Category Archives: Launches

HERITAGE REFIT FOR 1921 LOGAN LAUNCH NGAIO

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HERITAGE REFIT FOR 1921 LOGAN LAUNCH NGAIO

I have very few regrets in life and only one when it comes to classic wooden boats. What is it ? – not buying the 36’ Arch Logan launch NGAIO when I had the opportunity. BUT – hand on heart, NGAIO went to a better owner, Jan Barraclough.                                    

Over recent years Jan has undertaken what we call a rolling restoration – and the centenarian has never looked better. BUT – there’s my better and Jans better, so currently NGAIO is undergoing a major refit to return her helm / cockpit area closer to as-built allowing for some creature (height) comforts.

Artisan  classic boatbuilder Paul Tingey started on the project this week and no time was wasted in removing her existing ’structure’. Given the presentation of the existing structure, photos below, most of us would have been very happy as is, but not Jan and we admire her for commissioning the work and look forward to the re-launch.

Check in for updates.

20-10-2025 UPDATE – work continues, today we see the reinstatement of a tram-top window to match her earlier style. Also we see the ‘brains’ trust pondering and a photo from her early days.

Doreen > Haku > Coquette – 1912 Logan Motor Launch – SOS

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Doreen > Haku > Coquette – 1912 Logan Motor Launch – SOS SAVED

When it comes to provenance it would be hard to beat this woody – designed and built by Arch Logan for his brother Robert, named after their sister Doreen. Then in 1945 she was ‘modernised’ by Bill Couldrey, one of the Arch’s few preferred boat builders. She has passed thru many hands and aside for her blue blood, her second claim to fame is that she was used to take the mould off for the popular 33’ fibre-glass launches (Logan33).

Last week I was contacted by her owners who advised that a few months ago while taking her out at very low tide they hit an unmarked reef inside the OBC Bridge on the way out. The damage sustained is that as a result of the keel and prop hitting reef the drive shaft, this was pulled out of the gearbox. I’m told no water entered the boat – BUT the insurance company has written the vessel off so now it is up for sale for $12,500 as-is-where-is. Potentially the bargain of the year.

Given the abysmal listing by the insurance companies boat broker, I’d be amazed if it sells. We plug it on WW today because the boat deserves better.

This WW link will take you to numerous WW stories that feature Coquette (Doreen > Haku)

https://waitematawoodys.com/?s=Coquette&submit=Search

18-07-2023 UPDATE – SAVED !!!! – I can confirm she has been purchased off the insurance company by a previous owner and will be repaired and returning to the north – GREAT NEWS

Ngaio Gets A Heart Transplant

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NGAIO GETS A HEART TRANSPLANT

The 36’ 1921 Arch Logan built launch – Ngaio is one of my favourite woodys, impeccable bloodline and drop dead looks. There are lots of stories on her in the WW archive , including her restoration back in 2013. 

Back then if she had a weakness it was her a heart – a 95hp Ford Trader engine that was a tad tired, well 10 years later and that old Ford was still delivering the goods but her owner decided in the interests of reliability an upgrade might be a good idea – so out it came at the Slipway Milford and the hole will be filled with a much newer (30+ yrs) reconditioned 125hp Ford Dover engine, sourced by Cameron Pollard.

Back in March 2021 Ngaio celebrated her 100 th birthday – link below with lots of interior photos 

100th Birthday Party – Ngaio

(Todays photos ex Jason Prew, Luca Beachman and myself)

21-07-2023 UPDATE – ‘new’ Ford 125hp installed (almost)

WW Caps – low profile, 6 panel, canvas caps in the new camel colour topped with dark brown WW embroidered logo has a dash of understated style.

just click the email link here and tell me your name, postal address and number of caps required. I’ll come back to you with payment details – $38 + $6 p&p. waitematawoodys@gmail.com

100th Birthday Party – Ngaio

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100th Birthday Party – Ngaio

At the weekend I attended a celebration to mark the 1921 Arch Logan built launch – Ngaio reaching the grand age of 100 years.

In the last decade Ngaio has been blessed with very good owners, starting with Ian and Lancia Kohler who commissioned the 2013 refurbishment of Ngaio and then passed ownership onto Jan Barraclough, the host of the birthday party. The launch is a stunner but you expect that from the Logan stable.


I was dockside admiring the finish on the hull and I was advised by an old boy that she had been splined and fibre-glassed (I had forgotten), obviously in his eyes not what you should do to a Logan. In the interests of not wasting any more time getting to the bar, I wasn’t going to let him know that 1/2 the Logan A-Division yacht fleet were glassed 😉


You can see/read more on Ngaio including the restoration that the WW links below.
https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/07/23/ngaio-2/
https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/12/11/ngaio-3/

Ngaio – A Peek Down Below

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NGAIO – A Peek Down Below

Last weekend a few woodys gathered in Islington Bay, Rangitoto Island, one of my all time favourites was there – Ngaio the 1921, Arch Logan built, 36‘ launch owned by Jan Barraclough.
Ngaio is such a stunner she couldn’t be from any other designer / builder than Arch Logan. I got to have a peek below – enjoy 🙂
She has made several appearances on WW, links below – her restoration is well documented here.
19-03-2020 Harold Kidd Input – How interesting to see the Logan Bros’ builders’ plate on NGAIO. I assume it was put there by Arch? If so, he was keeping the LOGAN BROS name alive. Of course he would still have had a stock of their builders’ plates but I can’t quite work out his motivation in using one on NGAIO. Robin might care to comment too?
20-03-20 Robin Elliot Input –Sorry I missed this. I have been self-isolating for the past 15 years or so and now it seems the world has caught up with how peaceful it can be.

The Logan plate is Interesting. From the photos in the earlier WW posts, that plate has been there on Ngaio for some time but whether it was there at the time of launching is impossible to say. Doubtful.

I’m not sure if there is one on Doreen/Coquette – I don’t think so – but as you say why would he put one on Ngaio in 1921? He was very ‘proper’ and it just would not have been right.

I suspect that rascally his son Jack was flinging them out when he cleared out the house in Bayswater in the 1950’s and passed one over to the then owner of Ngaio; probably on the grounds that Ngaio was an Arch tweak of a general hull shape developed at Logan Bros?

Interesting that there are 4 small screw holes in the plate around its edge but some philistine has drilled two big boofy holes in the centre for a couple of bog-standard slotted screws. The two empty holes in the timber above the plate lead me to believe there was another item (a different plate?) there before the Logan plate.

It’s not strictly correct but hey, its a nice addition.

RC Yacht Racing
Yesterday while waiting to pick up a family member from the medical centres near North Shore Hosp. I wandered down to Lake Pupuke and spied a group of gents sailing their yachts in the Quarry Lake.
A very pleasant way to fill in 1/2 hr – nearly forgot about the patient 🙂

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