L to R: Nada, Jonah, and Helen (Jonah's wife). Nada was Jonah's and Helen's daughter. Jonah Jones, Jr. purchase the yacht from Stan Laurel and renamed the yacht Nada III after his daughter
Jonah Jones Jr. (1901-1976) was a revered attorney and established many of the oil laws for California. He helped found the Long Beach Yacht Club and Southern California Tuna Club. He owned substantial oil fields on Signal Hill in Southern California and was a multi-millionaire. Jones was a Commander in the Coast Guard during WWII and his yacht was commandeered for the war effort for 4 years. Many dignified individuals boarded the Nada III (Ida May) during the forty years Jones owned his yacht. Jones renamed the yacht after his daughter, Nada.
Jones was a member of the venerable and prestigious Catalina Tuna Club as were the previous two owners (Van Brunt - Industrialist, Benefactor, and former founder and President of John Deere Van Brunt and Co. and Stan Laurel (most famous comedy duo of all time, Laurel and Hardy) of the Ida May. He was good friends with Stan Laurel when he purchased the yacht from him. He was also Howard Hughes' attorney. We found hundreds of articles in the archives of L.A. Times newspapers and also in Long Beach newspapers. Jonah was a great man who loved life and the thrill of big-game fishing off his yacht.
1926
