British seagull in Hollywood

[nathanglasgow]

Just an observation but when the wife was watching the movie 'The Bodyguard' (1992 movie Costner/Whitney Houston) on cable tonight the scene where the wee boy takes the boat out and it blows up features a Seagull on the transom, YouTube bodyguard boat scene and you can freeze the frame. Bizzare choice of motor for a Hollywood blockbuster unless British seagull were into product placement(not).

 

[Tranona]

Just an observation but when the wife was watching the movie 'The Bodyguard' (1992 movie Costner/Whitney Houston) on cable tonight the scene where the wee boy takes the boat out and it blows up features a Seagull on the transom, YouTube bodyguard boat scene and you can freeze the frame. Bizzare choice of motor for a Hollywood blockbuster unless British seagull were into product placement(not).

US was the biggest single market for Seagull outside the UK for many years in the 70s and 80s. particularly for the smaller engines which, along with an Avon dinghy were "must haves" in the cruising scene at the time, particularly in California.

 

[alant]

US was the biggest single market for Seagull outside the UK for many years in the 70s and 80s. particularly for the smaller engines which, along with an Avon dinghy were "must haves" in the cruising scene at the time, particularly in California.

Saw one at a garage sale near Seattle a few weeks back. Owner was a real enthusiast & told me there were loads of keen seagull owners in US, one had even adapted his to 25:1 mixture.

 

[Tranona]

Saw one at a garage sale near Seattle a few weeks back. Owner was a real enthusiast & told me there were loads of keen seagull owners in US, one had even adapted his to 25:1 mixture.

Yes, there are many enthusiasts as well as in Australia and NZ. Saw a complete collection of maybe 30 Seagulls in a museum in NZ - miles from the sea.

BTW 25:1 was standard from 1979 on and it is easy to convert older models by changing needles or jets depending on model and carb. Details on the Saving old Seagulls site.

 

[[448]]

Yes, there are many enthusiasts as well as in Australia and NZ. Saw a complete collection of maybe 30 Seagulls in a museum in NZ - miles from the sea.

BTW 25:1 was standard from 1979 on and it is easy to convert older models by changing needles or jets depending on model and carb. Details on the Saving old Seagulls site.

A guy in our village, Sandy Jamieson, was involved in the research/testing of engines in the 70s for the change from 10:1 to 25:1. Completely nothing to do with this, but his wife was a daughter of Sir Nigel Gresley!

 

[langstonelayabout]

A guy in our village, Sandy Jamieson, was involved in the research/testing of engines in the 70s for the change from 10:1 to 25:1. Completely nothing to do with this, but his wife was a daughter of Sir Nigel Gresley!

So the next time someone remarks about the old outboard being 'steam powered', there is a link...

Mind you; does that mean that many people here own steam launches??

 

[Tranona]

A guy in our village, Sandy Jamieson, was involved in the research/testing of engines in the 70s for the change from 10:1 to 25:1. Completely nothing to do with this, but his wife was a daughter of Sir Nigel Gresley!

Don't recall that individual (I was Marketing Manager for Seagull from 1977 to 1980) but Queens in Belfast were doing work for us on developing new 2 stroke technologies with Doug Heale (our engine designer) so expect it was through that connection. The relationship lived on and the "new" engines from the mid 80s on were called QB series in recognition of the work done in Belfast.

 

[Hydrozoan]

Don't recall that individual (I was Marketing Manager for Seagull from 1977 to 1980) …

On a related matter to the OP, I think the drawing of the sailor with the kitbag slung over his shoulder and a Seagull in his other hand was a very fine piece of marketing, but know nothing of its origins. Can you please enlighten me?

 

[Tranona]

Yes, it was drawn by a well known marine artist in I think the early 50s. His name escapes me at the moment but will probably pop up from the filing cabinet in my head sometime!

The owner of Seagull at the time (in fact from before the war until he died in the late 60s) lived what we would call today an alternative lifestyle and enjoyed the company of artistic people (when he was not lying on his belly in his duck punt in the nether reaches of Poole harbour!).

 

[alant]

Yes, it was drawn by a well known marine artist in I think the early 50s. His name escapes me at the moment but will probably pop up from the filing cabinet in my head sometime!

The owner of Seagull at the time (in fact from before the war until he died in the late 60s) lived what we would call today an alternative lifestyle and enjoyed the company of artistic people (when he was not lying on his belly in his duck punt in the nether reaches of Poole harbour!).

There are apochryphal tales about these being used on D-day, with them years later being found/dug out of french beaches, given a hose down with fresh water, refilled with fuel & starting on the first pull.
Do you have any evidence to support such yarns?

 

[Tranona]

There are apochryphal tales about these being used on D-day, with them years later being found/dug out of french beaches, given a hose down with fresh water, refilled with fuel & starting on the first pull.
Do you have any evidence to support such yarns?

Absolutely true. John Wayhope, the owner got a ministry contract to build 5000 engines for small landing craft. They were what was later known as the model 102. 102cc with a cylinder cast in one piece with the head. Like many things in the war they were designed to be made using basic workshop tools and the components were produced in a number of small workshops around Poole and assembled in a warehouse on Poole Quay near the foundry that cast the cylinders.

Many were indeed abandoned along the Normandy coast and further west then picked up by the local fisherman. The engine was sort of productionised after the war and was made for over 20 years afterwards. I think the "years later" is stretching it a bit, but my much later (mid 70s) Forty Plus spent a whole season on the bottom of one of Bristol Water company reservoirs before I stripped and rebuilt it. The power head is till running, although over the years I upgraded the other bits to later spec.

 

[Hydrozoan]

Yes, it was drawn by a well known marine artist in I think the early 50s. His name escapes me at the moment but will probably pop up from the filing cabinet in my head sometime!

The owner of Seagull at the time (in fact from before the war until he died in the late 60s) lived what we would call today an alternative lifestyle and enjoyed the company of artistic people (when he was not lying on his belly in his duck punt in the nether reaches of Poole harbour!).

Thanks for that. It's always seemed to me to have a vaguely American rather than British air, though I'm hard pressed to say precisely why; the absence of any suggestion of rain or readiness for it, perhaps.