When original owner Van Brunt died unexpectedly of an injury, the yacht was bought by Stan Laurel of Laurel and Hardy fame. Laurel renamed her Ruth-L after his wife, and a parade of Hollywood celebrities commenced to gracing her decks. Laurel’s guests included Charlie Chaplin, Mae West, Orson Wells, Joseph Kennedy, Cecil B. DeMille, W.C. Fields, Bing Crosby, Gloria Swanson, Babe Ruth, Liberace, and Oliver Hardy, among others.

Laurel was a member of Catalina’s exclusive Tuna Club and he loved game fishing. When he wasn’t golfing with Hardy, Laurel could be found fishing for everything from salmon in Northern California to marlin in the waters off Los Angeles. Laurel sold the yacht to Jonah Jones, Howard Hughes’ attorney and founder of the Long Beach Yacht Club. A different list of celebrities came aboard including Donald Douglas of Douglas Aircraft, heavyweight fighter Jack Dempsey and of course, Howard Hughes himself. At some point, it is rumored that even the Prince of Kuwait found his way aboard.