USS Potomac (AG-25)

The USS Potomac (AG-25) was once called the USCGC Electra. From 1936 to 1945, it was a special ship used by Franklin D. Roosevelt for relaxing and meeting with important people. On August 3, 1941, the ship helped keep things safe during a private meeting where Roosevelt planned the Atlantic Charter.

Today, the USS Potomac and the USS Sequoia are the last special ships used by U.S. leaders that still exist. Another ship, the USS Williamsburg, was taken apart in January 2016. Now, the USS Potomac is in Oakland, California, where people can visit and learn about its history. It is very important because it is a National Historic Landmark and the only ship like this that anyone can see.

Service history

1934–1945

Potomac was built in 1934 by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, as the United States Coast Guard Cutter Electra. It started serving on 25 October 1934 as a submarine chaser. It was picked to be the new presidential yacht because the old boat could catch fire easily. President Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted a boat for moving around and fishing. Electra was renamed USS Potomac on 30 January 1936 and joined the United States Navy on 2 March 1936.

The ship was changed to help President Roosevelt, including an elevator inside a fake smokestack. It also got new rooms and furniture. But the ship would rock a lot in rough water, making some guests feel sick.

After that, USS Potomac was often used by President Roosevelt for fishing and meetings. In 1939, the United Kingdom’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited the Roosevelts on Potomac at George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon. This was the first time British royalty had visited an American president. The ship was called the “Floating White House.”

On 3 August 1941, President Roosevelt left Washington to board Potomac at the submarine base at New London, Connecticut. Potomac sailed to Apponagansett Bay, Massachusetts, where the president went fishing. Later, Potomac met the heavy cruiser USS Augusta, and the president moved to Augusta for a secret meeting with Winston Churchill in Newfoundland. They agreed to the Atlantic Charter, which helped shape plans for the United Nations after the war.

After President Roosevelt passed away, Potomac was returned to the US Coast Guard in November 1945.

1945–1980

USS Potomac was decommissioned by President Harry S. Truman, who chose the larger USS Williamsburg as his presidential yacht. After being decommissioned, Potomac stayed in Cambridge, Maryland, working for the state's fisheries until 1960. It was later sold and used for different purposes, including a museum ship and a ferry.

1980–present

In 1980, Potomac was caught up in a drug bust in Mexico but was later seized and sank in San Francisco Bay. It was refloated and sold to the Port of Oakland. The non-profit Association for the Preservation of the Presidential Yacht Potomac began restoring the yacht. In 1995, it opened to the public at Jack London Square in Oakland, where it is still visited today.

In popular culture

In June 2011, the USS Potomac was used to film parts of the movie The Master. Famous actors like Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams were on the yacht for the movie, both when it was stopped and when it was moving.

Awards

The USS Potomac received several important medals for its service. These included the American Defense Service Medal, the American Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. The medals show that the ship played an important role during its time in service.