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USS SEQUOIA,
presidential yacht
The USS
Sequoia is a 104-foot wooden motor yacht that was built
in 1925 and served as an official mode of transportation
for eight US presidents between 1933 and 1977. Designed
by renowned Norwegian naval architect Johan Trumpy, the
mahogany-hulled motor yacht could sleep up to eight
across five staterooms and accommodate 40 revelers for
cocktails on the spacious aft-deck or 22 guests for a
formal dinner in the salon. Trumpy yachts represented
the pinnacle of seafaring luxury in their day and were
sought out by titans of industry like DuPont, Chrysler,
Firestone, and Dodge for their speed, range, and
comfort.
Sequoia was officially commissioned by the Navy in
1933 and President Hoover promptly sailed the newly
christened boat to Florida for a sport-fishing
expedition. President Hoover had decommissioned the
318-foot USS Mayflower as an austerity measure early
in his term but was so fond of the Sequoia that he
featured it on the White House Christmas card in
1932.
Franklin Roosevelt also fished from Sequoia, but
primarily used the boat for more serious matters.
During World War II he and Winston Churchill
discussed military strategies on board. Those
meetings required Roosevelt to officially
decommission the ship to accommodate the prime
minister who would not drink on a Navy vessel.
President Truman came to the final decision to drop
the atomic bomb to end World War II while onboard
Sequoia.
Each
president updated Sequoia to serve his personal needs
and tastes. FDR installed an elevator to more easily
access each deck by wheelchair, and Harry Truman added a
spinet piano to the main salon. LBJ lowered the floor of
the shower to accommodate his six-foot-four frame and
replaced FDR's elevator with a wet bar.
John F.
Kennedy added a king-size bed. He celebrated his final
birthday on board. It is rumored that Marilyn Monroe
joined him for a cruise or two. It is hard to know for
sure, though, as a crewmember destroyed all of the
relevant ship's logs after Kennedy's death. Sequoia was
one of three presidential yachts in JFK’s stable; the
other two were Honey Fitz and
Manitou. Kennedy used
Honey Fitz for personal cruising, while Sequoia was the
official presidential yacht.
Richard
Nixon was the most avid sailor of the Sequoia, logging
88 trips. He negotiated the SALT I nuclear arms treaty
with General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev on board and
anguished over the decision to resign and played "God
Bless America" on the presidential piano following the
decision.
Other heads of state who have enjoyed Sequoia
cruises include Queen Elizabeth II, The Emperor and
Empress of Japan, the Prime Minister of Canada, and
the Premier of China. Sold
by the U.S. Government in 1977, the Sequoia
continues to be available for charter for official
use. Recent guests onboard included President
Clinton and former Soviet President Mikhail
Gorbachev.
The tab
for keeping the Sequoia shipshape and staffed was
running $800,000 a year when Jimmy Carter took office.
In keeping with his campaign promise to trim the
trappings of the "Imperial Presidency," President Carter
ceremoniously auctioned it off, bringing to an end the
era of the presidential yacht.
For many
years following President Carter’s sale, the Sequoia
enjoyed celebrity status in the private sector. Famed
not only for her long service to presidents, but also as
one of the best-preserved Trumpys still floating. The
Sequoia was designated a National Historic Landmark in
1987 and renters were able to experience a yacht
preserved to presidential standards.
This primarily wood
Sequoia model is
36"
long x 15" tall x 7" wide
$4,225 
Shipping and insurance in
the contiguous USA included.
Other places: $350 flat rate. This
model is in stock and can be shipped within 5
business days.
"Frank. The boat
arrived and is beautiful. Thank you! Bill ...@stifel.com"
Learn more about the
Presidential yacht USS Sequoia here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Sequoia_(presidential_yacht)
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