John F. Kennedy's Love For His Boat

John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was an avid sailor and owned several boats throughout his life. One of the most famous boats associated with Kennedy is the PT-109, a patrol torpedo boat that he commanded during World War II in the Solomon Islands campaign of the Pacific theater. Kennedy's actions during this time, particularly his bravery and leadership after the PT-109 was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer, earned him recognition as a war hero.

In addition to military vessels, Kennedy also owned several personal boats, including the Restofus, a 17-foot wooden speedboat that was originally won by his father, Joseph P. Kennedy, in a church raffle. Kennedy also owned a sailboat called the Victura, which held a special significance for the Kennedy family and became a symbol of their shared love for sailing.

Another notable boat owned by Kennedy was the Manitou, a 62-foot performance cruising yacht that served as his presidential yacht. The Manitou was originally built in 1937 and was acquired by Kennedy when he was elected president. It was outfitted with the necessary equipment to allow him to stay in touch with the White House and even the Kremlin while sailing.

John F. Kennedy's yacht, Manitou, was built in 1937 and won several races before becoming the Floating White House

John F. Kennedy's yacht, Manitou, was built in 1937 at the M. M. Davis & Son shipyard in Solomons Island, Maryland. It was designed by naval architect Olin Stephens and measured 62 feet (18.9 m) long.

Manitou was originally commissioned and privately owned by race car driver James Lowe, who was determined to win the Chicago-Mackinac Race. Lowe wanted a performance cruising yacht that would race well under heavy and light conditions. So Stephens designed a 62-foot (18.9m) cutter-rigged Bermudan yawl with 44 feet (13.4m) in the water, a 13-foot 9-inch (4.2m) beam, and a four-ton keel.

True to Lowe's intentions, Manitou won the Chicago-Mackinac Race in 1938, setting a new record. It came second the following year and won again in 1940 and 1941. After these successes, Lowe sold the yacht, and in 1955, it was donated to the US Coast Guard to be used as a training vessel.

It was while Manitou was at Annapolis that a young Senator Kennedy first spotted the yacht. And when he was elected, Kennedy, a keen sailor, sent naval aide Captain Tazewell Shepard Jr. to find a suitable sailing yacht that could accommodate the equipment needed for him to keep in touch with the White House and even the Kremlin. Manitou was one of the yachts on the list, and Kennedy promptly signed the deeds—one of the first things he did sitting at the presidential desk.

Manitou was then moved to Chesapeake Bay, where engineers fitted it out as a working presidential office, earning it the nickname "The Floating White House". Kennedy used the yacht as a presidential vessel and also as a place to host stars and starlets due to his fascination with Hollywood. The bathtub in the aft cabin is said to have been host to Marilyn Monroe, among others.

In 1968, long after JFK's assassination, Manitou was sold at auction to Paul Hall, the leader of the Harry Lundeburg School of Seamanship, and once again became a vessel for learning.

Kennedy's father won the wooden speedboat RESTOFUS in a church raffle

John F. Kennedy's father, Joseph P. Kennedy, won a wooden speedboat named "RESTOFUS" in a church raffle. The name was a sly reference to an earlier boat owned by the Kennedy patriarch called "TENOVUS", which referred to the ten members that made up the Kennedy family at the time. "RESTOFUS" was later passed down to John F. Kennedy, whose brother Robert F. Kennedy already owned a boat.

John F. Kennedy was an avid sailor and boater, and his experiences on the water greatly influenced his life and presidency. Kennedy's time in the Navy and with the PT boats during World War II shaped his leadership skills and resilience. He led his crew through harrowing swims and nights stranded on islands, displaying courage and determination. This experience contributed to his reputation as a war hero.

Kennedy's love for the sea continued throughout his life, and he often sailed with his family on their sailboat, the "Victura". He even sketched sailboats during important meetings and doodled one the night before his assassination. Kennedy's affinity for sailing influenced his public policy decisions, such as his proposal for the Cape Cod National Seashore. It may have also played a role in his decision to send a man to the moon, as he often used seafaring metaphors when discussing space travel.

In addition to the "RESTOFUS" and the "Victura", Kennedy also owned a yacht named "Manitou", which he used as a presidential yacht and was known as the "Floating White House". The "Manitou" was built in 1937 and raced extensively, winning several competitions.

Kennedy's experience sailing the Victura sailboat as a child may have saved his life during World War II

John F. Kennedy's experience sailing the Victura sailboat as a child may have saved his life during World War II. Kennedy's father, Joe Kennedy, Sr., was not a big sailor himself but encouraged his children to take up sailing and was intent on them winning races. This meant that Kennedy, from a young age, was a strong swimmer and an experienced sailor.

On the night of August 1, 1943, Kennedy was commanding the patrol torpedo boat PT-109 in the Solomon Islands when it was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer. Kennedy and his surviving crew were thrown into the sea. Kennedy, despite being injured, rescued a badly burned crew member, Patrick McMahon, and towed him to safety by holding onto the strap of his life vest with his teeth. Kennedy then swam out again to help another exhausted crew member, Charles Harris, and berated and cajoled him to get him through the difficult swim. Kennedy also swam out alone at night to try and flag down passing PT boats.

Kennedy's swimming ability, no doubt honed through his childhood sailing experiences, was instrumental in saving his life and those of his crew. Kennedy's older brother, Joe Jr., was also a keen sailor and a war hero. He died in World War II when his experimental aircraft, which he had volunteered to fly, exploded in mid-air.

Kennedy's boat was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer during World War II

On the night of August 1, 1943, John F. Kennedy's boat, PT-109, was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer, the Amagiri, in the Solomon Islands during World War II. The incident occurred around 2:30 a.m. in the Blackett Strait, a treacherous stretch of water between the islands of Gizo and Kolombangara. Kennedy, then a lieutenant (junior grade) in the US Navy, was in command of the PT-109, an 80-foot Elco patrol torpedo boat.

The PT-109 was idling on one engine to avoid detection by Japanese aircraft when the Amagiri, travelling at a high speed of between 23 and 40 knots, emerged from the darkness and collided with the PT-109. The impact sheared off a piece of the boat, ripping away the starboard aft side and causing a massive explosion. The PT-109 was cut in two, and the sea surrounding the wreckage was engulfed in flames from the exploding aviation fuel.

Two of the PT-109's crew, Seamen Andrew Jackson Kirksey and Harold William Marney, were killed instantly in the collision. The remaining 11 crew members, including Kennedy, were thrown into the water or badly burned by the flames. Kennedy, a strong swimmer who had been on the Harvard University swim team, played a crucial role in rescuing the injured and exhausted crew members. He towed Patrick McMahon, who had burns covering 70% of his body, by clenching a life jacket strap between his teeth. Kennedy also helped another crew member, Charles Harris, make the difficult swim by cajoling and berating him.

The survivors regrouped and clung to the floating bow section of the PT-109 for about 12 hours as it slowly drifted south. However, by 1 pm on August 2, it became apparent that the hull was taking on water and would soon sink, prompting the men to abandon the wreckage and swim towards a tiny, uninhabited islet, Plum Pudding Island, about 3.5 miles away. Kennedy, despite his chronic back condition, played a pivotal role in this arduous swim, once again towing McMahon to safety.

The crew spent the next few days on Plum Pudding Island, exhausted and with limited food and water. Kennedy, undeterred, swam out again on August 4 towards Ferguson Passage, hoping to hail a passing American boat. He did not encounter any boats, and the strong currents and his back condition made the return journey extremely challenging. Kennedy's determination to find help for his crew is evident in his actions during this period.

The crew was eventually rescued on August 8, six days after the collision, thanks to the efforts of native Solomon Island scouts, Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana, who located them and relayed their position to the US forces. Kennedy's courage and leadership during this harrowing ordeal earned him several commendations, including the Navy and Marine Corps Medal and the Purple Heart. The PT-109 incident played a significant role in shaping Kennedy's future political career, with the story of his heroism resonating with the American public.

Kennedy's boat was named PT-109

John F. Kennedy's boat was named PT-109, a name that has gone down in history. PT-109 was an 80-foot (24-metre) Elco PT boat (patrol torpedo boat) commanded by Lieutenant (junior grade) John F. Kennedy in the Solomon Islands campaign of the Pacific theatre during World War II.

The night of August 1, 1943, was profoundly dark, and PT-109 was one of fifteen PT boats that had set out to engage, damage, or turn back the Japanese navy's supply convoy, known to US forces as the "Tokyo Express". Kennedy's boat rendezvoused with two others, PT-162 and PT-169, and they spread out to make a picket line across the strait.

At about 2:30 am, a shape loomed out of the darkness off PT-109's starboard bow. Kennedy and his crew first believed it to be another PT boat, but it was soon apparent that it was a Japanese destroyer. Kennedy attempted to turn to starboard to bring his torpedoes to bear, but there was not enough time. The destroyer, later identified as the Amagiri, struck PT-109, ripping away the starboard aft side of the boat. Most of the crew were knocked into the water, and two, Harold Marney and Andrew Jackson Kirksey, disappeared in the collision and were very likely killed on impact.

The impact tossed Kennedy around the cockpit, but he was able to rescue the injured engineer Patrick McMahon, who was badly burned by exploding fuel. Kennedy towed McMahon by a life-vest strap, while also helping to guide the exhausted Charles Harris through the difficult swim. Leonard Thom pulled in William Johnston, who was debilitated by the gasoline he had accidentally swallowed and the heavy fumes that lay on the water. Meanwhile, Raymond Starkey swam in from where he had been flung by the shock.

Floating on the hulk, the crew took stock. All the men were exhausted, a few were hurt, and several had been sickened by the fuel fumes. There was no sign of other boats or ships in the area, and the men were afraid to fire their flare gun for fear of attracting the attention of the Japanese, who were on islands all around. Although the wreckage was still afloat, it was taking on water and capsized on the morning of August 2.

After discussing their options, the men abandoned the remains of PT-109 and struck out for an islet three and a half miles away, which they named "Bird Island". Kennedy, a strong swimmer who had been on the swim team at Harvard, towed McMahon by a belt clenched in his teeth. Some of the other men were also good swimmers, but several could not swim at all, and two, Johnston and Edgar Mauer, were lashed to a plank that the other seven men pushed and pulled.

Kennedy arrived first at the island and collapsed on the beach, waiting for the rest of the crew. But his swimming was not over. Alarmed by a passing Japanese barge, Kennedy decided to swim down into Ferguson Passage, through which American PT boats passed when operating in Blackett Strait. Island-hopping and clinging to reefs, Kennedy made his way out into the passage, where he treaded water for an hour before deciding that the PT boats were in action elsewhere that night. The return voyage almost killed him as strong currents spun him out into Blackett Strait and then back into Ferguson Passage.

Making the weary trip again, Kennedy stopped on Leorava Island, southeast of Bird Island, where he slept before making the final leg of the trip back to Bird Island. Kennedy slept through the day, but also made George Ross promise to go out on the same trip that night. Ross, unfortunately, did not see any sign of the PT boats either. On August 4, Kennedy led the men back into the ocean, striking out for Olasana Island in hopes of finding food and fresh water but also trying to get closer to Ferguson Passage. Again, Kennedy hauled McMahon by the strap of his life vest while the rest of the crew clustered around the plank and thrashed their way along.

Olasana Island proved to be something of a disappointment. The coconuts were more plentiful but had a sickening effect on some of the men, and there was no fresh water. On the night of August 4, Kennedy determined to try for the next island over the following day. Naru Island is the last in the chain, and its eastern shores look out over Ferguson Passage. Kennedy and Ross climbed up onto its beach on the afternoon of August 5. Fearing enemy patrols, they stepped carefully through the brush but only saw the wreck of a small Japanese vessel out on the reef. On the beach, they spotted a small box with Japanese labels, which, when broken open, they were delighted to discover contained Japanese candy. A little further up the island, they found a tin of water and a one-man canoe hidden in the bushes.

After a drink, Kennedy and Ross were walking back onto the beach when they saw two men out at the Japanese wreck. The men, clearly islanders, took fright and paddled away. That night, Kennedy took the canoe into Ferguson Passage once more, but again without spotting any US vessels.

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