In 1934 the Coast Guard cutter Electra was built by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company. Two years later the boat was commissioned as a U.S. Navy vessel, the USS Potomac. That very same year this 165 long foot vessel that weighed 376 gross tons and had cruising speeds of
10 to 13 knots began serving as Franklin Delano Roosevelt's
presidential yacht and did so until his death in 1945. The USS Potomac replaced the previous presidential yacht the Sequoia.
Fortunately for all of us the USS Potomac has been saved from the salvage yard, restored to it's former grandeur, and can be toured today in Oakland California. More information on visiting the vessel is at the end of this article.
A Pleasurable Escape From The White House
Franklin Roosevelt as a former Assistant Secretary of the Navy. With that said he had a deep love of the sea and the Navy tradition. Washington D.C. could get very hot and humid during the summer months and FDR often chose to cruise on the USS Potomac as opposed to staying cooped up in the White House. He also enjoyed the yacht's privacy and held many informal strategy sessions with close advisors and congressional leaders on it. It's been said that President Roosevelt cruised nearly 50 times per year in the years prior to World War II. The ship could offer a degree of escape from the enormous pressures of public life being president.
The Potomac's Role in History
The Potomac played a unique role in history prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. On August 4, 1941, four months prior to the Japanese attack, FDR boarded the USS Potomac for, what the press was told, a fishing trip and a visit to Martha's Vineyard. Roosevelt however was secretly transferred to the heavy cruiser USS Augusta the very next morning bound for Newfoundland. Here he would meet with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. This was their first meeting as Heads of State.nDuring this top-secret meeting, the two leaders forged the principles of the Atlantic Charter, which formed the Allied partnership during World War II and what Roosevelt called the "United Nations," to plan the post war peace.
At the end of 1941 when the United States' became directly involved in the war, the president's recreational use of the USS Potomac ceased. During war years the USS Potomac was used mostly as a naval sonar research vessel. Special transducers and motor generator units for the sonar equipment were installed.
Many Owners of the USS Potomac
The USS Potomac took on many roles after FDR's in April 1945, none of them even remotely involved in world affairs. The vessel had many owners one of them being Elvis Presley. It was reported that Presley donated the vessel to St. Judes Hospital in Memphis who would auction it off to help raise charitable funds.
Between the end of it's federal use in the 1940's and today, in addition to Elvis Presley, the vessel was owned by the Maryland Tidewaters Fisheries Commission, W.G. Toone whose company used it as a ferry between San Juan Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, Hydro-Capitol Inc, California investors who wanted to operate it as a floating disco,
In 1980 this once presidential yacht was seized in San Francisco by U.S. Customs for it's role as a vessel for drug smugglers. The old USS Potomac was then towed to Treasure Island Naval Base The vessel was stored their but a hole in the caused her to eventually sink.
The Navy refloated the vessel after a few weeks and sold her to the Port of Oakland for a mere $15,000. The Port of Oakland led a cooperative effort with organized labor, maritime corporations and dedicated volunteers to complete a $5 million restoration that spanned twelve years.
See the Western Trips articles on the links below...
Visit the Tall Ship in San Francisco
Visit the USS Pampanito WW II Submarine / San Francisco
Tour the Red Oak Victory Ship / Richmond California
The USS Potomac Opened to the Public/ A Unique Trip Stop
Opened to the public in 1995, the Association for the Preservation of the Presidential Yacht Potomac now operates this National Historic Landmark as an active memorial to Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Since it opened to the public in the summer of 1995, more than a quarter of a million people have visited and sailed aboard former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's beloved "Floating White House," the USS Potomac. The USS Potomoc is a National Historic Landmark.The vessels fortunes came full circle.
The photo above is of the USS Sequoia which served as the presidential yacht from 1933 to 1936 when she was replaced by the USS Potomac.
The Potomac Association, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, is committed to preserving the legacy of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt through education for students and adults. Educational cruises highlight the impact of the FDR Era on our local and national history. Docents lead educational tours of the Potomac and facilitate in classroom discussions with students of all ages.
The Potomac offers cruise opportunities to visit Angel Island, The Bay Model, The Bridges of the Bay and the Islands of the Bay. You can cruise and learn about the history of San Francisco Bay and FDR’s role in its development. In addition to cruises you can learn about the USS Potomoc with a 45 minute dockside tour conducted by a docent on any Wednesday, Friday or Sunday. Two-hour history cruises tour the Bay eight times each month from mid-March through mid-November.
On the vessel you'll see many interesting photos of FDR, antique typewriters, and period furnishings.
The USS Potomac is located in Jack London Square in Oakland California and is a must see when you're in the San Francisco Bay Area. Visiting this historic former Navy vessel is fun and educational. You have the choice of taking a tour or going on one of the Bay cruises offered.
The USS Potomac National Historic Landmark is a living piece of history and visiting her is a fun family experience.In addition as serving as a floating and cruising museum, the USS Potomac can also be chartered and has been used as a venue for weddings. For more information and for a list of scheduled events see website www.usspotomac.org
The address is 540 Water Street Oakland, CA.
(Article copyright 2014 Western Trips)
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| USS Potomac, former presidential Yacht of President Franklin Delano Rossevelt |
Fortunately for all of us the USS Potomac has been saved from the salvage yard, restored to it's former grandeur, and can be toured today in Oakland California. More information on visiting the vessel is at the end of this article.
A Pleasurable Escape From The White House
Franklin Roosevelt as a former Assistant Secretary of the Navy. With that said he had a deep love of the sea and the Navy tradition. Washington D.C. could get very hot and humid during the summer months and FDR often chose to cruise on the USS Potomac as opposed to staying cooped up in the White House. He also enjoyed the yacht's privacy and held many informal strategy sessions with close advisors and congressional leaders on it. It's been said that President Roosevelt cruised nearly 50 times per year in the years prior to World War II. The ship could offer a degree of escape from the enormous pressures of public life being president.
 |
| USS Potomac at anchor in Oakland CA |
The Potomac played a unique role in history prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. On August 4, 1941, four months prior to the Japanese attack, FDR boarded the USS Potomac for, what the press was told, a fishing trip and a visit to Martha's Vineyard. Roosevelt however was secretly transferred to the heavy cruiser USS Augusta the very next morning bound for Newfoundland. Here he would meet with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. This was their first meeting as Heads of State.nDuring this top-secret meeting, the two leaders forged the principles of the Atlantic Charter, which formed the Allied partnership during World War II and what Roosevelt called the "United Nations," to plan the post war peace.
At the end of 1941 when the United States' became directly involved in the war, the president's recreational use of the USS Potomac ceased. During war years the USS Potomac was used mostly as a naval sonar research vessel. Special transducers and motor generator units for the sonar equipment were installed.
Many Owners of the USS Potomac
The USS Potomac took on many roles after FDR's in April 1945, none of them even remotely involved in world affairs. The vessel had many owners one of them being Elvis Presley. It was reported that Presley donated the vessel to St. Judes Hospital in Memphis who would auction it off to help raise charitable funds.
 |
| The 165 foot long USS Potomac |
In 1980 this once presidential yacht was seized in San Francisco by U.S. Customs for it's role as a vessel for drug smugglers. The old USS Potomac was then towed to Treasure Island Naval Base The vessel was stored their but a hole in the caused her to eventually sink.
The Navy refloated the vessel after a few weeks and sold her to the Port of Oakland for a mere $15,000. The Port of Oakland led a cooperative effort with organized labor, maritime corporations and dedicated volunteers to complete a $5 million restoration that spanned twelve years.
See the Western Trips articles on the links below...
Visit the Tall Ship in San Francisco
Visit the USS Pampanito WW II Submarine / San Francisco
Tour the Red Oak Victory Ship / Richmond California
 |
| USS Sequoia |
Opened to the public in 1995, the Association for the Preservation of the Presidential Yacht Potomac now operates this National Historic Landmark as an active memorial to Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Since it opened to the public in the summer of 1995, more than a quarter of a million people have visited and sailed aboard former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's beloved "Floating White House," the USS Potomac. The USS Potomoc is a National Historic Landmark.The vessels fortunes came full circle.
The photo above is of the USS Sequoia which served as the presidential yacht from 1933 to 1936 when she was replaced by the USS Potomac.
The Potomac Association, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, is committed to preserving the legacy of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt through education for students and adults. Educational cruises highlight the impact of the FDR Era on our local and national history. Docents lead educational tours of the Potomac and facilitate in classroom discussions with students of all ages.
The Potomac offers cruise opportunities to visit Angel Island, The Bay Model, The Bridges of the Bay and the Islands of the Bay. You can cruise and learn about the history of San Francisco Bay and FDR’s role in its development. In addition to cruises you can learn about the USS Potomoc with a 45 minute dockside tour conducted by a docent on any Wednesday, Friday or Sunday. Two-hour history cruises tour the Bay eight times each month from mid-March through mid-November.
On the vessel you'll see many interesting photos of FDR, antique typewriters, and period furnishings.
 |
| Jack London Square, Oakland CA |
The USS Potomac National Historic Landmark is a living piece of history and visiting her is a fun family experience.In addition as serving as a floating and cruising museum, the USS Potomac can also be chartered and has been used as a venue for weddings. For more information and for a list of scheduled events see website www.usspotomac.org
The address is 540 Water Street Oakland, CA.
(Article copyright 2014 Western Trips)
