JUANITA
Juanita has appeared several times before on ww, but always in b/w, her current owners, Marty & Lena Pooley of Whitianga after ‘discovering’ the b/w older ww postings, sent Ken Ricketts some stunning colour photos of her & some updates on her previous ownership & length – she is 32′ not 36′ as previously reported.
Built by Allan Williams at Milford Creek for Cyril Bertrand of Bell Rd. Remuera c.1953, she had an Osco converted Ford V8 originally. When she was sold, she lived for a good number of years, at the Sandspit Warkworth, had a 6 cyl For Diesel fitted & was maintained (tbc) by Lees Boatbuilders, for the then owners.
She was owned by Ernest & Rae Blumenthal from the mid 1960’s to the 1994, when her husband died, Mrs Blumenthal sold her to Eric Nicholson Vickers in 1994. Vickers sold her to James Brown in Whangarei in 1997. James Brown sold her to Greenwoods in Napier in 2007, who took her to Kinloch Marina on Lake Taupo. Her current owners, the Pooley’s, bought her in January 2009 and she now lives in Whitianga Marina.
Juanita today remains almost identical to ‘as launched’ & her past owners need to be thanked for this. Marty & Lena say she is a babe – that she is.
Harold Kidd Update
JUANITA was built by Alan Williams at Milford in 1951 for Cyril Bertrand. The APYMBA records show her dimensions as 32’6″x31’3″x10’2″x2’10″ and being fitted with an Osco Ford V8 as Ken states. She was sold to M.T. Burrill in 1959 and then to John L. Gilbert in 1961.Her call-sign was ZMZF.
She was part of the honour guard for the arrival of the GOTHIC in Auckland in December 1953 for the Royal Tour.
What confuses me a bit is that she was called JUANITA II in APYMBA records after 1966 when Gilbert still seems to have owned her, and was JUANITA II when the Blumenthals owned her in the 1970s. Any reason? Same boat?
Photos above – with ‘mast’ is at Lake Taupo & minus ‘mast’ is at Ohinau Island Mercury Bay
Photos below – taken a Mercury Islands 3/4 May 2014
Discover more from waitematawoodys.com #1 for classic wooden boat stories, info, advice & news - updated daily - 14+ million views
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
waitematawoodys.com #1 for classic wooden boat stories, info, advice & news - updated daily - 14+ million views 
Pingback: The rebirth of Juanita | waitematawoodys.com #1 for classic wooden boat stories, info, advice & news
She is now for sale on Trade Me
LikeLike
Thanks for the information. It had to be something like that. Cheers.
LikeLike
Our understanding of the matter is this… John Gilbert registered Juanita with what was then the British registry of ships and as there was at that time another vessel named Juanita somewhere in the British empire, our Juanita was registered as Juanita ll. She is now called Juanita Belle and is again a registered vessel with Maritime NZ. Her original registration was unfortunately cancelled by Greenwoods prior to us purchasing her. It is definitely the same vessel, and yes she was part of the 1953 celebrations on the arrival of the Gothic… we have a photo of this event.
LikeLike
Extraordinarily, Juanita Bertrand died in 1999 aged 99.
LikeLike
One thing, the varnished tuck, was not original, but a fab. improvement in my view — KEN R
LikeLike
As we all know, I have known the JUANITA since new, & the Bertrands were close family friends of my parents who cruised in JULIANA, in company with them, most weekends for years, & I can say she ws never christened JUANITA II, — just JUANITA, after Cyril’s wife.
I must also say, she is still almost absolutely original inside, as I have very vivid recall on this, & I think I may have described her interior in earlier postings, in some detail, now confirned by the above photos.
It is a great joy to see her so unspoiled both inside & outside — long may it continue — KEN RICKETTS
LikeLike
JUANITA was built by Alan Williams at Milford in 1951 for Cyril Bertrand. The APYMBA records show her dimensions as 32’6″x31’3″x10’2″x2’10” and being fitted with an Osco Ford V8 as Ken states. She was sold to M.T. Burrill in 1959 and then to John L. Gilbert in 1961.Her call-sign was ZMZF.
She was part of the honour guard for the arrival of the GOTHIC in Auckland in December 1953 for the Royal Tour.
What confuses me a bit is that she was called JUANITA II in APYMBA records after 1966 when Gilbert still seems to have owned her, and was JUANITA II when the Blumenthals owned her in the 1970s. Any reason? Same boat?
LikeLike