It was just past dawn on a midsummer morning in Heusden, Netherlands, and I was wide awake with jet lag. I went for a stroll around the fortified town, ready to pounce on the first bakery or espresso bar that showed signs of life.
At the two marinas just off the Maas River, I found that nearly every vessel, both recreational craft and converted workboats, was a traditional, full-displacement steel boat. Fiberglass was as uncommon as hen’s teeth, and quite a few of the steelies were from a builder I was on my way to visit: Linssen Yachts.
