Would You Buy a Hans Christian 33?

[letsgetsailing3]

People tend to like the boats they have.


Weird, huh?

[capnorv]

My wife and I lived and cruised on a Hans Christian 34 for five years about twenty years ago. Still both of our best time together. Granted, we had glass decks and your hated vee berth, but we loved it as our home. Then we ended up with grandchildren, so now we have a Hardin Voyager 45, but still miss the Hans. If you are emotional about boats, you can't go wrong.

[moidus]

"I'm lazy and don't want a maintenance nightmare"
A HC should not be in your future.
We owned, lived and sailed a HC, it was our life so we were happy to maintain it, but maintain it we did!

[hcfirstlight]

Regarding windvane on our HC, yes, a Monitor that works great for us. You have to know how to trim your sails to use a monitor effectively. We have used the monitor in the Chesapeake, up to Maine, quite magical on a long ocean run, say to the Azores.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, moidus, and hcfirstlight.

[CaptMDG]

I have a HC-33 and totally agree with Mathias. There is nothing I can add to his essay on the "best little sailboat" ever made.

[becrux]

The barn door that they use for a rudder on the 33 :
+Easy to track in reverse (minimal prop walk)
+Easy in tight quarters (u-turn in a fairway)
+Easy to dock - most of the time.

The decks don't leak - a hatch, maybe. Those who think that teak ~must~ be varnished are delusional. Let the teak go silver, as it was meant to be. If you want to make a little work for yourself, finish a hatch or the turtle.

Also, I second Mathias (Dolphins) review.

[CaptSQ]

There are many Naysayers to your question, but i like the comment that it is like choosing a wife. I remember seeing my first Hans Christian 38T down in Cabo, i was cruising in what i could afford at the time a go fast sled, the boat was fast but poorly built and flexed a lot. almost 30 years later and i still enjoy the speed of a faster boat, but when a Hans Christian 43T in need of a bow sprit became available on my dock i jumped in feet first. I bought the boat about 2 months ago. I have since had a bow sprit built (6500.00 not including removal or installation) and have stripped the wood in preparation for re-varnishing. I actually find it enjoyable working on the wood. I have yet to sail her, and may decide she is just too damn slow, but i will tell you this the build quality and joinery are solid. I definitely could do without the teak decks, and may remove them. but she is so beautiful and feels much different than the 49 Sun Odyssey i sail on a daily basis. I say go for it.

[IslandOfHope]

Hi!
HC33 is my choice - only problem is to find one for sale here in Europe...

I wonder what are the major differences based on where and when they were built?
I have read somewhere there are some quality issues / differences... true or not?
Thanks

[gonesail]

if it had teak decks .. NO. if you could take 12" off the draft then YES .. I would buy one in a heartbeat

[Arthurwg]

I've been following the year-long "refit" of an HC33 that has gained wide attention on Youtube and Facebook. The boat was built in 1983 I believe, and has been actively cared for and sailed by a diligent and knowledgable couple. But you really can't call this a refit. Indeed, it's a stem-to-stern rebuild. Teak decks removed, new engine, relocated chainplates, re-bedded port lights, bow and stern pulpits removed and re-bedded and I believe new bow sprit and Sampson post. They did the work themselves as they are young and energetic. Otherwise this would have cost $100,000+. Much more than I could handle.

[Lowcountry]

I am the happy and proud owner of HC33 #145. I love this boat and plan to keep her until I'm too old to sail anymore. She's perfect for me, and I couldn't care less about what anyone else thinks about it. https://i.imgur.com/gIgTfuG.jpg https://imgur.com/ozKkzvW https://i.imgur.com/DBE03Dn.jpg

[Dolphins]

With a mixture of complex feelings, it is time for me to pass on my HC33, "Phoenix", to a new steward.

I will be listing her soon with a broker. I mention it here first, because of you, IslandofHope, in case you are interested. During her major refit and restoration in 2012, I wired her for both American 110volt and European 220volts, with a galvanic isolating transformer.

Phoenix was my Odyssean ship as I sailed all over the eastern waters of the Mediterranean. Blog at le grand voyage - a sailing blog

She lies Lake Champlain now, my home waters. You could sail her across yourself in the adventure of a lifetime, or what you could consider is shipping her across the pond. I have sailed across the Atlantic in my previous HC33, and Phoenix has crossed the pond twice by freighter. Back in 2012, it cost $23,000. I would be willing to deliver her to wherever the freighter on the East Coast departs from.

I would be willing to take the cost of the freighter ride into consideration (as well as the VAT you pay) in the price.

For more information, please contact me at mr.dubilier at g mail

I love Phoenix. I put so much work into her restoration, including rewiring, adding equipment, maintaining and updating the engine, and just all the love and care you do when your little ship is your life.

These days I don't get to enjoy Phoenix as much any more since I work as a captain on a passenger friendship sloop on Lake Champlain during the summers, and in winters I work as a writer. (Pretty sweet life.) My partner and I are considering a Cape Dory 22 now for occasional outings on my homewaters.

-Mathias

[hcfirstlight]

Our understanding from the Owners Association is that all 33s were built in the same yard, Hansa, as were the 48s. Most if not all were of better quality design and build than the rest of the fleet, but there will be disagreement about that for certain. We are unaware of any 33s for example, built with coring in the decks. Ours has none. All Asian built boats suffered from poorer quality stainless steel is our understanding.

[boatman61]

No..