Shetland 570 (Standard Build)

The Shetland 570 is an excellent all round boat and they are there to be rescued from some forgotten mooring or back garden. Down at my old moorings there are now three in use for angling and in Dink Lemoignan's words he considers the 570 to be "one of the best boats I've ever ad!"

These boats can be purchased with an outboard for anything between £500 to  £7000. This is one of those cases where you DON'T pay for what you get..... because the cheapest 570's offer incredible value, so wait for a cheap one and then trade in the outboard for a new 60hp 4 stroke engine (or a good 60hp 2 stroke). Then get some (now) cheap electronics, and you are into some serious boat fishing for a quarter of what a new set-up would cost. Think of it as recycling and how much fun she will have being brought back into service again (you can't help think of boats as a living thing).  

The trouble with starting with  bigger and faster boats is that you put yourself, crew and other boats in your sea area, at more risk. Most boating enthusiasts, anglers or the other sort, start with something small, that is used for very close inshore work. Here you can learn the tricks of the trade. An alternative would be to gain a qualification through the RYA like the Day Skipper certificate and make sure you have your VHF Radio Operators Licence.

The Shetland 570 is a good buy at the moment. There are two affordable types of 570s around that make ideal Angling Boats, the older one with a turquoise hull and white topsides and the all Cream slightly newer model (has round portholes) they are all 20 years old or more!! Forget the £14,000 you need for a new type of similar boat, forget the French boats (bit on the thin/light side) or the better quality UK or USA ones that you can buy new, they just cost too much. Think of all the guts, blood and snot that will adorn the deck at some stage....it is a fishing platform after all! These Shetland 570's are incredibly well built and the Gel coat comes up like new with very little elbow grease. Stability and ride due to the Gull Wing Hull, is second to none and the Transom is designed for up to 85hp, in it's day it was winning offshore racing events. 

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