Tag Archives: Lady Gazelle

Clevedon Woody Mooching

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Lady Gazelle
Mystery Couldrey
Antares

Clevedon Wood Mooching

Had a good excuse to point the car south yesterday so took a side trip to Clevedon and mooched around one of the ‘private’ docks.

Very pleased to see that work is underway of Lady Gazelle, you may recall back in March she came to grief during Cyclone Gabrille (WW story link below) – a new owner has stepped up and we look forward to her relaunch. https://waitematawoodys.com/2023/03/02/lady-gazelle-on-the-rocks/

The mystery Couldrey has been put out graze but is all rugged up for winter. Last appeared on WW back in August 2022 – link below  https://waitematawoodys.com/2022/08/16/a-call-for-help-2/

I spotted the 36’  c.1950’s launch – Antares , one of the better looking launches to come out of the Supreme Craft factory. More on her a future story. Previous WW story and lots of photos here https://waitematawoodys.com/2019/09/25/antares-2/

Also a few boats, below, looking unlikely to see the ocean again.

Lady Gazelle On The Rocks

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LADY GAZELLE (GAZELLE) On The Rocks

It saddens me to report the demise of the launch – Lady Gazelle (formally Gazelle), designed and built by Jim Young c. late 1950’s. During the recent Cyclone Gabrille, Lady Gazelle was put on the rocks in the Coromandel Harbour. Owners Mitch and Cathy Edwards commented that she had been struck by another drifting boat and cut from her mooring.

While she will no doubt be written off, the Edwards hope that the four years they spent restoring her has not all gone to waste and that someone will tender for her and hopefully repair her.


Princess – Lake Taupo 

Ian McDonald also reported in that the launch Princess was blown off her mooring in Acacia Bay, Lake Taupo. Hopefully re-floated – can anyone advise.  Previous WW story on the launch here https://waitematawoodys.com/2016/01/05/princess/

Lady Gazelle + Woody Event This Weekend

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Lady Gazelle

LADY GAZELLE

Today’s launch was spotted by John Wicks, moored at Te Kouma Village, Coromandel Harbour, last month. John commented that she has obviously had a fair bit of work done and was looking quite smart.

While the name on the bow is Lady Gazelle, John said he would bet his pension that’s not what she was christened. Any one able to enlighten us on her background?

Input from Nathan Herbert –Yep built for Wally Stockley, I presume named ‘Moehau’?? Her original lines are available online as is this description:

“In 1958-9 we had built two displacement launches. For Wally Stockley, building contractor of Northcote, and ‘Swampy’ Walker, a towboat skipper. Though I had designed them you could have said they were a Couldrey design. They were identical in style to Bill’s 30 ft Cleone. They were to be the last that we would build in a conventional single skinned kauri with steam bent ribs, riveted, caulked and puttied and the last hulls that were built upright.”

 

08-02-2019 Input from Harold Kidd
We’ve been through the provenance of these sweet launches several times already on WW. Bill Couldrey designed CLEONE for Bert Follas in 1948 and Jim Young built her in 1950. As far as Bill was concerned, he had no part in the design of her subsequent near-clones except for KOTARE which he designed for Frank Wilkins in 1960 and which Frank built himself.
MOEHAU for Walker and GAZELLE for Stockley were Jim Young designed and built. Jim generously tips his hat to Bill though.
Some Woolley thinking going on here on Ken’s part, or just a reluctance to abandon 70 year old wrong anecdotal data?
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BIG WOODY WEEKEND –  This Weekend at Lake Rotoiti, Nth Island
Yes Woodys – another year slides by and its time to hit the shores of Lake Rotoiti for the 2019 Classic & Wooden Boat Parade weekend – sadly I won’t be there this year, but I’m sure someone will have the box brownie out and we will get to enjoy the weekend vicariously 🙂
If you are anywhere around the middle of the island, I encourage you to check it out – around 100 classic woodys is an impressive sight. To view previous years – search classic wooden boat parade in the WW search box.