tinkboats

Gull vices

I recommend the Gull as a cruising boat whole heartedly. I have sailed her back from the IOW in very strong winds and reefed she has no difficulty. I have also crossed  Langstone bar at the exactly wrong time. On the flip side I have rowed her for many miles without issue. Launch and recovery are easy due to her light weight.

The Gull is a capable boat

She does however have her vices, but I suspect these are the same for many small dinghies. This is not intended to put people off the Gull just a few observations and things to look out for. 

The Jib – the jib has been the cause of my only sailing capsize (I was racing) and two near misses. If you don’t release the jib going into a tack she will put you in. The near misses were the result of sudden violent gusts up river and with the jib cleated the gunwale dipped. This is not an issue it’s just something to be mindful of and ensuring the sheets are tidy and accessible.

Bow Buoyancy – she is not a Wayfarer, you can’t be walking on the foredeck. The first time I went out I reached forward of the mast, obviously over to one side, and she went over. I was putting the anchor rode in the fairlead – I now do this with a boat hook.

Downwind – probably no different to other dinghies but rocking dead down wind is uncomfortable. I use a dangly pole to goose wing and sit well aft, I have added a removable thwart further aft, this also is used for the bed boards. Without this sailing reach to reach is much better than dead down wind.

Dangly Pole
The Temporary thwart

Slot gasket – there isn’t one, in lumpy conditions water will come in through the slot. It is worse aft of the board handle as seams to ricochet off the back of the case and produces jets of water. I am experimenting with ways of closing of the case with the board down and will write a separate post.

Room – the initial adverts had a family of four on board, I consider her a single handed boat. I’m 80kg and in oil skins (cruising attire rather than summer shorts jolly) being the crew in the front is OK but it’s tight. I worry that if hit by a sudden gust the crew might to be able to react quickly enough. I have however sailed two up (me crew) in a good breeze without issue. 

Buoyancy – as a documented in my early Gull posts the MK1 GRP needed work on the tanks. 

For her size she is an excellent sea boat, I think the full bows, low after volume and double chine all contribute to this. 

4 comments

  1. hi we’ve spoken before I am renovating my GRP Gull and will be sailing her later this year in Chichester harbour. I’m just a bit confused as to to member of the gull family my boat comes from she is GRP (obviously) with a chined hull and a pale blue gell coat finish with white hull , I am a bit confused because she sports a wooden gunter sail plan and a wooden centre plate. Which model do you think she is ?

    thanks Bill W

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      • hi Mark my boat has all the things you mention so I guess it’s a mk1. I sail single handed 99% of the time so I acquired a firefly steel centre plate and cut it to the same profile as the Gull centre plate and installed it. The only hitch was it had to sit 25mm aft of the original plate, I can’t see this making a difference and I intend to sail with the mainsail only in the forward position ( no jib). I don’t race and only intend to use the boat to explore the creeks in Chichester harbour. I may trail the boat over to Shoreham and take trip up the Adur river, hence my interest in the lugsail rig for ease of derigging under bridges. I’d be interested in your thoughts on all this

        best wishes Bill.

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      • The steel plate sounds good if you are ok pulling the boat out. It will be interesting to sea how the balance is, 25mm doesn’t sound much.

        Two concerns I would have about it are however, the boat will weigh more and need more buoyancy – I would really check the water tightness of the tanks – see my early post about the renovation. I have and it’s easy to fit a third buoyancy bag just forward of the centre board under the thwart. The second would be the extra load on the centre board case, I wouldn’t worry too much the case is well supported with two thwarts essentially – just keep an eye on it.

        My lug sail has taken a back seat as two other boats have needed renovations. One done, second close so hopefully next week I can get on with it.

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