Tag Archives: Logan Bros

CLASSIC LOGAN WOODEN LAUNCH – MAXIE – NEEDS SAVING

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CLASSIC LOGAN WOODEN LAUNCH – MAXIE – NEEDS SAVING

If we believe her tme story, the classic wooden launch – MAXIE, was built in 1903 by Logan Bros in Auckland. That makes her royalty in the NZ classic boating world – with a starting bid of $10k, someone needs to snap her up quick. Home is Lake Taupo.

What we know from tme is she is 32’ in length, and powered by a 75hp Ford 2701E diesel engine.

Back in 1985 she had some serious work done which included a new engine, new deck and new cabin. The hull is double skin kauri and in sound condition as is the cabin structure. The deck as seen in the photos has rot and is leaking and in need of replacement.

So woodys who is going to step up and take over ownership of this blue blood classic Logan launch.

UPDATE – I asked Harold Kidd if MAXIE was the real deal – answer below “Yes it is. She was built as LIGAR for H H  Harris of Pelorus but was sold to the Kennys at Picton then on to Wellington in the early 1920s renamed MAXIE. She was there for many years but has been on Taupo recently.She’s in the Logan book as unknown built for Harris in late 1903.”

INPUT ex PAUL DRAKE – Photo below of MAXIE at Paremata Wellington not long after her rebuild and before coming to Taupo – in the 1980’s?

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – ARIZONA

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ARAB (L) & ARIZONA (R) at Awanui 1914

CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – ARIZONA

Woody owner Barrie Abel (MV MATIRA) sent in todays top photo as part of a recent road trip to the Hokianga Harbour report. 

There will be story on the trip in the next few days. But what caught my eye immediately was the photo of a launch named – ARIZONA, as seen by Barrie at the Kauri Museum. 

The photo is tagged ‘Launch ARIZONA built in 1914 by Logan Bros. It was owned by chief Parore at Kaihu’.

We have several craft named Arizona on WW, so todays question is – could the boat we saw in a WW July 2024 story, (2nd photo above), be the same boat..   The photo ex Nathan Herbert sees a launch (on the right) named ARIZONA berthed at Awanui. Looks like the Kauri Museum boat photo before a tram top was added.

Do we agree and can we learn more.

11-07-2025 UPDATE below ex Mike Cowie from the publication – Tall Spars, Steamers and Gum’ by Wayne Ryburn. Interesting reading, I hope I have the pages in the correct order, I’m sure you can work it out 😉

CLASSIC WOODEN YACHT – CELOX H8 –  A Look Back In Time

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CLASSIC WOODEN YACHT – CELOX H8 –  A Look Back In Time

I’m constantly sent via email and post details on classic boats that people have owned or rubbed up against – which is great.

Yesterday was different, one of the gents, Bruce Buccanan, that frequents my regular coffee shop, handed me a USB data stick with the gallery of photos above, all centred around the 26’ mullet boat – CELOX H8, built by Logan Bros and launched in 1908

I think the old school term jaunty best describes the gents that sailed or crewed on CELOX back them. Bruce’s father (a part owner or owner) is the gent in the last 2 photos , and thats all son Bruce knows about the photos.

CELOX has made several appearances on WW and the yacht had an eventful life, which may have ended in 2015 – WW would love to learn what finally happened to the yacht, we know she or parts of were salvaged but thats where the story stopped.

2015 WW STORY LINK + more intel in the Comments Section https://waitematawoodys.com/2015/02/01/celox-sos/

And Can We Name The Launch In The Photo Below – alongside CELOX at Mansion House, Kawau Island

MAXIE

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MAXIE

Just when you think you know all the classic wooden boats out there (well at least all the pretty ones) up pops another.

Todays woody comes to us via the USA, boat designer Tad Roberts posted the story of MAXIE on fb.

Tad told us that MAXIE was designed and built by the Logan Brothers 1903. She was rebuilt with a larger deckhouse to the drawings of Bruce Askew in the early 1990’s.

She measures 36’ x 7’ and is built of double-planked kauri.

Power is a 65hp Ford diesel with a 2:1 reduction gear turning 13’x18’ prop, giving her a max speed of 10 knots. Comfortable cruising is 9 knots at 1750 rpm.

I did some sniffing around in the WW back library and discovered that back in Feb 2018 we had a wonderful insight into MAXIE’s past from Greg Noble – lots of details and photos at the WW link below. https://waitematawoodys.com/2018/02/12/mavis/

You’ll sell how todays photo didn’t jog my memory.

So woodys – where is MAXIE these days.

INPUT ex PAUL DRAKE – Lake Taupo. MAXIE has been here for many years. She berths next to ROMANCE and gets a lot of attention from passers-by for all the wrong reasons. She has been neglected for a long time and is covered in lichem (moss) and the rest. Until yesterday. Her owner started a major cleaning job yesterday. She will clean up really well and then she may be for sale. Better days ahead for MAXIE. She deserves it.

INPUT ex HAROLD KIDD – MAXIE was bought by a Wellington buyer and arrived from the Sounds in 1923. She was later put up for sale as Logan-built. Going back to 1903, H.H. Harris of Pelorus ordered a 30ft launch from Logan Bros which was shipped to Picton in October 1903. Harris called her LIGAR. In 1904 he ordered another launch from Logan Bros, a 36 footer which was “similar to MATAREKA”. I am certain he named her LIGAR as well and that she was/is MAXIE. I don’t know who christened her MAXIE, possibly the Kennys. PS MAXIE could have been named after the racehorse Marvin Maxie a leading thoroughbred around 1920. The Kennys were too late on the Picton waterfront scene to have been involved.