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Welcome to the special Classic Boat Archive section, where Boats by Motor opens for you its paper archive where hundreds and hundreds of boats we have tested, presented and reviewed in the magazine’s more than 35-year history are kept. Technical data, original boat data sheets, including engines and performance. In short, a database (constantly being updated) that contains everything you need to know about Classic Boats.
It is 2000 when the Dutch shipyard Linssen launches the Grand Sturdy 460, a solid and safe 14-meter displacement, steel-built vessel ideal for long-range cruising in all weather.
Taken from Motor Boats 2000, no. 2, March, pp. 88-95.
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After fifty years in business, here is the Linssen brand making its debut in Italy as well, imported by Nautica Lessi of Punta Ala. The Dutch shipyard, founded on the banks of the Meuse River in 1949 by Jac Linssen and currently run by his four sons, offers a range of original displacement-hulled boats from 26 to 50 feet. The Linssens display significant dead work and extensive superstructures that do not, however, include the classic flying bridge. The peculiarity of these boats lies mainly in the construction material: steel is used for the hull and deck instead of fiberglass. Production, which includes about 70 units per year, is divided into three lines that differ, more than in appearance, in size. The top of the line is the Grand Sturdy, six models ranging from 12 to 15 meters. These include the Grand Sturdy 460, the first to arrive in Italy along with the smaller Dutch Sturdy 360. Now established throughout Northern Europe, the Linssen brand, to better approach the Mediterranean market, has entrusted the design of an elegant 45-foot express cruiser with planing hull to Don Shead, a name that needs no introduction. Soon to be launched, the Linssen DS 45 is instead built in fiberglass.
Born from the collaboration between the yard’s engineers and designer Willen De Vries Lentsch, the Grand Sturdy 460 presents itself as a boat to be experienced in all seasons. One notices the special attention paid to the rational use of space, the common denominator of all Linssens, aimed at making life on board enjoyable in all weather. Unlike Mediterranean boats, on the Grand Sturdy 460, in keeping with the tradition of the North Seas, space below deck has been given priority. The construction, with a steel hull and wooden interior without structural bulkheads, lends itself to the customization of volumes according to the needs of each individual owner. The lines, unusual for our seas, feature a very rounded bow and pronounced leapfrog. The freeboard slopes progressively towards the stern, up to about three-quarters of the hull, and then rises abruptly in the aft section, which shows a 1.40 m high mirror, whose vertical profile ends with the swim platform. Also curious is the superstructure articulated on three levels, a solution that allowed for large interior volumes. Thanks to its classic displacement hull, the boat does not need exuberant power to reach the optimal maximum speed, which is related to waterline length.
Neither fiberglass nor composite materials, the Grand Sturdy 460, like the Dutch shipyard’s entire range, is built entirely (hull, deck, framework and superstructure) of steel. Abutments, stringers, and stiffeners range in thickness from 5 to as much as 8 mm. For the deck and superstructures, which are lighter, the thickness is reduced to 4 mm. Fuel tanks are also structural and participate in the strengthening of the whole. The joint between the hull and deck is made by carefully welding the two elements so that the boat becomes a single block, absolutely impermeable to water infiltration. The solution adopted to absorb the vibrations and noises produced by the rotation of the propellers is interesting: at the points where the water moved by the propellers hits the hull, two bins, also made of steel, filled with sand have been arranged and welded inside the hull. Not subject to the phenomena of osmosis, however, steel constructions have their drawbacks. As is well known, for many metals in the marine environment, serious damage can be caused by galvanic currents and corrosion. To obviate these unpleasant phenomena, the shipyard, strengthened by consolidated experience, subjects the steel of its boats to special and effective treatments: the metal plates, cut and bent by numerical control, first undergo a chemical treatment of pickling, washing and preparation, and then coating with an epoxy primer and finishing with enamels and paints with high protective qualities. Great care is also taken in the laying of the teak on the deck: in fact, the staves are screwed together with threading screws, which guarantee a greater tightness than self-tapping screws: the threads are also protected with epoxy so as to avoid oxidation caused by the contact of the two metals.
Born in the North Seas where the climate leads to a preference for interior living space, the Grand Sturdy 460 does not offer ample room for outdoor living. The only well-utilized area is the cockpit, with an area of about 10.5 sq. m. free of clutter and a teak bench with lockers below that backs up to the transom. Passage to the aft swim platform, located 1.40 m below, is via a steep ladder ladder. The latter, attached to the starboard side of the transom, while offering solid handholds is unsafe because the walking surface of the swim platform is very small. To solve this problem, it would suffice to lengthen the swim platform by about 30 centimeters, a solution that would also make it more comfortable for shower use. Practical and safe, on the other hand, is the ladder for climbing out of the water, located in the center of the swim platform. From the cockpit, the forward area can be reached thanks to comfortable and safe 42-cm-wide side passages. Noteworthy are the stanchion openings at about two-thirds of the hull, on both sides, and the forward one, which facilitate the descent to land in the case of English or bow moorings. The forward deckhouse, articulated on three levels, lends itself little to being equipped with sunbathing cushions, except for the lower, teak-covered part, which has an area of 1.32 x 2.70 meters. The middle one is partially occupied by the mast that supports the lights, lighthouse, antennas and compass, while the upper one is difficult to reach both because of its height in relation to the bulwarks and because of the non-slip decks. The windlass with horizontal drums, with barbotin for the chain and bell for the lines, is hidden under the deck dunnage, in the center of a large and practical locker suitable for stowing lines and fenders; the chain well below can be inspected only through an opening below deck in the forward cabin.
Typically Nordic, the interior layout of the Grand Sturdy 460 impresses with its brightness and large living spaces. From the cockpit one descends below deck through a teak drum immediately meeting, on the port side, the wheelhouse from which there is good visibility for navigation. For mooring maneuvers, on the other hand, one must move to the deck, since the level of the wheelhouse below that of the cockpit prevents one from seeing the rear of the boat. To overcome this inconvenience, the shipyard has provided, among the options, a camera to be installed in the center of the transom, with a viewer on the dashboard. Inadequate, for a boat intended for long cruises, is the movable helm seat, requested by the owner, which was decidedly unstable therefore dangerous even in lightly formed waves. On the starboard side is a comfortable sofa, served by a small table, which allows guests to follow the navigation together with the captain. Toward the bow, going down a few steps, one reaches the galley, leaning against the starboard broadside and equipped with a double sink, ceramic hob with extractor hood, microwave, refrigerator, cabinets and lockers suitable for stowing dishes and also a considerable amount of provisions, ideal for long sailings. Opposite is the dinette for six people. The owner’s cabin, arranged aft below the cockpit, takes advantage of the full width of the hull with a height of an impressive 2.08 m achieved thanks to the raised cockpit above the deck. Numerous closets and drawers for clothing and personal effects, direct access to the private toilet room, with separate shower stall. The forward cabin with two large 224 × 85 cm V-shaped berths is reserved for guests, served by a bathroom with separate shower and double entrance. The use of cherry wood for furniture and bulkheads, and teak for the dunnage, makes the rooms especially warm and welcoming.
Always the pride of Dutch shipbuilding, the facilities meet very high quality standards. Numerous and practical dunnage openings allow inspection of the bilges and various components. Noteworthy is the freshwater system with all copper piping, a better solution than the plastic pipes commonly used. Rationally designed, the engine room at head height allows for comfortable working around the engines. In order to achieve better thermal-acoustic insulation, which is already ensured by the panelling of the entire room, the floor above is made of teak and rests on a thicker first dunnage. Consequently, the access hatches to the engine cove are also double. To facilitate the disembarkation of the engines, the shipyard provided a central opening located in the living room ceiling.
The Grand Sturdy 460 is powered by two Volvo Penta engines of 145 hp each, a decidedly restrained power for a 14.10-meter hull that weighs 22,000 pounds. After all, as is well known, in the case of displacement hulls, little use is served by large power since the optimum maximum speed is related to waterline length. As a result of a recent agreement, Volvo Penta is developing engines, intended exclusively for Linssen, characterized by lower rpm and lower fuel consumption. Also planned are single-engine solutions.
During the test, the Grand Sturdy 460, powered by 290 hp, touched a top speed of 10 knots at 2600 rpm, staying just below the critical speed threshold. This indicates the right power of the chosen engine, which, while providing the design speeds, offers the advantage of low operating consumption and great range. At both minimum and maximum speeds, the boat proved smooth in wave passage, maneuverable and sensitive to sudden course changes, with an evolutionary diameter of about 20 meters.
The forward cabin has a height of 200 cm, the owner’s cabin 208 cm. The saloon has a height of 203 cm, and the dinette 200 cm. Finally, the toilet, has a height of cm 194.
In 2000, the Grand Sturdy 460 cost, with standard equipment and Volvo Penta 2 x 145-horsepower engine, 785,000,000 lira, excluding VAT. In the 318-horsepower Volvo Penta single-engine version, the price was 734,000,000 liras. Standard equipment included: 55-liter hot water system/boiler, 1000-watt electric anchor windlass, 13-mm Bruce anchor, power rectifier, diesel heating system, teak interior dunnage, and Quiet Flush toilet.
by Elena Gaggini
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