I bought one year ago a Seagull Forty40 and the man who sold it to me showed me how to start it, ran it for one minute when I bought it.
Since it was in my barn.
Yesterday, I have made a test with a bucket filled with water, it started well.
I fitted it on our Sea Hopper folding boat: great!
We were on the Cher river near Tours (Loire valley), the motor ran very well until it went out of gas, so the backway was by the rows...but down the river so quite easy.
I'm very happy and this forum was very helpful for the "beginner's tips" for the test run.
When testing an 'unknown' motor on a river, go upstream! So if the motor conks, there is good chance you will eventually arrive near your point of departure (and always carry oars) without excessive output of energy.
I used to roll up a my local boatyard, who would firstly show an interest in the latest acquisition, and the second question was always " you are going upriver aren't you?
Hi Claude - if your boat has a displacement hull (a 'rounded' shape in the water) it will only go at its natural hull speed, which might only be half-throttle on your Seagull - with it 'flat-out', this will only get you more noise and fuel consumption, with no speed advantage.
The other type of hull is more of a 'planing' hull - flat bottomed or with a 'V' shape. This might get you a little more speed, but the limiting factor will be the relatively low power of your 'gull'
Just play with throttle settings until you feel the boat is going as fast as it wants to.
If you find where you have put your french Seagull User manual, I will apreciate to get scan of it.