THE Seagull Outboard Club of New Zealand celebrated a mini regatta at Mōkau on Sunday, an event which followed a similar but larger one on the Waitara River the preceding day.
Club member Dennis Payne said the rugged two-stroke outboards, manufactured in England from the late 1930s to the mid 1990s, still enjoyed a massive international fan base.
Followers, who admired the simplicity and reliability of the outboards, had generally shared good times using boats powered by them throughout their younger years.
Dennis has no idea why so many older boaties remain “stuck on Seagulls”.
Some have accurately restored old outboards down to the last nut and bolt to use to use on their classic boats. Others have souped up the motors, fitting the likes of over-sized pistons and larger carburetors to make them go faster during fun racing events.
“Our club mainly comprises older men who enjoy getting together to race our boats; then we talk about them, as you do, over some beers or a hotel meal at night. Don’t ask me why we do it. Why do people interested in vintage cars form themselves into groups and clubs – it’s just the same sort of thing,” Dennis said.
The regatta in Waitara attracted 16 boats, whose owners “raced” up and down the river between the town’s two main road bridges, with participants including folk from Auckland, Waikato, Taranaki, Putararu and Levin, Dennis said.
“This was a very family friendly gathering of Seagull addicts and there was no charge to enter.
“You brought your own food and drink, though no alcohol was allowed until later.
“Your boat had to have a bailer, oars or paddle and tow rope; lifejackets had to be worn at all times on the water and there were two safety boats in attendance.”
Dennis, who is an Aucklander, had picked up his mate, Graham Raill, at Hamilton. Then, following Saturday’s regatta at Waitara, the two men plus five other boats fitted with Seagulls stopped for a second regatta on the Mōkau River. They left Mōkau’s main river bridge at about 12.15pm, motoring up-stream aided by the incoming tide.
“We travelled about 30km up the river, reached the Paraheka Rd Bridge at Aria, then turned and motored back again with the outgoing tide.
“We arrived back where we’d started at about 5.45pm.”
As it was connected to a large spare fuel tank containing 10-1 two-stroke mix, the boat’s Silver Century Seagull ran continuously all afternoon without stopping. The outboard, which was built in 1976, effortlessly pushed the men in their 10ft (3.4 metre) aluminium dingy for about five hours.
“It ran like a charm – it didn’t miss a beat,” Dennis said.
“It was a great afternoon, overcast but with no wind, and I was amazed at the number of whitebait stations all the way up to the bridge, set about 250m apart on both sides of the river. There was some beautiful bush, though we were surprised at the lack of birdlife.
“The bush, which would have been second growth, came right down to the water. Then it would clear to reveal beautiful views of hill country farms.”
Dennis and Graham said chugging along powered by a Seagull motor was quite the way to see the country. They can’t wait for the next Seagull Outboard Club event, a lengthy run from Karapiro to Port Waikato at Easter.
