In a Gull's clutches!

[Mutineer]

Hey there
Out of curiousity how many of you fellow Gull owners have clutched models?
and do you find it a handy thing you use all the time?
If not how do you deal with starting at docks etc?
I used to always push off first and when approaching, I'd time my approach to turn off my carb float and then coast in the last bit.

[Taspiper]

This was something I never thought of when I blindly rushed out to buy a seagull.
Only having a 12" aluminium dinghy I row out a small way then motor off. I suffer from a bad back and shoulders and find that the rowing does me a world of good. Coming back I just motor straight in and close the throttle, simple.
With a craft like yours I guess it would be a little different. I would of thought unless you have reverse, having a clutch may be a moot point. I guess push off enough to be able to get under way going forwards.

[Mutineer]

Out of the dozen or so Seagulls I've had my current 40 plus is the first one I've had with a clutch
So I'm familiar with my procedures I was just wondering if anyone had any leaving the dock tricks other than just pushing off.
I guess this was a bit of a dim obvious thread
On my boat because of the lazarette getting to the Gull is a little difficult, I've made a short tiller extension wih the throttle attached as a result

[Rex NZ]

Hello Mutineer

I think the clutches are great, wouldn't have a seagull without one

When manoeuvring any boat, I like to set a fast idle, then apply a brief engagements of either forward or reverse. The seagull clutch sort of allows me to use this same practice

Plus
* Allows me to warm up the motor before engaging the drive
* Can also run out the fuel from the carb after docking

Rex NZ

[Robin Anderson]

Good boat handling is the answer - not the presence of a clutch - I find I can make a complete horlicks of coming alongside or casting off with or without a clutch.
I think the Featherweight is fine without a clutch - start it on half to 3/4 throttle and I find one can quite easily hold the dingy alongside for a moment or two before letting slip the painter and casting off. Never had a problem in 40 years doing that. I usually switch off the fuel a few cables off to use up the fuel but I can easily hold the dingy alongside as it splutters to a halt if I mis-time it.
With a 40 Plus there is significantly more thrust and with a Century far more so even better boat handling is required if you don't have a clutch - neither of mine has a clutch and I am very happy to do without on a dingy. On a larger boat however a clutch is definitely handy because the boat is less amenable to manhandling and the forces are larger - my Silver Century Plus has a clutch and I can understand why the manufactureres made it standard with a huge Hydrofan swinging down below.
Incidentally I was on the pontoon at Itchenor last year and saw a couple start their brand new Honda outboard on a new dingy. Much as I admire Honda engineering - (wifey drives a Jazz, as does daughter 1 and daughter 2) - I must remark what a dog that Honda centrifugal clutch thingy is. The unfortunate crew bashed into the pontoon and then carreered along battering themselves against the boats alongside - they could not get it to engage drive without far too many revs - perhaps they had the choke on or something - anyway, would not have happened with a little Seagull on the transom........
Robin

[Mutineer]

I guess I've had a few experiences with inferior and or poorly maintained other direct drive outboards.
Well mostly one
No unfortunate dock whacking incidents..though I did once sideswipe a piling taking my mutineer dinghy out to the dock after launching..that was as much to do with loosing my cool as the engine being direct drive. Nasty crunchy noise though.As I said I only encountered a clutched seagull last year after a season with unclutched models.I got pretty handy gauging how much fuel the float bowl would hold when approaching the dock...Reverse..that's like the Seagull's secret elephant graveyard or the headwaters of the Nile! ooohh, haven't needed reverse yet really.
One of the places I launch from can have a strong tide coming under the dock towards some nasty barnacly rocks. So sometimes being able to motor right up to the dock with out the small element of doubt is comforting, though I have had an incident when I was emptying the carb at the dock and the clutch has popped into gear.....

[Bluecloud]

I like the idea of a clutched 40+ for no reason other than it would be sort of spiffy. The only clutched Gull I've used was a Century that was my 1st outboard on the back of a fiberglass pram dinghy. I was 11 at the time and learned heaps about small boats and cajoling Seagulls that has stood me in excellent stead ever since. The clutch thing I could take or leave (still can), direct drive makes for faster get-aways if you are in a tight spot ie retrieving nets or cray pots from between rocks on a lumpy day. Landing or beaching and cutting off the motor neither too soon or too late is just practice.

[JERSEYMAN]

I do find the clutch handy if not nessassary, I launch from the beach and there is always some surf so a speedy launch is the key, start up, warm up, jump in, into gear and away otherwise you find yourself back on the beach. saying that I now use a 40+ with a recoil (yes I know, ugly) which works well.

[atoyot]

Not withstanding that I don't sail with my Seagulls much any more, I found with the un-clutched 40+ on a 17' day sailor the thrust wasn't enough to be worried about, as long as it was tied bow and stern. I'd start the engine and run as a fast idle for half a minute and then take it down to a tick over for warm-up. For launching, being as the boat would have been backed off of a trailer and tied off to a floating dock at the bottom of the ramp, I'd shut the engine off and get the starting rope back on & in position. The partner and I would then back-paddle into the current and clear of the stinkpots & fisher-people, and restart the engine.

Our favorite launch site nearly always has a cross current in one direction or the other, so, drifting in without power is seldom a good idea there. For landing, we just cut the fuel when within about two boat lengths, and shut down the engine while tying off. After that, we would re-start and run out the fuel, same as we do with our normally-used Nissan 3.5hp engine without clutch. (At least, the Nissan spins 360 degrees around.)

The few times we've had the Silver Century out, the clutch did make it handy for warm-ups. I have jokingly wondered if running that one at a high idle while tied to the dock would have ripped off a cleat on one end or the other if not for it's clutch. That is one serious little power plant.

[Mutineer]

Yes I imagine it's what one is used to
Also I generally adapt to what I have
Didn't think twice about using the direct drive models , my first year of seagull auxilliaries.
Now I have a clutched model,I like the luxury of being able to start it up with or without the clutch
It's still fine for fast get aways (my $#^$# getaway boat!!)..I don't have to use the clutch
I just don't engage it unless the motor is running at low RPMs
It's also handy for running up in a barrel
Here it is here on the back of my boat with the original weedless prop and a non-original battered green brass tank
The original blue steel one had a few pinholes rusted in it. I'm probably going to use a longrange tank for some of the "cruising" I'm going to do this summer
plus a picture of it in action on a windless day out in English Bay...how appropriate