PatrickMullin

Wow - quite the project. Thanks for sharing - it is really useful to see how you have approached it.

27 minutes ago, Maverick said:

Which probably helped you on the price so may have been a win for you

Most likely. It is a lovely boat so can't wait to get it fixed up and out on the sea.

Very smart looking boat indeed.

1 hour ago, Maverick said:

I used to love the Shetland Family Four, great boats.

How come yours has Shetland 536 decals on the side?

No idea. Was sold as a 536 but the plate on the helm says Family Four. It is an early one so keeps the 536 shape and I think the place we bought it from made the obvious assumption.

2 hours ago, suzook12 said:

May be in the market to remove your old engine for you??

Shetlands too new for me, mine are all single skinned 535's, all one of them lol.....

Still, good starter boats....... Weighbridge will give you a good idea of the under floor state, but transom wouldn't necessarily show. Try hanging on the outboard leg when raised, and try lifting it, if the transom deflects at all then its shot and will need redoing (you would be redoing floor at same time....)

 

Thanks for the tip regarding the transom. Will give that a go when it is out of the water.

2 minutes ago, Saintly Fish said:

Do you have a drain plug on the transom ? 
maybe an idea to put on a trailer with blocks at the front so the stern is as low as possible. See what water runs backward . 
@Suzook12 is a knowledgeable chap he has about 12 shetlands and not much he doesn’t know. Also @Geoff is a very knowledgable guy, even if a bit sloth like ! 

There is a drain plug under the transom, which allows for the open bilge to be drained out. My main concern is what lies under the deck, as I cannot see any drain from there, and it does not seem to drain into the open bilge.

The section directly below the engine well is the open bilge:

1 minute ago, Saintly Fish said:

Just check that any old screwed holes etc have been filled properly. They have a reputation for rotting transoms. 
I have a mate who’s just bought a family four this summer, he went down yesterday after 3 weeks and found 2 inches of water in the cabin !! 😬

Ours seems to gather a couple of inches in the bilge over a week, but seems to be mainly fresh water, so a new cover will be on the shopping list in the not-too-distant future.

Have seen reports of sodden foam under the deck flooring, but not had the courage to cut a hole in ours to check yet. Was hoping to get it to a weighbridge when it is out of the water to see whether it is heaver than it should be first....

A job for next summer may be to investigate under the deck, and to drill a hole in the bulkhead separating the open bilge from the under-deck area so that any water can escape and be pumped out.

Just now, Saintly Fish said:

Thanks for sharing. Every day is a learning curve with boats. It becomes addictive. 
nice little boat the Shetland , I used to own a 570. I hope you’ve had the transom checked ?

Transom looks solid to my untrained eye. Will ask the mechanic fitting the new engine to check it with his more experienced eyes though.

Will just be glad to see the relaxing side of boat ownership before too long 🙂

4 hours ago, Andy135 said:

Welcome to Offshore Outlaws Patrick! Good to have you on board.

Fishing with family is always fun - especially from a boat! But do remember, safety first. There's a great book here on angling boats that is free of charge and should help you to get set up safely.

Post up some pics on the "Show us yer boat" thread too. 👍

 

Thanks for the link - found that book a month or so ago and was very impressed with it. Covers a lot of topics in a very easy to read style

First boat, which has already subjected us to several heart-stopping incidents:

• Trailer tyre blow-out bringing it from Somerset to East Kent
• Breaking mooring chains in Broadstairs and playing pinball with the fishing boats in the Harbour
• Engine failing when moving it to Ramsgate, resulting in a beaching and a lot of swearing

Now safely moored in Ramsgate, and cannot wait to get the damage to the gelcoat repaired and a new engine to actually try fishing off it.

It is the cream one with the Shetland 536 decal 

Hi,

As a family, we have been shore fishing now and then over the past 5 years or so. Recently upgraded to a small boat (Shetland Family Four), so once it is sea-worthy, we have a lot to learn about using this as a fishing platform.

We are based in Ramsgate, so any hints and tips for the local waters would be most welcome.

Cheers,

Patrick