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Presidential Yacht

The 104-foot, 100-ton wooden, teak-paneled boat was built by John Trumpy between 1923 and 1925 at a cost of approximately $200,000. The yacht was named the "Sequoia" after the Indian chief who invented the Cherokee alphabet. The federal government purchased the Sequoia in order to catch rumrunners during Prohibition.

Herbert Hoover was the first President to use the Sequoia. He attempted to manage the Depression from the Sequoia. For example, he cruised on the Sequoia to Palm Beach, Florida for a Christmas vacation. In 1929 he put the yacht on the cover of the White House Christmas card.

FDR and his wife, Eleanor, used the Sequoia for relaxation or for opening mail and working. An elevator was installed on the Sequoia in order to accommodate FDR's wheelchair. During WWII, FDR and Winston Churchill planned D-day and Eisenhower and Field Marshall Montgomery planned D-day. On the Sequoia, Truman reportedly decided to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and ironically a year later he hosted on the Sequoia the world's first nuclear arms control conference.

JFK used the Sequoia for entertainment. Jackie O. surprised JFK with his 46th (and last) birthday party on the Sequoia in New York City, just after Marilyn Monroe sang happy birthday tot he President at Madison Square Garden.

LBJ used the Sequoia for both lobbying for the passage of Civil Rights legislation and for planning Vietnam War strategy.

Nixon used the Sequoia 88 times, and it is where the first Soviet-American arms control treaty was negotiated (Nixon- Beezhnev), and it is where Nixon later decided to resign.

Gerald Ford used the Sequoia to both entertain both foreign leaders (e.g., Pierre Trudeau and Emperor Hirchito) and to host cabinet meetings (which included Alan Greenspan, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld).

Jimmy Carter's cabinet members used the Sequoia before Carter decided to sell it. After the government sold the Sequoia, the yacht was designated as a national historic landmark and Presidents continued to use her. Ronald Reagan went to the Sequoias gangplank in Richmond, Virginia to greet the nation's Governors who were on board. George Bush entertained the Premier of China on a cruise. In October 2000, Bill Clinton met with high tech executives on board.

The Sequoia ended up in the hands of a trust. Some executives of the trust reportedly maintained a lavish lifestyle, and the trust's lending bank (NBW) became insolvent and was taken over by the FDIC. At the same time, the trust gave the yacht to Norshipco, a Norfolk-based shipyard, for some much-needed repairs. After spending over $3.5 Million overhauling the yacht and replacing the engines, Norshipco was not paid for their bill by the now insolvent trust.

For the last decade, Norshipco scrupulously maintained the Sequoia. They spent over $1.8 on new repairs and maintenance, and they kept her in a covered slip. In 1999, Norshipco was sold to another company, which instructed her to sell the Sequoia. Gary Silversmith heard about Norshipco's recent sale, and he negotiated to purchase the Sequoia. The purchase was contingent upon the seller getting the yacht re-certified by the Coast Guard. This required over $100,000 in new repairs over a five-month period.

Since purchasing the Sequoia, Mr. Silversmith spent approximately $300,000 in cosmetic repairs (e.g., painting, varnishing, new cushions, historical photographs from the Presidential libraries). He brought the Sequoia back to Washington, D.C. in August 2000. Beginning with CNN News and Fox News waiting on the dock in Washington, D.C. for the Sequoia's arrival, the Sequoia has garnered significant positive publicity since its return to the nation's capital. Mr. Silversmith retained a former Captain of the Sequoia, Tony Wells, to operate her. The recently retired head of the Coast Guard, Marc Cruder, previously supervised the Coast Guard's inspection of the Sequoia. Hornblower, a yacht management company, now employs Mr. Cruder, and Mr. Silversmith retained Mr. Cruder on an on-going basis to carefully inspect that yacht for any maintenance issues or concerns. Mr. Silversmith's team has carefully preserved this national treasure, and they now make they yacht available for certain exclusive rentals.

In July 2001, Vice President Cheney and other Bush administration officials used the Sequoia.