Hooray for Seagulls

[jamesjermain]

I dont want to start a long threat but just thought I'd mention...

Seagull in garage for five years abandoned and unloved, carb full of residual oil.

Clean carb, polish sparkplug

Two pulls - yes two pulls and she starts.

Thank you

JJ

 

[claymore]

Send it back

It should have started with one.

regards
Claymore

 

[castaway]

Yes mine to... However put it on the back of the dinghy and it returns to type, which was the reason it went into the garage in the 1st place!!

Nick

 

[Mirelle]

I don\'t usually buy gear until its well proven....

but maybe the Seagull is now coming into that category?

I was put off outboards for life, by my father's 1950's British Anzani, but I think I will spring for a 40 Featherweight now....

 

[bigmart]

There was a time when, if you mentioned the name Seagull to a sailor, you would be bombarded with something along the lines of " Ah Seagulls you can easily take them to bits & repair them anywhere"

What seems to get forgotten is that, the reason this was most peoples experience was that, you had to repair them every time you used them.

Martin

 

[Endy]

Have you considered...

...that James may possibly have dropped it overboard first, hence the need for the second pull!!

 

[ToMo]

Ahh Seagulls...sh1t all over[you], noisey and generally a total bl@@dy nuisance!....so thats why they called that daft little motor.........!
TôMö

 

[Guest]

Serves you right for cleaning the carb and polishing the spark plug - she'd have started the first time if you'd have left well alone !!.

Andrew

 

[graham]

I remember a friend bought one at a jumble that didnt go.We checked the gearbox to find it full of dry sand!!

Stripped it down with two spanners and a hammer ,cleaned it up and a new plug ,Ran like a dream(BL**DY NOISY ONE THOUGH).

Changing the points really did require a good whack with a hammer,You removed the top dome nut took off the bit you wrap the start cord around and replaced the nut.Get your mate to hold it up by the edges of the fly wheel and give the dome nut a sharp crack with the hammer.

Worked first time .I doubt that is the recommended method though.

 

[Guest]

Many Seagulls = British Summer\'s Like this !

Sink everyone of the bounders you see !

 

[WayneS]

I bought one very second hand 6 years ago to use on my tender. I have never replaced or cleaned the plug, cleaned the carb or anything else. Still starts on 3rd pull every time I use it. Half the engine is not there as it has rusted away, in fact I doubt that I could even get the plug out now.

Every w/e there is someone at the club labouring over a "conventional" tender outboard but I have yet to see someone there working on a Seagull.

Might be noisy, smelly and oil chewing but they cannot be beaten

Wayne

 

[dickh]

Yes, it is the recommended way to remove the flywheel!
see www saving-old-seagulls.co.uk

Why did I get rid of mine? Always started in the water butt; but rarely started when on the dinghy: always leaked petrol and oil even though you ran the carb dry and rowed the last few yards; throttle cable neede replacing regularly; shmbo could never start it; car always smelt like a back street garage etc, etc,

but I liked the principle of an easy to repair outboard...

dickh
I'd rather be sailing...

 

[Twister_Ken]

And three cheers for pollution. nm

§

 

[Rob_Webb]

Free Seagull.....

..... available on the seabed of Chi Hbr Fairway, tossed off family boat by frustrated father 20-odd years ago..... should still work fine if they're as good as alleged here!!!

 

[jamesjermain]

Seagull - Chapter 2

Used Seagull in earnest on Sunday. Started OK, picked up weed at slipway. Didn't notice no water from cooling outlet. 50 yards, engine stopped. Current 2+ knots, full dinghy no room to row. Five seconds later started again - got another 50 yards, stopped. In this manner reached Sweet Lucy 400 yards up-tide.
Yesterday waterways cleared. Engine worked fine.

JJ

 

[sailbadthesinner]

we have four
two long shaft 2 short shaft
they are reliable one hundred percent

They can be relied upon not to start when rally required
recently rescued one from short one night sojourn on seabed, (bracket snapped)
stripped cleaned started in bucket like dream
left one week started again no worries

got onto mooring refused to start despite hours of coaxing
got back to house
started first time

It was like that when i found it

 

[castaway]

Oh yes... Id forgotten their endearing habit of picking up weed on that stupid prop. also the kids cowering in the front of the the dinghy to avoid being whipped around the face with the starter chord.

And of course the old fashioned charm of emptying the contents of the float chamber into the dinghy as you tilt the thing on approach the slip way... such memories of summer hols.

Ive got a 125hp Jap bike, and 2hp Jap O/board both courtasy of Mr Yamaha now, and they perform faultlessly.

Thank God Seagull didn,t build bikes... On 2nd thoughts maybe they did....

Anyone want my old Seagull ...50 quid... its in the garage now...starts 1st time very reliable....Caveat Emptor.

Nick

 

[sekyd]

..........and then it stops.

 

[bigmart]

Re: Seagull - Chapter 2

After all these years reading your prose in the magazine I would never have had you down as a masochist.

Should you feel the need I may be able to put you in touch with a "Miss Whiplash"

Martin

 

[oldharry]

I think the early BSA Bantam and the Fanny Barnett go the idea from Seagull, didnt they Castaway? Starting and reliability were about the same - I did a greater mileage pushing my FB home than riding it back in the 50s....