The following is a digitized version of a selected article from White House History Quarterly, Issue 71, originally released in print form in 2023. Single print copies of the full issue can be purchased online at Shop.WhiteHouseHistory.org No part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. All photographs contained in this journal unless otherwise noted are copyrighted by the White House Historical Association and may not be reproduced without permission. Requests for reprint permissions should be directed to rights@whha.org. Contact books@whha.org for more information. © 2023 White House Historical Association. All rights reserved under international copyright conventions.
TIME ON THE WATER The Floating White House And the Presidents at Sea
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K E N N E T H T. WA L S H
many presidents have been drawn to the sea. There is something about the vast expanse of water and its many moods, from tranquil to furious, that gives them solace and encourages contemplation. Being at sea also provides a respite from their official duties, which they treasure. I experience these feelings myself, as do millions upon millions of other Americans who want to live or vacation near the sea. But for presidents, spending time on the water is facilitated by the many vessels that our commanders in chief have used as a floating White House. Each of these has become, quite literally, the ship of state. And few were at home on the water as much as President John F. Kennedy.
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previous spread The naval vessels that served as presidential yachts facilitated precious time at sea for many presidents for more than a century. The USS Mayflower,(seen Mayflower (seen page 6 arriving in Boston in 1925) was enjoyed by five presidents from 1898 to 1929. The TheUSS USS Williamsburg (page 7 in 1946) served two presidents from 1945 to 1953.
opposite Future president John F. Kennedy sets sail at Hyannis Port with his fiancée fiancé Jacqueline Bouvier, 1953.
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J O H N F. K E N N E D Y P R E S I D E N T I A L L I B R A R Y J O H N F. K E N N E D Y P R E S I D E N T I A L L I B R A R Y
President and Mrs. Kennedy are joined by family friends aboard the Victura on Lewis Bay off the coast of Hyannis Port, 1962.
JOHN F. KENNEDY, SAILOR
President John F. Kennedy described his attraction to the sea in almost mystical terms. From boyhood, he had been on and near the water at his family’s sprawling seaside home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. He became an excellent sailor, served in the navy, emerged as a hero for his exploits in the Pacific during World War II, and spent much time on the water as president—aboard official yachts and enjoying leisure on other vessels including sailboats owned by him and his family. As president, he liked to sail in the waters around Hyannis Port, as he had done for many years. It was said that he knew the waters so well that he would take his kids and their playmates to the beach in the morning, set a toy boat in the surf, and watch it carried out to sea. After lunch, he and the children would pile into a car and go to the spot where he knew the toy boat would be. He understood the currents and tides that well.1 Kennedy gave one of the most profound explanations for the sea’s lure when he spoke at a dinner marking the America’s Cup yacht race in Newport, Rhode Island, on September 14, 1962. I really don’t know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it is because in addition to the fact that the sea changes and the light changes, and ships change, it is because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have, in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the
ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it we are going back from whence we came.2 The late Senator Edward Kennedy, the former president’s brother, told me in an interview years ago, “He understood that the sea was almost a metaphor for life.” Senator Kennedy added, “I think as a young person, he was very close to the sea and was a great swimmer. Sailed. . . . So the sea was enormously important to him . . . and then he fought on it [in World War II as a PT boat commander in the South Pacific] and I think he returned to it as a way of reattaching himself to his roots as well as having the time to contemplate and to sort of meditate.”3 John Kennedy spent large amounts of time aboard a variety of vessels while he was president, ranging from the Honey Fitz, an official presidential yacht that he renamed after his grandfather; to the Sequoia, another presidential yacht; the Manitou, a family sailboat; and the Victura, a family sailboat that Jack and his brothers had enjoyed from boyhood. The wooden 25-foot-long Victura (Latin for “about to conquer”) was probably his favorite because he sailed it himself and it was small enough that he felt at one with the sea. Sailing always played an important role for Kennedy, especially when his health turned bad or he was facing other forms of adversity and he needed a lift. “All through his life Jack was sick with one illness or another, but sailing freed him, filled his lungs, tanned his skin when it was ashen or yellow, separated him from worries ashore, and gave him seclusion with family and friends,” wrote author and sailor James W. Graham.4
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HISTORY AT SEA
below With Washington Crossing the Delaware, made by artist Emanuel Leutze in 1851, a heroic General Washington sets the stage for iconic presidential moments at sea to follow.
More significantly, these physical and mental
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For nearly a century the presidents used navy ships for relaxing and entertaining. Happily afloat, chief executives found sanctuary and privacy with many creature comforts such as valets, a cooking staff, and of course a crew that operated the vessel. Alcoholic beverages often added to the conviviality and relaxed atmosphere. “Nearly a dozen different ships acted as the ‘Floating White House’ between 1880 and 1977, when the last vessel was sold at auction,” Evan Andrews wrote. “During that time, they were the scene of international diplomatic summits, congressional schmoozing and the occasional Potomac River pleasure cruise.”5 After 1977, when President Jimmy Carter ordered the sale of the presidential yacht to demonstrate his commitment to austerity, presidents still found their way to the sea. The ships of state shifted from official presidential yachts and became private vessels owned or borrowed by the presidents. Over the years many important and fascinating events occurred on the boats that served as the floating White House. George Washington, the first president, was most at home at his beloved plantation, Mount Vernon, in Virginia. But he made history with a waterborne journey during the Revolutionary War—his crossing of the Delaware
River with his troops on December 26, 1776, for successful surprise attacks at Trenton and Princeton. The crossing was commemorated by Emanuel Leutz Leutzeininaafamous famouspainting painting depicting depicting aa noble and stalwart-looking Washington on that perilous voyage. The painting emphasized Washington’s image as a courageous war hero, savior of the emerging nation, and what his contemporaries in politics called “the indispensable man.” Abraham Lincoln was a waterman of sorts. As a young man, he worked on riverboats in various capacities, specializing in freeing vessels that went aground and helping captains avoid this fate. “Lincoln’s early life was defined by his exploits on the river, building flatboats, transporting cargo and piloting steamships,” wrote scholar Griffin Black in the Washington Post, referring to the Anderson River in Indiana but also to the Sangamon River in Illinois and the Mississippi, which Lincoln floated down on a flatboat to New Orleans. “He had saved more than one ship from becoming stranded, and even designed and patented a mechanism for stopping a ship from grounding in shallow water.” Black claims Lincoln’s waterborne experience showed he was a problem solver and a pragmatist.6 “Lincoln was the only U.S. president to hold a patent for something he invented,” Black added.
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above Working to mediate the end of the Russo-Japanese War, President Theodore Roosevelt is joined by Russian and Japanese envoys aboard the USS Mayflower, 1905. Left to right, Russian diplomats Count Sergei Witte and Baron Roman Romanovich Rosen, President Roosevelt, and Japanese diplomats Marquis Komura Jutarō Jutaro and Baron Kogoro Kogor Takahira.
labors on the river can tell us something about Lincoln as a political leader. The experience of navigating and working a boat molded him. In the small wooden features and miniature ropes of his patent model lies an overlooked and untapped window into his mind. His patent built to save an endangered ship, allowing it to continue down the river without losing its cargo, was thematically linked to his actions in the Civil War. As he presided over a country going to war with itself, Lincoln’s impulse was to work to salvage the ship of state.7 As president, Lincoln used the River Queen, a steamboat, to take leisurely trips and relax during the Civil War. He spent considerable time on the Potomac River, finding whatever escape he could from the horrors of that conflict. Lincoln also traveled by boat to visit Civil War battlefields on the East Coast to meet with his commanders and chat with the troops.
Starting in 1880, the commanders in chief sailed aboard navy vessels, most with interesting and exotic names such as the USS Despatch, USS Dolphin, and USS Sylph. In the early 1900s, the USS Mayflower came into service, a true luxury yacht previously owned by real estate developer Ogden Goelet. The 275-foot vessel had bathtubs made of Italian marble, a 30-person dining table, and a crew of more than 150.8 One of the most dramatic and dangerous events at sea took place in the summer of 1893 when Grover Cleveland underwent oral surgery aboard ship to remove a tumor diagnosed as cancer. He kept the operation secret, fearing an economic collapse if the news went public. The cover story was that he used a friend’s yacht, the Oneida, for a four-day fishing trip from New York to his summer residence on Cape Cod. The surgery was successful and was disclosed years later. President Theodore Roosevelt, who lived on Oyster Bay on Long Island, New York, showed a strong bond with the sea in a number of ways. He would sometimes embark on rowing expeditions from his house, escaping from his worried bodyguards. At his home, Sagamore Hill, he led negotiations to end the war between Russia and Japan, and part of this effort occurred aboard the USS Mayflower in August 1905, when he hosted Japanese and Russian diplomats as he mediated peace talks that were eventually successful. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.9 Roosevelt often used the Mayflower, the largest and fanciest presidential yacht, for vacations along Long Island with his family. He also used the Sylph. A former assistant secretary of the navy, Roosevelt also visited a U.S. submarine, the Plunger, and was delighted when the captain took the commander in chief under water—the first time a president had traveled on a submarine. Woodrow Wilson courted his second wife Edith Bolling Gault with trips aboard the Mayflower. Calvin Coolidge took leisurely trips on the ship during his hispresidency. presidency.But But thethe opulence opulence of the of the vesvessel sel became became an issue an issue during during the Depression the Depression when when millions millions of Americans of Americans were were suffering suffering fromfrom poverty poverty andand unemployment. unemployment. Herbert Herbert Hoover Hoover hadhad the Mayflower the Mayflower decommissioned decommissioned in in 1929; 1929;later later that year the stock market crashed.10 But Hoover could not stay away from the sea. He made day trips on the Sequoia, smaller and less luxurious than the Mayflower, and he loved fishing from the ship.
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left President Roosevelt waves to the press as he goes out fishing on the schooner Amberjack II off Cape Cod, 1933. The journey would take him north to Campobello Island. opposite top President Harry S. Truman enjoys a vacation cruise to Bermuda aboard the USS Williamsburg, 1946. opposite bottom
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President Lyndon Johnson delighted in surprising guests by driving his floating Amphicar into the lake on his Texas ranch, 1965.
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HAPPILY AFLOAT Most of the modern presidents have had a special affinity for the sea and were drawn to the floating White House. Franklin D. Roosevelt loved the waterborne life. He was familiar with sailing from his early years at Hyde Park, New York, near the Hudson River, and he vacationed by the sea or on the water throughout his life. Franklin Roosevelt had a life-changing experience near the water in 1921 when he was 39 years old. He was diagnosed with polio at Campobello Island in southeastern Canada (although some historians think he may have contracted it at a Boy Scout event in New York just prior to arriving in Campobello). His legs were paralyzed, and he never regained their use for the rest of his life. But his love of the sea was undiminished, as described in detail elsewhere in this issue. Prior to his presidency Roosevelt had been assistant secretary of the navy—the same position held by his distant cousin Theodore—giving him another connection to the sea, and as president spent many days in navy vessels and private yachts for mostly unpublicized vacation trips. Franklin Roosevelt started his presidency by taking pleasure trips on the 104-foot Sequoia but eventually began using the USS Potomac, a 165foot former Coast Guard cutter with an elevator that could carry the wheelchair-bound president between decks. Roosevelt used the Potomac for
official business, for example, example traveling in 1941 to meet with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill off Newfoundland, where they wrote the Atlantic Charter. But Roosevelt mostly used vessels for leisure. Being aboard ship gave him an easy escape from the rigors, routines, and tedium of Washington, and he felt a sense of freedom once he was a sea, better able to relax and ruminate than he could at the White House. At sea, he did a lot of fishing, an activity that also relaxed him.11 Harry Truman, the vice president who became president after Roosevelt’s death in 1945, was a landlubber from Missouri, but his doctor told him shortly after he took office that his health would improve if he got away from the humid, cold winters of Washington, D.C., for long stretches. He discovered the submarine base at Key West, Florida, and found this seaside residence—formerly used by the submarine base commanders—conducive not only to his health but also to his temperament. In 1946, he began taking vacations in the warm, leisurely environment of Key West. While staying there, Truman often took trips on the presidential yacht, basking in the sun and breathing the sea air. One of his favorite cruises was to the Dry Tortugas. Truman hosted poker games aboard the Sequoia and the USS Williamsburg, a relatively fancy 242foot yacht.12 Truman insisted that his trips to Key West, including his sea voyages, would be for rest and
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relaxation and work would be secondary. On one excursion aboard the Williamsburg, he noticed an aide sitting on the afterdeck at a table full of papers and books, writing in longhand. The president suddenly threw all the paperwork over the railing into the water, shocking everyone.13 Dwight Eisenhower was not drawn to the sea, preferring his Gettysburg farm, the official presidential retreat at Camp David in Maryland, and various golf courses. During World War II, five men who would later become president served in the U.S. Navy: Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and George H. W. Bush. Another future president served in the navy after World War II—Jimmy Carter. Johnson was attached to his Texas ranch but was still attracted to the water—namely a lake on his property on which he took many pleasure trips. It was the scene of a recurring practical joke. Johnson would place guests in a small convertible car, drive to a hilltop overlooking the water, and, as the car rolled downhill with the president at the wheel, he would shout that the brakes would not hold. The vehicle would splash into the water, throwing a panic into some guests. It was only then that LBJ revealed that they were in an amphibious car with a propeller in the back, and everyone was safe.14 Johnson also used the Sequoia for more serious purposes, attempting to lobby members of Congress on waterways near Washington for his
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left President George H. W. Bush steers his cigarette boat, Fidelity III, around his summer home at Walker’s Point, c. 2004. below
domestic agenda and his war policies in Vietnam. Nixon loved to take leisure trips on the Sequoia, often with family and close friends and sometimes with people he wanted to impress such as members of Congress. By one estimate he sailed on the Sequoia as many as one hundred times.15 On one trip, Nixon met with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev to discuss the SALT I nuclear arms agreement. Nixon also had two seaside homes while he was president, at Key Biscayne, Florida, and San Clemente, California. Gerald Ford was not as much a lover of the sea as many other presidents. A Midwesterner, he preferred pursuits on land, such as snow skiing and playing golf. Jimmy Carter, a graduate of the Naval Academy, sought to make a name for himself as an advocate of government austerity during tough economic times and so had the presidential yacht Sequoia sold in 1977, his first year in office. But that did not keep future presidents off the water. George H. W. Bush found the sea to be a tonic and could not stay away. He loved his family estate on Walker’s Point in Kennebunkport, Maine, perched on a rocky promontory. He sometimes swam off those rocks and enjoyed fishing there, as he had done since he was a boy. I saw how much
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Future president Barack Obama demonstrates his skill at body surfing in Honolulu, 2008.
below Like so many of his predecessors, President Joe Biden has turned to the sea for moments of relief from the pressures of the presidency. He is seen here with First Lady Jill Biden and German shepherd Commander at Rehoboth, Delaware, 2021.
he loved it during his presidency when he would roar off from Walker’s Point at the helm of his cigarette boat, Fidelity, for fishing, conversation, and maybe a few beers. He invited me for one such trip aboard Fidelity, and he clearly relished the sense of freedom and power he got by gunning the engine and speeding off into deep water. (I almost lost my footing and nearly took a fall during one of Bush’s macho moments.) Bush spent hours aboard Fidelity discussing what he called the “new world order” after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. It was where he and White House National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft planned ways to organize the international coalition for the U.S.-led war that forced Iraq out of Kuwait. Aides told me he felt he could think better and more long-term when he was aboard his ship of state bobbing on the sea. Bill Clinton spent many hours as a guest aboard yachts of the rich and famous while he vacationed at Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. One of his most memorable experiences as president came in June 1994 when he traveled on an aircraft carrier from England to Normandy to mark the Allied invasion of Europe on D-Day. He toured the ship, watched the dramatic takeoffs and landings of aircraft, and traced the voyage of thousands of soldiers who made the trip on D-Day fifty years earlier.16 Barack Obama enjoyed seaside family vacations in rented mansions at Martha’s Vineyard and in
Hawaii, where he grew up. He delighted in body surfing at the Big Island—a seashore pursuit that no other president before or since has attempted, and he was good at it. Donald Trump, as a businessman before he was elected president in 2016, planned to buy a superyacht for his private use but the plans fell through. He did not show much interest in being at sea during his presidency, although he spent many days at his posh seaside estate at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, where he resided after he lost his bid for a second term. Joe Biden, who defeated Trump, has roots in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, where his family moved when he was a boy. It was in Delaware that he got the wherewithal and interest to buy beach property, which he visits regularly as president. He is criticized by his political adversaries for getting away to the beach too often—as other presidents have also been criticized for taking too much time off. But Biden shows no inclination to cut back on his visits to these seaside haunts. He considers them too valuable for his mental and physical well-being, and I’m sure those millions of Americans who also are attracted to the sea perfectly understand his sentiments.
notes 1.
Edward Kennedy, interview by author, April 29, 2004.
2. John F. Kennedy, “Remarks at the America’s Cup Dinner Given by the Australian Ambassador,” September 14, 1962, online at John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum website, www.jfklibrary.org. 3. Quoted in Kenneth T. Walsh, From Mount Vernon to Crawford: A History of the Presidents and Their Retreats (New York: Hyperion, 2005), 136–37. 4. James W. Graham, Victura: The Kennedys, a Sailboat and the Sea (Lebanon, N.H.: University Press of New England, 2014), 5–6. 5. Evan Andrews, “The Floating White House: A Brief History of the Presidential Yacht,” posted August 22, 2018, updated June 2, 2023, History Channel website, www.history.com. 6. Griffin Black, “Before He Won the Civil War, Lincoln Worked to Get Ships Dislodged and Moving,” Washington Post, March 31, 2021. 7. Ibid. 8. Andrews, “Floating White House.” 9. Walsh, From Mount Vernon to Crawford, 67, 73, 77–80. 10. Andrews, “Floating White House.” 11. Ibid. 12. Walsh, From Mount Vernon to Crawford , 117–18.
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13. Ibid., 116. 14. LBJ adviser Joseph A. Califano Jr. quoted in “Presidential Vehicles,” Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park website, www.nps.gov. Also, Edward Kennedy, interview. 15. Andrews, “Floating White House.” 16. Mike McCurry, interview by author, July 26, 2022. McCurry was Clinton’s former White House press secretary.
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