In praise of the British Seagull Handbook

[Robin Anderson]

As a lad of ten tender years with nil experience of outboard motors and not much more of small boat handling I was much in debt to the Seagull Handbook.
Wonderful words of wisdom distilled into a readable work of reference and guidance. Memorised most of it and am word perfect still in the important sections - might that have something to do with the fact that of the many Seagulls I have used over the decades all have performed exactly as intended by the manufacturers.
The mistakes of many mariners past were flagged up on those 25 pages (in the 1970s edition) - " always secure your engine with a lanyard"..... "beware water in fuel..."......"you don't drive a boat, you handle it["/i], "Never go anywhere without a useful anchor and at least five fathoms of light but strong line....."
In comparison, I purchased an Echo Strimmer and a Husqvarna chain saw recently. Both excellent pieces of engineering. The handbooks however are complete garbage! The Strimmer itself has no fewer than 12 stickers applied to it - having used it for 6 months I still have no idea what half the little stickers are supposed to be telling me. It takes 6 pages of warning sections before one gets to any actual content in the handbook and then there are up to 6 large "Warning"" and "Caution" boxes covering most of the next pages of content. The chain saw book starts with no less than 112 little miniature sketch pictures and I still have no idea what most of them mean, having used the machine safely for 6 months. After all the wee pictures there are a further seven pages of General Safety Precautions. The actual starting instructions are not very clear once you do get to them.

So here's to the Seagull Handbook - a work of fine maritime prose by people who knew what they were writing about.
Robin

[skyetoyman]

My Suzuki outboard handbook is similar to your chainsaw one except 44 pages are in English . The other 528 pages are in all the other languages you can think of. Making it a tome that you cannot take with you.

[Collector Inspector]

To be somewhat pedantic here, we are talking different ages in hand books.

The Seagull handbook and other handbooks for different engines gave the basics as to "How To" with total enjoyment of your motor after that.

Modern versions are required by law and O.H.S. to be far more detailed not withstanding any common sense of actual use of the product. Hence lots of stickers and warnings throughout the text and on the machine. O/H.S. has dumbed down any general user. ALL if anything that can hurt, burn, abrade, cut your body, foul the environment, make too much noise, blow too much smoke or generally interfere with the life of anybody around you operating a machine within any close proximity or being something of annoyance to others, anything perceived or, anything of religious or ethnic upset MUST be listed within ever expanding books of use.

Sigh.

Basically a Gull flywheel openly rotating and starting procedure does not comply with all of the rubbish now having to be included in a "How To Do It and Not Get It Handbook".

There should be "HOT Warning" stickers on all parts etc.

It goes on of course.

Enjoy Old Dears as the manufacturer requires.

If you use modern machines, follow the common sense of years ago and you should be good to go regardless.

Cheers

B

[denchen]

I read somewhere the flying instruction manual for a Lancaster Bomber in the second world war was 14 pages. There was very little Health and Safety about flying over enemy skyes but there was a bit about flying if you was full of holes. Things have changed over the years.

[JERSEYMAN]

Yup, lawyers are good now and hungry