The Sealine C390 celebrated its premiere at this year's boot in Düsseldorf. At the end of March, she was ready for testing on the Flensburg Fjord at the local Sealine dealer Flensburger Yachtservice. Back in Düsseldorf, the shipyard explained to us that the C390 closes an important gap in Sealine's boat programme. For a long time, there was nothing between the 330 and the 430. The fact that the product managers have done everything right with the C390 can at least be seen from the words of Maxim Neumann, Sales Manager at Hanse. On the test day, he spoke of a good two dozen boats that had already been ordered and that the visitors at the trade fair were simply delighted with the new development.
Our test boat (construction number 1) is moored at the jetty in Sonvig Marina, from where we can easily access the Sealine via the bathing platform and the stern entrance with door. Although it was not exactly spring-like on the test day on the Flensburg Fjord, this did not detract from the test procedure with a boat like the Sealine C390. For example, the saloon with its cruising position can be heated to a cosy temperature using a warm air heater. Another advantage of this heater is that some of the air outlets are located directly behind the windscreen as so-called defroster nozzles. They ensure a clear view, especially in wet weather. To "sweep away" rain or splash water on the outside, the shipyard installs two sturdy wipers with a washer system. However, an unwiped area about 30 cm wide remains in the centre of the windscreen.
Need more information? The test of the Sealine C 390 with all technical data, further measurement results and full assessment can be found in BOOTE issue 6/2019 ( available here ).
The boat is driven from a spacious bench, on which not only the skipper can sit comfortably, but also a child or a petite adult. Two additional co-pilots fit on the convertible double bench on the port side. It is either integrated into the seating area in the saloon or can be folded down and used as a passenger bench. Back to the driver's seat: the front part of the seat cushion can be folded up, which encourages you to drive standing up. However, I (1.80 metres tall) then have the roof frame in my field of vision when the sunroof is open. Maxim Neumann comments: "The folded-up seat is mainly there so that you can easily reach the side door." A door like this is really practical, because it means the skipper always has good voice contact with his crew when mooring, and he can also quickly access the side deck himself and help out, for example by taking up the centre cleat.
To make docking and casting off easy, our test boat has a joystick steering system, although this costs a good 16,000 euros extra. Of course, the boat can also be manoeuvred without this steering system, but it is not quite as easy and safe as with the system. Just past the harbour exit, a wind of around 3-4 Bft blows towards us, which picks up a little further out. The resulting choppy waves are passed through the hull smoothly and without heavy spray. Even in fast bends there was no uneasy feeling, the Sealine C390 made its rounds softly without hooking or rocking. The electro-hydraulic steering was child's play to operate, reacting somewhat more directly (tighter) to port than to starboard. It is not uncommon for the edge of the roof or the cabin roof to be in the field of vision of the inside of the bend in port circles (on boats with a starboard driving position), and this was no different on our test boat.
To maintain visibility during the transition from displacement to planing speed, we recommend using the trim tabs (extra charge) and setting the Z-drives to "down". The flaps also provide a noticeable improvement in visibility at slow and medium gliding speeds. You no longer need them at full throttle, but can balance the boat with a little power trim. Our test boat becomes a fast distance runner at 3000 rpm with almost 25 knots. In this situation, 3.82 l/sm run through the diesel lines, and thanks to the 900-litre tank we can cover 200 nm plus 15% reserve. However, speeds below this are also quite economical, which noticeably extends the economic range. Slow sailing? The canal speeds here are between 3.8 and a good 6 knots. In this range, the hull runs nicely straight ahead and the stern wave maintains an appropriate height. For an emergency voyage - i.e. if an engine fails - around 2200 rpm at a good 9 knots is suitable for heading for the harbour. At speeds above this, the speed barely increases.
However, regular maintenance and daily visual inspections are of course recommended to prevent an engine from failing in the first place. If you want to take a look inside the engine compartment, you must first either open the saloon door fully or keep it fully closed, otherwise the electrically operated floor flap (can also be opened manually) will hit the half-open door unit. A ladder facilitates access to the engine room, and there is plenty of space for servicing work. Apart from a flattened cable in the empty conduit, the cable and pipe routing made a tidy impression. The battery attachment with solid ratchet straps, the installation of diesel filters with water alarm sensors, electrically and manually operated main switches, remote-controlled diesel shut-off valves and the fire extinguishing system also made a positive impression.
The test boat's other safety features include two electric bilge pumps and a hand bilge pump, suitably wide side decks, solid railings and escape hatches. Sealine takes a two-pronged approach to the bathing ladder: a sturdy ladder is housed in the box on the bathing platform for easy entry and exit from the water. If you forget to hook it in before jumping into the water, there is a simple entry aid in the platform area in case of an emergency.
Sun-seekers have also been catered for. There is a large area for them in the bow and a convertible seating area in the cockpit. The shipyard has also designed the roofing of the cockpit to be variable, with a folding roof (guided in lateral extensions of the cabin roof) spanning the area. The aforementioned saloon door can be folded to the side and the window on the starboard side can be lifted and locked in place to perfectly unite the saloon and galley with the cockpit. The galley block has everything you need to prepare breakfast or cook hot meals.
The sleeping and care area is located one floor below. The corridor leads to the guest wet room (also intended as a day toilet). It is noticeable here that the toilet is located in the shower cubicle to save space. As usual, the owner's "care unit" is only accessible from his cabin. The shower and toilet are separate in this room. However, the toilet bowl is a little too close to the wall for me. The owner's cabin with double berth in the bow is a fixed part of the layout, while the underfloor area can be ordered in different ways: two cabins with double berths or separate beds or the starboard cabin as a huge storage space. In the standard version, however, you only get mattresses without underfloor ventilation. On our test boat, we had a number of amenities and items of equipment at extra cost. Sealine puts together special accessory packages in order to offer these at the best possible price for the buyer.
Ralf Marquard
Deputy Editor in Chief BOOTE
