Visit the Floating White House in Jack London Square
May 25, 2008 by Mary Jo Manzanares
Filed under Cruises, Fun for Families & Kids, Museums, Outdoor Activities, Things to See & Do
The USS Potomac was a 165-foot Coast Guard cutter before it was commissioned by the US Navy in 1936. The ship was used by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt as his presidential yacht, and to this day it is affectionately referred to as the “floating White House.”
FDR hated to fly, preferring to travel by ship or train, and the USS Potomac was outfitted to accommodate his mobility issues. It could cruise along at speeds of 10-13 knots, and FDR would often hold informal strategy meetings aboard, enjoying the privacy and seclusion the yacht provided. Visiting dignitaries were entertained on …read more
