Hanse 548

[tobo]

Does anybody have experiences with the new Hanse 548 (launched in autumn 2017 and nominated "Yacht of the year 2018"). I'm especially interested in the storage capacity (3 cabins version), dinghy garage and the mainsail furling boom system.

[Nelsons]

Hi Tobo, I was offshore one year (Atlantic twice) with a 505. What I can tell you that Hanse is nice in the marina and at anchorage. Lots of storage. The Judel Vrolijk hull is very nice and not slow. For offshore sailing I can only recommend to consider twice to purchase a Hanse. I had so many technical issues caused by under dimensioned systems, the list is very long and dangerous for us as a crew too. First thing I did after returning was selling her despite the fact that I will go again for a circumnavigation. I would never do so with a Hanse. So I have purchased another vessel. However if you sail only short trips and stay in a marina with good maintenance capacities, that’s what Hanse is made for.

[mglonnro]

Originally Posted by Nelsons

For offshore sailing I can only recommend to consider twice to purchase a Hanse. I had so many technical issues caused by under dimensioned systems, the list is very long and dangerous for us as a crew too.

This sounds scary!

Any chance you could elaborate on the problems? And what was the model year of the 505?

[Nelsons]

Honestly it was scary, otherwise you wouldn’t sell a vessel after 3.5 years when you plan the next journey. We had a 2015 Modell, sailed one year in the Med to figure out problems and improve normal things. On our journey to the Canaries the autopilot gearbox broke and had to be replaced. (Hanse: Never happened before). Broke again after leaving Cape Verdes, not cool with a two handed crew on the Atlantic. 600 nm away from Barbados the steering cable broke (Hanse: never happened before). We checked it before departure, it was inside corosion. Minor things: hydraulic Plattform failure, bow thruster 3 times, home batteries exchange after 2 years, power management controller provides misleading information, shower pump, led mast lights, leaking taps, cooling hose in the engine scrubbed (almost drifted in rocks), rotten shower door and finally saildrive done after 3 years. And so on. The point is that Hanse does not assume that an owner really sails, they expect 95 % marina clients. We did loose trust in the technical Equipment as we met it all too weak. We invested a the value of a new car in the new vessel just to improve weak systems. That’s why I cannot recommend a Hanse to an offshore sailor. Maybe we had bad luck but we met the same vessel with similar probs. However I feel much better with the other vessel even if I have to wait 667 days until delivery. But the service and technical books are in another dimension.

[sailormed]

However I feel much better with the other vessel even if I have to wait 667 days until delivery. But the service and technical books are in another dimension.

667 days thats nearly 2 years. An Amel?

[mglonnro]

That sounds terrible!

Originally Posted by Nelsons

The point is that Hanse does not assume that an owner really sails, they expect 95 % marina clients. We did loose trust in the technical Equipment as we met it all too weak. We invested a the value of a new car in the new vessel just to improve weak systems. That’s why I cannot recommend a Hanse to an offshore sailor. Maybe we had bad luck but we met the same vessel with similar probs.

We're waiting for our new Hanse 388 to arrive next spring so I'm kind of hoping we will have better luck

We'll see.

[Nelsons]

Originally Posted by sailormed

However I feel much better with the other vessel even if I have to wait 667 days until delivery. But the service and technical books are in another dimension.

667 days thats nearly 2 years. An Amel?

No a Leopard

[Nelsons]

Originally Posted by mglonnro

That sounds terrible!



We're waiting for our new Hanse 388 to arrive next spring so I'm kind of hoping we will have better luck

We'll see.

I hope you will get better quality. But make sure to install another batterie monitor. Ours was misleading significantly.

[kipwrite]

I have a 505, 2016 model, that I’ve sailed about 10,000 miles since new, up and down the east coast of the US and to the Bahamas.

I would concur that some fittings are undersized. I had three Selden blocks fail, and also suffered an autopilot gearbox failure while offshore, which locked my steering until I disconnected the autopilot ram. Not good.

I’ve since ordered a Hydrovane and don’t trust the Jeffa electromechanical autopilot offshore (although in fairness to Jeffa they identified a manufacturing/assembly error on Hanse’s part that may have contributed to this failure.) Unfortunately space does not allow for a hydraulic autopilot motor.

I’ve also upgraded many blocks and several under spec’d lines.

On balance, she has otherwise been an excellent boat. My dealer support has been excellent. Sails well. Can be single handed if you have good skills. I’d likely buy another one.

That said, I’m slowly upgrading undersized hardware and expect this to continue for awhile.

Curious if other production boats also suffer from lightly spec’ed equipment?

[tobo]

dear sailing friends, In fact I was interested in the new "8"-series like the 548 and the coming up 508. The problems with the 505 are well known. Please also check the myhanse.com forum. I really hope that Hanse's learning curve is going up. So my first question whould be: "What has been improved with the 8-series?".
With our 470 of 2007 we also had our problems; minor issues I must say; we never had to cancel a cruise due to failures. At least it is an epoxy hull and a steel strongback. Also the rig - even though bigger than on the nowadays models - is much stronger. BUT: Hanse is more and more producing for charter purposes, which means that these boats are usually well maintained and they are only out for 2-3 weeks before another inspection. If you buy a Hanse as a private owner you have to be the service man; as a plumer, a carpenter, a sailmaker, an engine mecanics .... . Nobody really tells you when you have to do a service for this or that.

[Nelsons]

Totally agree Tobo, the after sales support does not exist. We have asked several times for a electrical plan and finally got an A5 mini copy which wasn’t correct and very hard to read. No other service plans or technical details available.

However when I looked at the new layout it was obvious to me that they are not build for offshore sailing but it’s a nice vacation place instead of an apartment. From my personal experience with Hanse contact they accept poor dealer performance ruining their reputation. In my direct contact with Hanse (I refused to waste time with my awful dealer) the only thing they said was that all my issues never happened before which is not true. However they had zero interest in a feedback to improve so I assume that they have no learning curve. Selling now instead of sailing is the mindset.