In 1975 Lee Chambers purchased Arawa, and after sailing her for a number of years as a family boat pulled her up for a major refit and began a restoration toward her former glory. The traditional style cabin with the rounded front was completed and a lot of thought was put into the strengthening of what has always been a weak spot in mullet boats — the centre case.

A syndicate was formed in February 2001 to complete her restoration, which included recaulking the original kauri planks and many of the finishing details. This was completed by the boat builders of Nautique Ltd, and she was relaunched in December 2002 with a new gaff-cutter rig constructed of modern materials but in keeping with the traditional rig plan. See results below ...