USS Potomac

The USS Potomac is Franklin D. Roosevelt's historic presidential yacht — a 165-foot vessel docked at 540 Water Street in Oakland, California, on the shores of San Francisco Bay. Built in 1934 as a U.S. Coast Guard cutter and converted into FDR's floating White House in 1936, the ship served the 32nd president through the Great Depression and World War II before becoming a National Historic Landmark. Following a fourteen-year restoration, the Potomac opened to the public in 1995 and has since welcomed more than half a million visitors. The vessel offers private charters for groups of up to 120 guests for standing cocktail-style receptions, with reduced capacity for seated dining. Charter options include two- to three-hour cruises on San Francisco Bay — with departure and return from Oakland, or remote docking in San Francisco or Sausalito — as well as stationary dockside charters at the Oakland berth. Every charter includes full access to the ship, a Coast Guard-licensed five-person crew, and two to three docents available to lead historical tours. The Potomac is well suited to anniversaries, weddings and receptions, corporate events, retirement parties, and other private celebrations. Live bands and DJs are accommodated, and a preferred caterer list is available. Guests should note that, as a 1934-era historic vessel, the ship features narrow doorways, raised thresholds, and multiple decks without elevator access.