Page 7 - Great Designers by Richard Macrae

onsidered one of the pioneers of boat building and design in New Zealand, Akarana (1888 ), the Maori name for Auckland, was a speculative build, built during
CRobert Logan was the patriarch of what would go on to become the most a period of economic depression in New Zealand that impacted the local boat
celebrated boat building dynasty in the country. building industry. Logan looked to Australia, and hoped that success there in the
regattas of 1888 and 1889 would enable him to sell the boat but also lead to new
Like many of the well known boat builders of the period, Logan was Scottish, born
in Dumbarton and raised on the Clyde. He was the foreman for a Clyde boat-builder commissions. Akarana was shipped to Melbourne in 1888 with Logan, his
skipper Jack Bell and crew, where she performed admirably on the waters of
when in the early 1870’s he received a commission from his brother James, who Hobson’s Bay, taking first place for keel and centreboard yachts in the 5-10 tonne
was living in New Zealand, for a small steamer, the Eclipse, to work on Waitemata class. From here she sailed to Sydney to compete in the 1889 National Regatta on
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harbour. Built on the Clyde, the Eclipse was to be freighted to Auckland . Logan Anniversary day. Akarana won the principle event beating the Sydney yachts
obviously saw opportunity in New Zealand, and as such arrived in Auckland with Assegai, Sirocco, and Iolanthe. The prize of £20 and three cases of Moet and
his young family in 1874 and within 2 years had established his own boat building Chandon champagne was just reward. Sold to a Sydney pharmacist, she would
business at Devonport, on the north side of Waitemata harbour, Auckland. remain in Australia for the next 100 years, before returning to New Zealand for
restoration prior to being gifted to Australia as New Zealand’s bicentennial gift.
From his experience with building lifeboats on the Clyde, he pioneered the use of Today she is the oldest yacht preserved in the National Maritime Museum in
frame-less diagonally planked two and three-skinned boats in New Zealand. This Sydney, and is testament to the spirit of competition between our two countries.
method of construction consisted of two thin layers of planks that were diagonal
to each other (fastened with galvanised nails) and a third skin of planks (fastened Robert Logan had eight children, three of whom, Archibald, Robert and John went
with copper nails) running horizontally fore and aft along the yacht. When combined on to form the Famous Logan Brothers boat building company.
with the use of the locally grown kauri the resulting hulls were extraordinarily
long-lived, being highly resistant to rot and damage. This would become the
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standard in New Zealand for the next two generations . 5. .Notable Yacht Designs
Jessie Logan (1880) 28’6” (LOD)
Notable Logan designs are still sailing today including Jessie Logan, Waitangi,
Rawhiti and Akarana. Waitangi (1894) 58’ (LOD), 22 tonnes
Rawhiti (1905) 50’ (LOD), 13.5 tonnes
Jessie Logan (1880), the world’s oldest purpose built gaff rig racing yacht, was
launched to compete in the Auckland Anniversary Regatta in January 1880. Akarana (1888) 39’ (LOD), 9.3 tonnes
Regarded as a design ‘freak’ she would go on to dominate racing in Auckland until
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1889 . Named after Logan’s daughter she was quite a radical design for the time.
She was built of two skins of kauri, and was commissioned by Logan himself in
order to promote his fledgling boat building business to the New Zealand
stablishment. Jessie Logan, restored in 2018, was purchased by the Tino Rawa trust
in 2012.
Waitangi (1894) is well known to many of us in the CYAA, and has special
significance as the yacht that led to the formation of both the CYAA and the CYANZ.
Waitangi was commissioned by a syndicate of owners from Wellington with a view
to winning the 1895 New Zealand First Class Championship held at the Wellington
Anniversary Regatta. Built of the three skin construction she was both strong and
light for a yacht of 58’. With Robert Logan on-board she went on to win the regatta
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from the Lyttelton yachts Mascotte and Pastime , to collect the £100 prize.
Bibliography
Rawhiti (1905), designed by Logan, although built by his sons, is a beautiful 1905 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Logan_Sr.
50’ gaff cutter. Built for Mr A T Pittar of Sydney, the story of her passage from 2. https://tinorawatrust.co.nz/jesse-logan
Auckland to Sydney, whilst compelling reading also demonstrated the 3. http://classicyachtinfo.com/yachts/waitangi-2/
seaworthiness of Logan yachts. In 1945 she returned to Auckland with the proviso 4. https://classicsailboats.org/?portfolio=robert-logan-rawhiti
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that she would never race in Sydney again . Today she sails in the “A” division with 5. https://www.sea.museum/whats-on/vessels/akarana/more-info Image: Jim Bolland
the classic fleet in Auckland.
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