Classic Yacht Open Day

Designed by Arch Logan and built by Logan Brothers in 1906 at St Mary's Bay. She was designed as a snapper fishing boat with a broad beam and open hold for that purpose. For the first two years she was owned by an Auckland Storekeeper and sold to Robert Shakespear of Whangaparaoa in 1908 who used her as a 'farm to market' transporter. The Shakespear family owned her until 1991. Anson Shakespear, Robert's son, said they could get nine bales of wool below decks and as much as four tonnes of cement. At the height of the season Frances would carry up to 600 large watermelons from the family farm to the market in Auckland and hence became known as the 'Watermelon' boat.

Ethel was launched in 1896 built for Colonel Herbert Dawson of Great Mercury Island by the Logan Brothers. Ethel is a cutter-yacht, when originally built weighed clsoe to 12 tonnes. She was built for Dawson who had an island in 1893 to run cross-bred sheep for fine wool. He needed a vessel to transport wool to Whangapoua on the mainland, bring supplies back to his island, and for occasional trips to Auckland. 

Click here to read more about the history of Ethel in an article written by Boating NZ.

Waitangi was launched on 13 December 1894. She is a gaff rigged cutter built using a frameless 3 directional kauri timber construction. This construction method produced lighter and stronger vessels than those of other builders of the time. Waitangi was the last major yacht built by Robert Logan Snr. Logan founded the dynasty that for three generations was at the forefront of yacht design and building in New Zealand. In a letter to Mr J Jamieson dated 21st April 1894 Robert Logan offered to build to Jamieson's plan and sail Waitangi to Wellington for the sum of 500 pounds. Payment to be a trade of Jamieson's old yacht "Xarifa" and 300 pounds cash. Delivery date to be 15th January 1895. Waitangi was duly built, painted black and launched on 13th December 1894 and sailed for Wellington on 9th January 1895 under capt. Butt with Robert Logan and his son Robert Jnr on board. The voyage took seven days around the East Coast.  In Wellington she had an extra half ton of lead added.