Bell Seagull and Seamew
Encyclopedia
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
-rigged marine ply sailing boats
Sailboat
A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails. The term covers a variety of boats, larger than small vessels such as sailboards and smaller than sailing ships, but distinctions in the size are not strictly defined and what constitutes a sailing ship, sailboat, or a...
of the Trailer yacht type designed by Ian Proctor
Ian Proctor
Ian Douglas Ben Proctor, FRSA, known as Ian Proctor, was a prolific designer of both sailing dinghies and cruisers...
, who was also responsible for the design of many small sailing dinghies in seven different classes including the extremely popular Topper
Topper (dinghy)
The Topper is an 11 foot sailing dinghy designed by Ian Proctor. The Topper is a one-design boat sailed mostly in the British Isles. It was recognised as an International class by the International Sailing Federation...
, and Wanderer
Wanderer (sailing dinghy)
The Wanderer is a 14 foot Fiberglass hull Bermuda rigged sailing dinghy designed by Ian Proctor. One of the main objectives of the design was to produce a robust safe and versatile dinghy that could be used for knockabout day sailing and cruising as well as racing, but was light enough to be...
.
The Seagull is widely regarded in the UK sailing community as a 'plywood classic', - a boat which many young families learned to build and then learned to sail in. After the Seagull and Seamew Ian Proctor later went on to design similar sized boats such as the Nimrod, Eclipse, Prelude, and the Pirate.
Seagull
By the mid-1950s Ian Proctor had been responsible for the design of many small sailing dinghies, however he had yet to work on anything larger, that is, until he was approached by Bell Woodworking - who were responsible for the kit of the GP14 sailing dinghy. The Bell Woodworking Company wanted Proctor to design a small sailing cruiserCruiser Yacht
The term cruiser yacht refers to sailing or motor yachts that were built for long distance sailing and offer enough comfort and space to live on the boat permanently. This would not allow to carry cargo and, by definition, exclude racer yachts. Another feature that is often used to define the term...
which would be suitable for both coastal and inland waters. Bell also required a design that was easy to produce in kit form and a design that the amateur builder would find easy to construct. The outcome of Proctors work was the 'Seagull'
The Seagull sold in numbers, and although Bell did not have any exact figures for the number of both kits sold and boats built in house, the number of kits is estimated to be somewhere between 250-300. It is known that some kits were also shipped to the eastern US Seaboard. In the early days of its inception many young families bought the Seagull as a kit and built it over a year or so, for some it was their first boat and they even learned to sail in the Seagull.
Specifications Seagull
| LOA Length | 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m) | |
|---|---|---|
| Length waterline LWL LWL is a three-letter acronym which can mean:* Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe* Life-wide Learning* Waterline length* Left Wing Liberal* Life with Louie* Launceston Workplace Learning* laughing with lust* Little White Lies * Lead With Love... | 17 ft 3in (5.26m) | |
| Beam Beam (nautical) The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position... Width | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | |
| Draft Draft (hull) The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained... Board down | 3 ft 9in (keel down) (m) | |
| Draft Draft (hull) The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained... Board up | 1 ft 5in (0.43 m) | |
| Displacement Displacement (fluid) In fluid mechanics, displacement occurs when an object is immersed in a fluid, pushing it out of the way and taking its place. The volume of the fluid displaced can then be measured, as in the illustration, and from this the volume of the immersed object can be deduced .An object that sinks... | 17cwt (762 kg) | |
| Ballast Sailing ballast Ballast is used in sailboats to provide moment to resist the lateral forces on the sail. Insufficiently ballasted boats will tend to tip, or heel, excessively in high winds. Too much heel may result in the boat capsizing. If a sailing vessel should need to voyage without cargo then ballast of... | 350 lb (158 kg) | |
| Tow Mass | lb (762 kg) | |
| Rigging Rigging Rigging is the apparatus through which the force of the wind is used to propel sailboats and sailing ships forward. This includes masts, yards, sails, and cordage.-Terms and classifications:... | Masthead Masthead -Media:* the masthead , a list, usually found on the editorial page of a newspaper or other periodical, listing the publisher, editorial board, advertising rates, etc.... sloop Sloop A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter.... | |
| Mast Mast (sailing) The mast of a sailing vessel is a tall, vertical, or near vertical, spar, or arrangement of spars, which supports the sails. Large ships have several masts, with the size and configuration depending on the style of ship... | 23 ft 0in (m) | single spreader, cap shrouds and a single set of lower aft shrouds |
| Sail Sail A sail is any type of surface intended to move a vessel, vehicle or rotor by being placed in a wind—in essence a propulsion wing. Sails are used in sailing.-History of sails:... s | Main Mainsail A mainsail is a sail located behind the main mast of a sailing vessel.On a square rigged vessel, it is the lowest and largest sail on the main mast.... | 100 ft² (8.3 m²) |
| Jib < (100%) | 70 ft² (6.5m²) | |
| Genoa Genoa (sail) The genoa or jenny was originally referred to as the 'overlapping jib' or the Genoa jib, being named after the city of Genoa as explained below. It is a type of large jib or staysail used on bermuda rigged craft that overlaps the main sail, sometimes eliminating it. It is used on single-masted... (%) | 115 ft² (10.68m²) | |
| Total sail area | 215 ft² (m²) | |
| Spinnaker Spinnaker A spinnaker is a special type of sail that is designed specifically for sailing off the wind from a reaching course to a downwind, i.e. with the wind 90°–180° off the bow. The spinnaker fills with wind and balloons out in front of the boat when it is deployed, called flying. It is constructed of... | 150 ft² (13.93m²) |
Sailing Details
Handicaps; PHRFPHRF
Performance Handicap Racing Fleet is a handicapping system used for yacht racing in North America. It allows dissimilar classes of sailboats to be raced against each other...
= ,
Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
= 100,
Class based Handicaps CBH = ,
Other = ,
Sailing Characteristics;
What made the Seagull stand out from the crowd however was her sailing performance. Here was a DIY sailing boat, which most people perhaps would have estimated as possessing (at best) adequate performance. However the Seagull proved she could hold her own, and during testing showed that she could still sail fully canvassed in 32kt winds. For this reason, Seagulls were often raced with many showing impressive results for such a small boat.
Notable Performances;
Indeed it is a testament to her seakeeping ability that she has been cruised extensively by owners and some are still crossing the Irish Sea and cruising English Channel to this day.
Accommodation
Berths = 2, Galley =yes, Head = portable, Navigation =, Maximum headroom = 1.14 m,The cabin, (although considered small for a boat of its size by today's standards) enjoyed 1.14m (3'9") of headroom, two berths, room for a chemical head to port and a small galley area to starboard. The cockpit was large and could seat up to six adults, or could be used if a boom tent were employed for an additional two small berths.
Special features
Auxiliary power was provided by an outboard motor mounted on the port quarter of the transom, a small well inboard of the transom allowed the motor to be tilted out of the water when not in use. Although some boats were fitted with a small single or twin cylinder inboard engine by retrofit.Construction
The Seagull featured a lifting keel and ballast stub which weighed 158 kg (350 lb) – the use of such a retractable keel at the time was seen as unusual. The keel was raised and lowered by means of a winch mechanism, which was situated in the cockpit in early boats but moved to the cabin on later kits and builds. The hull was a four plank lapstrake hard-chine design, with each plank glued and fastened to the frames.Country of origin,= England
Hull material, ply
Manufacturer, Bell Woodworking
Plans availability, none as yet, but some owners are working on this.
Seamew
Following the success of the Seagull, Bell Woodworking commissioned Proctor to design a big sister to the Seagull. This resulted in the Seamew, the first of which was built in Jan. 1963. Again she was along similar lines as the Seagull. The Seamew was given the Portsmouth no. of 106. As with the Seagull, the Seamew sold well, - a testament to the reputation and performance of the Seagull who preceded her. Roughly 150 Seamew kits and boats were produced, with some also being shipped to the USA.Specifications
| LOA Length | 22 ft (6.71 m) | |
|---|---|---|
| Length waterline LWL LWL is a three-letter acronym which can mean:* Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe* Life-wide Learning* Waterline length* Left Wing Liberal* Life with Louie* Launceston Workplace Learning* laughing with lust* Little White Lies * Lead With Love... | 21 ft (6.40m) | |
| Beam Beam (nautical) The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position... Width | 7 ft 4 in (2.23 m) | |
| Draft Draft (hull) The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained... Board down | 4 ft 2 in (1.27 m) | |
| Draft Draft (hull) The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained... Board up | 1 ft 9 in (0.53 m) | |
| Displacement Displacement (fluid) In fluid mechanics, displacement occurs when an object is immersed in a fluid, pushing it out of the way and taking its place. The volume of the fluid displaced can then be measured, as in the illustration, and from this the volume of the immersed object can be deduced .An object that sinks... | lb (kg) | |
| Ballast Sailing ballast Ballast is used in sailboats to provide moment to resist the lateral forces on the sail. Insufficiently ballasted boats will tend to tip, or heel, excessively in high winds. Too much heel may result in the boat capsizing. If a sailing vessel should need to voyage without cargo then ballast of... | 500 lb (227 kg) | |
| Tow Mass | lb (kg) | |
| Rigging Rigging Rigging is the apparatus through which the force of the wind is used to propel sailboats and sailing ships forward. This includes masts, yards, sails, and cordage.-Terms and classifications:... | Masthead Masthead -Media:* the masthead , a list, usually found on the editorial page of a newspaper or other periodical, listing the publisher, editorial board, advertising rates, etc.... sloop Sloop A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter.... | |
| Mast Mast (sailing) The mast of a sailing vessel is a tall, vertical, or near vertical, spar, or arrangement of spars, which supports the sails. Large ships have several masts, with the size and configuration depending on the style of ship... | ft in (m) | single, backswept spreader |
| Sail Sail A sail is any type of surface intended to move a vessel, vehicle or rotor by being placed in a wind—in essence a propulsion wing. Sails are used in sailing.-History of sails:... s | Main Mainsail A mainsail is a sail located behind the main mast of a sailing vessel.On a square rigged vessel, it is the lowest and largest sail on the main mast.... | 131.1 ft² (m²) |
| Jib < (100%) | 69ft² (m²) | |
| #1 Genoa Genoa (sail) The genoa or jenny was originally referred to as the 'overlapping jib' or the Genoa jib, being named after the city of Genoa as explained below. It is a type of large jib or staysail used on bermuda rigged craft that overlaps the main sail, sometimes eliminating it. It is used on single-masted... (%) | 138 ft² (m²) | |
| #2 Genoa (%) | 71.8ft² (m²) | |
| #3 Genoa (%) | ft² (m²) | |
| Total sail area | 269.1ft² (m²) | |
| Spinnaker Spinnaker A spinnaker is a special type of sail that is designed specifically for sailing off the wind from a reaching course to a downwind, i.e. with the wind 90°–180° off the bow. The spinnaker fills with wind and balloons out in front of the boat when it is deployed, called flying. It is constructed of... | 280 ft² (m²) |
Sailing Details
Handicaps; PHRFPHRF
Performance Handicap Racing Fleet is a handicapping system used for yacht racing in North America. It allows dissimilar classes of sailboats to be raced against each other...
= ,
Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
= 1060,
IRC = ,
Class based Handicaps CBH = ,
Other = ,
Sailing Characteristics;
As far as performance was concerned, the Seamew was similar to the Seagull, but she was 'stiffer'- the increased ballast ratio helping to achieve this.
Notable Performances;
Accommodation
Berths = 3, Galley =yes, Head = fixed pumped, Navigation =, Maximum headroom = 4 ft 0 in (1.27 m)The cabin also benefitted from an extra 3" of headroom, and there were 3 berths instead of 2.With room for a sea toilet in the forepeak and a small galley area with sink. The cockpit was large and could seat up to six adults, or could be used if a boom tent were employed for an additional two small berths.
Special features
The same retractable bulbed keel as the Seagull but heavier weighing 227 kg (500 lb).Construction
The hull was a four plank lapstrake hard-chine design, with each plank glued and fastened to the frames.Also the Seamew was designed to have a small inboard engine fitted to the bilge.
Country of origin, England
Hull material, ply
Manufacturer, Bell Woodworking
Plans availability, none as yet.
Owners association
There was a very active Seagull/Seamew association up until the mid-1970s. However as plywood boats (and especially homebuilt plywood boats) became less fashionable in the late 1970s and early 1980s, - giving way to fibreglass construction methods - the owners association disappeared due to lack of interest in 1983.There is no official association presently, however it is estimated that there are still a reasonable number of these craft both afloat and ashore. A few websites have been established (see external links). In the pages of these websites there are a number of interesting articles detailing the history along with some drawings and photographs of different owners boats. A discussion forum has also been established where owners and potential owners can discuss various aspects of these craft.