I found this forum and must confess that I am not currently a Hanse owner.

I am looking very seriously at a Hanse 588 and wanted to get some feedback from owners about real life living with the boat and not just the sales blurb. My intentions are to campaign the boat in the Med for a couple of years and then venture further afield possibly a circumnavigation. There will be just my wife and I sailing her.

My questions is to owners of 575 and 588 as to the suitability of this boat for the latter ambition. 

The boat I am looking at has a high spec (electric furlers, winches etc etc) which is both a good thing and a bad thing in terms of failure in far flung corners of the globe. How have you found the robustness of these type of features? How does she handle in gale? What support do Hanse offer globally and is the boat suited for ocean sailing or more designed coastal hoping? Any other comments would be greatly appreciated.

An honest opinion from owners and not the broker would be appreciated and if anyone has done a circumnavigation.

Thanks

I am not a round-the-world sailor.   Just a coastal cruiser who has done occasional offshore. There are many, though, who do world cruising with 575 and 588s.     Wayne and others can give you their personal experiences.    My own impression is that HANSE 575 and 588 are well built boats, but built to a price point.   There are things that I have done to my boat that I consider necessary for offshore cruising and improved safety.  

1.   Seacocks - I'm not a fan of the HANSE seacock model.   They have a simple ball valve on top of a composite/plastic thru-hull which can snap if enough torque is applied.   Its technically ABYC and CE compliant, but I feel much more confident in simple, bronze, 1 piece, seacocks.

2.   monitoring/solar - I don't know how well the CZONE stuff works,  but if its a boat which does not have it,  you need monitoring for batteries, solar panels, tanks, etc..  The 2 line display at the top of the WURTH panel is useless.  

3.   sail handling - the mainsail is big, and although the headsail self tacks,  having a strong, full battened, offshore capable mainsail seems important to me.    We have a roller furling boom and it makes things much easier.   The normal "stack pack" boom and sail combination would require a lot of effort to handle in rough weather or just normal stowing. 

4.   thruster door security - there are lanyards on the thruster doors that you need to secure for offshore sailing.     Coming down on a wave hard could pop the door open and you can lose the door.  A couple have experienced this.   It needs to be secured as soon as offshore.

5.   Bilge pumps - I upgraded the bilge pumps from the smaller Hanse provided sizes to something larger and more capable.  for both mast bilge and main bilge.

The boat sails well,  and I find it handles OK in rough weather.     You will need to decide on deep or shoal keels, and sail handling, but the comments above are not really big issues.  Just things I feel I would do before going offshore for an extended period.

Regarding the reliability of features,    I've not found things like electric winches or furling booms to be an issue.    Any reliability issue tends to be on the following:

1.   Standard things like fresh water pumps or grey water pumps. Bilge pump switches, etc.  These are easy to replace by the owner and stock as spares.    I keep 2 spares for each.

2.   The stern remotes tended to be junk and I ended up replacing my setup to something with multiple copies and a better range

3.   Fuses tend to be something you need to stock up on.   I was used to breakers and not fuses on my last boat,  but Hanse likes fuses.    I got "glow when blown" fuses and this makes things a lot easier.

We have had a 575 for just over 6 years and have traveled about 25,000 nm in her from the Baltic (summer), Atlantic coast, the Med as far east as Turkey and then across Atlantic and now in the Caribbean. We intend to take here back to Australia over the next 4-5 years. 

So generally -

Agree with all Wayne's points.     

A couple of clarifications - the Leisurefurl boom we did after we took delivery of the boat.    The HANSE option was 3 times the price of the Leisurefurl boom so we took delivery with a standard boom and simply threw it out afterwards.   Salvaged the blocks and the line, though.

I went to the factory in Griefswald twice.   Once when looking at boats, and once when our boat was being finished.    I went to the HYLAS factory in Taiwan when our Hylas 49 was being built and to the Island Packet factory in Florida when our IP-45 was being built.    The manufacturing process is far better engineered at HANSE than any of the others.    The HYLAS had artisans doing its woodwork, whereas the HANSE has a more engineered and well executed process with laser cut cabinetry and good installation.   No two Hylas are the same, but Hanse can have hulls built in one place and cabinetry cut well in advance of the hull arrival and it all comes together very nicely.  Go look at a Jeanneau or Dufour if you want to see the difference between Hanse execution and what I call IKEA execution.   There are a few areas (listed in the prior note) I wish they did differently, but I said the same thing about my Hylas.

I echo Wayne's comment on Nav station and galley.    I did not like the 588 salon.   It was a bit too modern for my traditionalist tastes.   I liked the big nav station on the 575 and the long galley.  When at the factory,  Henry told me that they could create a 588 with the 575 nav station and galley, but I don't know if that is for extra cost or not.   I would not pay extra.

I don't find the 575 pods a problem,  but you do usually have to stand to see the B&G displays.  Not a big deal, but I have to believe that's a point of negotiation (getting different pods). 

I personally don't like the 588 dinghy garage.   You have no additional room and its meant for a tiny dinghy.    In my 575 garage I have a full size dinghy,  2 5 gallon diesel jugs,  1 5 gallon gas jug,  all my cleaning supplies,  and more.     The aft cabin on the 588 is bigger to be sure,  but it depends upon how many people you are cruising with as to whether you will care about that.   For chartering, maybe it matters.  For a couple sailing around the world and having company for a weekend or two every so often,  I doubt it.

Big boats have complex systems, complex wiring, complex plumbing, etc.   You need to be prepared for this.    After a couple of years,  I feel I am finally capable of fixing or replacing the most common things. 

Keep in mind that we are both 575 owners.  We are biased. :-).   Its the same hull,  with 95% of the same equipment, so its going to be pretty much the same handling offshore.   

On boom furling,  beyond the reasons you mentioned, is the topic of full battens.    Full battens will easily give you twice the life out of your mainsail.  They are expensive and if its not flogging, its staying in good shape.    Roller furling masts let the sail flog.

There are a couple of things on the 588 I like.   The solent rig gives you sail options,  but you can just as easily set up a code zero forward.    I wish I had a stemhead fitting that supported two anchors but I've found that's a once in 5 years problem (putting out two anchors).   I carry a disassembled fortress in the sail locker forward should I ever need.

We built out 575 new in 2017, so I had to play general contractor between Elvstrom in Denmark, Hanse in Germany and Leisurefurl in California.   We had our sails (Elvstrom membrane EPEX) made for the boom.  Once you and Leisurefurl select the boom,  you send a "sailmakers kit" to the sailmaker who uses it for cutting and finishing the sail.  As Hanse did not do Leisurefurl,  but offered a much more expensive Furlboom option, we kind of owned making sure it happened right.    We also had it painted (AWLGRIP) in Bristol, RI as I didn't like the way Hanse painted the boat (white stern,  no paint on bulwarks, etc.).  My thinking was that I was spending that much,  I might as well get it the way we wanted.

I'm not sure that the bimini top on the 588 lends itself to standard solar panel sizes.    You could probably get 700 watts up there easily, but you can order flexible panels that would fit exactly the available space and get more power generated.   Depends upon what you need.

I don't think its a marginal difference between Hanse and other production boats.   I think its significant.   They produce in volume, but the Moody comes off the same line as the Hanse.   I've seen how others build and where its different,  its usually better.   The main difference I see is that a Passport, Hylas or Oyster would have 1-2 areas where the mechanicals might be better, but the big difference is that you have a hand-crafted, artisan produced, custom interior.   With HANSE you select options for the interior.  Its good quality, but its not "art"... 

If you want to see our 575,  use this link.. maybe you can get some ideas on things you like/dislike

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NbxVvvV9c7kvqFlxfZUglsgIU__s6KWQ/view?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1aDtktzTWOYcKt2bf7Y88KTXSIoEQ3Sbz

FWIW and Good luck!

I chose the manual RULE 2500 and moved the 1000 from the main bilge to the mast bilge.    I did not have to change fuses.      The only difference is that the boat behind me said it looked like rocket thrust coming out of the stern.   :-)

The one thing I have noticed is that the 588 and 575 (same hull) have flat bilges and you can carry quite a bit of water in the bilge without the pump clicking on.    Not much you can do about it, but don't be surprised if the pump clicks on,  runs for a bit,  shuts down and then comes back on once the water from the other bilge areas drains into the main bilge.  Ours seems to be a pretty dry boat so far.

On the 780W,   that should give you (depending upon smart controllers) between 30 and 50amps going into the batteries on a good day.   I have 700 watts on the bimini for our 575 and that normally will charge the batteries from an 80% SOC to 100% in about 3 hours.    We have the usual battery needs with 2 refrigerators, one freezer,   laptops charging,  B&G electronics, etc..etc.     Not doing anything like trying to power air conditioning or dishawashers.    If you have a DC watermaker you would need to add this load in.    Ours is AC.  

A friend just put flexible solar panels on top of the deck halyard and sheet tunnel on both sides.  Apparenty this was able to add another 300watts of solar.  Its custom cut to fit, but high quality stuff and seems to do the job.    

I would look hard at being able to upgrade the panels in place in a few years.   How possible is this?   In other words,  today's 165W panel might be 250W in 5 years for the same bimini footprint.    Can you easily accommodate this kind of upgrade?   This stuff is becoming a commodity and prices are dropping quite a bit. 

this is a possible configuration. as you can see, the 784W layout has quite a number of dead space, maybe with something custom it's possible to expand it. 

You can see the deck configuration for a 435...it may actually add a coupe hundreds watts, i will ask.

Do you have any detailed drawings of the deck with dimensions?

[Corrected 2 per side not 3]

Bill P just did this (custom solar over the halyard/sheet tunnels) to his boat (Reach, a Hanse 455).   His looks like this.   I think he said that both sides gave more than 280W (not bad when you add it to the bimini).

I found 700W on the bimini to be enough for now..   I'll wait til the panels get more power out of the same footprint and upgrade. 

There should be a deck diagram doc (PDF format) similar to this for your boat.   Mine is a 575,  but for each boat there should be a drawing with hard points and other information.

Hope this helps...

I've done about 24,000km in the last 2 years, two Atlantic crossings, in my 588.

I think any boat has pros and cons, strengths and weaknesses. I had started my trip thinking that, as soon as I would have seen the perfect boat improving the 588, I may have sold it and bought the new one... After having seen many, many boats  I am still with my 588, and happy with it.. I was tempted by the amel ketch, the oyster 595...but it's not all gold what shines: they have their limitations too. 

And you won't find a large cockpit as protected as the 588 version with the t-top. This is a real and major advantage on a long trip, in bad weather and under the sun. 

Reliability and maintenance : you need to know your boat well, and treat it accordingly.I have recently met with the designer of the fcl sails, that told me that his design constraints were cost and coastal sailing with high performance. For a world trip he would definitely go with Polyester and dyneema design that would last forever (my fcl are delaminated and going for the last season after 6 years, he was actually surprised they lasted up to now... ).

In my opinion the weak point of some 588 is the quadrant and the autopilot - if you have the lewmar configuration. See threads here... 

For a bluewater use i would definitely add some non standard accessories (lithium batteries, solar panels, boom preventer to mention few).

Despite our large size windows, they have behaved very well in seas where other boats had window failures, so I would definitely give a big "green light" on the hull construction.

I would conclude by saying I never sailed at high latitudes and I have no idea on what's needed there.... 

I saw in another post that you had the Walder boom brake installed. Has it worked well for you? We have the FurlerBoom boom and I’m wondering whether it’s compatible with the Walder brake (and how to rig the lines without interfering with the main sheet).

We have the 531 now but are half-actively scanning the market for 575s. I, too, like the 575 better than the 588 due to the layout. It will be interesting to see the bigger models of the newest generation.

I cannot actually reply since I don't know the furler boom differences. But I wouldn't go onto any ocean without the brake. I would suggest you to contact them at info@walderweb.com, they are very proactive and professional. 

I have one, but fortunately I never used it. However, I think it's a must-have for serious

Travelling, including good training on its deployment and recovery. Sometimes, accessories for and equipment are as important as the hull. I also have a 4-stroke honda thermal pump that can aspirate 200l/min. It is a recent requirement of the world arc, and the reason for it was real life experience.... 

Hi everyone,

For the fourth time in 9 years, I will have to replace my batteries bank. The last one lated only 18 months , Zenith brand 165 amp.

I want to go to lithium now and the shipyard told me that there is nothing else to do than 2 lithium a bms and adjusting the charger inverter.

My question is : For those owning a 575 with the same layout as mine, 4X 165 AGM, 550 din, no solar, and having done this upgrade, does it sound correct?

All advice will be appreciated...

Thanks

I confirm the order this PM.

good sailing!

Batteries are like anchors     It will generate spirited discussion.  Me?   I didnt want to go lithium as so many other things had to change as well    This works well for us

Thanks for your advice as well and yes I understand your point of vue, and I am certain it works well, but I believe I should give a try to these lithium, at this point it becomes a philosophical issue....

They have constant voltage, they can charge to 100% and they can discharge to zero percent without damages, they are very safe and significant more capacity...

One night I was hearing a boat on Marseilles radio that had lead acid batteries that were boiling... The control said they couldn't advice, and different other boats stepped in by giving the solution : "throw them outboard". At least with lithium batteries it will be easier because they're also significantly lighter... 🤣 🤭🫣

The LFPOs will have no problem with accepting hight charging current, as you said, up to 0.5C, which is 350A in your case or 300A in my setup, it is always the problem at the alternator end that will burn out unless some electronics monitors its output. [Added:  BMS will not save the alternator whether built in or external]

It is very interesting... Even if I don't understand why it should burn out. If there is no current,  there shouldn't be any joule effect of the and no heat. They would also be no induced magnetic field, so no load to the engine... That's exactly how it should be when you don't extract energy. 

Anyway,  there are the two 12/24 converters and the motor and generator batteries in parallel...

But then : do you also mean that a low current is bad? Sorry to seem skeptic, I simply don't understand why...

[Added: it is dI/dt problem, the step function in I(t)=theta(t) will generate induced voltage as delta(t)]

In any case, I I didn't have any alternator problem in two years of daily use (or almost). 

Batteries of mastervolt with the standard charger /inverter

Lithium only?, lithium with agm backup?, agm again?, lithium with agm and alternator regulator? Replacing the 575 by a kayak? not easy....

The kayak idea is interesting! 

Anyway just wanted to add my .05 about the lithium. We replaced 2 x 2 x 110Ah/12V (220Ah 24V) with SUNBEAMSystem BASIC 2 x 2 x 50Ah/24V (200Ah 24V) w/ internal BMS, and they have been great. They are charged using a Mastervolt Mass 24V charger (shore power or generator supplying 220V) or the 24V engine alternator (with internal regulator).

https://www.sunbeamsystem.com/smart-lithium-plug-play/

(ALMOST, correction after more posts! 😉) ANYBODY THAT SWITCHED TO LITHIUM IS HAPPY OF THEIR CHOICE, despite different implantation, geometries, alternators, chargers and other electrical configurations... 

 My 2 cents - we installed 600ah of Victron branded lithium back in April 2019. A single external BMS was fitted per Victron's information. The installation was done by the apparent guru in Malta and commissioned by two techs from the Victron dealer in Malta. We also fitted a Victron battery monitor and an additional 120amp/3000w Victron charger inverter to charge the bank faster from the generator. 

We often had "phantom" complete 12V system shutdowns when motoring or motorsailing. After months I found the cause was the BMS over heating. The fix was forced fan ventilation of the BMS and battery area. We also suffered total 12V system shutdowns which I eventually tracked down to the BMS reacting to a low cell voltage. Although the monitor still showed 60% SOC. It took a long time to buy a Victron dongle so I could use the downloaded Victron software to look at and change the settings. After trying several time in the Med in the end I had to order the dongle from Victron Australia in Sydney and have it sent to a friend who was joining us in the Med. During the 3 years it took to sort the system Victron were of no help. They just referred me to their "Community" website - so the near sighted were leading the blind as it were. I spoke to a few Victron dealers and eventually did get some help from their guy in Aruba after we reached the Caribbean. He pointed out some cabling issues with the negative cables which I fixed. We have recently had help from a technician in Sint Maarten who seems to know his stuff.  If I had known there would have need so many hard to sort issues I would have used AGM batteries again. We got 5 years out of our original AGMs before one failed. I disconnected that battery from the bank and the other 3 lasted for another 6 months before we replaced the bank with lithium. During our AGM period I didn't have any problems or need to fix any "issues". The first 3 years of our Lithium period was a pain in the arse.

Lastly our insurance company asked the question at renewal time if we had fitted Lithium batteries and had they been fitted by a professional installer and to the manufacturer specifications. The inference was that if not, any damage (fire etc) which was caused by a non professional install etc would not be covered by the insurance.  

It seems to me to have multiple internal BMS' would be better as you would not have complete system shutdowns (hopefully). 

    

Duncan