SHETLAND OWNERS ASSOCIATION

Setting up the Outboard:

Mistake No 2: The Outboard I got with the boat was not set up to be used on a steering console or a throttle remote, It was a manual tiller steered outboard (despite the bloke that I bought from assuring me that he had been using it on lakes and canals with the kids and the ...

The Shopping Spree:

OK, so the one good thing of work keeping me busy for 14 months meant that I had time to shop and make lists. I took my time finding what I needed and it meant that I could search for the best value for money, so I did just that.

Now I had the time (and the weather) to carry on ...

Change of location:

At this point I was re-assigned and posted to the Solent. (purely by luck)

Near Emsworth I found a plethora of Chandlers, Shipwrights, Marine Engineers, the works. This was the place for me.

From the local businesses I sourced all I required (the best bit was that when I ...

The Windows:

Now came the tough trip hazards, so far all was quite manageable with a bit of effort. Instead of keeping things standard spec, I let my enthusiasm and creativity run amok.

I scoured the internet and found some Shetland 535 Poly carbonate windows for sale on eBay (Tinted, like my ...

Anti-fouling:

I became aware of this anti-fouling thing and realized that getting the boat of the trailer with the resources available to me, was a task defined to be more than a struggle.

At the time I resided in the Wiltshire area and the plan was to visit the Cotswold lakes, the local canals in ...

The paint job:

Being a single bloke in the military, I did not have much in the way of storage space or places to work in, so between weekends and a lot of maneuvering and evading of the station fire officer, I managed to sneak the 535 into military hangers and get some paint on her.

My only ...

The Plan,

I commenced with the Google image exploration for ideas and came up with my plan, to keep my goals on track I even drew a digital representation (to the best of my ability and the tools available).

The baseline:

For £900 I bought a 535 hull, with no windows and only a base paint layer. It also included a trailer and a 40 Hp Mariner outboard (with a tiller setup, i.e. not really the right outboard for a boat with a steering console) and some camper van DIY type insulation and speedboat carpet ...

By means of introduction, my name is Danie and a few years ago I decided that the retirement dream (still 8 years + to go) would be to live on a boat in the Mediterranean Sea, whilst working on the boat to build, fix, repair etc. Then the thought arose that I might not like it and that I have never ...