Saving Old Seagulls

Sea Daddy · Post by **Sea Daddy** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 1:07 am

Just wanted to say" Hi" from California, USA. New to the forum but have learned a lot already. Thanks. My brother gave me his old Featherweight 40, mod. # SJM 380H6, and I'm trying to clean it up. I plan on using her to push a 21' Osprey sailboat I'm refitting. Thanks again. Dick

Post by **John@sos** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 1:30 am

Hello Dick and welcome to the Forum.

Sadly I do not think the SJM you have will be up to pushing a 21 foot boat!

They were designed to propel the smallest of dinghies, up to about 9ft! they are only 1 to 2 hp at best! Will do gor your tender, but I would be looking for a 4 or better 5 hp Motor, a Silver Century plus maybe...

Apart from anything else the transom height a SJM was designed for was just 13 inches off the water! Bet the transom on your Osprey is a bit higher than that. A longshaft Silver Century suits a 20" high stern...

hope this helps.

Regards,
john
SOS

Sea Daddy · Post by **Sea Daddy** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 3:23 am

Thanks for the welcome. All I need is enought power for rudder control around the marinas. No one around here seems to know to yield to vessels under sail. I have used small electrics and a 2 HP Sears Gamefisher for years on my Balboa 26' without problems.

So your a ret. Officer. I'm a ret. Police Patrol Sgt. I miss the people contact, but not the job! Nice to hear your having good luck with your back problems. Fall cost me my job also, but they haven't been able to do anything for it yet. I go to a new Dr. on monday.

Anyhow, nice to be here. Dick

Post by **John@sos** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 10:57 am

Hello Dick,

amazed you could get away with so little power, overcoming the cross winds in a UK marina sometimes calls for a lot more than 2 hp here!

Best of luck with the back, my opp was pioneered in the States, so I have a lot to thank them for!

Happy Seagulling

Regards,
John
SOS

gaffrig24 · Post by **gaffrig24** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:21 pm

I have an adjustable mounting bracket on my boat. I have been using a std shaft evinrude since I built the boat with the bracket adjusted down. Now with the long shaft Seagull I have to keep the bracket at it's highest point and it seems the depth is just about perfect, I do however need to make a wedge to get the motor level. Anyhow, a short shaft with an adjustable bracket on the back of you boat will probably work just fine, now if that motor has enough power for you might be a different problem.
The bad news for me is now that I have a big seagull on my big sailboat, I want a small seagull for my smaller boats....it really is an illness!

Keith

Sea Daddy · Post by **Sea Daddy** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 6:14 pm

I'm deep in the California Delta between Sacramento and Stockton. 15 min. from the Sacramento river and another 15 to my marina. You can view it on the web by searching OXBOW MARINA. It's just outside Isleton Ca.

We have almost a constant delta breese from the west so getting around under sail is no problem. Most of the marinas are inside the levee system and protected from the wind. Just about any push will get you around if you plan it right.

My 40 is a short shaft and I need to rework the adj. mount to get the prop further into the water. This little boat has a slant transom and the mount now used is a two picce unit mounted to the stb. side of the swing up rudder. I would like to move the mount to the center line of the boat so the prop won't dip into the water as she leans.

I guess that's why we like boats, always somthing mess around with.

Good winds. Dick