In 2361, the Potemkin was the last Federation starship to contact the Turkana IV colony until the USS Enterprise-D's visit in 2367. The crew of the Potemkin were warned that anyone visiting the failed colony would be killed. (TNG episode: "Legacy") During Riker's service on the Potemkin, the ship discovered an abandoned personal craft which had been caught in a natural soliton wave. (DS9 novel: Avatar, Book One) Riker once attempted an unusual tactic of placing the Potemkin over a planet's magnetic pole and cutting power in order to confuse sensors. (TNG episode: "Peak Performance")