Dutch steel yachts - do you know one, do you know them all? Yes and no. There was a time when you could (almost) only tell the difference between our neighbours' motor cruisers by their nameplates. While boat builders in England, Italy and Scandinavia were slowly but surely moving away from wood and steel at the end of the sixties and favouring glass fibre reinforced plastic (GRP) as a "building material", in the land of seas, canals and canals, people have remained loyal to sheet metal (as rolled metal is called), which is available in almost any desired thickness and quality (seePhoto galleryabove). The reasons are simple processing and a relatively favourable price.
If you want to build a boat from plastic, you not only need a place that is warm, dry and well ventilated, but first of all a model from which you can take a negative mould in which the hull, deck and other components can later be laminated. Quite a lot of effort, which is only worthwhile for series production in large quantities. A steel boat, on the other hand, can be built in any large garage.
And that's exactly what the Dutch, one in two of whom (sorry, dear neighbours) knows how to build a proper boat, wanted. For a long time, there was no discussion about what it should look like: An articulated chine, which is a hull shape with a square chine (the transition of the boat's bottom to the side), because these are much easier to build with their straight, angular lines than a round chine equipped with a round chine, whose panels have to be shaped with a lot of effort.
It doesn't seem to matter that boats with an articulated or V-frame favour planing rather than displacement. What is important is that the bent frame creates more space in the foredeck and has a slightly lower draught in comparison. The better seaworthiness of the round bulkhead was not in demand at the time.
Anyone buying a Dutch motor cruiser in the 1980s wanted to go inland with the family or the skittles brothers. Lots of berths, plenty of living space with a beautiful view, a low clearance height and as little draught as possible were at the top of the wish list for customers looking to make a profit. The cruisers are therefore equipped with folding masts and windscreens as standard. A cabin with a V-berth is installed in the foredeck as standard, as are the spacious aft cabin with a double bed, the galley with convertible dinette, the separate toilet room and the deck saloon with large windows.
People (and women) want to see and be seen. That's why the poop deck above the aft cabin and the outside steering position installed there are a must on every real "Holland steamer". You sail slowly because the area and the construction and equipment of the boat demand it. Engine power and technology are often secondary. The whole thing has to be inexpensive because - regardless of whether it has 50 or 100 hp - the boat only runs at 6.5 knots anyway. As a result, marinised car engines are often installed in front of conventional shaft systems.
The conventional shaft systems have remained. The only difference is that the elastic motor feet in front of them are now fitted with ultra-modern marine diesels. In perfectly soundproofed engine compartments, of course. King Customer wants comfort and is prepared to pay for it. He also wants to cruise coastal waters and the Rhine against the current. This is not possible without powerful engines and navigation electronics.
Lock and harbour manoeuvres, previously often the cause of sleepless nights and countless marital crises, become pure joy thanks to bow and stern thrusters and their joysticks. You look for and find fun in boating. And this is also due to the fact that the days of "Gelsenkirchen baroque" are long gone when it comes to the interior. The furnishings are no longer "zero-eight-fifteen", but elegant and chic. And yet stable and functional.
Apart from the fact that there has been a silent (or was it loud?) revolution in model policy, the design and colour language has become completely different. There are hardly any boat builders left who do without beautiful curves, fine woods and fabrics. Why should they? Customers want them and are prepared to dig a little deeper into their wallets for them. Owner's suites with a view of the sea, separate bathrooms, fully equipped galleys, air conditioning and retractable flat screens are no longer a luxury that you can only dream of.
Anyone looking for a Dutch steel yacht today wants anything but a grey mouse. They are looking for a boat that is rock solid yet stylish, that offers safety and comfort, that meets their exact requirements and that they can be seen with. It's no longer that simple - steel yacht builders have responded to the diverse wishes of potential owners. If you take them all together, they now have a portfolio that leaves hardly a wish unfulfilled. For example, there are flybridge yachts whose "fine suit" can easily keep up with the plastic competition in terms of elegance.
Classic fans will find interesting objects in the classic and retro lines offered by some shipyards. The trend towards "small" (8-9 m) boats, which some renowned shipyards are pursuing, is also noteworthy. The OK series are successful and particularly popular with owners travelling without children. OK stands for Open Kuip, which means "open cockpit".
OK owners forego the aft cabin and instead enjoy the benefits of an open cockpit, which is only separated from the saloon by sliding doors and is thus a terrace on the water. People who are in a hurry from time to time are also catered for. If you have your boat built out of aluminium and place a "double" in the engine compartment for the standard diesel soloist, you can make rapid progress if necessary. It goes without saying that more speed doesn't come for free.
The high quality of the material and workmanship are also a matter of course. The days of welding electrodes, acetylene and oxygen are clearly over. Today, we cut with plasma or laser technology and weld with shielding gas - this guarantees dimensional accuracy and dimensional stability. The nightmare of "rusting" is also a thing of the past. Modern 2-component colour systems offer excellent corrosion protection.
If we take the new generation of Dutch steel yachts as the yardstick for the question posed at the beginning about the "principle of equality", the answer is a clear "no".
PART 2: PEOPLE TO FOLLOW IN A FEW DAYS
