Thomas (1850–1935)
Ted (1883–1955)

Father-and-son team the Le Huquets were designers and builders of high-quality vessels early last century.

---

Adopting New Zealand

Thomas Le Huquet was born in Jersey to a family of respected boatbuilders. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1886 with his young family, including son Thomas Edward – known as Ted.

Le Huquet set up a boatbuilding firm in Auckland in 1891, building yachts like Wanderer and Why Not. His technique was considered old-fashioned at first. However, he soon adopted the style of diagonal construction that Robert Logan Sr had popularised in Auckland.

Father-and-son team

Ted joined the business in 1901. Together, father and son designed first-class yachts and sail-powered fishing boats.

Their first vessel to gain the respect of Auckland’s yachting community was the 33-foot (10.06m) keelboat Wairere (1901).

They also became known for their many high-quality pleasure launches, like Sappho (1907) and Aumoe (1913), and gained a high reputation for work vessels, including pearling luggers for Queensland, towboats like Ionaero and Ionoto and the pilot boat Reliance.

The Le Huquets’ best-known yacht was probably the 38-footer (11.58m) Marangi (1910). By this time, with the closing of Logan Bros, the Le Huquets remained among the few Auckland boatbuilders producing top-quality keelboats.

Little recognition in Auckland

Generally, though, the Le Huquets received less recognition in Auckland than in Wellington. Many of their vessels went south, especially to Wellington. Their boats, say historians Harold Kidd and Robin Elliott, had a ‘generous beam and stability … so suitable for the southern ports’.

From 1906, like other boatbuilders of the era, the Le Huquets increasingly concentrated on building motor launches, especially after World War I.

Business diminished in the 1920s as Thomas aged and after their boathouse burned down. However, their legacy remains and is now being acknowledged.