Designer: Logan Bros Builder: Logan Bros First Owner: C E Horton Type: Keel Cutter
LOA: 54’ (16.45m) LWL: 36’6” (11.12m) Beam: 10’10” (3.32m) Draft: 7’2” (2.17m)
Launched: 1904 Owner: Andrew Barnes & Charlotte Lockhart
Ariki was designed by Arch Logan and built in 1904 by Logan brothers for Charles Horton. Designed as a cruiser racer, Ariki was considerably bigger and more powerful than most of the other Logan designed yachts, apart from Thelma.
Described by the Logan biographers Robin Elliott and Harold Kidd as ‘unquestionably the Logans’ major work, Ariki immediately took control of the Waitemata First Class racing and was the undisputed harbour champion for the next 35 years. More than any other boat it was Ariki that came to epitomise the Logan standard.
In December 1907 she ran aground on a sandbar at Tolaga while sailing from Gisborne to Auckland. Horton owned Ariki until 1910 when he sold her to prominent lawyer E.C. Blomfield. In 1914 Blomfield sold her to businessman Alfred Nathan, a director of L.D Nathan. In 1917 she was washed ashore at Devonport by a storm. She was repaired by Chas Bailey, who was the Logan Brother's boatbuilding rival. In 1920 he was sold to W.R. 'Willie' Wilson, a partner in the publishing firm of Wilson & Horton.
The Goodfellow family then owned Ariki from 1934 onwards for many years. During this period she was mostly used for cruising, to assist in which the family installed an engine. In 1936 a new mast, taller than the original was installed. Consideration was given to converting her to a Bermudan configuration, but she retained her gaff rig, but with new main and headsails sourced from Ratsey & Lapthorn of the Isle of Wight.
After World War II the Goodfellow family sold Ariki to Arthur Angell and H.C. Littler, later his son Hugh Littler, who continued to race her. After the Littler family bought another yacht, Ariki spent most of her time unused and sitting at her mooring.
Restored again between 1977 to 1981 by Warwick Jones, Rodger Duncan and Peter Blundell. They found her deck and beams were in poor condition. Taken to a shed in Clevedon she emerged after four years with a replaced deck, restored skylight, cabin top, cabin interior and coamings, while the engine was shifted forward to improve her balance.
Ariki returned to the Auckland racing scene. However, due to the ill health of her then owner, Warwick Jones who passed away in 2012, she again fell into disrepair. And this is where we come in, acquiring her in 2016 after Andrew was introduced to the joys of classic yachts by Larry Paul, skipper of the beautiful Logan boat, Waitangi. Larry highlighted to Andrew the precarious position that Ariki had once again found herself in.
We undertook a new restoration with boat builder Robin Kenyon from Marine Skills Ltd and relaunched Ariki at the New Zealand National Maritime Museum, where she is now usually berthed, on the 29th of April 2018. Our hard work was rewarded as runner up in the Classic Boat Magazine Restoration of the Year.
Ariki has resumed her decades long rivalry with Ranger and her sister ship Rawhiti in the Classic Yacht Association racing series. She also participated in the 2022 PIC Coastal Classic.
We are always delighted to share an experience on her with the youth sailing clubs and sea scouts.
