Angry owners of Seagulls

[dartmoor]

Had Seagull Uk ever survived, I think they would have ended up like Brompton bicycles - quirky product, ludicrously expensive compared to competition, made of good materials, and with a die hard following of enthusiasts (well that last one is still true!).

I have had a Honda BF2.3 - and second that statement that it is full of mild steel fixings and parts that really let the product down badly for the £600 you would have to pay for a new one.

I still have a very old featherweight seagull in the garage - all the metals still very much there, and still stubbornly willing to start.

I think all manufacturers now build to a price, and to a trouble free short life expectancy. Most cars now will give no trouble for around 8 years - after that, well, the manufacturer won't care, and the plastic/nylon parts and electrics will start to fail, and it won't be economic to repair when something goes....

I suspect most new outboards are much the same - it certainly looked like my 10 year old Honda could no longer be taken apart without shearing off rusted bolts etc.

 

[Blueboatman]

The Brompton comparison is a tad unfair on Bromptons? Genuine niche, one of UKs voted best companies to work for, expanding sales and exports, good residuals, continuous investment and innovation...

Just saying, like ( and owner in my time of both products)

A folding, lightweight, silent, immersible and drip-less Seagull would be a thing of beauty ( and curiosity) though..

 

[NUTMEG]

Bet they're low-really low-on yer average tealeafs wish list too

Barstewards stole all three of mine! Got a little Honda now, but really miss the starting ritual, the smell and the sound. As environmentally friendly as an old 2CV, both marvels of functional design.

 

[rosewood]

Barstewards stole all three of mine! Got a little Honda now, but really miss the starting ritual, the smell and the sound. As environmentally friendly as an old 2CV, both marvels of functional design.

Worth it for the smell alone. Two stroke in the morning, smells like victory

 

[ghostlymoron]

There's nothing polarises opinions like a British Seagull (the best outboard for the world)

 

[Niander]

Yep we love them...trouble is I now have a 30' yacht and even my largest seagulls are not powerful enough
no worries will hang a small boat on the stern just for the seagulls to use...

 

[mikeinkwazi]

And you can run a Seagull on biodegradeable 2-stroke oil.

And they make good pets

 

[dartmoor]

Actually I agree Brompton does show that you can still manufacture something in the UK and sell to a market dominated by much cheaper products from the Far East. But on outboards the Europeans have completely thrown the towel in - oonly Selva left, and most of their stuff is re-badged Chinese manufactured stuff. Torqeedo in Germany - doing good stuff. Would be great to see more innovation coming from European design and manufacturing though....

 

[Blueboatman]

Barstewards stole all three of mine! Got a little Honda now, but really miss the starting ritual, the smell and the sound. As environmentally friendly as an old 2CV, both marvels of functional design.

I am on my third Brompton! Operator error featured heavily in the last replacement ahem

I owned a kermit green 2cv but I think I wus unlucky, this one was £50 and like the village bike had been ridden hard often and put away wet ( salt water flooding) . Still, the quirky bits like the sunroof and starting handle, frugality and snow road holding were quite unique...( never had a beard tho )

I had a seagull in earnest on the back of a Corribee which felt very ' back to basics' saili g, around the French coast and Alderney..ran like a gem tho and charged the battery, wot more d'you need?

Fourth time lucky for your next ownership?

 

[lenten]

hi dylan --- i was always a happy seagull owner---mine started first time practcally every time---if you are launching daily single handed off a deserted beach at first light you can end up in difficulties if it doesn t---i did about 5000 miles with mine ----i wouldn t be here if they weren t relliable---all those channel island fishermen who used them would regard your--"won t work it it gets slightly wet" as hilarious

 

[Swanrad2]

All you achieve from an environmental impact perspective by buying a new one and getting rid of the old is to shift the impact somewhere else. The production process will cause environmental damage/resource consumption - without understanding how much and the anticipated lifespan of the new product, you have literally no idea if the replacement is indeed beneficial to the environment.

You will however have shifted this damage out of your little bit of the world, which might make you feel better. If that is what counts, crack on...

 

[Blueboatman]

And, by limiting production life of one model, spares become an issue, thus the 'build more. elwhere and replace' business model becomes self serving !

It is also quite nice, on a boat, to become familiar with maintaining a trusted bit of kit, no?

Mr D's pounding up and down the motorways of the UK to potter amiably under sail and 4stroke is all very well but,arguably, difficult to reconcile with 10 litres of seagull juice burnt or leaked into the environment, imHO

It is always 'others' who must change their habits and convenience. And I am as guilty of that as anyone I suppose, this is not a witch hunt!

 

[davidej]

All you achieve from an environmental impact perspective by buying a new one and getting rid of the old is to shift the impact somewhere else. The production process will cause environmental damage/resource consumption - without understanding how much and the anticipated lifespan of the new product, you have literally no idea if the replacement is indeed beneficial to the environment.

You will however have shifted this damage out of your little bit of the world, which might make you feel better. If that is what counts, crack on...

Sense instead of prejudice at last!