My first seagull was a forty plus which pushed my 10ft dinghy with ease, and now i have been given a 14ft skipper sailing/family day boat.
I have a choice of engines but i cant decide
Anzani pilot with a steel tank that the inside looks like its been "tangoed"
102 thats currently siezed.
Longshaft century with clutch.
Century without clutch.
And 3 forty models in various states of repair, but should be able to make a working motor from them.
Where the boat is going to be moored is very close to the shore, so im not going to leave the motor on it and will have to carry it everytime i use the boat, so at the moment im leaning towards a forty, doean anyone currently use a forty with a 14ft dinghy that could give some advice?
Cheers
Which seagull for a 14ft skipper dinghy?
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Hi,
my 40+ was good for my 9' tender but wouldn't do much with my 17' fishing boat. For that I used a silver century plus. I also used the century to push my 20' cabin cruiser when the inboard broke. Suggest you try what ever is running but for me it's the century, my 40+ didn't push my mates 14' fishing boat at all well, and you will need a clutch unless you manouver better than me!
regards
Philj
my 40+ was good for my 9' tender but wouldn't do much with my 17' fishing boat. For that I used a silver century plus. I also used the century to push my 20' cabin cruiser when the inboard broke. Suggest you try what ever is running but for me it's the century, my 40+ didn't push my mates 14' fishing boat at all well, and you will need a clutch unless you manouver better than me!
regards
Philj
Thanks for the reply, well i suppose this now gives me an excuse to get the century and the forty running!philj wrote:Hi,
my 40+ was good for my 9' tender but wouldn't do much with my 17' fishing boat. For that I used a silver century plus. I also used the century to push my 20' cabin cruiser when the inboard broke. Suggest you try what ever is running but for me it's the century, my 40+ didn't push my mates 14' fishing boat at all well, and you will need a clutch unless you manouver better than me!
regards
Philj
And as for manouvering i have got that sorted, im going to cheat!
i have a 2hp johnson seahorse as an auxilary which can swivel to give me reverse. 
Reverse?
The other week I moved a 22' Invader yacht to the slip to be craned out. The guy on the quay said "come on, come on, now reverse"
I replied "oy mate it's a gull, don't talk daft"
I thought boats don't have brakes, but this one did. Donk!
"Thats just where we wanted it" was the reply.
regards
Philj
The other week I moved a 22' Invader yacht to the slip to be craned out. The guy on the quay said "come on, come on, now reverse"
I replied "oy mate it's a gull, don't talk daft"
I thought boats don't have brakes, but this one did. Donk!
"Thats just where we wanted it" was the reply.
regards
Philj
I've just copied and pasted this from a previous post of mine as it seems relevant here. Also added a bit at the bottom.
Here are some of my experiences. I’ve a 14ft traditional clinker boat and the engine that has had most use on it is a 1958 vintage Forty Plus longshaft. The boat is quite beamy but not heavily built, has a good underwater shape and rows easily. The Forty Plus is a little underpowered on this boat in that it won’t get her up to maximum displacement speed. For this I’d need a Century. But the Forty is much lighter and very economical, and although I have known it struggle in adverse conditions of wind and tide it has never failed to get me home and will push the boat quite happily with 3 adults, 3 kids, dog, anchor, fishing kit etc. (But you won't break any records!)
At various times I have had ‘lends’ and done ‘trials’ with a variety of outboards. A Seagull Century pushed the boat at maximum displacement speed and an Anzani Super Single did the same with ease. A Johnson 4hp two stroke twin also got the boat to maximum displacement speed. This Johnson impressed me as it’s quite a light piece of kit so has a good power to weight ratio – but uses twice the fuel of a Forty Plus. I once tried out a Mercury 7.5hp – way over powered, just a waste of fuel. An Anzani Pilot performed similarly to the Forty Plus. Which was ‘best’? Well, for weight, reliability, economy and ease of servicing give me the Forty Plus. Which is why I still have it and still use it.
Other things I have seen: A Forty Minus on a 10ft planked flat bottomed dory, fairly heavy, pushed it along a treat it did. A Forty Minus on a 14ft clinker boat with fine lines and a deep tuck, designed for rowing. The guy who owned it tried a Century but because of the design of the boat it made her ‘squat’ whereas the Forty didn’t. A Silver Century on a 14ft fibreglass boat – fairly heavy and the Century was ok but the owner replaced it with a 6hp twin Evinrude I think which was better suited to the boat. I’ve also seen Centuries used on a variety of hard chine ply boats up to 16ft and they were fine.
My Forty Plus began life on a 12ft clinker boat, replacing a 102. The reduced power was a bit of a shock but more than made up for by the weight reduction.
Conclusions? Well for tenders and small displacement boats up to about 10ft use a Forty Minus. Displacement boats up to about 12ft 6 use a Forty Plus, over 12ft 6 the Century is probably best but the Forty Plus will cope. I suppose the above was what the Seagull guys had in mind when they designed their range of engines. They got it about right I would say.
Also: Your mention of an Anzani Pilot reminded me that it was excellent for manouvering since it rotates through 360.
If I were you I'd have a 40 Plus and a Century in commission!
Here are some of my experiences. I’ve a 14ft traditional clinker boat and the engine that has had most use on it is a 1958 vintage Forty Plus longshaft. The boat is quite beamy but not heavily built, has a good underwater shape and rows easily. The Forty Plus is a little underpowered on this boat in that it won’t get her up to maximum displacement speed. For this I’d need a Century. But the Forty is much lighter and very economical, and although I have known it struggle in adverse conditions of wind and tide it has never failed to get me home and will push the boat quite happily with 3 adults, 3 kids, dog, anchor, fishing kit etc. (But you won't break any records!)
At various times I have had ‘lends’ and done ‘trials’ with a variety of outboards. A Seagull Century pushed the boat at maximum displacement speed and an Anzani Super Single did the same with ease. A Johnson 4hp two stroke twin also got the boat to maximum displacement speed. This Johnson impressed me as it’s quite a light piece of kit so has a good power to weight ratio – but uses twice the fuel of a Forty Plus. I once tried out a Mercury 7.5hp – way over powered, just a waste of fuel. An Anzani Pilot performed similarly to the Forty Plus. Which was ‘best’? Well, for weight, reliability, economy and ease of servicing give me the Forty Plus. Which is why I still have it and still use it.
Other things I have seen: A Forty Minus on a 10ft planked flat bottomed dory, fairly heavy, pushed it along a treat it did. A Forty Minus on a 14ft clinker boat with fine lines and a deep tuck, designed for rowing. The guy who owned it tried a Century but because of the design of the boat it made her ‘squat’ whereas the Forty didn’t. A Silver Century on a 14ft fibreglass boat – fairly heavy and the Century was ok but the owner replaced it with a 6hp twin Evinrude I think which was better suited to the boat. I’ve also seen Centuries used on a variety of hard chine ply boats up to 16ft and they were fine.
My Forty Plus began life on a 12ft clinker boat, replacing a 102. The reduced power was a bit of a shock but more than made up for by the weight reduction.
Conclusions? Well for tenders and small displacement boats up to about 10ft use a Forty Minus. Displacement boats up to about 12ft 6 use a Forty Plus, over 12ft 6 the Century is probably best but the Forty Plus will cope. I suppose the above was what the Seagull guys had in mind when they designed their range of engines. They got it about right I would say.
Also: Your mention of an Anzani Pilot reminded me that it was excellent for manouvering since it rotates through 360.
If I were you I'd have a 40 Plus and a Century in commission!
skipper 14
hi,i will try to be brief,can only type with one finger which cannot find way around keyboard.have owned skipper and seagull 40 about 20 years.I converted my 40+ to a minus simply by a g.box change,makes it smaller, lighter, more handy. very little change in boat speed and nice for pottering about as a rowing boat. when sailing mount it extreme right or left of transom and the smaller prop has plenty of clearance with the rudder,which means i can use the motor while sailing to get out of a tight situation .if you want to appear to be a hardman sailor the 40- can be hidden in your stern locker. If I want to dash around as a motor boat and show a good bow wave then i use my century on the opposite side of the transom which has two forty brackets fitted. you will find that the century bracket is not practical and i have had no probs using 40 bracket on a century with a ply wood backing plate to spread the load. the forty then becomes your auxillary when motoring.I hope this is some help to enjoy your skipper this summer,please ask if you need more.ps.know anyone selling a good gunter main sail.cheers Jeff