In the spring of 1981, the Port purchased the Potomac for $15,000
at a U.S. Customs auction, after the former presidential yacht of
Franklin Delano Roosevelt had been seized for its use in a Bay Area
drug-smuggling operation. The "floating White House" has been restored
at a cost of $5 million to serve as the only West Coast memorial
to the late president and his era. Dedicated paid and volunteer
professionals, many from organized labor, accomplished the interior
finish work between 1989 and 1992. In 1991 the former USS Potomac
was designated a National Historic Landmark. In April 1994 the Potomac
opened to the Public. You can visit their website at (
www.usspotomac.org)
to find out more about history cruises and dockside tours for visitors
and school groups.
