588 as a world cruiser

The Hanse 575 and 588 are production boats and aimed at the largest market - charter and recreational users. This is virtually the same with all production built boats. They are built to a price and that inherently means their build may not be compatible with the harshest offshore use. Again the same goes for probably 98% of boat sold currently. There are heavier designs which provide more comfort in strong offshore conditions- but be prepared to pay 4-5 times the price. There will be systems that could be better, using better equipment but again it is a price thing. So people chose to change some of this equipment whilst others ignore these things.

There is a huge choice of options on Hanse boats in general and more the bigger the boat- depends on the depth of your pockets- I would love to have Rick's furling boom for his main sail but it wasn't an option when we bought our boat. 

There are always modifications which can or should be made for long distance cruising but again these changes or additions need to be made to all boats - eg good- stable downwind sails, perventers, chaffe protection, spares. Knowledge of your boat and its' systems, preventative maintenance and monitoring for equipment for fault and wear comes with use and experience on your boat. 

From our perspective the 575 offers what we wanted in a yacht - space, comfort 99.5+% of the time*, features, good looks and at a reasonable price. * to explain - we use our boat 24/7/365 but 94% of the time our boat is in an anchorage or marina,then at least 5.5% of the time we are sailing and the weather is probably good. That leaves somewhere below .5% when you are at sea and it is rough and could be uncomfortable. The 94% is based on us travelling normally 4,000nm per year which gives about 550 hours of travelling and 8210 hours at anchor or in a marina etc. You get the idea. Given reasonable care, good preparation, good maintenance, good weather routing and reasonably conservative sailing most production boats could circumnavigate the "right" way. Certainly there are lots (hundreds) of boats which cross the Atlantic and go back to Europe each year and most are not heavy weather boats - mostly production boats of all types and sizes and good on them for doing it. 

Regarding equipment on Hanses - most of the brands used are the same on most boats so there is often no difference. Good installation of equipment makes a big difference and I think now Hanse are doing a good job compared to other production builders. I have seen and have friends with expensive boats like Oysters who have had more problems with equipment installations than I know of with Hanse. There are lots of systems onboard modern, larger yachts and getting repairs, service or replacements in remote areas in always going to a issue regardless of what brand you buy.

Now more specifically - the 575 verses the 588. Whilst I have not had an in-depth look at the 588 there are obvious differences - some good and some not so good for a liveaboard yacht - IMHO. The good things I note on the 588 is the aft deck storage lockers, the control binnacles at the steering wheels are a better size (larger) and more sloped which is better, the changes to the aft port cabin to make more and better use of space is also good. The not so good, in my opinion, for cruising is the changes made to the saloon and galley - I thought the 575 long galley is better and more usable, the 588 has more lounges - which is great for a charter group of 8 but not for a cruising couple with an occasional 2 extra friends onboard, the small and aft facing 588 Nav station is a giant step backwards. Our 575 long , spacious nav station is our office and works well (and is facing the right way). So from my perspective the 588 has gone more "charter" and less cruiser. The hardtop on the 588 is not a bad idea it just looks crappy and does not blend with the rest of the boat design - again IMHO. 

Lastly the support for your boat comes from your Hanse dealer not Hanse direct. So this means you need a dealer who is very good and if you have that you will be in good shape. Our Dealer who looked after our warranty and after warranty requirements is Inspiration Marine UK. They did a great job for us during warranty and continue to assist even after 6 years. Speaking to owners of various other brands warranty can be OK or in a surprising number of cases non-existent.

So, can you sail a 575 or 588 around the world -sure why not. 

          

Most useful. It is sort of the conclusion I had come to but what is interesting is your preference for the 575 as better suited for the purpose. Indeed most of the time it will be just the two of us with occasional friends and pesky kids visiting for holidays. Will look at the used 575s and see what's available. I do like the idea of boom furling. Keeps the weight low and easy to reef. Did you keep the sail or have to order a new one? Once I take delivery there will be a number of changes I will make such as sea cocks  and other monitoring equipment (if not fitted). Big fan of solar (have lots on current boat) and the hard binimi on the 588 lends itself to putting down a lot of panels. However, a good arch behind the boat achieves the same (as per current boat). Has the draft ever been a problem, limiting access to anchorages?

Sounds like you agree with my view that the Hanse is a cut above the other production boats be it marginal.

Thanks again.

Mike