Just before her final voyage in 1994, the American Star, a ship that was once the pride of the United States maritime industry, was sold to the Chaophraya Development Transport Company who planned to tow the vessel to Thailand to be converted into a floating hotel.

Their chosen route was via Gibraltar, along the west coast of Africa and around the southern tip of the African continent.
There have been numerous rumours insinuating that the last chapter in the life of the American Star was nothing more than an attempt to gain profit from disaster, as it would have been far easier and quicker to take the shorter route via the Suez Canal. While this is true, it is in fact illegal to tow ships along the Suez.

At the end of 1993 the ships propellers were removed and stored on the deck to prevent drag and the Ukrainian tug the 'Neftegaz 67It' began towing the American Star on what was to be its final journey.
During January 1994 while passing within a hundred miles of the Moroccan coast the convoy entered a violent storm that began to put the towing operation in jeopardy. On several occasions during the storm, the American Star broke free of the tow-lines and eventually it was decided that it would be safer for the towing vessel if the ocean liner was to float free until the storm subsided. Four crewmen stayed on board.
On January 17th the storm finally calmed down and the four crewmen were winched by helicopter to safety from the ship.
From then on the vessel was simply left to drift alone.
Though it was known she was heading for the Canary Islands through major shipping lanes, no successful attempt was made to take the hulk under tow again. After drifting for two days, the ship finally beached at the Playa de Garcey, on the west coast of Fuerteventura.
No effort was made to re-float the ship (some say because of arguments between insurance, ownership and salvage companies) and after 48 hours the ship split in two.