Built as a wooden 3-masted fishing vessel by J.M. Mendes at Setubal, Portugal, the records tell us that she was built in 1901 from wood which was used from an older vessel which was built in 1883 at Cacilhas which carried the name GAZELLA with two L’s. But there is not hard evidence if this wood was used.
Lloyds Register of 1939 give that she was built in 1901 as GAZELA.
She was launched under the name GAZELA.
Tonnage 325 gross, 250 net, 309 dwt., dim. 136.8 x 27.0 x 16.8ft. as a banker.
Could carry 5193 quintal fish (1 quintal is 60kg)Barquentine rigged.
Carried 35 dories. Crew 40 men.
Homeport Lisbon.
Portuguese pine was mainly used for her hull and decks, while the masts and yards were made of Douglas fir. She was special built to carry Portuguese fishermen to the Grand Banks off Newfoundland, where they commenced fishing in dories, which were carried on board nested, and put over the side when the mother-ship had arrived on the fishing grounds. Already more as 500 years Portuguese fishermen sailed to the Grand Banks, the rich fishing grounds were discovered by the Portuguese Diego de Tieve. She would leave early in the spring Portugal, stayed the whole summer on the Grand Banks, and returned the next autumn in Portugal fully loaded with salted cod.
Of the early years of the GAZELA is not much known, the logbook of 1903 and 1904 have survived.
18 May 1903 under command of Capt Paulo Fernandes Bagão she left Lisbon with on board a crew of 50 men, reaching the Grand Banks on 7 June, the next 126 days were spent in that area and when weather permitted the dories were launched for fishing. Making occasional a call at St Johns Newfoundland for bait and stores. The return voyage was made in 13 days, and after arrival the fish was discharged, and the crew paid out, thereafter the GAZELA was laid up for the winter, and during that time all repairs took place so she was ready again for the next spring.
19 May 1904 she left again the Tagus River and 20 days later she arrived on the Grand Banks.
21 July three dories did not return to the vessel, the weather was good and till this day it is not known what has happened to the three men in the dories.
The next 30 years she made voyages to the Grand Banks, where after the banks showed signs of over-fishing, and the GAZELA and the other Grand Bankers tried there luck in more northerly waters off the Greenland coast.
1931 Owned by Pareria Geral de Pescarias, and under command of Capt. J. Pereira Ramalheira.
1938 Was she fitted out with an aux 4-cyl oil engine of 49 nhp., manufactured by Motor Wercke Mannheim AG. Speed under engine 7 knots. She was lengthened by 2 meters to install the engine. She was then owned by Parceria Geral de Pescarias, and managed by Bensaude & Co. Also fitted out with electric light and a radio installation, and a booth was placed to protect the steering wheel and compass.
1939 She was named as GAZELA 1. Dim. 132.2 x 26.6 x 16.4ft.
1942 Sailed under the name GAZELA PRIMEIRO, same owner and manager.
1955 Her dim. are 156.7 x 26.7ft, same owner and manager.
25 May 1969 she made her last voyage as a mother-ship, when she under command of Capt. Anibal Carlos da Rocha Parracho sailed from Lisbon for the Grand Banks. Weather on the banks was not favourable, and she moved to the Virgin Rocks bank, but the weather continued to give problems the following 123 days only 76 days were possible to fish.
14 October returned home and 11 days later arrived at Lisbon. After discharging laid up, she could not longer compete against the more modern trawlers.
At that time the Maritime Museum of Philadelphia was in search of a wooden sailing vessel, and in 1970 she was bought by the philanthropist William Wikoff Smith for the museum.
24 May 1971 she left Lisbon under an American crew (including one former GAZELA engineer) bound for Philadelphia via the Canary Islands and San Juan, Puerto Rico where she arrived on 8 July.
1985 The GAZELA was transferred to the Philadelphia Ship Preservation Guild, which now operate and maintain the vessel. She serves as a maritime goodwill ambassador for the City of Philadelphia, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the ports of Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey.
During the spring and summer used for cruises on the Delaware River and the Atlantic coast of the USA.
She has participated in a number of domestic and international events including OpSail 2000. She has taken part in some movies, and under command of Capt. Jose Leite she is depict on a photo in the book “The Quest of the Schooner Argus” by Alan Villars, on page 165, and I believe the 140s stamp is designed after this photo. She is also depict on the 85s. The man behind the steering wheel is Old Jacinto Mirtins, exact the same photo appears in the book on page 148. He was a crewmember of the ARGUS that voyage, so the steering wheel belongs to the ARGUS. The vessel in the margin of the SS is also the GAZELA easily to identify by her long overhanging transom.
She carried now the name GAZELA OF PHILADELPHIA. Tonnage 299 gross, dim. 54.00 x 8.20 x x5.20m., length bpp. 41.10m, draught 5.20m. Sail area 828 square meters. One auxiliary diesel CAT3406, 540 hp.
2008 In service.
Uganda SG533
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gazela http://www.geocities.com/j.aldeia/barco ... htm?200813
De Laatste Grote Zeilschepen by Otmar Schäuffelen. Lloyds Registers 1930-31, 1939/40, 1942/43 Auke Palmhof