Difference between 370/400

Hello everyone,

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Joost, I'm 40 and from the Netherlands. My passion for sailing started at a young age. After spending 10 years teaching sailing in small open boats, I ventured into competitive sailing, racing on small open boats, quarter tonners, and participating in sea regattas. Together with my wife, we started sailing on a Victoire 26, moved to a Jeanneau Rush, and ended up with a Jeanneau SO 32.1, which we sold about eight years ago. With our then-young children, time for sailing was limited.

Now, our kids are older (9 & 10) and have taken up sailing themselves, sailing once a week during the season and spending several weeks a year at a sailing school. This year, we've booked various boats: a Jeanneau 389 for a trip to Belgium, a Hanse 348 for a week's cruise on the Wadden Sea in the Netherlands, and a Dufour Grand Large 412 for a week in Greece this autumn.

We're feeling the sailing itch once again. Renting boats is expensive and lacks the charm of having your own vessel. Thus, we're exploring options for ownership (2nd hand). I'm particularly drawn to Hanse boats. They offer great sailing properties, with easy sail handling (such as reefing and using a self-tacking jib instead of a genoa), allowing the kids to get used to sailing while also giving us the flexibility to expand the sail plan (with a genoa, code zero, etc.). We really like the Hanse 348, though it's a bit cramped for two growing kids and slightly over budget (we want to spend around 100k, excluding upgrades).

So, here's the actual question: We're interested in the Hanse 370 and 400. They're quite similar in price, but I find it challenging to identify the key differences—something many of you might be able to do in your sleep. Although I know the dimensions differ, I'm unsure how this translates into real-world differences Our goal is to purchase a yacht within the next year, and I'd love to use this topic to discuss the pros and cons of both boats.

Of course, I've read through the forum, but haven't found a direct comparison between the two. We're also considering similar boats from Jeanneau and Beneteau, like the Beneteau Oceanis 37/361 and Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 37/38/39/389.

Looking forward to your insights!

Fair winds, Joost

Thank you all for your responses; we’ll definitely take a closer look at both options. For now, it seems there are no shallow keel versions available, only the deeper ones. Is this just a coincidence, or were the shallow keel versions produced in very limited numbers?

On a related note, I’m on the hunt for a detailed layout of the interior of a Hanse 370 or 400. Specifically, I’m looking for an image or diagram that includes measurements—such as headroom, dimensions of the seating area, galley sizes, and so on.

I’m sure I’ve come across this kind of diagram before, but now that I actually need it, it’s nowhere to be found. Does anyone have this or know where I can find it? It would really help make sense of what I’m seeing in photos.

Thanks so much for your help, and happy sailing!