SAN FRANCISCO – The presidential yacht, Potomac, that was used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt is once again plying the waters of San Francisco Bay after undergoing a maintenance drydocking at Bay Ship and Yacht in Alameda, Calif.
More than a quarter of a million people have visited and sailed aboard the former President’s beloved “Floating White House,” the USS Potomac, since it opened to the public in the summer of 1995. $5 million was spent over a 12-year period to restore the 165-foot-long vessel as a memorial to the president who authored the New Deal and led the United States during the Great Depression and the World War II years.
“The Potomac is a wonderfully kept piece of machinery by a dedicated group docents that are passionate about preserving history”
Long known as the “Floating White House,” she served as the presidential yacht until his death in 1945. She has a storied past from her start as a Presidential yacht to the King’s yacht (Elvis Presley) and several other lives in-between.
Now under management of the Potomac Association, she is under constant care and refurbishment to combat the elements of time. Her dedicated docents selected Bay Ship and Yacht as her recent repair facility as the company is so familiar with the vessel. Repairs included above and below water painting; preservation and repair of the valves; checking and maintenance of all mechanical propulsion and steering systems; structural steel repairs to tanks and hatches; and tank painting.
“The Potomac is a wonderfully kept piece of machinery by a dedicated group docents that are passionate about preserving history,” said Richard Maguire, Business Development Manager, Bay Ship and Yacht. “Her docents often remark about the monumental decisions that were discussed aboard all throughout her tour of duty spanning the Great Depression and World War II. Bay Ship and Yacht is extremely pleased to be part of the preservation of such a fine piece of American history, and delighted to work with such professional and dedicated members of the Potomac Association.”
The vessel is available for tours and voyages by the public. For more information, please contact the Potomac Association at www.usspotomac.org.
