Presidential Yacht Potomac

Had the incredible privilege of sailing for a 3 hour cruise on this vessel. To be sure the weather was a once in a thousand… high seventies, crystal clear with the water as blue as the Med… and balmy from late afternoon to magic golden hour under the Golden Gate Bridge, Richardson Bay in Marin and past the SF Waterfront. Never to be forgotten eye candy. Volunteers and crew were extremely well informed about the ship and the bay. Food and wine were excellent. The ship is relaxing, casual with multiple wonderful places to hang out for visiting or just let the breeze blow through your hair while the bay sailing craft pass by with everyone waving in salute of this amazing classic yacht. It’s a bucket list thing. BRING A CAMERA with lots of battery!!!

I had the good fortune of boarding this brilliant vessel to watch America’s Cup on Saturday, September 14^th. It was so comfortable and the staff was made up of so many amazing historians and storytellers. The food and wine was superb. The entire boat is full of rich memories of FDR and Churchill — it’s also a beautiful trip back in time. Being on board the Potomac is a memorable experience I will treasure always!

What an awesome find!!!
This boat is awesome. I never knew it existed and I would have never guessed it would be nestled in Oakland! Amazing!
Tricky thing for the tour is that you have to go to the ticket office across the street.
Everyone who got there was confused but I’m glad they still managed to squeeze us in at the end of the day.
They do cruises as well, but the prices are steep!
They really need to do GROUPONS for this so that the word gets out!!!

Took one of the three hour tours of the Bay. Great experience from beginning to end, well worth the money. They show you a quick video at their headquarters in Jack London. Short, interesting and gives you a good perspective of what you’re getting into. I liked the fact that they didn’t oversell the tour. People were able to move comfortably on the boat and finding a place to sit was easy. Even on the fantail. Refreshments were provided. I really appreciated the fact that the docents weren’t swarming like vultures on a fresh carcass. I even got to drive for a bit, I aimed for the bridge but sadly the wheel was wrestled from my grasp!

Also reviewed on Unilocal as USS Potomac:
History cruises on the SF Bay, private charters, and dockside events. All done by a non profit association with volunteer historians and mariners, dedicated to the preservation of the historical yacht, and its role in the mid 20^th century.

I chartered the Potomac for my wife’s birthday party, and if you want a special venue for an event, this is as good as it gets. It’s a history lesson, a bay tour, and a luxury cruise in one. Marti Burchell, who’s in charge of this stuff, made the whole thing simple and even recommended a caterer. The crew and the docents aboard were helpful and nonofficious. And the Potomac itself is beautifully restored and maintained. Highly recommended. John C., Tiburon

Rode this grand historic ship on the first official day of the Fleet Week Air Show 2009. Very organized cruise and they well cared for their guests. Apparently they do this every year with a packed ship of eager guests wanting SEE the air show but avoiding the usual mess of crowds normally found on shore. This shop takes a slow and steady cruise out to San Francisco Bay from the Oakland side, offering not only a front-​row seat of the air show BUT also of the great scenics along the route. They basically maneuver to park the vessel off Fort Mason which is the center of the air show stage… so you can imagine the great pictures as the participating aircraft zoom by overhead and you don’t have to worry about the pushing landlubber crowds next to you. Though the Blue Angels canceled Saturday 11 Oct due to weather/​safety concerns, I still think this is a great opportunity to see the air show from a different perspective, along with the rest of the SF bay — with all profits going to a very worthy cause and to support a great cause, plus FDR «himself» and his nurse ride along to keep you company! ;-) The yacht is well-​preserved and the details of his life, restored crew quarters and radio room among others is open to public viewing and a great insight of life aboard this grand ship in its active life as presidential yacht, if you’re a history buff. The 15min pre-​sail video of the Potomac’s history is very interesting and well-​produced. They also offer once-​monthly cruises to Angel Island!