USS Potomac

Wonderful and informative harbor cruise on this historic ship. Staff was friendly and informative and made for a fun as well as relaxing afternoon.

What a fun outing! Interesting and well presented. Super docents. Great views and a breeze on the water. Can’t recommend it highly enough!

I was lucky enough to get tickets (thank you Port of Oakland!!) to cruise on the Potomac. What a very fun thing to do… There were eight of us — six adults, a two year old and a two month old. The boat was a floating museum full of FDR information. The «speaker» was a wealth of information about the shipping ports/​containers, as well as so much more! There was free coffee, tea, water on the boat — which was an extra nice touch. The day we went was beautiful. We went at 4:00 p.m. and didn’t need a jacket. Of course, it was during a hot spell… We cruised to the Bay Bridge and had a great photo opp… I would recommend a cruise on the Potomac — I think we might go back for an «events» cruise! The people working there are wonderful, kind, knowledgeable, and will take the time to answer questions you have. The Potomac is a special piece of history that Oakland should be very proud to have!
We even got Port of Oakland key chains when we departed… A great way to spend an afternoon!

I went on a fifth grade field trip with my daughter, it was a lot of fun I enjoyed seeing what it was like back in day. It would be fun to do at sunset tour — without a bunch of fifth-​graders

My wife and I toured the USS Potomac Friday March 27, 2015. What a fascinating yacht. The 15 minute movie before provided a wealth of information on the history of the yacht. We were very lucky and had a private tour. The docent was very knowledgeable and made the tour quite interesting. I would heartily recommend this tour to any person. It is a piece of American history that can be easily accessed. As a bonus, there a few really nice restaurants within walking distance.
Marty

What’s so endearing about this place is that the people who work here truly are dedicated to keeping this historical landmark running and accessible to the public. I have to imagine the majority of them are volunteering in some capacity. Yet, they show up with such enthusiasm to share all the many secrets of the USS Potomac. If you do the dock tour, I think you need to have at least a basic interest in Roosevelt and history in general.
They also do occasional boat rides through the bay. Those are quite fun and a good alternative to the fleets leaving from Fisherman’s Wharf in SF. It’s great to imagine what sailing on this boat must have been like.
A couple of tips: Show up early to watch the movie. Don’t assume they’re open on the day you want to go. They only are open a few days out of the week and they sometimes close the boat from the general public in order to host private functions.

A NO SHOW.
We went to see the dockside tour after calling the information line the night before. There was no mention on the phone line or on the web site to indicate that the boat would NOT BE OPEN ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
I was very dismayed to bring an out of town guest here only to find that a private tour had booked the boat and it would not be open AS ADVERTISED.
In this day and age, one should be able to find UPDATED information on the web site. So DO NOT GO UNLESS YOU HAVE A CONFIRMED PHONE CALL BACK FROM THE BOAT. I don’t think that advertising a schedule and then not posting any notice about it is a good way for any boat operator to operate. A notice that says «please check» is not a schedule. I urge the proprietors to POST ON THE WEB SITE ONLY THE TIMES WHEN THE BOAT IS AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC DOCKSIDE TOURS.
I also really wish Oakland had some boat tours and boats on the wharf that represent the maritime history of Oakland. The Potomac was never a West Coast boat until it was half sunk and has been significantly restored (partly at taxpayer expense).
I was pleased to see the USS Red Oak Liberty ship the day before and it truly represents the maritime history of the Bay Area. It would be nice to see Oakland have something as wonderful about its important maritime history — as both SF (Hyde St. Piere) and Richmond (Rosie the Riveter and Red Oak Liberty ships) have. Will Oakland ever get a maritime exhibit about OAKLAND?

I recommend calling ahead and meeting a docent-​led tour which was far more educational than merely reading a history book about Roosevelt or watching a movie at the theatre. The best time to visit this ship is after reading a book about FDR or watching a documentary. Better yet, would be signing up for a cruise on the bay. Our docent, Joe Winkel was extremely knowledgeable when asked questions about the history of FDR and his affinity for the navy and his prior affiliation with the US Navy. He seemed very competent at answering questions about naval history.
If you have any interest in World War II or naval or presidential trivia, you will thoroughly enjoy this tour.
I recommend bringing friends and a camera as this is a time warp experience that takes you back to the 1940’s.
I was told the small bathtub in FDR’s bathroom and over-​sized fantail couch were designed by FDR.
In the vicinity of this area, parking can be hard to find mid-​day unless one uses a garage. I would recommend eating ahead and using the rest room before coming aboard.

The Potomac anchored in Jack London Square is a must see. Take a tour or go on one of the Bay cruises they offer. Oaklander’s should be proud that this floating history museum is in their city.
Reading about this presidential yacht and looking at old photos is interesting, but a bit boring if you are not a history fan. However, walking on the decks where history was made gives a real feeling for a period in our history that shaped life as we know it today.
I was horrified when the tour guide mentioned that more than 50% of the people who tour the yacht don’t know who FDR was. If you don’t know who he was, or know much about the 20^th century you should go on the tour and find out. It really is interesting. And if you do know who he was, go anyway. The yacht surprised me and it just might surprise you too.

I went here with my parents when they were visiting and it was a really fun thing to do with family. I don’t think a lot of people know this is here, and it’s a really special part of history. You get a personal docent to tour you around the boat and answer any questions you may have, and it’s very reasonably priced. Plus, it’s in Jack London Square so you can bookend your adventure with dinner or drinks.

We went out on the USS Potomac for the Louis Vuiton/America’s Cup Finals. We had amazing views of the New Zealand and Italy boats racing. We were also thrilled with our amazing boat ride and the skill of the captain to keep the boat steady to let us easilly watch the race on a very breezy day.
We enjoyed seeing the San Francisco skyline and being one of the last boats to be under the Old Bay Bridge (it gets replaced wit a new one Labor Day week-​end). The boat turned off its motors and let us listen to the sound of the traffic.
The food and wine was very good. They had amazing appetizers; good food; and great desert that a local caterer provided. There was also unlimited wine (and we enjoyed our share) which of course led to a nap after we got off the boat.
The volunteers and staff at the USS Potomac are so nice and they gave us a personalized tour of the boat. Before our boat ride, we watched the video on the boat at the USS Potomac visitor center — and learned more about when President Roosevelt used it.
All in all a pricy day — but the value we received for the price exceeded our expectations. If you ever want to go out on the USS Potomac, I highly recommend it.
It was a memorable day and wonderful.

Recently went on the USS Potomac for a July 4^th firework cruise. The entire evening was a most memorable time. The crew is so friendly and attentive. They really care that the people on board the ship are having a great time, and I totally did! My friends and I are already talking about next July 4^th!

An amazing piece of history that is live and kicking thanks to dedicated volunteers!
Take a cruise you will NOT be disappointed! Learn some history for the extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic crew or simply relax in its regalness and take in the beautiful bay area scenery.

What a total treat, and I owe it COMPLETELY ALL TO Unilocal.
Partied like a rock star yesterday, in full sun and with wireless headphones, bopping to the beat… Docents were kind, chefs were amiable, pour hosts were great. 8% Duvel and champagne aboard FDR’s yacht.
Has Rod Serling come to Jack London?! What warp zone have I come upon?
It was in December 1935 that Roosevelt decided to rename his erstwhile Electra puppy to the name Potomac.
Stateside, still so many original intact features. I absolutely love history, sun, music, and high quality drink. Feel so happy sitting in the back and watching the sailboats pass, meeting new people and clinking a cheers to camaraderie and good memories.

Huge fun. You get probably the best and most informative bay tour available anywhere, with generally more knowledgeable guides than the commercial tour boats, along with a great historic experience of the vessel itself. Worth taking several times.

So much to offer. They do public history cruises on the bay. Dockside guided walk-​through. You can privately charter the ship, or have a dockside event. Amazing they do it all with volunteers and are a non-​profit… impressive.
or

I recently toured the USS Potomac when I splurged on the VIP package offered through the Best of the East Bay Express party. I partied FDR style, if only for a moment. Stand on the upper deck of the Potomac for gorgeous views of the Bay.

The folks who keep up this nice old yacht offer dockside tours (no sailing) as well as history sailings on the bay. If you can, plan to do both eventually. The dockside tour will give you a chance to learn about FDR and all the history that took place on board, and the crowds are smaller.
The history sailings are a great way to see some of the bay from the water, especially during nice weather (which admittedly can be rare). The Potomac sails past the Port of Oakland, underneath the Bay Bridge, and at present provides a close-​up view of construction of the new portion of the bridge. Then the yacht passes Treasure Island and goes all the way around Angel Island — through Raccoon Strait and past Belvedere and Tiburon. Do not forget to take a camera, there are great views of San Francisco, Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, and many other famous sites.

This is such a cool museum to have in our bay! FDR’s personal yacht! You have two options to see it. You can take the tour of the boat with a docent or rent the «floating white house» for private functions. I’ve been fortunate to be able to do both.
The docent lead tour is fascinating, the docents are very knowledgeable about FDR era history and are eager to share their stories with you. I was also invited aboard for a sunset cruise with a group on the bay. This was also a lot of fun and of course a totally different experience. There was still a docent or two aboard to give the grand tour and tell a story. However, the experience of sailing on the USS Potomac while it was full of people was a really neat experience. You could almost envision how it felt to sail on the boat when FDR entertained on it.
For history buffs or cocktail party planners alike the USS Potomac is a very cool experience!

Its an amazing restoration this USS Potomac is, here in Jack London Square. With more than 80,000 visitors, this 1945 ex coast guard cruiser had been restored in 1995 to match the original ship. Very few items on board glanced the eyes of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It took money and research, with many thought to be lost historical images and press, they very carefully matched as much as they could in terms of furnishings and seamanship.
I felt walking the inner hull of the boat, I could almost hear and see imagines of crew in that constant motion to maintain the ship, with a busy Mr. President running affairs.
Potomac (
) offers reasonable special events from this ship, and from that experience you also support a worthwhile tax rebate foundation keeping that history alive. A must do!