POWER TALK

Has it really come to this? The stage where classic, antique even, outboard motors are becoming sought after to such an extent that the prices are climbing faster than an English Electric Lightning.

The reduction in numbers coming off the manufacturing lines everywhere, due to staff being lost to quarantine requirements, means that demand has outstripped supply by some measure. Anyone who has studied economics at even the most basic level will know that when demand is high and supply is limited, the price goes up.

The days of discounted purchases are over. For those selling used outboards it is good news; the market is very much in the vendor’s favour.

For classic engines it is a breath of fresh air, and there are some very good old engines about as people bring them out of hiding and either clean them up to use, or take advantage of the huge demand. Some have suffered the ravages of time through neglect and will require investment of time and effort to hunt down the spares needed to get them running sweetly again. Others are emerging as if from a time warp, having been put away cleaned and oiled for protection and in need of just a minor service to give peace of mind for more loyal service.

How about Seagulls?

If you are needing a lightweight, rugged, ultra simple outboard for a dinghy or tender, the once ubiquitous British Seagull should not be overlooked.

These outboards were built in Poole and suffered from ridicule over the years as many owners failed to give them the regular maintenance they require, however simple that procedure might be, and they were competing with the new, high performance outboards from America and Japan.

The original ignition system was the Achilles heel of the Seagull. The HT lead and plug cap were upgraded in the early ‘70s to a screw on waterproof plug cap and vinyl covered lead which solved virtually all the problems. Parts are cheap and readily available, despite many of these engines being more than 60-years-old, and they are still going strong giving loyal, reliable, rugged service and can be looked after at home very easily with a minimum of tools.

This has to be the epitome of ecological purchasing, rather than forever scrapping and buying a new engine. Buy once and keep it going for several generations.

It is telling that the biggest market for these engines is the Far East, where they are held in high regard and sought after, and they are even used for single series racing on lightweight utility boats. At a time where governments are demanding that manufacturers of goods make them repairable and provide availability of spare parts to keep existing units serviceable, it could be argued that British manufacturing was doing that from time immemorial. The strength of these old icons is in their simplicity; instead of bearings the motor utilises phosphor bronze bushings and is low compression, low revving for low output, being so understressed and with so few moving parts they will literally go on forever.

Maybe we shall see manufacturers taking a leaf out of the old timer’s book and make simple, rugged, long lived engines again.

Parts for the Seagull engine