Rebirth for US Presidential yacht

The 92-foot long Honey Fitz -- the US Presidential yacht used by Harry S Truman, Dwight D Eisenhower and Jack Kennedy -- is undergoing a complete makeover at the Riviera Beach, Florida, at the yard of antique and classic yacht restorer Moores Marine.

Originally built by the DeFoe boatworks in 1931 for American financier Sewell Avery, the yacht was named Lenore II -- after Avery's daughter -- at its launching.

During the Second World War the yacht, along with many other large yachts and motor boats owned by America's rich and famous, was appropriated by the US Navy for official war time use.

Lenore II was used as an adjunct to the much larger Presidential yacht Potomac from June 1945, and later that year became an official possession of the US Navy.

After the war, Truman and Eisenhower used the yacht occasionally but it was Jack Kennedy, who had two young children and who grew up sailing in Newport, who really put the yacht to use.

Kennedy used the yacht as a floating summer home until he was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas.

Kennedy also changed the name of the vessel to Honey Fitz, after his grandfather's nickname.

In Florida today Honey Fitz is with a team of highly experienced shipwrights, who are replacing rotted planking in the hull and restoring the rest of the yacht to her original condition. They are working from the original construction plans to ensure an accurate restoration.

Honey Fitz is expected to be launched again next year.