President John F. Kennedy relaxes aboard the Defoe-built yacht "Honey Fitz" in August, 1963. (JFK Library Photo.) Defoe Built Presidential Yacht "Honey Fitz" Undergoing Refit in Florida
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Every so often the glory days of Bay City pop up in the news.
If it's not the visit of President William Howard Taft to Bay City in 1908, it's the recollection of the Industrial Browhoist's huge cranes helping built the Panama Canal, or the sight of Bay City Shovels in the South Pacific during World War II.
The history is so rich it is mind-boggling and no historian can keep up with, although Marvin Kusmierz of Bay-Journal.com makes a valiant attempt.
Latest to surface is the presidential yacht famously called "Honey Fitz," by John F. Kennedy that in recent years has been visible afloat at Palm Beach, Florida.
Built in 1931 by the Defoe Boat and Motor Works in Bay City the motor yacht "Honey Fitz" is now undergoing a refit at Moores' Marine in Florida as craftsmen return it to its former glory.
After his election as President in 1960, John F. Kennedy named the Presidential yacht in honor of his grandfather "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald.
"Honey Fitz" and his wife Mary Josephine Hannon were well-known figures in Boston. "Honey Fitz" was the first Irish migrant to be named Mayor of Boston, serving from 1906 to 1907, and then again 1910 to 1914.
The Defoe yacht served five U.S. presidents and for a time in the 1970s was used as an excursion vessel.
Present owner William Kallop, an Alabama oilman, has commissioned James Moores to repair a section of the hull. The project has since expanded into a large-scale restoration.
"This boat has been cut up so much over the years it's like, What was this boat like?" said Kallop. "It's a beautiful boat though." Moores commented to The Palm Beach Post.
More than 30 supports are holding the yacht in place while Moores and crew try to realign the hull by twisting it about 15 degrees while trying to replace much of the underside of the 92 ft yacht. Much of the aft side of the yacht remains exposed, revealing the metal pipes and wires.
Workers are trying to strike a balance between restoring the classic yacht to its specifications when it was a presidential vessel and ensuring its long-term durability.
"These boats are disappearing at such a rapid rate, and once they're gone they're not going to come back. We're losing our maritime history." said Moores, who has worked on over 100 restoration projects. He called this project "the pinnacle point" in his career.
Moores notes "The crew is using strategies, such as laminating the wood panels so they fit tightly together, that had not been developed at the time of the yacht's construction, but the modern technology won't be noticeable to the naked eye."
"Lenore" was commissioned from Defoe Boat and Motor Works in Bay City, Michigan, by crusty Sewell Avery, president of Montgomery Ward, a nationwide retail chain. She was commandeered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt when World War II broke out and Avery resisted wartime regulations.
After defying FDR's orders to comply with wartime wage and price controls, Avery was famously carried from his office in Chicago by two hefty soldiers. A photograph of the incident made front pages of newspapers across the country.
The ship was reconditioned by the U.S. Coast Guard and served as a coastal picket boat off New York during World War II. During World War II the ship was and equipped with larger engines, gun turrets and rocket launchers. Although the ship originally was rated at top speed of 12 knots, the new engines doubled her speed.
She was transferred to the U.S. Navy in 1945 and then was used as a Presidential yacht. Harry Truman renamed her "Lenore II" and Dwight Eisenhower called her "Barbara Anne." The name John F. Kennedy called her, "Honey Fitz," has been revived by its present owner.
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy had redecorated the "Honey Fitz" and had color television installed aboard to provide entertainment for her children. President Kennedy and family spent Easter and Christmas holidays on the yacht at Palm Beach.
The JFK Presidential Library history recalls that Kennedy and his family would spend time basking on the boat's deck, enjoying their time atop the yacht which was considered too small to hold members of the Secret Service.
Voluptous actress Marilyn Monroe reportedly was sneaked aboard during one of JFK's wild times in the early part of his Presidency.
Lyndon Johnson said he would no more think of changing the name of "Honey Fitz" than he would change the name of the Washington Monument. He used it mainly for cocktail parties and small state dinners.
Richard Nixon called the ship "Patricia" but apparently preferred a larger, more luxurious yacht, and placed the Defoe built vessel up for sale.
Greenwich, Connecticut restaurant owner Joe Keating bought the yacht for a reported $170,000 and completely restored the interior with the advice of Kennedy's architect. Keating called it "The Presidents" and offered charters for groups.
For the last half of 1944 she served as a training ship for submarine crews at Portsmouth, New Hampshire. On June 23, 1945, she was assigned to the Navy Yard in Washington as a tender for the USS Potomac.
On November 28, 1945 she was officially transferred to the U. S. Navy. She was used by Presidents Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower (who renamed her "Barbara Anne"), Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon (who renamed her "Patricia.") Nixon sold her in a government auction in 1970 to Joe Keating who recommissioned her as the yacht "Presidents" on December 4, 1970.
The Kennedy estate acquired the yacht from Keating for an undisclosed price and Kallop bought it at an auction of JFK memorabilia in 1998 for $5.9 million.
A Bay City committee headed by former Bay City Times editor Tony Dearing offered Kallop $1.5 million for the boat in the early 2000s. The reported value at that time was about $10 million and the Bay City group was prepared to give Kallop a tax write-off for the amount in excess of the offer, but that idea was rejected by the oilman.
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"The BUZZ" - Read Feedback From Readers! |
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tmajeski Says:
On August 23, 2010
at 08:48 AM
Hey Mr. Rogers, are there any pictures of the Honey Fitz yacht in it's current state?
Todd M. |
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juksoi406 Says:
On August 23, 2010
at 05:51 PM
This is such an interesting part of history that I really enjoy reading about; especially because Harry DeFoe is my grandfather who built this yacht. Thank you for sharing.
Julie Wray Kosinski P.S. My mother, Helen Defoe Wray was his daughter. |
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Dave Rogers |
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