Welcome to USS Potomac
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Historic Presidential Yacht
Built in 1934, the US Coast Guard cutter Electra was recommissioned and converted in 1936 by the US Navy to serve as Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidential yacht. Renamed USS Potomac, the ship served FDR until his death in April, 1945.
Learn more about Potomac’s remarkable history and how she came to be here, in San Francisco Bay.
More than half a million people have visited and cruised aboard the Potomac, a National Historic Landmark, since she was opened to the public at Jack London Square in Oakland, California, in the summer of 1995 after a 14-year, $5 million restoration. Tours and cruises are offered throughout the year. Please see our current schedule.
At 165-feet-long, the ship was used by FDR for leisure time and to host dignitaries, high government officials, diplomats, kings and queens, and family members. Today, the Potomac is dedicated to the story of FDR who, as the 32nd president of the United States, led the nation through the Great Depression and World War II. He also authored the New Deal post-war rebuilding plan which included, among many local projects, the construction of the Golden Gate and San Francisco Bay bridges.
Now you can join us aboard this captivating vessel for two- or three-hour live narrated cruises on San Francisco Bay! You can also take a dockside tour or charter the Potomac for your private event.
Watch this video that tells the fascinating, colorful history of FDR’s beloved USS Potomac:
Upcoming Cruises and Events
Check out our various events and cruise opportunities! If you have any questions, please give us a call at 510-627-1215.
Currents – The Potomac Blog
Atlantic Conference With Winston Churchill The Foundation for the United Nations – August 1941
his presidential yacht, off the coast of New England for some relaxation and to escape the Washingtonheat and humidity. It was expected to be the usual fishing routine on the Potomac with the traditionaldaily betting contests for first, biggest, and most fish. But on...
Florida Fishing Trip 1941 & The Lend-Lease Act of 1941 (The Aid to Democracies Act)
The mooring was poor, the seas rough. The Presidential Yacht, the USS Potomac, was rolling continually from 25 to 30 degrees and yawed wildly during the night of March 26, 1941, while anchored at Settlement Point in the Grand Bahama Banks southeast of Miami. Fala,...
USS Potomac Passenger With Most On-board Miles (Franklin D. Roosevelt excepted)
Murray the Outlaw of FalahillFALAApril 17, 1940 – April 5, 1952Sources: Fala Biography - FDR Library & Museum, Hyde Park; US Navy Ship Logs USS Potomac (AG25) Fala was President Roosevelt’s usual companion on his many cruises on the USS Potomac, including in...