After months of delays, famed Cold War carrier vessel the S.S. United States has finally started its journey down to Mobile to become the world’s largest artificial reef.

The ship moved for the first time in 28 years from Pier 82 to Pier 80 in Philadelphia on Friday as part one of its voyage.

Okaloosa County officials previously predicted that it would take roughly two weeks for tugboats to tow the ship down to Mobile.

Once there, contractors will begin the process of ensuring it is safe for ocean life and poking holes in its hull to make it land upright at the bottom of the Gulf.

This process is predicted to take a year to complete after which the ship will take its final journey to a location about 20 miles south of the Florida Panhandle region in the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area, according to the Okaloosa County Commission.

The ship was previously scheduled to depart for Mobile on Nov. 14 but was delayed due to weather concerns then delayed further after the Coast Guard requested further research to ensure it was safe to move, according to county public information officer Nick Tomecek.

While Florida officials are excited to welcome the liner to its new home, some have spoken out against the move.

John Quadrozzi Jr., concrete magnate and owner of the Gowanus Bay Terminal in Brooklyn, previously told Gothamist that he would like to turn the vessel into a sustainable “floating ecosystem.”

“Too bad that someone with billions of dollars couldn’t have the imagination to repair her and find a use for her besides being drowned in the ocean,” one commentor wrote under AP News’ livestream of the ship’s departure on Wednesday.

Originally designed as a top-secret, convertible troop carrier during the Cold War in 1951, the S.S. United States has transported presidents, famous actors, heads of state, tourists, members of the armed forces, and immigrants before it was retired in 1969.

Notable passengers included four U.S. Presidents (Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, and a young Bill Clinton), Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, and John Wayne.

Anyone interested in watching the ship’s journey can track it using this link created by Destin-Fort Walton Beach.