Johanna Lucretia’s History

Built in Belgium in 1945 with the purpose of being a fishing vessel, Johanna Lucretia sat out of work as a finished boat for several years until she was finally sold in 1952. By 1954, her new owners had converted her for recreational use, and she sailed out of her new home port of Enkhuizen in the Netherlands around the Dutch waters. After several years in the Netherlands, the Johanna Lucretia was bought by a British owner, who registered the ship as a national vessel in Plymouth, England, and was refitted at T. Nielsen & Co. Ltd. in Gloucester in the early 90’s, where she was made to look as she does today. The owners then decided to use her for private charter and sail training, where she sailed from Gibraltar, the Caribbean and the East coast of the USA, before the ship changed hands again in 2001. Between 2001 and 2008, the Johanna Lucretia lay dormant in Gloucester Docks, and in 2008 the ship was arrested by British Waterways as her mooring fees and licenses had not been paid – and so the current owner bought her, before giving her a much needed bit of TLC.

After lying inactive for six years, the decks were leaking badly so that was where the attention went first. It soon became apparent that the rig had to be dismantled and inspected, where the crew found it would need to be completely replaced – fortunately it was the owners fourth time of doing this so it wasn’t as major a task as it could’ve been, and soon all that was left to do was give Johanna a good clean and varnish. In 2009, after the sailing season was filled with particularly bad weather, Johanna Lucretia was fitted with all new electrics, including a new top spec navigation system, making for an even more comfortable journey for her guests.