The Linssen press release describes the Grand Sturdy 30.0 AC and 30.0 Sedan as "two stable, easy-to-manoeuvre yachts that can be used to navigate all European inland waters - rivers, canals and lakes. However, the new Grand Sturdy models can also be used to cruise around sheltered coastal areas."
An assessment that we definitely share. Our test boat, the sedan version, is particularly suitable for inland areas with low bridges due to its low clearance height.
However, compared to her AC sister, she only has one fixed berth in the foredeck. The "Easy-Sleep-Convert-System" in the saloon is identical on both. This is the option of converting the seating area into a fully-fledged double berth.
double berth.
Of course, you don't want to go through the conversion procedure every day on longer journeys, so the bunk is ideal for weekend guests or visiting grandchildren.
In normal use as a seating area, it easily seats three people comfortably. If you add the stool from the small desk, the quartet is complete. OneSpecial feature on the helmsman's chairIts backrest can be folded 180° into the footwell. You can either rest your arm comfortably on the free cushion of the driver's seat or a person can sit on it and let their legs dangle towards the centre of the boat.
If you want a television, it is integrated into the aforementioned desk. From this office space on the port side, the workspace of the cook is located forward. Here you will find a 3-burner gas cooker, 80-litre refrigerator with freezer compartment, suitable storage facilities and work surfaces.
The sleeping and care area is accessed via two steps one floor below. The double bunk isexemplary with slatted frames and steps on both sides guarantee easy access to the comfortable bunk. There are plenty of cupboards with shelves and racks. A cupboard for hanging clothes is located at the entrance to the saloon.
If you want to go to the toilet room, you can either go through a door from the vestibule or from the forward cabin. With the second option, however, you have to "make thin", as the door hits the mattress due to the design and the entrance opening is only about 0.36 metres wide. The same applies to the entrance to the shower.
At 1.80 metres tall, I had to pull my head in a little in both rooms, as the average room heights are around 1.78 metres. There is enough space around the toilet for an adult. In the shower room opposite, there is a bench for relaxed personal hygiene.
There is another shower facility on theBathing platformwhich is mainly used for rinsing off after a refreshing swim. There is a bathing ladder that is easily accessible from the water for easy entry and exit. To access the bathing platform from the cockpit, the centre section (separate stool) must first be removed from the cockpit bench and the stern door opened.
Our test boat had no cushions on the bench, which extends across the entire width of the boat and can also be used as a lounger. The new "Linssen Longtop extended roof" towers over everything.
Driving and technology
The aforementioned driver's bench can be pushed forwards and backwards so that you can always find a suitable seating position to turn the steering wheel unhindered. The skipper has to lean forward slightly to operate the mechanical single-lever control.
The windscreen made of safety glass is divided into three sections with wide struts, the windows directly at the helm and in the centre have windscreen wipers, but the one on the port side does not, as it can be opened for ventilation.
For the instrumentation, Linssen has installed a rev counter with digital display from Volvo Penta, a monitor for the navigation, and a switch panel with digital display - which is part of the so-called "ICCES system" - is responsible for the on-board technology. This involves two identical panels (one at the helm and one at the galley), which are connected to a central unit in the engine compartment and can be used to control, switch and manage everything.
For driving: With a displacement boat like this, you can of course move along at a leisurely pace. We measured a maximum of 6.3 knots on our test area, the Grevelingenmeer. The 30.0 Sedan travels economically at around 5 knots at a good 2000 rpm, which means it can travel around 250 nm on one tank of fuel plus the obligatory 15% reserve. And all this with a relaxed noise level.
You don't have to rush when holding course either, you have to let the Linssen level out a little and only correct a tick now and then. The hull responds to fast manoeuvres such as tight turns with onlylow inclination on the outside of the bend.
Back in the harbour, our test boat is manoeuvrable with the bow and stern thruster (extra), giving the skipper safety when mooring at the jetty and in the box. This is also provided by the fire extinguishing system in the engine compartment and the additional fire extinguisher.
Although two electric bilge pumps are convenient, they cannot replace the additional manual bilge pump that we require. The easily accessible engine (under the saloon floor) is just as much a part of operational safety as the proper pipework and the extra diesel filter.
Giving security of movementAnti-slip structureshandrails and railing. If you want to climb from the side deck into the cockpit (or vice versa), you have to be careful not to hit your head on the cockpit roof. The hull is protected from small bumps by a thick, ship-like wieling.
CONCLUSION
The Linssen Grand Sturdy 30.0 Sedan is a cruising boat for two people who like to travel inland - a trip to the coast is of course also possible. It has the typical displacement characteristics and can be safely moored in the harbour and manoeuvred in the lock using the bow and stern thruster. The interior and exterior of our test boat are of a high quality standard.
You can read this article in the September issue 2018 from BOOTE.
Ralf Marquard
Deputy Editor in Chief BOOTE
