The U.S.S. Intrepid was to leave its dock on the West Side of Manhattan today for the first time in 24 years, aided by an unusually high tide and six powerful tugboats. A fire boat was on hand to fire off its water cannons as the aircraft carrier-turned-floating museum moved away, and dignitaries were assembled on the Forbes yacht Highlander waiting to accompany ship downriver.

With helicopters whirling overhead and boats lining the Hudson River, two former mayors, Edward I. Koch and David N. Dinkins, cast off the last mooring lines and stood back to watch the ship depart.

The Intrepid declined to cooperate.

With two mighty tugs pulling on the stern and four smaller ones assisting alongside, the Intrepid moved about 10 feet, and refused to go any farther.

After about an hour of fruitless pulling and with the tide falling, Susan Marenoff, the executive director of the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, announced that the attempt would be halted. Officials said the ship’s propellers had apparently dug into the bottom of the river and were stuck there.