(1837–1919)

Robert Logan Sr, father of Arch and his brothers, was prominent in the late 1800s – the patriarch of one of New Zealand’s great boatbuilding families.

---

Boatbuilding pioneer

Scotsman Robert Logan was a fully fledged Clyde boatbuilder when he migrated to Auckland with his family in 1874. He worked briefly at Henry Niccol’s yard before opening his own business in 1878.

He soon influenced local boatbuilding techniques with his innovative system of diagonal planking using local kauri wood.

Immediate reputation

Logan established an immediate reputation in Auckland’s yachting community with the debut of the yacht Jessie Logan (1880), named after his eldest daughter. This centreboarder won 13 successive races, including its first – in the Auckland Anniversary Regatta.

Logan’s standing as a designer and builder enabled him to survive the downturn in yacht building during the 1880s depression. He built boats for use locally and in the Pacific islands, including steam launches.

Logan and sons

Sons Jock (John), Robert Jr, and Arch (Archibald) joined the business as they left school. However, in 1892 Robert Jr and Arch went out on their own, to be joined shortly after by their brother John and becoming Logan Bros.

The arrangement was amicable. Robert Sr moved next door to his sons in their Mechanics Bay yard after completing national champion Waitangi (1894). There, he focused on steamers. His sons concentrated on fast keel yachts, starting with their flagship Gloriana (1892). These days, Waitangi is usually berthed at the Maritime Museum's marina.

Bettering the Baileys

For nearly two decades, the Logan family were rivals with the Baileys, especially Charles Bailey Jr. Their ‘war’ took boat designing and building to heights unrivalled in the Pacific. It also brought both families fame and relative prosperity.

Robert Sr retired in 1905, and Logan Bros closed in 1910. Jock and Robert Jr moved into other fields. Arch furthered his father’s legacy as the yacht-designing ‘Wizard of Stanley Bay’.