With connections to the Couldrey family and growing up in Northcote on Auckland’s North Shore, Harold George could hardly escape becoming a fine seaman.
Harold James Couldrey George was born in Northcote, on New Year’s Day 1898, the first child of Hector Hugh George and Florence Couldrey. Hector worked for John Burns, in charge of their chandlery department. Florence was a member of the Couldrey family, farmers at Clevedon and Maraetai. They were also deeply involved in local shipping with their little steamer Hirere.
Harold went to Northcote Primary School and on to Auckland Grammar School, then in Symonds Street, and later studied law part-time at Auckland University College. Like many young men in New Zealand at the time Harold became an Army Territorial, with the Auckland Regiment, Third Battalion, where he received excellent training.
Growing up in the marine suburb of Northcote and being related to the Couldreys, especially his first cousin Arnold ‘Bill’ Couldrey, Harold could hardly escape becoming a fine seaman and an outstanding yachtsman. His father Hector was ‘in the trade’ too, with John Burns, then the pre-eminent ships chandlers and sailmakers in Auckland, and an experienced yachtsman himself. He dabbled in the ownership of local working craft, too, setting the pattern for the George family for many years to come. His first venture was a third share between 1907 and 1912 in the smart ketch Edna, with his brothers-in-law George and Herbert Couldrey, which Bailey & Lowe built in 1904 for Henry Kasper.
In February 1913, with George Couldrey, Hector bought the crack 26ft mullet boat Celox. Celox is often regarded as the epitome of design and construction of the 26ft class of mullet boat. Arch Logan designed her, Logan Bros built her; what greater pedigree could you have? Celox was built, strictly to the Ponsonby Regatta Club’s Restrictions, for Tom Percy of St. Georges Bay Road, Parnell and launched in October 1908. She was immediately scratch boat, challenged only by Jim Braund’s Ronaki, designed by Chas Collings and built by Collings & Martin (later Collings & Bell), and Ned Parker’s Sadie, built by Charles Gouk, for the same season. By 1910 she was the North Shore Yacht Club Champion 26-footer.
Tom Percy was as keen on cruising as racing so Celox frequently went out on the Gulf rather than race. In March 1912 he advertised Celox for sale but it was not until February 1913 that Hec George and George Couldrey bought her. They raced Celox hard with Harold George in the crew, gaining valuable experience in this form of sailing, the ultimate in big centreboard management and an excellent precursor to keel yacht racing. Celox had many victories under this ownership. She won the RNZYS Stevenson-Ingram 90 mile Ocean Race in January 1915 from all-comers.
Shortly before his 20th birthday in December 1917 Harold enlisted as a private in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. He arrived at Sling Camp on Salisbury Plain for final training but was too late to be posted to France on active duty. He returned to Auckland in April 1919, resumed the study of Law, working during the day for Selwyn Mays, the Crown Prosecutor. In October 1919, his father and George Couldrey sold Celox to Vic Lidgard when they bought the Logan keel yacht Victory from Tom Alexander. Harold was a member of the family syndicate and prompted the purchase.
Victory was another outstanding Logan Bros yacht. She was built in late 1906 for Jagger & Harvey, Auckland merchants, with interests in the fishing industry. The Jagger brothers were already Logan customers with the outstanding 60ft First Class yacht Thelma. But, like her sistership Frances, Victory was designed as a workboat, in Victory’s case for line fishing in the Hauraki Gulf for their skipper Joe Winter to fish from Great Barrier Island. Frances was built for Bob Shakespear to carry his vegetable produce, mainly melons, from Whangaparaoa to the City Markets.
The style was loosely called a ‘schnapper boat’, a type which was flowering at this point with splendid examples from the Logans, C. & W. Bailey and Bailey & Lowe but which was soon put out of business by Sanford’s steam trawlers hoovering up the fish in the Gulf. Essentially the ‘schnapper boat’ was a conventional racing keel yacht but with an extra foot or so of beam, for load carrying, and spartan accommodation for the crew in favour of a sizeable hold. Logan Bros’ examples included Little Jim and Spray; C. & W. Bailey built Cooee, Bailey & Lowe produced Schopolo (later Rangi) and White Heather. Because their extra beam gave them stiffness for greater sail carrying, they were soon in demand for conversion to pleasure yachts.
The Georges and Couldreys gave Victory a total overhaul at Bailey & Lowe’s yard in Sulphur Beach where Harold’s cousin Bill Couldrey was soon to start his apprenticeship. The auxiliary engine was removed, the cabin bulkhead shifted forward, two additional 6ft bunks installed and a new cabin-top fitted. A fine new suit of sails from John Burns Ltd completed the transition from fishing smack to a first-class yacht.
Hec increasingly relied on his sons Harold and Geoffrey (Hec Jr) to sail Victory as he had been unwell for some time. With Harold as skipper, they raced principally with the North Shore Yacht Club, for which Victory flew the Rear-Commodore’s flag, the Squadron and Devonport Yacht Club. They took part in all the Ocean Races that came along, including winning first line in the inaugural Tauranga Race in December 1921. Her big rival on the water was E.V. Miller’s Logan Bros 1895 46ft 5-rater Moana, a rivalry that has continued ever since, later joined in October 1923 by Prize, launched by Chas. Bailey Jr for Bill Endean.
This effective family team came to an end in April 1924. The New Zealand Herald reported:
“The closing races of the yachting season on Saturday was marred by the sudden death of Mr. Hector Hugh George, owner of the well-known racing yacht Victory when she was holding a leading position in the race for her class, the death being due to heart failure…
Victory was leading boat rounding the Rangitoto reef mark, her skipper, Mr. Harold George, eldest son of the owner, judging the mark well, and the incident was quite exciting with Iorangi, Prize and Moana all at close quarters. It was shortly after this, and when the four leading boats were sailing along the Rangitoto shores on their way to Islington Bay, when Mr. George, who had been sitting for’ard by the mast in company with his brother-in-law, Capt. G. Couldrey, suddenly became unconscious. Everything possible was done and Mr. Breckin’s launch Alecia, which was close handy, was hailed. Mr. George, accompanied by his two sons, was conveyed to Devonport, where a doctor was obtained, but he could only pronounce life to be extinct.
Lady Jellicoe and party were the guests of honour on board and were greatly distressed at what took place. Lord and Lady Jellicoe visited Mr. George’s late residence at Northcote yesterday and offered their sympathy to the widow and family.
Mr. George was very well known amongst yachtsmen, having had charge of the ship chandlery department of Messrs. John Burns and Co. for a long time. His quiet, unassuming manner made him a general favourite, while his boating experience covered a long period.
It was a fitting end for a yachtsman, as he died while carrying his flag at the head of the first-class yachts. Mr. George was in his 59th year and is survived by his widow and five children, Mr. H.J.C. George, of the legal firm of Mays and George, Mr. Geoffrey H. George, a ship’s officer, and three daughters.”
Viscount Jellicoe, the extremely popular Governor-General, was racing his X Class 14-footer in the same Closing Day races.
In January 1925 Harold George joined the legal practice of Claude Lovegrove, to become Lovegrove & George, the progenitor of the current law firm, Turner Hopkins. Harold took on the full ownership of Victory. He was convinced of her capabilities in the open sea and was hatching plans for her, as I will show next month. BNZ
