Gemini

In 1953 for his 21st birthday Graham Davis was given a set of Axe One planks (thought to be cut from the original set of templates from which the first eight or nine boats were made). The planks were transported to his parent’s house in Cheam in Surrey by various means including the train. He then set about building Axe One Gemini with some help from his father and his great friend Ron Harwood. Ron always used to say that he remembers the number of rivets they hammered over as exactly 2000. He probably wasn’t that far out. When she was nearly finished Gemini was transported down to Axmouth and finished off on the beach.

Gemini was then used as a general rowing boat for a while and then unused for around 20 years. During this time she was housed in a lean-to car port and so did not completely rot away. However she was in a poor state and with the emergence of the other Axe Ones Bryan Davis, Graham’s son, decided to ask Peter Williams of Fowey to look at the possibility of restoration. Peter duly re-built Gemini, replacing part of the transom, some planking, ribs, stem and refitting a centre board case. After much cosmetic work Gemini was re-launched at Axmouth Harbour in June 2004 some 50 Years after her original launch. Sadly, with the untimely death of Bryan Davis, his brother Robert took over the ownership of Gemini, which was based in Cambridgeshire.

In late 2026, Robert Davis sold the boat to Greg Dunn of Axmouth, so Gemini has returned to the River Axe and the Axe One Design fleet