Fernandina's Presidential Cruise
By Charles Litrico
Photos courtesy of the Florida State Archives

President Herbert Hoover on the Sequoia.
Rumor has it that he preferred to remain dressed in a
three-piece suit throughout the voyage to Florida.
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Fernandina Beach has had its share of Presidential visitors over the course of its storied history, from Ulysses S. Grant in the 1880s to Bill Clinton over a century later. But in December of 1932, Fernandina played host to a unique visit from President Herbert Hoover, who was traveling down the coast in the presidential yacht Sequoia.

This was not a particularly good moment in time for both Hoover and America in general. The country was mired in the Great Depression, and Hoover had just been defeated by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the election earlier that fall. So, in what was most likely his final tour while in office, Hoover sailed into Fernandina harbor on December 26, 1932. While seeing the leader of the country was an honor, the people of Fernandina were also treated to a glimpse of the Sequoia, the sleek, 104-foot vessel that still serves as the Presidential yacht today.

President Hoover boards a picketboat for a day of fishing.
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The Sequoia is a privately-owned yacht built in 1925 that has served more than nine U.S. presidents. It has played a part in many of the nation's historic events of the 20th century. It was used during the Harding administration to enforce Prohibition; FDR and Eisenhower planned D-Day aboard it; Truman used it to conduct the world's first nuclear arms summit; Kennedy celebrated his last (46th) birthday on the Sequoia; and Nixon used the yacht often during Watergate. Another interesting fact about the Sequoia is that it was probably the nation's first handicapped-accessible boat. FDR had an elevator installed to make it easier for him to travel between decks. President Eisenhower removed the elevator, though, during his term in office and replaced it with - a bar.

As for President Hoover and his voyage from Washington D.C. to Florida, the trip was supposed to elevate the spirits of the people during the Depression. However, this plan backfired. The starving public saw Hoover as a man out of touch with the nation. Still, it must have been nice for the people of Fernandina to catch a glimpse of their commander-in-chief aboard such a grand vessel.

The presidential yacht Sequoia.
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