioritizing finding a temporary berth in the Philadelphia area or elsewhere along the East Coast.

Here's a rundown of what could happen.

A temporary berth

In the short term, finding a temporary berth is the best-case scenario for the ship on such a tight deadline and would give the conservancy more of a runway to find a partner who would share its vision to reimagine the ship. Ideally, the new berth would be in the Philadelphia region, helping the conservancy save on a complicated and costly move.

Detonation

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