U.S.S. Williamsburg - Presidential Yacht For Sale Mini Documentary
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- Опубликовано: 20 сен 2024
- Built as a private yacht for a millionaire businessman in 1930, the WILLIAMSBURG served as a gun boat in WWII and then as the Presidential Yacht for Harry Truman. Today the USS WILLIAMSBURG lies on the shores of La Spezia, Italy, and represents one of most exciting restoration projects on earth today. If you are interested in restoring this magnificent piece of American history contact me at any time. david.seal@northropandjohnson.com
You hear these stories of people becoming obsessed with rebuilding a classic yacht & they end up getting in over their head, wiping out the family fortune, and the yacht still doesn't get completed. This looks like the beginning of one of those stories.
This yacht does have a history that deserves to be preserved & this video does a great job of presenting it but boy, that's a big project.
Criminally shocking that a piece of history is gone forever.
Criminally shocking the smearing of history this video produced. JP Morgan died in 1913. British Spitfires attacking Pearl Harbor?
@@wizardmix Are you aware of the fact that the name of the oldest son of JP Morgan was JP Morgan jr? Who died in 1943. Why they did not use a picture of a Zero in their newspaper is a mystery to me too.
Too late, folks. She sank at her moorings in La Spezia in 2015 and was scrapped in March the next year.
We don't honor history enough.
Are there some proves that she really doesnt exist anymore?
Quite sad to hear:(
Confirmed. megayachtnews.com/2016/01/williamsburg-being-scrapped-restoration-hopes-dashed/
B Brunson i have heard stories of the security measures they took when Obama was on Martha’s Vineyard. I imagine anything short of an aircraft carrier isnt worth it. That said, not too many countries have as bad ass a museum as the Essex with its space shuttle and a-12 and all kinds pf goodies.
B Brunson yep me too. A friend was sailing his 22’ catboat when the coastguard ordered him to vacate the harbor at the end of a machine gun. I’d just assume enjoy the water and let marine one drop him far away. I too miss the old days.
Mike Murphy don’t forget guys Bush 1 had his own old Magnum “speed boat” that he was able to go out on occasionally with the Secret service escorting!
President carter sold off the last yacht officially known as a presidential yacht. Oh well....
Perfect project for PBS.."This Old Boat!"
First off, I must compliment you for the EXCELLENT video production work.. WOW!!
But.. as for the boat, it is a DISASTER! It is in need of a total rebuild which would ultimately cost tens of millions of dollars for the restoration. I understand that it is an important piece of history. But in the end, it would technically be a replica because the only thing original would be the hull.
Look up the restoration of the Tally Ho, a historical British racing gaff cutter from 1910. The whole ship is being replaced, piece by piece. The soul of the ship remains despite the original physical parts being removed. It's similar to human transplants; even if the whole body is replaced, is it really a different person?
@@leotard2536 Leo from Tally Ho sees it like this: if you can see a ship during all the project, you can still call it a restauration. even when every single piece is replaced.
Don't worry it sank at its Moorings shortly after this video
Jerr Bear well this ship sank years after this video so.........
@Kuuryo So if that's a replica, then what happened to Tally Ho? Where did the ship go? I don't think there's a difference between rebuilding a boat around itself piece by piece and restoring a boat one broken part at a time.
This yacht fate has been sealed...Despite abundant rust, which allowed water to enter her hull at times, the yacht remained structurally sound for some time. Navalmare kept Williamsburg afloat, too, pumping out the water to respect her storied past as much as her hopeful future. Unfortunately, though, last spring Williamsburg suffered a devastating blow. She sank, with her bow settling on the sea bottom. The majority of the superstructure remained above water. However, the overall damage was too severe. This led to the Port of La Spezia reaching its conclusion. It's been scraped
This breaks my heart. My father served on The USS Williamsburgh under Truman. He didn't share much but watching the story, I envisioned him walking the decks. We have a bookmark from Christmas from the Truman's to the crew. One story he told was Bess slipped and was heading into the Potomac and my Pops stopped her. How can I help?
David Lee great story, amazing how RUclips connects stories and people
indeed. thanks for the kind words
Amazing, I can only imagine the stories. Sad to see this. I just read that she was scrapped. Sad
what is sad is the reason she was scrapped, greedy investor picked it up and was looking to cash in on it's history.
@@ronniepaulinc Apparently they stopped pumping her, and she sank at her moorings, rather than salvage her she was scrapped.
Wonderful video! Beautifully done. Inspiring to see passion for history and a job well done. I hope she is saved and that your company thrives.
she was scrapped
Would someone please please please bring this classic yacht to her full glory, not to be use as a museum piece but as a pleasure yachts for charter and for the owns' play thing. This yacht is to beautiful to be scrapped, do not let another beauty fall from memory, we need these vessels to sail around the world to remind us of our heritage.
Very enjoyable presentation. I have mixed feeling about going to great lengths for nostalgia. You can't really preserve history; the best you can do is remember it.
My company painted the Williamsburg for a photo-op in 1993 or 94 before she was brought to Venice. I loved every minute I was there. I'd heard too that the iconic actor Steve McQueen had also served on the Williamsburg when he was in the navy before his acting career took off.
Thanks for your comment James - interesting info about Steve McQueen, I'll research that. The video is creating a lot of interest from qualified potential buyers, I'm optimistic we may be able to save her from the scrap yard. "Shares" of this video really help.
Steve McQueen was USMC so I doubt he was ever on this yacht. However I must say this boat resembles the one used in "The Sand Pebbles".
That's undoubtedly the best video you've done!
Thanks!
This video is three years old, since then the ship sunk at her moorings, in la spezia harbor, in 2015. On 19 January 2016, the port authority of la spezia authorised the operation for the removal of the ship. Her wreck was scrapped in situ in March
The ship sunk at her moorings, in La Spezia harbor, in 2015. On 19 January 2016, the Port Authority of La Spezia authorised the operation for the removal of the ship. Her wreck was scrapped in situ in March. ~Wikipedia
Would love to see it when fully restored
i have restored classic yachts and cars for myself and a small base of customers who like myself love the classics and have deep pockets, i lived aboard my camper and nicholsons ketch, my german frers sloop and my chris craft sport fisherman for 30 yrs., drove the classic cars daily, as a professional bachelor and the cars and boats being DEBT FREE, i have made out very well with this life style choice , now living at beach front RV RESORT with 40 ft motor coach, car trailer and f type jag, party continues
Amazing video. Captivating topic. I am quite astonished that is hasn’t remained on U.S. soil... as you said... as a Museum or as a restored Luxury yacht for some CEO or Hedge Fund manager. Thanks. Excellent work.
Would love to restore this ship back to its glory
Very satisfying video.. one of your best
Years ago, I was so struck by pictures of Arras' interiors, I copied them from a book on steam yachts. They blended traditional wooden architectural and furniture forms with tailored art deco smoothness. Think gentlemen's club paneling and club chairs, bookshelves and Georgian tables. I think I liked them so much because while elegant, they were crisp, masculine and unfussy. I rather wish she'd been scrapped years before the indignity of La Spezia.
Just needs to be buffed out ... My dad left me some gnarly TV repairman tools I could restore her in 3 weeks tops
Not so fast junior you gonna need lots of WD-40 and a shitload of spackle
Don’t forget at least 6 pallets of bondo and a whole lotta krylon
Ahhhhhh, Fastimes at Ridgemont high!
@@mikecorleone6797
Screw it, 4 roles of ducttape would suffice
Every body missed the reference..
But well done....👍
Incredible project if you had the money!! Please keep us updated if anyone takes it on!! Cheers Greg
What a pity and a absolutely shame for US Government that this unique ship wasn't saved. Now its far too late.
Thanks a lot for taping this video and sharing it.
What a shame! How could anyone let such a beautiful machine fall into such disrepair. My cousin had an old yacht that was taken for the war effort but was returned. It was restored to the way it was before it was taken when it was returned. It is an interesting part of history.
Warren Garber Thanks for your comment. It looks like there is a good chance that she will be saved as a result of this video...time is fast running out though. I hope to have more concrete news very soon.
She deserved better than what she got. A sad ending to a piece of American history. I will remove my hat, bow my head and stand quietly as an expression of respect.
symbols are for the symbolminded
I could cry.
wow...id definitely love to be involved in this project
Basically, Replace the Entire Ship.
Easier to build a Replica with anything Salvageable.
a replica wouldn't have the clout of an original.
The original is on the ground of the ocean...
The original sank but was salvaged and scrapped. You can Google it if youd like. I'd do it for you but I have a thing about not teaching for free
Great pitch from Goodfellas Yacht Sales Jersey City, NJ
Getting caught up on some of your older videos. Nice video! Sad to hear/see the state of this vessel.
Thank u Massimo for saving a part of our history 🇺🇸
Drain tanks. Remove other contaminants. Tow out to sea. Sink. Make a nice dive location/reef.
Maybe we can restore America.God bless America.
According to Wikipedia, she was scrapped without being sold in 2016. Thank you, David, for trying your best to save her. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Williamsburg
And that my friend is why you sell super yachts and not insurance. Great pitch 👍👍
Excellent marketing piece.Docu-tainment meets Info-tainment meets sales brochure.I hope it has worked for you.
+Christopher Hanson THANKS! I have a new video coming out this week that was produced with the same talented production company "Moowe". I'll add the link as soon as it is uploaded.
+Christopher Hanson Just published the latest info-tainment: ruclips.net/video/EB00lIm0EEc/видео.html
I’d be willing to bet my life, before long, you’ll be either a successful producer/director/editor/host/voice over actor or all the above! Someone will discover your talents on here before long.
Sad to see that.
thanks for the video, well presented.
What a project !!! The exterior doesn’t worry me too much, as it’s all steel & timber; can be sandblasted, sanded, welded & painted. But the interior...getting that up to speed again, even only modestly, will cost an arm & a leg. Where is the US-American not-for-profit organisation taking care of such historic vessels ???
Scrapped already, thank goodness.
It's sad that it sank and was scrapped. It would have been a beautiful restore for a US maritime museum probably for Norfolk VA.
The engineer in me would love to hear those twin Winton diesels again but it's probably cheaper to salvage as much original lumber as possible, melt down the steel, and re-build a USS WILLIAMSBURG replica from the ashes.
+Michael Zietlow exactly, they act like "Replacing the superstructure" is a small job but that + The new interior and new propulsion systems... you may as well just build a whole new boat.
What an amazing vessel.
Make a great commercial for Flex Tape!
Great history lesson!
The Truman Presidential Library in Independence, MO, has a lot of memorabilia and artifacts from the Williamsburg. There is a whole display about the yacht on the lower level of the library that includes furniture, china, guest books, photos... The last time I was there they had the guest book opened on a page that showed a party for Winston Churchill. Many famous politicians and Hollywood celebrities (example: Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh) were on the yacht that night.
The Truman Library tinkered with the idea of buying this yacht, restoring it, and putting it on display near the museum. In blunt terms: It cost too much money. Unfortunately, the yacht is a huge white elephant.
Thanks so much for bringing this to my attention. Sadly, and despite our best efforts, the owners have had to start cutting her up now and shall have to scrap her. I have just emailed the Truman library to see if they want to buy any of the parts - it might be a nice feature at least to have the props or the engines.
+YachtsForSale any updates?
Hi USCG Mason, apologies for the late reply; I just spotted your comment. Regrettably the USSW is now being cut up. I emailed the Truman library to see if they wanted any of the parts...they didn't even reply. It's hard to understand the lack of interest from the U.S.
YachtsForSale sad, I'm in the coast guard and I love ships
Sadly, not every ship with some importance to history can be saved. Most end like Williamsburg. Even the ships that become museums are expensive to maintain as seawater is a corrosive substance. Allow yourself to get behind on the maintenance and it often becomes prohibitively expensive to make even the basic repairs necessary to just keep her afloat.
Sadly, by the time this video was produced it is clear Williamsburg was beyond the point of economic repair. It would have been cheaper to build a similar new ship than to overhaul and refit this one.
I love ships too. USN Retired.
Very entertaining video wasn’t sure about it but it grew on me good job! You need to find only one rich guy good luck! If I could I would for sure this boat would be worth a fortune when restored I have no drought of that!
anyone notice Pearl harbour was attacked by Spitfires not Zeros the English started USA involvement in ww2 just what Churchill wanted 3.45
Ron hawk Wrong
@@richardmorholt1175 did you look at the pictures in the vid at 3.45
Did he say the yacht was delivered for J P Morgan in 1930? He died in 1913.
Nn not Morgan Chisim
The ship sank at her moorings, in La Spezia harbor, in 2015.
On 19 January 2016, the Port Authority of La Spezia authorised the operation for the removal of the ship. Her wreck was scrapped in March 2017
Great story also a nice piece of history . It's a shame she was allowed to get in that condition knowing her history . I hope she saved . But if not she was a proud lady that server owners well ...
How did She end up in Italy Anyway? The totally stripped interior?
IKR? Where were the preservationists when they were stripping the interior and they expect someone with more brains than money to take it on now that it's a hulking mess? It's a moot point anyway, it sank nearly 5 years ago.
Really Cool THANK YOU for making this
I love history and I never know about this.
This tells you a lot about how people are just dust! The Williamsburg has survived them all. She should be sunk instead of being afloat where she is.
If I won the lottery,this beautiful boat would be my first purchase. I'd put her back to her original standards. But I can't afford it as a blue collar worker... Some day...
J Tucker Thanks for your comment - it would be great to see her back to her original standards. Hoping to have some good news to report soon!
Probably cheaper to build a replica ship than to restore that hunk of rust.
Dang i wish i had enough money to buy that boat and completely rebuild it to full working order
Everything in this world is temporary. And that applies even to that historic yacht. It does not matter who owned it, what it did or who it served, all material things would eventually perish.
I am from Newcastle right next to bath my grand uncle worked in biw where the built corsair and the zumwalt which was awesome to drive by
So how did President Truman's yacht end up rotting away in Italy?
when the CIA finished with it as an MK Ultra mind control laboratory, it mada two heroin drug runs for them then was moored up in La Spezia becauce the fuel bill was not paid. Sat there for years.
Still it would've been nice to see this yacht resurrected to new ideals, sadly 😢 this will never happen.
Makes a body want to cry. It's still floating, but does anything else on it working?
I owned LBJ's speedboat and nobody cares about presidential boats. Cars, yes. Boats, no. I lost money. Just like the SS United States which is available for a rich person that cares.
Hundreds of millions have been sunk into the SS United States in preservation efforts over the years. 100% of that
money simply went to pay mooring and storage fees for the rusted hulk. Before it was originally sold for scrap
it was COMPLETELY stripped bare to the bulkheads. Nothing of the original interior remains. Jerry Lenfest,
Philadelphia area philanthopist, sunk millions into the effort - all of it simply paid storage and dockage fees.
Wow you do a great job .
Apart from the fact that it's scrapped, it would have cost more to re-build than to have one commissioned new.
Its outrageous that the US government has allowed such an important historical ship to rust away to almost nothing.
The US should take her back, rebuild her as she was and make her into a museum.
We know that the US has little comprehension of the word 'history.' This vessel would make a great project to change that.
***** Thanks for your comment. I have to admit that I'm surprised and a little shocked at the reaction of the U.S. government who are not the least bit interested in this. Apparently they do not invest government funds in restoring or maintaining historic artefacts (unlike the UK), but will allow private individuals to qualify for charitable status with tax breaks if they wish to do so. Having said that...watch this space. There could be exciting news very soon!
Is this ship owned by the US gov. ?
@@Yachtsforsaleblog I'm a bit surprised at the 2 comments bashing the US government for not purchasing and restoring this vessel.
First off, the date of this video is 2014.
It doesn't surprise me that then President Obama wouldn't have an interest in obtaining and restoring a piece of American history because he was hell bent on touring the globe apologizing for American success instead of being a cheerleader for our country.
The reason the government would rather give tax breaks to individuals rather than taking on the restoration itself is because when government gets involved in anything, the cost goes up exponentially.
I chock that up to fiscal incompetency and total disregard of cost to tax payers.
A private individual would obviously be more cautious with cost of their funds.
I would estimate the cost just on this video at about $15 million give or take $5 mil
How many people do you know with that money that would invest $15-$20 mil on a ship that would cost around $20,000 a month to dock not including staff/maintenance and bring in about $5,000 a day admission fees?
If any one here has that money to burn, please contact me.
I have investments that will make us both tons more money with less risk
@@DisOrder08 How do you feel about Trumps vacationing costing the SS about 108 million as of July 2019, and he had the nerve to bash Obama for a few trips to Hawaii in eight years
The amount of work needed to restore this could present a Ship of Theseus situation.
So you're selling scrap as a diamond in the rough. Good luck with that sir. I presently have some land floating around Halifax if you're interested. Technically it's an iceburg but I'm proposing it as a unique opportunity to own the last in a great line of bird sanctuarys.
Getting rid of a yatch after 10 years by selling it to US military must have been a good deal at the time...
Hi David. I love your videos they actually single handedly got me super enthusiastic about yachts, I used to be just interested in historical ships. What do you think about the plight of the SS United States? Do you think it should be saved for historical reasons even though it’s an 800 million dollar job, similar to building the QM2 from scratch!? I love the classic lines of old ships and yachts but even if you save one, is it “inevitable” that the hull just rusts away can’t be fixed and it’s done in a couple of decades?
What lengths have been taken to sell this presidential yacht! I'm very impressed.
The ship sunk at her moorings, in La Spezia harbor, in 2015.[5]
On 19 January 2016, the Port Authority of La Spezia authorized the operation for the removal of the ship. Her wreck was scrapped in situ in March.
RIP
We Americans have little sense of history. The Sequoia is also rotting away and is likely destined to a similar fate as the Williamsburg
3:43 I think you'll find those are Spitfires, not Japaneses aircraft
What a colossal blunder!
Corsair was indeed built for JP Morgan , however , not in 1930 ........Morgan died in 1913 , so you,ve got the wrong yacht.
Ironic we're worried about the history of a yacht but are getting major facts wrong about places, times and actions. Learning from our history indeed.
Corsair IV was built for JP Morgan, JR. Note the JR.
You showed Spitfire attacking Hawaii! Why?
Because he is a snake, after a 15% commission.
Obviously Pearl Harbor was a false flag attack engineered by the Brits and blamed on Japan. Duh!
The yacht shown at 0:30 is not a classic one. It is the "Nero", built in China, launched in 2007
Well Spitfires attacked Pearl Harbour according to this...
That ship is beyond repair.
Is there an update on the Williamsburg? Has it been bought? What was the asking price?
Great doc. Thank you!
+Theo Andrews Has sunk.
WOW! So British Spitfires attacked Pearl harbor?
Nooo
Save history indeed... I suppose JP Morgan came back from his death in 1913 to commission a the Corsair IV in 1930 as well?
"Dec 6 1941, the next day the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor"
@3:41 you show late model Spitfires over Berlin's Reichstag
Japan, England, Hawaii, German -- same thing really... But let's save a piece of history!!
good catch
Yep. Scrap her. She has to be rebuilt from the keel up, making her no longer the same ship. Sad, but true fact.
True.
If you replace the handle on your grandfather's axe and axe head on your grandfather's axe, it's no longer your grandfather's axe.
You either maintain a ship like this in its original antique condition over the years, or you scrap it when it gets this bad.
@@scdevon not quite... stript it down. take engines out. put it underwater. electrolyse the rust and dirt off, electrolyse new lead onto it (all over it), spraypaint, fit engines back and new walls and floors and all other non-metal components, done. a steel frame or hull is just that. as long as it's still more or less there, you can make it thinner or thicker by simply applying electricity to it. as it was some american boat... yeah.. indeed. it would need complete rebuild by some people that actually knew what they were doing. lol. :P us ships and airplanes and cars do somewhat have a tendency to fall apart anyway.
Coward, your head will be placed on that scrapping order!
You think this sly comment against interests of the United States won't be passed as treason?
Basically what I was thinking, to restore it you would have to replace everything. It would be better to build a new one and maybe use a few parts that are salvageable from the old ship but doesn't look like there is much unless they melt down and use the actual metal.
@@MrTredBear hate to break the news to you but only people that made themselves subject to us citizenship can commit treason against the usa. :P one cannot 'betray' something one never was a party to.
have fun good luck.
Steel brush and lick of paint..... No worries mate!!!
Boat sank in 2015, scraped in La Spezia, Italy, in 2016
It's cheaper to buy a new boat than to restore this one.
but does a new boat have this much of a history??
but you are completly right...
Sure, its cheaper, but preserving our history is arguably more important. In most cases, anyway. Sadly, this boat was probably well beyond the point of saving. Was left the way it was for too long. A shame, really, as she sank a few years back where she was moored, and then scrapped.
Sad truth
Of course it is.... as it doesn't exist anymore. It was scrapped in 2016.
Well considering this one is high quality razor blades now, yeah, it would be.
I remember seeing it in Norfolk, Virginia in the 1970s when i was in the navy. It was some kind of research vessel and in good condition. But, if it could have been restored and a shame that it wasn't, where would anyone find parts for a Winton diesel?
Two early observations: Bombing of Pearl Harbor and they show the front page with a Spitfire on the front. Second: My understanding is that Truman was Very susceptible to Sea Sickness and really didn't car for "boating".
Well done! Subscribed
Hey thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I have a new video out in a few days, it's about a Ferretti 960 that is for sale. Look out for it!
Well at least we have a video about it.
Of all the presidential yachts, does not the USS Williamsburg have the most historical relevance of all?
I think this will make a lovely place at the bottom of the sea for the fish to bread and play in.
Let’s do this “Williamsburg”
Magnificent video! What is the background background music minutes 6 through about 10?
I hope that she gets restored and saved. It will take very deep pockets to do so but too many historic vessels get scrapped. You cannot buy provenance and historic significance in a new yacht.
God bless her old soul
Unfortunately in January 2016 she was scrapped. Here’s the article megayachtnews.com/2016/01/williamsburg-being-scrapped-restoration-hopes-dashed/
This could be a really great investment. Once this ship hits the 100 yr old mark the United States would purchase her for the historical aspect . I have seen this happen.
Dear yacht for sale team, at 3:50 the voice doesn't quite match up with the lip movement of the sales person. You might wanna keep an eye out for that. If you are looking for any media companies in the UK who produce similar media pieces my friend has a great media business called Medianerd, they offer very competitive pricing, outstanding knowledge and skill and are more flexible than competition due to their boutique size.
Thanks for that, and thanks for watching. You're right...there's a moment that video and audio are slightly out of sync. There's always room for improvement that's for sure! Make sure you subscribe to my channel to see how our ability to sync improves 😀 I'll be sure to check out Medianerd too. Cool name for a company.
Thanks and the subscription is a given. All the best.
It seems beyond saving.
It should have been sorted long before it got in this state.
Had she not sunk it would have made a great weekly reality Show. Restoring the Williamsburg. The Show could be staffed with Volunteers for the Grunt Work while guided by Pros that return on a weekly basis. Profits from the show could pay for restoration along with a click of Benefactors.