cgull
Well-Known Member
How do you think i feel????
why do rational people buy old Seagulls?
- Thread starter Birdseye
- Start date
Vanilla
Well-Known Member
Ah Seagulls.....whenever I see that word I feel a wave of embarrassment. Many years ago I had met a new man and was trying to impress him by learning to sail (his hobby) and was trying not to put a foot wrong at his sailing club. I was waiting to buy drinks in the club bar one Sunday lunchtime, when the very formidable and plummy-voiced Commodores’s wife announced loudly “I see your fellow’s got himself a baby seagull to play with”. I turned round and said excitedly “Has he? Where is it?” She looked at me as if I was a bit low on grey matter and said “On the slipway, on the back of the bloody Wayfarer of course!” I said “Oh how sweet, excuse me I must go out to see if it’s still there”.
Off I went to find said wildlife and found HWMNBO fiddling about with his dinghy. I said disappointedly “Looks like the baby seagulls gone”. He gave me the same look as the Commodores’s wife and pointed to the back of the dinghy. Still not able to see the baby seagull, I crouched down to see if he meant it was hiding under or in the boat. The misunderstanding continued for several minutes. For months afterwards I had to suffer the indignity of being “squawked” at by the Sunday racers each time I made an appearance at the bar.
Off I went to find said wildlife and found HWMNBO fiddling about with his dinghy. I said disappointedly “Looks like the baby seagulls gone”. He gave me the same look as the Commodores’s wife and pointed to the back of the dinghy. Still not able to see the baby seagull, I crouched down to see if he meant it was hiding under or in the boat. The misunderstanding continued for several minutes. For months afterwards I had to suffer the indignity of being “squawked” at by the Sunday racers each time I made an appearance at the bar.
yellowspinnaker
Well-Known Member
Well I buy Seagulls because:
They're very cheap
They are - if looked after - very reliable
They appreciate in value
All the parts are avilable either new or second hand - again very cheaply.
They don't mind the most appalling abuse.
They're British.
They last virtually for ever.
That list is good enough for me.
The 'urban myth' about surviving a dunking is no myth. My first one was a 1970's Silver Century that a chum brought up from the bottom of Poole Harbour - complete with weed growing on it and shellfish living in and on it. It runs perfectly now.
Whilst it's true they were designed by Marston's who did indeed make motorcycles, the firm made all manner of light engineering products, including the renowned 'Sunbeam' range. The motors were not a derivative of a motor bike engine, they were designed from the outset as a marine motor, and produced from the very finest components. In the early years they were very highly regarded, and this continued for decades.
I spent a considerable period in the friendly offices of IPC in Poole searching through years of back issues of YM last year whilst researching the early history of the company (thanks again, guys and gals) and right up until the late seventies they were the almost automatic choice of the British sailor.
The inboard as fitted to Corribbees I have to agree wasn't a huge success.
I bet that when the current crop of four strokes being purchased this year are all dead and gone, there will still be thousands of Seagulls in perfect working order. What's more, a Seagull that stops working will stay in the garage or shed, whereas the M*riner/S*suki/whatever will be straight in the skip.
Long live the British Seagull (first marketed seventy five years ago last month)
They're very cheap
They are - if looked after - very reliable
They appreciate in value
All the parts are avilable either new or second hand - again very cheaply.
They don't mind the most appalling abuse.
They're British.
They last virtually for ever.
That list is good enough for me.
The 'urban myth' about surviving a dunking is no myth. My first one was a 1970's Silver Century that a chum brought up from the bottom of Poole Harbour - complete with weed growing on it and shellfish living in and on it. It runs perfectly now.
Whilst it's true they were designed by Marston's who did indeed make motorcycles, the firm made all manner of light engineering products, including the renowned 'Sunbeam' range. The motors were not a derivative of a motor bike engine, they were designed from the outset as a marine motor, and produced from the very finest components. In the early years they were very highly regarded, and this continued for decades.
I spent a considerable period in the friendly offices of IPC in Poole searching through years of back issues of YM last year whilst researching the early history of the company (thanks again, guys and gals) and right up until the late seventies they were the almost automatic choice of the British sailor.
The inboard as fitted to Corribbees I have to agree wasn't a huge success.
I bet that when the current crop of four strokes being purchased this year are all dead and gone, there will still be thousands of Seagulls in perfect working order. What's more, a Seagull that stops working will stay in the garage or shed, whereas the M*riner/S*suki/whatever will be straight in the skip.
Long live the British Seagull (first marketed seventy five years ago last month)
G
Guest
Guest
If anyone wants to donate any Seagull Outboards ??
My Boat is leaving UK near end of month ... and I would be happy to place a few Seagull O/boards on her to truck out ... I'm sure people out here and myself would be happy to have one .....
There you are - do your bit for UK environment .... donate all Seagulls to SBC's Save the Seagull Charity.
Seriously if you don't want it - I'll find a good home for it I'm sure ...
My Boat is leaving UK near end of month ... and I would be happy to place a few Seagull O/boards on her to truck out ... I'm sure people out here and myself would be happy to have one .....
There you are - do your bit for UK environment .... donate all Seagulls to SBC's Save the Seagull Charity.
Seriously if you don't want it - I'll find a good home for it I'm sure ...