About the vessel
A 1927 original, still turning heads.
Some boats have history. The Juniata is history — and she takes it personally.
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Launched as · 1927
Built for the Roaring Twenties. Kept for you.
In the height of the Roaring Twenties, the waters around New York City were the express highway for America's industrial titans — and 35-foot "playboat" commuter cruisers were their limousines. In 1927, one was commissioned at the Morris Heights shipyard of the Consolidated Shipbuilding Corporation in New York and launched into the Harlem River: Hull No. 2889, built with the pencil-sharp lines of a destroyer and the interior of a luxury parlor.
She evaded wartime conscription and everything else the decades threw at her. Then, in 1979, Karen Stimpson acquired her, renamed her Juniata, and moved aboard full-time in Portland, Maine — living aboard and restoring her for 47 years, until September 2026. Her interior restoration earned "Finest Interior" honors at regional classic boat shows, and most famously, she and Juniata weathered the 1991 Perfect Storm tied to the Maine coast — a testament to Consolidated's original 1927 craftsmanship.
In the autumn of 2026, Juniata headed south for her next chapter on the North Carolina coast — now under the command of Capt. Joe Connolly in Swansboro.
Your captain
Capt. Joe Connolly.
Capt. Joe holds a USCG 100-ton Master's License and a Merchant Marine Able-Bodied Seafarer designation.
Before the Juniata, Capt. Joe spent over three decades in the Hollywood entertainment industry as a prop master on feature films, TV shows, commercials, and iconic 1990s music videos. (Ask him about the woodchipper leg in Fargo.) Today, he directs a premium, boutique charter for up to six passengers — equal parts storyteller, historian, and host.
One or two unhurried hours, one classic boat, zero crowds. That's the whole business model, and honestly, it's enough.
Book a Cruise With JoeThe gallery
Salt air & mahogany, in pictures.
Interior details, deck moments, and sunset estuaries — see the Juniata through the lens before you step aboard.
Open the Photo Gallery →
