Jfk's Love For The Sea: His Boat's Name Revealed

John F. Kennedy was an avid sailor and owned several boats throughout his life. One of his most famous boats was the sailboat 'Victura', gifted to him by his parents for his 15th birthday. Kennedy was also known to have owned a wooden speedboat named 'Restofus', a presidential yacht named 'Honey Fitz', and a patrol torpedo boat named 'PT-109'.

John F. Kennedy's sailboat, 'Victura'

John F. Kennedy was an avid sailor, and throughout his life, he enjoyed many boats. However, one boat stood out among the rest: his cherished sailboat, Victura.

Victura was a 25-foot Wianno Senior sloop purchased in 1932 as a 15th birthday gift from Kennedy's parents. The name is derived from the Latin "about to conquer", a fitting moniker for the future president. Kennedy won many sailing events with this boat, including the Nantucket Sound Star Class Championship Cup in 1936 and the MacMillan Cup and East Coast Collegiate Championships in 1938, the latter with his brother Joe. It was also on Victura that Kennedy taught his wife Jackie how to sail, and where the Kennedy family enjoyed sailing on Cape Cod.

Kennedy's love for the sea and boats was well-known, and he was often photographed sailing in the waters off Cape Cod, shaping his image as a vibrant, youthful politician. This love extended beyond sailing boats, as he also owned a wooden speedboat named "Restofus", and a yacht named "Manitou". Kennedy's time in the Navy also saw him commanding Patrol Torpedo boats, or PT boats, during World War II. His most famous encounter was with a Japanese destroyer on the night of August 1, 1943, resulting in the sinking of his PT-109 boat. This incident made Kennedy a war hero and contributed to his image as a courageous leader.

Victura holds a special place in Kennedy's life and presidency. It was his beloved boat, which he sketched often during meetings. It survived a lightning strike in 1936 and a hurricane in 1944, and later escaped damage in a fire in 2003. Today, Victura remains an enduring symbol of Kennedy's passion for sailing and his time spent on the waters of Cape Cod with his family.

Kennedy's wooden speedboat, 'Restofus'

John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was known for his love of sailing. He owned several boats throughout his life, including a sailboat named Victura, which was a gift from his parents for his 15th birthday. However, one of the most unique boats in JFK's collection was a wooden speedboat called "Restofus."

Restofus was a 17-foot Century Resorter speedboat, made of deeply varnished mahogany. It was a beautiful and sleek vessel, seating up to seven people. The boat was originally won by Kennedy's father, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., in a church raffle in 1961 and then gifted to JFK. The name "Restofus" was a playful reference to an earlier boat owned by the Kennedy family called "Tenovus", which was named after the ten members of the Kennedy family at the time.

JFK took ownership of Restofus shortly after his inauguration as president, and it became his personal boat. The boat is believed to have been well-loved and well-used by Kennedy, with Senator Edward M. Kennedy recalling that JFK was "a little rough on it" and drove it "like it was PT-109"—referring to the famous patrol torpedo boat that Kennedy commanded during World War II. Restofus was more than just a recreational vessel for Kennedy; it represented his deep connection to the sea and his enjoyment of boating, which was a prominent feature of his public image as a vibrant and youthful politician.

After JFK's death in 1963, Restofus passed through several owners. Senator Edward M. Kennedy became the owner of the boat and later sold it in 1984 to the Bilezikian family, the founders of the Christmas Tree Shops. In 2015, the Bilezikians sold the boat to Peter Eastman, marking its passage to a new generation of caretakers. The boat's auction listing estimated its value at between $100,000 and $200,000, reflecting its historical significance and the enduring legacy of John F. Kennedy.

The PT-109, a patrol torpedo boat

The PT-109 was an 80-foot (24-metre) Elco PT boat (patrol torpedo boat) commanded by Lieutenant (junior grade) John F. Kennedy during World War II. Kennedy's actions in saving his surviving crew after PT-109 was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer earned him several commendations and made him a war hero.

On the night of August 1, 1943, in the Solomon Islands, Kennedy and the crew of PT-109 encountered a Japanese destroyer in what may be the most famous small-craft engagement in naval history. PT-109 was one of fifteen PT boats that had set out to engage, damage, and turn back the well-known "Tokyo Express," the name given to the Japanese navy's supply convoy to soldiers fighting the advance of US forces in the islands farther south.

When the patrol came into contact with the Tokyo Express, consisting of three Japanese destroyers acting as transports with a fourth serving as an escort, the encounter did not go well. Thirty torpedoes were fired without damaging the Japanese ships. No US vessels suffered hits or casualties. Boats that had used up their complement of torpedoes were ordered home, while those that still had torpedoes remained in the strait for another attempt.

PT-109 was one of the boats left behind. Kennedy rendezvoused with two other boats, PT-162 and PT-169. The three boats 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 soon became apparent that it was one of the Japanese destroyers. 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 just forward of the forward starboard torpedo tube, ripping away the starboard aft side of the boat. The impact tossed Kennedy around the cockpit, and most of the crew were knocked into the water. The one man below decks, engineer Patrick McMahon, miraculously escaped but was badly burned by exploding fuel.

Fearing that PT-109 would go up in flames, Kennedy ordered the men who were still on the wreck to abandon ship. However, the destroyer's wake dispersed the burning fuel, and when the fire began to subside, Kennedy sent his men back to what was left of the boat. Kennedy then ordered the men with him, Edgar Mauer and John E. Maguire, to identify the locations of their crewmates still in the water.

Kennedy and his crew eventually abandoned the remains of PT-109 and swam to a nearby islet, which they named "Bird" Island. Kennedy made several swims to search for help, including to Ferguson Passage, where American PT boats were known to operate. On August 4, Kennedy led the men to Olasana Island in search of food and fresh water. They were eventually rescued on August 8 by PT boats PT-157 and PT-171, which Kennedy helped guide through the reefs and shallows.

For his courage and leadership, Kennedy was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, and the injuries he sustained during the incident qualified him for a Purple Heart. Kennedy's experience with PT-109 would later provide a strong foundation for his appeal as a leader in politics.

The 'Manitou', a yacht

John F. Kennedy, or JFK, was an avid sailor and had several boats throughout his life. One of these was the yacht Manitou, which was built at the MM Davis & Son yard in Solomons, Maryland, in 1937. JFK bought the yacht after he was elected president, as he wanted a sailing yacht that could accommodate the equipment needed for him to keep in touch with the White House and the Kremlin.

Manitou was designed by naval architect Olin Stephens as a performance cruising yacht that would race well under heavy and light conditions. She is a 62-foot (18.9-metre) cutter-rigged Bermuda yawl with a four-ton keel and a beam of 13 feet 9 inches (4.2 metres). The yacht has teak planking on the deck and mahogany on oak for the hull.

Manitou had a successful racing career before JFK bought her, winning the Chicago Mac Race in the cruising division in 1938, 1940, and 1941. JFK used the yacht as a presidential yacht and also for racing, although he never raced her himself. He invited many Hollywood stars as guests, including Marilyn Monroe, who is said to have used the bathtub in the aft cabin.

After JFK's assassination, Manitou changed hands several times and was used as a training vessel. In 1999, she was bought by Laura Kilbourne, the great-granddaughter of James R. Lowe, the original owner. Kilbourne had Manitou refitted and restored to her former glory. Today, Manitou is owned by a syndicate of keen Med racers and continues to race and cruise the Mediterranean.

The 'Honey Fitz', a presidential yacht

John F. Kennedy, former president of the United States, was an avid sailor. He owned several boats throughout his life, including a 92-foot wooden presidential yacht that served five presidents. This yacht was renamed the Honey Fitz by Kennedy, after his maternal grandfather.

The Honey Fitz was originally built in 1937 at the MM Davis & Son yard in Solomons, Maryland. James Lowe of Grand Rapids commissioned the young naval architect Olin Stephens to design the yacht, specifically to win the Chicago Mac Race (from Chicago to Mackinac Island across Lake Michigan). Lowe wanted a performance cruising yacht that would race well under heavy and light conditions. Stephens designed a 62-foot cutter-rigged Bermuda yawl with a four-ton keel. The yacht was launched in 1937 and promptly won the 1938 Chicago Mac Race in the cruising division, beating all previous records.

Lowe sold the yacht after winning the race again in 1940 and 1941. In 1955, she was donated to the US Coast Guard to be used as a training vessel. Kennedy first spotted the yacht while she was stationed at Annapolis. When he became president, he sent a naval aide, Captain Tazewell Shepard Jr., to find a suitable sailing yacht that could accommodate the equipment he needed to keep in touch with the White House and the Kremlin. Manitou was one of the yachts on the list, and Kennedy signed the deeds as one of his first acts as president.

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

Kennedy's love for sailing began in his youth, when his parents bought him a 25-foot Wianno Senior sloop sailboat named Victura for his 15th birthday. He taught his wife Jackie to sail on this boat, and it was cherished by him throughout his life.

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