5 U.S. Presidential Yachts From the 20th Century

Over recent decades, each U.S. President has traveled frequently via air, aboard Air Force One. In the era before modern aviation, however, the Commander in Chief used yachts and naval vessels. Primarily, the yachts hosted meetings with fellow international leaders. Additionally, though, they served as respites from the pressures of political life. These five U.S. Presidential yachts each have fascinating stories behind them.

Honey Fitz. This 92’3” (28-meter) wooden yacht launched from DeFoe Boat Works in 1931. Her owner christened her Lenore II after his daughter. During World War II, the U.S. government appropriated her for wartime use. She went on to serve as a tender to the U.S. Presidential yacht Potomac in the summer of 1945. Despite Presidents Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower using her, the yacht truly gained fame under President John F. Kennedy (pictured below onboard). He is further how she gained the name “Honey Fitz,” a.k.a. the nickname for JFK’s grandfather. JFK used the yacht every summer weekend, often cruising with his children. Notably, a life preserver and two of the yacht’s flags reside in the Kennedy Library in Massachusetts.

Following a sale by President Richard Nixon, Honey Fitz landed in private hands. That owner had her undergo a labor-intensive refit from 2009 through 2010. Fun fact: The Rolling Stones used her in 1994 to announce a tour.

Mayflower. Dating to 1896, the 275-foot (83.82-meter) Mayflower (at top) was a luxurious steam yacht from Scotland whose owner died within two years of taking delivery. The U.S. Navy acquired her in 1898, rechristening her the USS Mayflower at the New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn. Under its service, she saw action during the Spanish-American war, quite a departure from the 30-person dinners she previously hosted. The Navy decommissioned her in 1904, purposely to become a Presidential yacht for Theodore Roosevelt. He famously hosted Japanese and Russian delegates onboard for peace talks, which ultimately contributed to the end of the Russo-Japanese War. President Roosevelt often used Mayflower for family vacations, too. Later, President Woodrow Wilson reportedly courted his second wife onboard. President Calvin Coolidge subsequently cruised every Sunday morning, bringing a Navy chaplain along to celebrate mass.

President Herbert Hoover ultimately decommissioned Mayflower to save hundreds of thousands in upkeep.  Following several ownership changes, including the Israeli Navy, she was decommissioned in 1955.

Potomac. Thankfully, not all U.S. Presidential yachts are gone. Potomac (above) currently resides in San Francisco Bay, California. The 165-footer (50.3-meter) rose to nationwide fame as President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s floating White House. She served him until his death in 1945. Potomac passed through multiple private hands over the following decades, including, fascinatingly, Elvis Presley. Notoriety followed, too. The U.S. Customs Service seized her in 1980, since she served as a front for drug smugglers. Unfortunately, she sank shortly thereafter and, despite being raised, was nearly sold for scrap. The Port of Oakland rescued her, thankfully, and millions of dollars saw her restored in the 1990s.

Currently, Potomac educates thousands of visitors on day trips and charters under the watchful eye of a nonprofit. Due to the pandemic, however, she’s remained docked since 2019. While the nonprofit hopes to restart cruises this year, it’s struggling to cover maintenance and related expenses. Visit the Potomac website to learn how you can help.

Sequoia. Some U.S. Presidential yachts have sad stories, Sequoia (above) being one of them. Despite this 95-year-old, all-wood 104-footer (31.7-meter) receiving National Historic Landmark status in 1987, she nearly rotted away this past decade. A protracted court battle over her ownership kept her on the hard in a Virginia boatyard. It finally resolved, and the long-delayed restoration of Sequoia finally got underway in 2019 in Maine.

It will take years more to restore her to her shape in serving eight Presidents, from Herbert Hoover through Gerald Ford. Notably, President John F. Kennedy celebrated his 46^th (and last) birthday onboard. President Lyndon Johnson urged Congress to pass civil-rights legislation and made key decisions regarding the Vietnam War on the yacht. President Richard Nixon, meanwhile, decided to resign while onboard. Sequoia ceased her official government duties in 1977 under President Jimmy Carter.

Williamsburg. Williamsburg is yet another of the U.S. Presidential yachts with a sad story. It took decades for that to happen, however. Bath Iron Works built the 243’9” (74.34-meter) yacht in 1930 as Aras, for the paper and railroad magnate Hugh Chisholm. The U.S. Navy used her during World War II as a gunboat, rechristening her Williamsburg. When Japan surrendered in 1945, Williamsburg returned to yacht service, replacing Potomac as the Presidential yacht. She served Presidents Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower, with President Truman using her more. Indeed, the Harry S. Truman Library & Museum has abundant photographs of him onboard, hosting dignitaries like Winston Churchill or simply wrapping himself in a robe after a swim.

President Eisenhower decommissioned Williamsburg in 1953, and she was given to the Potomac River Naval Command for continued maintenance. Multiple ownership changes followed through the 1990s, when a group of historic preservationists planned a major restoration in Italy. (The photo above dates to that period.) When the yard owner ran off with the money, though, Williamsburg began a long, steep decline waiting for new, deep-pocketed owners. Sadly, it never happened. After rusting away for more than two decades, Williamsburg was scrapped in 2016. She was the last among the surviving U.S. Presidential yachts never to see restoration.

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