Sorry this may not strictly be a 'Seagull' issue its probably my lack of boat skills thats the issue! I've only ever used powerboats with clutches and reverse gears so last week when I was sea-trialling the new seagull I seemed to struggle with my "departure" technique... So wondering what I'm missing!
Basically in the picture below I have a sloping slipway, with tide/wind crossing it at about 35 degrees. To the western side of this (the picture is North Up) is a peir. Shallow water is a mixture of weed and rocks. There is a rope down the centre of the slipway to tie onto. Wading in as deep as my wellies allowed got the engine into deep enough water to start the engine. Had this been on a modern conventional engine I'd have started it in neutral, left it to tick over a few moments to warm up and probably with the engine in reverse and hard to port use it to pull the stern round clear of the shallows before slipping the painter , neutral drif back a couple of feet and hard to port move off forwards...
With no neutral before I can even get the throttle to tickover shes pushed forward onto the slipway (dotted outline). Hard to port and starting didn't seem to work, she still pushed onto the slip and if you try hard enough the prop hit the slip too. So what should I have done? Fend offwith an oar? Hard single handed when trying to pull start. Longer Painter? But my painter is puposefully the same length as the bopat to stop prop fouling? Springs? Where and how and single handed am I stressing too much about all this rope going into my prop? Or row out and start at sea?
Was I just unlucky with my slipway and wind tide angle?
Get away from anything that may get in ya way when initially going through the starting process and cleanly getting under controlled power........
Coming back to the boat ramp/shore will take some practice as well as while the motor is running you have forward motion. Best to practice the approach and final docking as well, could be a jetty or on a shore slash water edge.
Many ways to do this so practice practice. (Hopefully with no cameras around initially)
Always a good idea to rope the transom clamp to the boat as well.
I have an easy time with my jetty which was convenient but then later............stray gusts.
All sorted now so as long as beer intake prior is minimal..........easy Gulling aye.
Older you-tube vid shows what I mean...........and another excuse to attach etc.
Adrian Dale wrote:Always row or paddle out. One good point about this is you won't get out and discover you left the oars in the shed.... Enjoy your gull
AJ
Aye - knowing me I'll get out and discover I forgot the starter cord...
Coming ashore is not a major issue for me as I'm going to fit a kill cord. While I realise the risk is low, there is a mental message to get across to the wee man who will be with me that OBs need KCs as he will also be learning to drive a 40-50HP in a couple of years time... That will I hope also mean I have more scope to quickly start and kill the engine as a test ignition before rowing out.
I have been considering if there is a "non-seaman-like" way where I'd attach a towing bridle type configuration across the transom (too short to reach prop), then a loose line tied to the slipway and clipped to the towing bridle. Tide and wind will push it clear of the slip to allow starting. Once started she would sit pulling at the tow line going no-where. Then when ready to depart and throttle reduced to just above idle, I can steer while still tied on - using the rope as a radius and then disconnect the "tow line" at the bridle and chuck it clear of the engine... to retrieve when I come ashore later... (provided the tide was going out not in...). Rowing is for sissies!
To right B and by the by when the shonetee hits the fan and there is no fix, pulling on 8ft ores for 5 hours in a heavy dingy is not for the faint hearted. be prepared.... although we all know Gulls never break down right!!!
