Beneteau or Hanse?

[hearthstone1]

I'm new to sailing and expect to buy a 31 to 35 ft. sailboat for the spring. I've narrowed my choice to manufacturers, Beneteau and Hanse. I would be sailing mostly by myself so ease of handling and easy access to the lines is important. So far I've been leaning towards the new Beneteau 34, but I would like your imput.

Thanks for your time.

 

[Tim R.]

Need more info for starts:

Where is your primary sailing area?
Coastal or offshore cruising?
What is your sailing/DIYexperience?
Why not buy used?
Why 31-35 ft?

I have a little experience with Bene's while chartering. We generally did not like the Bene but we have different needs than what these boats were built for. Never sailed a Hanse so I cannot compare. I believe you can charter them also with some companies.

You will likely get more responses to go with the Bene as there are some owners here. I do not think I have seen any Hanse owners though.

 

[paulj]

If you are buying new......let the dealers take you on a demo.

If you are buying used.....buy the one with the most extras you want to have on your boat.


paulj :troll:

 

[Mike B]

I don't think you can wrong either way but I'd opt for the Beneteau. Mind you I'm on my 4th Benny, so I'm a bit prejudiced. IMHO the Benny's have better build quality. Check out the fit and finish of the woodwork, hardware fittings, etc. Look in the corners, behind locker doors, how rigging is seated. The devil is in the details. I like Hanses' but it looks like they have a ways to go in improving production quality. Take a hard look at the prices. Typically European boats have been a bit pricier due to the exchange rate between the Euro and Dollar. One other thing to be concerned with is the dealer network and parts availability. Beneteau has a large and established network of dealers throughout the country. Their headquarters is in South Carolina and help is usually just a phone call away. On the other hand Hanse dealerships are far and few between. I'd also ask for demo sails if possible. Based on their reputation I would expect the Hanse to be a little bit faster than the Benny. Now with all that said it's really going to boil down to what you find attractive and interesting. Good luck with your decision.
Mike

 

[Ron20324]

I'm on my second Beneteau, a 323. Beneteau has the nice Syselios on-line parts ordering site. It's easy and prices rea$onable.

 

[RichH]

Neither of these boats.
You stated "sail myself" and both of these boats have most of the sheet/trim/,etc. controls on top of the coachroof. That means you have to leave the helm station for almost *every* sail control, trim function, etc. - not a good idea for singlehanding.

For singlehanding, look for a boat that has the bulk of the lines/controls, etc. etc. in easy reach of the HELMSMAN.

 

[Mike B]

FYI I single hand my Benny's all the time. Even if the wife is with me I'm doing all the work. He wont have any problems doing the same.

 

[Ed Schenck]

The Hanse wins for single-handing because the jib is self-tacking. My former marina on Lake Erie is a Hanse dealer and I found the quality of those boats to be excellent. I think the Hanse has sail drive and I am not a fan of those. You may not like having the main traveler in the cockpit, I would love that. Like has been said, you really need to test drive.

 

[hearthstone1]

Need more info for starts:

Where is your primary sailing area?
Coastal or offshore cruising?
What is your sailing/DIYexperience?
Why not buy used?
Why 31-35 ft?

I have a little experience with Bene's while chartering. We generally did not like the Bene but we have different needs than what these boats were built for. Never sailed a Hanse so I cannot compare. I believe you can charter them also with some companies.

You will likely get more responses to go with the Bene as there are some owners here. I do not think I have seen any Hanse owners though.

Thanks for the response. I'll most likely be in the Boston Harbor area and my sailing will be coastal. My experience is nil. I took a sailing lesson on a Colgate 26 near the end of October and had a blast. I also spent a lot of money on UnderArmor.

I have thought about used and if I see something I like I do have someone to do the survey.

I, so far, feel that 31-35 is what I want. Next week I go back to St. Pete for 3 days of lessons on a Beneteau 323.

 

[hearthstone1]

thanks

 

[hearthstone1]

I'm on my second Beneteau, a 323. Beneteau has the nice Syselios on-line parts ordering site. It's easy and prices rea$onable.

I'm going back to St. Pete, FL next week for 3 days of lessons on a 323.
Thanks for the response

 

[hearthstone1]

The Hanse wins for single-handing because the jib is self-tacking. My former marina on Lake Erie is a Hanse dealer and I found the quality of those boats to be excellent. I think the Hanse has sail drive and I am not a fan of those. You may not like having the main traveler in the cockpit, I would love that. Like has been said, you really need to test drive.

I, too, like the self-tacking and was told by the Beneteau dealer that it could be added.

thanks for the response

 

[hearthstone1]

I don't think you can wrong either way but I'd opt for the Beneteau. Mind you I'm on my 4th Benny, so I'm a bit prejudiced. IMHO the Benny's have better build quality. Check out the fit and finish of the woodwork, hardware fittings, etc. Look in the corners, behind locker doors, how rigging is seated. The devil is in the details. I like Hanses' but it looks like they have a ways to go in improving production quality. Take a hard look at the prices. Typically European boats have been a bit pricier due to the exchange rate between the Euro and Dollar. One other thing to be concerned with is the dealer network and parts availability. Beneteau has a large and established network of dealers throughout the country. Their headquarters is in South Carolina and help is usually just a phone call away. On the other hand Hanse dealerships are far and few between. I'd also ask for demo sails if possible. Based on their reputation I would expect the Hanse to be a little bit faster than the Benny. Now with all that said it's really going to boil down to what you find attractive and interesting. Good luck with your decision.
Mike

Thanks. your answers have been most helpful. I didn't think about the dealer network and the availability of parts.

My wife probably won't be joining me but my twelve year old son said he will. That, I'm looking forward to.

 

[hearthstone1]

If you are buying new......let the dealers take you on a demo.

If you are buying used.....buy the one with the most extras you want to have on your boat.


paulj :troll:

great advice, thanks

 

[alanwir]

Benneteau vs Hanse

HI:

I would recommend that you look at the article in Saliing Magazine March 2007. Just google "Sailing Magazine Hanse" It should come up.
Alan

 

[hearthstone1]

HI:

I would recommend that you look at the article in Saliing Magazine March 2007. Just google "Sailing Magazine Hanse" It should come up.
Alan

will do, thanks

 

[william24424]

Buying used boat in Massachusetts

Buying used: If you're not working with any broker, try Doug Weber 508-563-7136 at Kingman marine in Bourne (Cataumet). The Cape has a huge inventory of boats, but more importantly Doug is like a walking University of Sailing knowledge, from inspections to free advice, he has saved me thousands of dollars. Even long after purchase.

It's a great sail from the canal to Boston, prevailing SW wind, sailing through the harbor islands. Doug can also walk you through the decision process. The tall ships are coming to Boston July 8th, so hopefully we'll see you out there.

 

[rpwillia]

Are dealers really all that important? On my Catalina, I can find just about any part at West Marine or online. If there is something really exotic, then perhaps, but so far have never really needed a dealer.

 

[Mike B]

Dealers are important during the warranty period and sometimes beyond. True you can get anything you want from a local marine store but the dealer will handle and pay for any warranty work required. That can save you money, time and aggravation. Additonally there are times when a model line will have a problem that extends outside of the initial warranty. Having a good dealer network to handle your claim is important.

 

[Tim R.]

So nice to see the original poster back to respond and thanks folks who helped him.

I have worked with Dick Sciuto out of Brewers in Mattapoisett. He is good at getting you info and then letting you do your own thing. When we went to look at our Ericson, he took us to the boat and then went back to his office to wait for us. It was very refreshing not to have the broker hanging over my shoulder trying to explain away every little thing I looked at.

Peter Hunt is an excellent surveyor. He was happy to spend 12 hours going over every inch of the boat on the inital survey. Luckily he had surveyed the boat from the previous owner 7 years earlier and knew of some things to look out for.