Re: Seagull Engine

Harry Gordon (hlg@pacbell.net)
Sun, 4 Jul 1999 12:49:42 -0700


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West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
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In case you haven't noticed, I have a love-hate relationship with my
classic Seagull. I love its simplicity, minimum maintenance, and salty
appearance. I hate the noise, although at the same time there is something
reassuring about its gnarly sound. I hate the mess - the 10:1 fuel/oil
mixture and the oozing gearbox. I wish it had a neutral and some means of
reversing. A recoil starter would be nice too. The shock absorbing spring
on the propeller is a nice feature - no shear pin replacements. The engine
is designed for a saltwater environment and still looks pretty good for its
32 years. There is nothing that seems to need adjustment. If there is a
mixture setting, I haven't discovered it. I used to check the magneto
points, but they never need adjusting so I quit checking.

The classic Seagulls we are talking about (once standard issue on Potters)
are no longer manufactured. Seagull now sells modern looking, expensive
outboards.

The final cold, miserable miles of Stanley Smith's passage to Sweden were
completed under Seagull power after a new modern outboard failed.

The Seagull operator's manual, apparently written by a crusty old salt, is
also a classic.

Harry
P14 #234, Manatee
Mountain View, CA

>Further to that . . .
>They handle heavy loads well, require little maintenance, are reasonably
>well mannered, accepting of abuse, solid but not flashy, and one tends to
>either love them or hate them.
> -- dwf
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: RSKARAM@aol.com <RSKARAM@aol.com>
>To: bsnavely@uswest.net <bsnavely@uswest.net>; wwpotter@tscnet.com
><wwpotter@tscnet.com>
>Date: Sunday, July 04, 1999 10:46
>Subject: Re: Wanted Seagull Engine
>
>
>>Dear Bud -
>> You don't seem to understand. These Seagull people usually don't sell
>>their motors, they eventually both die and are buried together.
>>Richard S. Karam
>>P-15 #2098 Oops
>>Oklahoma City
>>
>==========>snip<===========