4+2 for sale - "Obsession X"

[Clive]

1988 Shetland 4+2 number 319.
Asking price including 2019 multi-roller trailer (very little use), offers around £15,250

The time has come. My much loved and cosseted 4+2 needs to find a new owner. I bought her in 2019 and kept her on a new custom build De Graaff multi roller trailer. I have made many improvements in that time but spent more time doing that than using her. Culminated last year in my being diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the spine, two months incapacitated and a house move further away from water makes regular use unlikely. People on the group have said don’t be hasty and honestly I’m not. It’s been on my mind for a long while and mooring fees in this part of the country are way beyond what I can afford. The boat is in amazing condition and turns heads wherever she goes. Her colour theme is cream, black and stainless steel. She will come with an anchor, but no chain, two automatic life jackets with new cartridges, and everything needed for coastal work, all new and unused, but not fitted:
Icom IC-M330GE VHF radio with GPS receiver, new and boxed and not yet registered
Aerial
43 litre fuel tank
Electric fuel sender and gauge
Stainless Petrol deck filler with key
Fuel pipes, clamps and jubilee clips

Boat Details

Honda 35hp outboard on stainless steel framed swim deck with wood slats and transom
New steering controls
New helm
New helm wheel
New black canopy
New cream marine vinyl cockpit seats
Infil to make sunbathing bed or sleeping for two
Cockpit table
Corner fenders (new black)
Used tonneau

In the cabin
Locking cabin doors with lift off doors and flyscreen
Flushing sea toilet (Jabsco Manual Compact) and 100L holding tank
Electric pumped water with new 50 litre water tank and switched tap
2 burner gas hob and grill
Fridge, Electrolux 12/230v (gas disconnected)
Fresh water pump
V berth for 2 with table that acts as a fill in for the bed
Bench seats (facing) with table that acts as a fill in for bed
Electrics cupboard and new fuse box.
Victron Energy Battery Monitor for Main and Aux batteries
Velex FM/DAB radio with Bluetooth and Aux for own music sources
Vetus stainless steel portholes with (removable) flyscreens


Purchased June 2019, following a refit with all new fabric linings (light grey) in the cabin, new cream upholstery in the cockpit and the wierd carpet walls in the head replaced with marine cream washable faux leather. The outside was cleaned and polished and new black antifoul.

Here is a list of what I’ve done over my time of ownership…

First thing that happened was leaks! First of these was the Houdini hatch which despite online saying you can’t, I fixed by cleaning out all the old glass sealant keeping the spacers and replacing with marine sealant.
Next was the front screen, which I replaced with UV polycarbonate (shatterproof in case of impact).
Next leak turned out to be the seal behind the rubbing strake between the hull and superstructure. This I repaired by removing the rubbing strake, cleaning out all the old sealant and replacing with marine sealant and coating fixings to preserve. A very big job!
Final leak was the aft-most bow rail fixing which was loose, so it was removed, cleaned and resealed. The boat has been watertight ever since, and is often a major but common problem and a pig to fix! No surfaces are soft and the hull foam is all dry.

The wiring was at best suspect. I replaced all wiring from the port side batteries to a new fuse box in the cabin correctly using red and black cable of appropriate size. I added a panel of switches at the helm. Batteries are now fused at the terminals and there is a shunt and negative bus bar. I fitted a Blue Sea ‘Add a Battery’, much better than any 1-2-both switches and it balances charging. For shore power charging I installed a Victron Energy Blue Smart charger, 3 outputs, bluetooth. There is a Victron Energy Battery Monitor in the cabin and an app that connects via bluetooth so you can check the SoC without getting into the boat. All wiring is now identified for easy maintenance including the ground, wired to the sacrificial anodes on the transom.

The engine works well - as it should. Initially the tell tale stoped, but a thorough flushing and clean, with new thermostat cleared it. Early outings on the canal with the engine pretty much trolling at around 1500rpm revealed an uneven tick-over, as if it was choking up. I did a complete carb overhaul which revealed hairline cracks (common problem) in the slow running jet, which have been replaced. It now runs fine but could benefit from having a good run in some open water. The impeller has been replaced and has only done a few hours since.

When I got the boat the grp was good and with the new interior, the main reason I chose her. However, the engine and steering controls went through the transom via a worn out “witches hat” that was partly covered by a transom corner fender that had also seen better days. Both came out and I filled the transom hole, making a new hole for steering and throttle controls through an alloy mounted gland - ridiculously expensive but very smart! I also fitted a fuel line gland and replaced the corner fenders with new black ones. The grp generally had many holes from removed accessories and the starboard transom corner had had a ding that revealed a roughly 3cm square of fibreglass and a spider crack. These have been cut back and filled with colour matched grp supplied by East Coast Fibreglass (great company). All the many screw holes have been filled with filler, not mastic. Whilst working on the hull I replaced the old worn thru-hull fittings.

The cabin doors had worn plastic vents which I replaced with stainless steel. I restored the wood trims on the doors and cabin surround.
Lights in the cabin and toiled have been replaced with LED fittings. The tap is now switched to work the pump.
I never liked trying to get to the under seat storage in the dinette, so I made two sliding drawers that self open and close. They have a panel behind with gives a small hidden space to hide things.
The original Vetus portholes were plastic and had almost corroded away. I bit the bullet and bought replacement Vetus stainless steel portholes with flyscreens. They make such a difference and were worth the re-mortgage to buy them!!!

Finally, the decals were tired. I copied off the most complete of the Shetland Logos and made up a template for some new monochrome decals. A copy of the original is on the cabin entrance next to the makers shield. Whilst at it I changed the old boat name decals.

So that’s it. I’m sure there’s something I’ve missed and I have an album on my phone of over 650 photographs! A number of my projects have been posted here but ask if there’s anything specific you want to see.

[chrisk]

Clive
Just seen the lift off hinges on the cabin doors where did you get them from.
Chris Knight

[Clive]

Hi - there are a couple of threads on the topic if you search "lift off hinges"
I got mine from https://juststainless.co.uk/product/lif ... right-hand, you will need 2 left hand and 2 right hand. The screw holes lined up perfectly on my boat but will likely differ on some boats. Mine were 64 x 36mm.
Of course, you could buy my boat and it comes with them already fitted!

[blebrocq]

I have the same idea on my 4+2

20230804_105918.jpg

I found mine on ebay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295112496919

Bob

[vreagh]

If you cut the upper stud a little shorter than the lower, it will be easier to lift on and off as only one has to line up at a time.

[blebrocq]

Yep, did that too
Bob

[Clive]

And me!

[dellquay13]

Congratulations on the sale, a happy but sad occasion.

[Clive]

Yes, but a relief I don’t have to over winter it again. Happy because a friend of a friend is selling their Hymer B545 after 20 years, and I can afford it - from one classic to another!

[riosil]

Clive, I just want to add a huge thank you for sharing your 4+2 upgrades. They're an inspiration, I'll be happy if I come close to the standard and quality you achieved. I've saved this page in case it's deleted so I have a permanent reference.

Best wishes and good health for your next adventures
~Steve