Steel...Linssen

I just spent some time this evening looking at Linssen's site and some of their history and boats. I know they have virtually no presence in the US and we're still largely a US site with Australia tossed in and then a little bit of Europe. This brand has been mentioned here a couple of times as canal boats came up.

Third generation family owned company. Built only in steel. Those who know us, know that a slow, steel boat, wouldn't appeal to us. However, if we were looking at 30-50' boats and ok without speed and steel was of interest to us, a fine Netherlands builder like them would be ideal.

I was just curious as to anyone who has been on one and as to general reaction to the boat. I so often here laments about lack of builders in that range and no steel builders, so here is one. I'd love to hear any comments.

https://www.linssenyachts.com/en/

While not my style not taste of interior design, the fit and finish appears impressive. It takes a quality Craftsman to make a steel hull look like a nicely faired fiberglass hull.

Ted

I saw one in Baltimore. There is a dealer on the East Coast somewhere (can't remember). Seems like a nice boat. Yes, not very fast, but lots of room and well finished.

Dutch steel boats are highly regarded in Europe, and as you say, some are designed for canal/river usage and some for offshore.
As long as all the anti-corrosive and insulation protocols are followed during construction in all the hidden areas, which of course the high-end builders adhere to, the end result is a quality vessel.

Southern Boater said:

Dutch steel boats are highly regarded in Europe, and as you say, some are designed for canal/river usage and some for offshore.
As long as all the anti-corrosive and insulation protocols are followed during construction in all the hidden areas, which of course the high-end builders adhere to, the end result is a quality vessel.

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This is a builder with a long, excellent history and reputation, too.

Linssen did build some fibreglass boats although I'm not sure if they still do.

https://ca.boats.com/power-boats/2003-linssen-ds-45-variotop-7926393/

Nice but it looks like you’re piloting Ikea office furniture down the River.

Really nice boats B&B. Love the modern, European interior - can't handle dark teak anymore. I saw a bunch of those a the marina outside Antwerp.

Three or four years ago a friend was trying to buy one for a loop cruise but the principals made it impossible to build one and import it.

We've seen a fair number of them while cruising canals and rivers in Germany and The Netherlands.
While I've never been aboard one, I've seen many up-close from the exterior. Here are my impressions:
- Refined and absolutely gorgeous steel & paint work.

- Most spend their time inland, but they are also suited for some shore/sea travel, as the extraordinary weight is a benefit.
- They are low enough to cruise the majority of NL canals - which can often have low bridges, yet they are high enough to provide for generous interior space and headroom.

- My observation is that the models with the aft cabin are most popular.
- Mast, bridge windows, arch, etc. are all cleverly engineered to fold down, when absolutely necessary to manage a low bridge.
- For their "bulk", I think they have rather unique and eye-pleasing lines
- Be careful if you are on shore, intending to assist an inexperienced captain dock his boat (Linssen's often appear in rental fleets). Don't even think about trying to push on it to help fend-off. Even if it's only a 38 footer. You will have no chance against the weight of this boat and risk getting injured.
- I admire the look -- and especially the practicality -- of the ~3-4" rope "rub rail" around the perimeter of the boat. Makes fenders in locks somewhat unnecessary, if you don't mind getting your rope rub rail dirty. Very convenient.,
- If one is manoeuvering, using the bow thruster, within a kilometer of you, you will know it ;-)

I saw a Linssen at the Newport Boat Show represented by an owner who wanted to import them back in 2000. I fell in love with these boats as being great for the Bahamas or Great Loop or areas with shallow water. I begged the owner to let me have his boat as a dealer demo in FLL. I have successfully concluded maybe 7 Linssen sales over the years, both new and used. Linssen wanted me to be a stocking dealer and my answer was, "I sell boats, not buy them" and that ended Linssen's presence in the US. They are quality built with good finish work. Almost all of the pre-purchase surveys I attended proved them to be stout with good systems and equipment. In all audiogauging, I only had one vessel, a L47, that had one spot that showed a small area of concern for mixed metals (I believe it was the wrong screw in a deck plate.) These boats even hold up to owner neglect well.

PassageMaker Magazine had a full review in the June 2001 issue. Be sure to notice who is at the helm on the front cover

Judy

I spent a fair bit of time onboard one at the 2019 Annapolis show. I was very impressed with the high quality of components and engineering down below. Thoughtful design when comes to servicing and access. Wiring was extremely neat and professional as was all the plumbing.

While not my cup of tea from a looks perspective, I was very impressed with the quality of the boat.

Judy at JWY said:

I saw a Linssen at the Newport Boat Show represented by an owner who wanted to import them back in 2000. I fell in love with these boats as being great for the Bahamas or Great Loop or areas with shallow water. I begged the owner to let me have his boat as a dealer demo in FLL. I have successfully concluded maybe 7 Linssen sales over the years, both new and used. Linssen wanted me to be a stocking dealer and my answer was, "I sell boats, not buy them" and that ended Linssen's presence in the US. They are quality built with good finish work. Almost all of the pre-purchase surveys I attended proved them to be stout with good systems and equipment. In all audiogauging, I only had one vessel, a L47, that had one spot that showed a small area of concern for mixed metals (I believe it was the wrong screw in a deck plate.) These boats even hold up to owner neglect well.

PassageMaker Magazine had a full review in the June 2001 issue. Be sure to notice who is at the helm on the front cover

Judy

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Discovery Yachts in the PNW (nwyachtnet.com) is now shown as their US dealer. They show they own one demo yacht but no others in stock.

O C Diver said:

While not my style not taste of interior design, the fit and finish appears impressive. It takes a quality Craftsman to make a steel hull look like a nicely faired fiberglass hull.

Ted

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And I suspect lots and lots of filler under that pretty paint job.

BandB said:

I'd love to hear any comments.

https://www.linssenyachts.com/en/

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My wife and I look at trawlers for full time living in the future and hope to be able to do so soon. We'll never be able to afford a Fleming but appreciate quality even in lesser boats. We just looked at the Linssen 500 VarioTop for the first time and we both raised our eyebrows and said hmmm at the same time.

We're looking again.

Maybe compare electrical build specs Aus and Eur vs USA as a start.

rgano said:

And I suspect lots and lots of filler under that pretty paint job.

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Good point and that's why you want to visit the yard to see other boats when at steel-work stage. That's what turned me off of Asboat in Turkey when I was considering building a Diesel Duck.

The interior finish works and carpentry were spectacular. But the steelwork was really lacking for quality. The gas cutting was rough and jagged and just crying out for future corrosion. I remember seeing a solid inch or more of filler. Blocks of glued in EPS insulation were poorly done.

Quality is what is hidden on the inside, not what you see on the outside!

rgano said:

And I suspect lots and lots of filler under that pretty paint job.

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No doubt. Lots of filler...lots of block sanding...lots of dirty work.

Mako said:

I remember seeing a solid inch or more of filler.

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Ask any good auto body guy and they’ll tell you that is a giant mistake. Even quality filler will crack and fall off if piled on steel that thick.

localboy said:

No doubt. Lots of filler...lots of block sanding...lots of dirty work.

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In our experience, this is a false assumption with a quality builder.
We have owned two steel ships built in the Netherlands though neither was a Linssen. We have blasted the hulls to white steel in order to be secure in knowing the coatings were to current standards, so we have seen what lies under the paint.
The steel work and welding has been a work of art with very little faring if any. We recoated with none and the result was the same mirror as prior. These guys are magicians with compound bends in the steel, in how the plates are joined, and in the beauty of the welding.

Photos are of Klee Wyck during recoating.

There is a 33 at the Seattle in water Boat Show, so I checked it out. t's very tight, even for a 33, I thought. And BandB, you would not be happy. My head was grazing the ceiling throughout, and I think you are a couple inches taller than I am.


That said, it was nicely laid out, and clearly has a low air draft.

I always enjoy looking at listing for Dutch steel boats, and an always amazed at how great older boats there look. The part I always wonder about is how much of their lives do these boats spend in salt water? I assume it would be quite a bit easier to keep a steel boat nice if there was little or no salt involved.

twistedtree said:

There is a 33 at the Seattle in water Boat Show, so I checked it out. t's very tight, even for a 33, I thought. And BandB, you would not be happy. My head was grazing the ceiling throughout, and I think you are a couple inches taller than I am.


That said, it was nicely laid out, and clearly has a low air draft.

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That's a real problem I'm use to facing. For a short cruise, livable, not not for spending lots of time aboard. I don't know a 33' I can stand on, especially if I have shoes on.

A GL33 has 6' 4" headroom

Objectivity is a rare disease....

Headroom on a Nordhavn 46 is 1.9 meters
Headroom on the Linssen Grand Sturdy 33 is 1.95 meters (6'5")

ScottC said:

A GL33 has 6' 4" headroom

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And I just barely don't fit if barefoot. Even a little worse with shoes.

When younger I sometimes wished I'd been 7' as basketball was my sport. I can't imagine the constant challenges they face, but guess they are use to it.

Really only hit my head a lot when I was having my growth spurt from 5'3" at 15 years old to 6'5" (with shoes) at 21 years old. Only grew another 3/4" or so after that. Over time you find yourself ducking even when you don't need to. I would be fine, walking slumped, for a weekend on a GL33 but not owning one.

Fortunately Wifey B is relatively tall so only 7" difference. I had a friend in NC who was 6'4" and his wife was 5'0". In crowds he would often carry her on his shoulders as she weighed less than 100 pounds. Beautiful, but miniature. When I was making a trip to Australia, she said I could carry her in my suitcase. Obviously not considering it but then out of curiosity we did a test and she fit in a 26" suitcase with no problem.

Not to wander this thread…

But a friend of mine is 6’4 and 285. Shawn is a beast of a man. Not fat, just big and powerful. He says it’s not all good. He is “hard” on everything: furniture, beds, car interiors… nothing lasts. But when he shows up or responds to scenes where real a-holes are present, they usually don’t challenge him or mouth off. Usually.

localboy said:

Not to wander this thread…

But a friend of mine is 6’4 and 285. Shawn is a beast of a man. Not fat, just big and powerful. He says it’s not all good. He is “hard” on everything: furniture, beds, car interiors… nothing lasts. But when he shows up or responds to scenes where real a-holes are present, they usually don’t challenge him or mouth off. Usually.

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Wifey B: My man is the gentlest, kindest many and in shoes he's like 6'6" but only a tad over 200 pounds. Still well built and amazing how all he has to do is walk up and troublemakers state to back away. There's a certain authority that comes with height. His only near fight in his life was just holding a dude up by his collar against a wall and suggesting the guy should leave. One guy we knew one day was talking about fights he'd been in and was shocked hubby hadn't been in any. He said as a kid he was way too small and wasnt' about to fight and as an adult people weren't inclined to want to fight him. :lol:

Studies have shown it's impact for businessmen. Really stupid that tall men have had greater odds of promotion. You see the same now with women. Taller women have greater odds. Even tall teachers have advantages in middle and high school. However, the opposite is true in elementary grades where the kids can identify easier with teachers who are shorter.

I use to worry he was going to hit his head in places but he says when you're tall you notice things and you bend even when you may not need to. Mattresses would annoy me most as only a Cal King works decently but they don't seem to bother him as long as the top sheet isn't tucked in.

klee wyck said:

Objectivity is a rare disease....

Headroom on a Nordhavn 46 is 1.9 meters
Headroom on the Linssen Grand Sturdy 33 is 1.95 meters (6'5")

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Correction, the boat I was on was a Grand Sturdy 35, not a 33. But my head was definitely grazing the ceiling panels when I stood up straight with no shoes, and I'm a touch under 6' 3". And there is no hair on my head to confuse the height.

Linssen

iI have a Linssen Dutch Sturdy 320 here in New Bern NC. It is a fantastic boat and very comfortable. The boat gets lots of comments as it is not something you usually see in the States.

BandB said:

I just spent so in the States.me time this evening looking at Linssen's site and some of their history and boats. I know they have virtually no presence in the US and we're still largely a US site with Australia tossed in and then a little bit of Europe. This brand has been mentioned here a couple of times as canal boats came up.

Third generation family owned company. Built only in steel. Those who know us, know that a slow, steel boat, wouldn't appeal to us. However, if we were looking at 30-50' boats and ok without speed and steel was of interest to us, a fine Netherlands builder like them would be ideal.

I was just curious as to anyone who has been on one and as to general reaction to the boat. I so often here laments about lack of builders in that range and no steel builders, so here is one. I'd love to hear any comments.

https://www.linssenyachts.com/en/

Click to expand...