47' Logan A-Class Sloop (1895) - MOANA

Moana – originally bought by my 3 brothers and myself under the urging of my father back in 1968. Moana was built in 1895 by one of NZ’s most famous boat building dynasties, the Logan Brothers. She was built as a 5 (ton) rater with modern lines reminiscent of the Fife yachts at that time. Head and shoulders above the competition after her launching, she today is probably a world beater in having been continuously raced hard her whole life without major overhaul…a tribute to her builders, quality of timber and the dedication of her few owners. In the early 1930’s she had her deck lifted vertically by 9″ with the insertion of a solid kauri plank and new gunnel. At the same time her bow sprit was removed and a new Bermudan rig installed on a shapely spruce mast, some 18″ behind the gaff mast. The Smith brothers have all had their time lovingly looking after her, with annual haul outs for minor repairs and paint job. The 3-skin kauri hull planking, decks, cockpit and hatches are still all original. She is one of only a handful of yachts that didn’t have a cabin installed to increase head room and was raced and cruised without the benefit of an inboard motor until 2011. Many a time have I towed her out in our dinghy, rowing from a breathless bay or back home in the quiet of an evening.