A Hanse retrospective. My last post

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Today, saw my Hanse 320 sail off into the sunset to a new owner and I thought that now I am no longer a Hanse owner I would reflect on my 4 years of ownership of a boat that I had from new. 
Overall, I have been extremely happy with the boat. I chose not to upgrade within the Hanse range this time simply because the newer models didnt offer us what we wanted for a 40ft live aboard.

So lets start with the bad points. The biggest complaint here is the build quality. The components are good overall. Hanse have however struggled with some manufacturing defects from 3rd parties, and overall the boats were not terribly well assembled.
There was also some issues with gel coat cracking around some of the s/s fitments and a few other minor niggles. Aside from that, nothing to really complain about.

As for the good points. Well, for a mid price boat, I think it offered huge value for money. She sailed like a dream and won most of the races she took part in. She was also almost 100% customisable. I was able to retrofit many items as the boat mouldings had the positions for autopilot and windlass already present. Also the wiring is all in place at the build so there is no additional work to do.Literally plug and play.
I loved  the appearance and lines of the boat , and the interiors are long wearing and attractive.

What however really stands out over the four years is the totally superb service that the staff at Hanse UK provided. Every issue on my snag list was dealt with. Every ( sometimes tedious) question I e mailed, was answered. Even after the warranty expired, Hanse changed all my windows, fixed a leaking hatch. Travelling around the UK to fix my boat, normally at very short notice. This level of service meant that despite assembly problems, it was always fixed to a level that was better than when the boat left the factory.It also more than compensated for the sometimes sloppy assembly.
My genuine thanks go to Phil and Peter. I know that they won dealer of the year, and I can see why. If the level of after sales service is the same with the new boat, I will be very happy.
So would I buy another Hanse? I'm not sure that after reading some of the tales of woe on here, that I would if I were outside of the UK. I know that some of our Russian friends have suffered terribly with after sales. However, if we ever choose to upscale again, and the model range suited our purposes, then i would happily come back 

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nickfabbri Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Captain Joined: 21 April 2008 Status: Offline Points: 249	Post Options Post Reply Quote nickfabbri Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: A Hanse retrospective. My last post Posted: 17 November 2011 at 17:51
	Today, saw my Hanse 320 sail off into the sunset to a new owner and I thought that now I am no longer a Hanse owner I would reflect on my 4 years of ownership of a boat that I had from new. Overall, I have been extremely happy with the boat. I chose not to upgrade within the Hanse range this time simply because the newer models didnt offer us what we wanted for a 40ft live aboard. So lets start with the bad points. The biggest complaint here is the build quality. The components are good overall. Hanse have however struggled with some manufacturing defects from 3rd parties, and overall the boats were not terribly well assembled. There was also some issues with gel coat cracking around some of the s/s fitments and a few other minor niggles. Aside from that, nothing to really complain about. As for the good points. Well, for a mid price boat, I think it offered huge value for money. She sailed like a dream and won most of the races she took part in. She was also almost 100% customisable. I was able to retrofit many items as the boat mouldings had the positions for autopilot and windlass already present. Also the wiring is all in place at the build so there is no additional work to do.Literally plug and play. I loved the appearance and lines of the boat , and the interiors are long wearing and attractive. What however really stands out over the four years is the totally superb service that the staff at Hanse UK provided. Every issue on my snag list was dealt with. Every ( sometimes tedious) question I e mailed, was answered. Even after the warranty expired, Hanse changed all my windows, fixed a leaking hatch. Travelling around the UK to fix my boat, normally at very short notice. This level of service meant that despite assembly problems, it was always fixed to a level that was better than when the boat left the factory.It also more than compensated for the sometimes sloppy assembly. My genuine thanks go to Phil and Peter. I know that they won dealer of the year, and I can see why. If the level of after sales service is the same with the new boat, I will be very happy. So would I buy another Hanse? I'm not sure that after reading some of the tales of woe on here, that I would if I were outside of the UK. I know that some of our Russian friends have suffered terribly with after sales. However, if we ever choose to upscale again, and the model range suited our purposes, then i would happily come back
	Nick71 Hanse 320

gertha Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admiral Joined: 03 June 2004 Location: Pinn Mill Status: Offline Points: 1036	Post Options Post Reply Quote gertha Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 17 November 2011 at 19:14
	So what brand have you moved on to? Simon
	Swanned off

Henrik84 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admiral Joined: 27 December 2009 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 1458	Post Options Post Reply Quote Henrik84 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 17 November 2011 at 21:35
	Every brand without Bavaria i hope. If the after sales was like that in sweden, I probably already ordered a new Hanse. Unfortunately it is not, and therefore this is also my last Hanse.
	S/Y LaRey Hanse 320 #430 Gothenburg, Sweden

kirkelund Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Vice Admiral Joined: 29 June 2009 Status: Offline Points: 949	Post Options Post Reply Quote kirkelund Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 17 November 2011 at 21:49
	Hey Nick Once a myHanse member, always a myHanse member!! Remember, you still have important knowledge and experience to share So please stay aboard. Besides, there are great possibilities for a Hanse upgrading out there. Perhaps you can find one that has already enjoyed the benefit of after sales optimization by Hanse UK By the way, other brands may also need after sales service, but they don't always get it) Ole,
	Kirkelund "Amani" Lynetten, Copenhagen, Denmark Hanse 342 (grey hull, wheel steering, deep draft keel, Jefa rudder - RUD34)

Windsurfer Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Rear Admiral Joined: 07 April 2010 Status: Offline Points: 614	Post Options Post Reply Quote Windsurfer Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 17 November 2011 at 21:50
	Come on Henrik...what's the use to change a new boat with known issues with another new boat with unknown issues??? I believe the older Epoxy boats are much better in every aspects than the new ones...as for other brands...there's nothing you can buy as good for this kind of money...there's very good boats out there...X-yachts for example, but you would spend about 2 times more for the boat of the same size...
	Hanse 320 #079 White hull, tiller, short keel and rudder, standard North sails, Sparcraft rig

kirkelund Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Vice Admiral Joined: 29 June 2009 Status: Offline Points: 949	Post Options Post Reply Quote kirkelund Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 17 November 2011 at 22:09
	My words exactly, Windsurfer! Cheer up Henrik And remember you are not home safe even with a boat at twice the price of a Hanse. Besides, you could also keep LaRey indefinitely and gradually make it perfect Ole,
	Kirkelund "Amani" Lynetten, Copenhagen, Denmark Hanse 342 (grey hull, wheel steering, deep draft keel, Jefa rudder - RUD34)

nickfabbri Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Captain Joined: 21 April 2008 Status: Offline Points: 249	Post Options Post Reply Quote nickfabbri Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 18 November 2011 at 06:32
	Thank you for your kind words. To answer the question about what we are getting . Well as this is a Hanse website I won't mention the brand. However we needed a boat with a deep draft, good ballast ratio and AVS. We also wanted to go through the French canals so needed a lift keel. Finally we needed about 40ft to live aboard. We finally decided on a uk brand that have "swing keels" and ticked all the rest of the boxes.
	Nick71 Hanse 320

franko Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Rear Admiral Joined: 24 June 2004 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 597	Post Options Post Reply Quote franko Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 18 November 2011 at 09:23
	This is a nice Swing Keel yacht. Little more than 40' though. Looks a bit like a whale.

holby Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admiral of the Fleet Joined: 18 February 2006 Location: Isle of Man Status: Offline Points: 2287	Post Options Post Reply Quote holby Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 18 November 2011 at 10:25
	Ah when mention a UK brand that narrows the field a bit then you mention swing keel........ What ever your choice where ever you go, remember myHanse and please occasionally pop back on here to do a bit of catch up, as you will be missed............ Dave
	Hanse 301, tiller steering, Volvo 2010 (10hp)



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