| The Maori name 'Patiki' which means 'flat fish' was | | | | fishing, to buy three houses from the profits. |
| given to New Zealand's first unballasted | | | | Kia Ora is the last patiki in existence. |
| centerboard racing class, designed by Arch Logan | | | | She is built from kauri and is 24'6" LOA, beam 9', |
| around the turn of the century. The new design | | | | draught 1'3" with the rudder up (otherwise 2'). |
| was originally commissioned by the Parnell Yacht | | | | Draught is increased to 7'6" when the steel |
| Club, and it differed from other racing classes of | | | | centreboard is dropped via a pivot system. The |
| the day in that it was flatter in the floors than | | | | 40' mast is made from Oregon to a typical Logan |
| usual and shallow-draughted. | | | | design. |
| The low wooden hull with minimum overhangs | | | | Originally a gaff-rigger, Kia Ora had a Bermudan |
| was half decked and the rig was carried well | | | | rig fitted in 1935 along with a bowsprit. Alf |
| forward with a stem headed jib. The lack of | | | | believed she was the first fishing boat in Auckland |
| bowsprit, in that day, was especially remarkable. | | | | to have an engine installed. The current engine is a |
| Early Patiki were 18'6" LOA but later, larger much | | | | 6.5hp Katsura diesel. |
| quicker vessels were produced. | | | | In optimum sailing conditions (flat sea and sharp |
| Of these larger craft, a stout fishing fishing patiki | | | | wind), Kia Ora has been known to plane, a feat |
| was built specifically to compete with the mullet | | | | usually reserved for survival conditions in ordinary |
| boat fleets of the time. | | | | yachts or for large centreboard ocean-racing |
| One of these, Kia Ora, was built by Arch Logan in | | | | vessels. |
| Auckland for Bob Murray, and it was launched in | | | | Eventually the patiki classes were ousted from |
| 1902. | | | | racing events because they were so fast no-one |
| The market for fish was based on who could get | | | | could compete and there were not enough in their |
| their catches in first. While ballasted mullet boats | | | | own class to be a popular division in most of the |
| were struggling into port, patiki owners were | | | | early yacht clubs. |
| already ashore and selling their fish at the best | | | | The last of the heavier built working patiki, with |
| prices. The sailing performance was so successful | | | | the exception of Kia Ora, disappeared in 1958. |
| that Bob Murray was able, in the first year of | | | | |