Technology

TECHNICS

While a HANSE may not be a true ?work of art? our owners know that we are masters in the composition of a fine sailing yachts. Masterminds and hard-working hands combine to assemble a HANSE from single elements like a composer blending his notes into a single theme. From the first beat until the final chord we conduct the whole composition.
This composition begins with the making of forms. The core competence of yacht building is to design, to draw, and to laminate the hull and deck in the forms. Laminating demands experience. Chemical engineers at Hanse work with the GRP and Epoxy, not unskilled staff. The core of your HANSE is composed of resins and mats where this kind of craft is a tradition.
A composition is awkward when different materials are used together. In the case of the keel or the chain plates. We optionally use a zinc plated bottom construction. We have done our research with the Fraunhofer-Institut about the properties of GRP and metal and this allows us to properly and professionally blend these two materials. The following rule applies for sandwich works: Foam below the waterline, Balsa above waterline.

EPOXY

Construction engineers have a difficult task as we do at Hanse. Our owners appreciate comfort and fast racing boats. In fact, these features contradict each other. Comfort and luxury demand more weight on board. Heaters and fridges require generators which in turn call for the supply of diesel. Fuel and these amenities are not lightweight.

We know the meaning of lightweight because we continuously deal with the construction of racing yachts. A light yacht is obligatory to win races. As experts, we have favoured the light HANSE yachts to be built in epoxy, generating a 10% weight saving over GRP along with additional stability. Generators, diving gear, dinghies and everything else which carries weight is more than welcome on board a Hanse.

Two issues are worth mentioning: evaporation and osmosis. Neither menace can occur in epoxy yachts. When you choose epoxy construction you avoid the danger of allergic reactions and unpleasant maintenance. The laborious application of regular primer coatings is not needed epoxy is not subject to osmosis.

It`s purely a matter of taste

Owners agree with us: ?Off the rack? yachts are passé and ?custom built? yachts reach beyond most of our budgets. As opinions and tastes differ Hanse made another important decision: How will we manage to build yachts that will achieve the cost benefits of a ?production yacht? with the flexibility of a ?custom yacht? and still be competitive? How do we respond to the request of our owners who want to sail a HANSE with an individually designed, made to measure interior?

We thought, we planned, we drew and annoyed designers and production heads until some new and amazing ideas came forth. Klaus Kreuels, who is a master with wood and new high tech wood working machines, brought his skills, knowledge and experienced staff to the table. The result is that you, the prospective Hanse owner, can now individually design the interior or your yacht. You can take this seriously ! With the benefit of highly complex machinery, computer processing and master wood workers, Hanse now has the ability to give you a wide variety of interior options choices.
As an example, in our new models there are Eighty ? Yes ?80? variations possible. Each Hanse can now be configured to its owner?s wishes.

We are now able to respond with beautiful surfaces for our interiors, thanks to subtle processing and new technology. And ? Yes ? we can deliver on time.

Despite all the technology we are conscious of what the sea demands. The craft of building fine yachts is not for the dilettante. Hanse recognizes the need for some traditional features in it?s yachts, contrary to some of today?s merchandising. We know the difference and that is how we build them.

Compared to a yacht a mansion is a just a little ?something?. A mansion depends on public utilities but a yacht must be totally self sustaining with its own propulsion, power generation, fresh water supply and in the case of long journeys , desalinization plants.

It is, at times, difficult to assess the real electrical demands on a yacht. At Hanse we anticipate your needs in our larger yachts such as those exceeding 50 feet with the use of a more efficient 24 Volt system to stabilize the electrical net. Cable forms run through cable conduits and in case you wish to upgrade your HANSE electrical system, a conduit is provided for that as well.  

Your HANSE-plumbing needs to operate successfully. Waste tanks are preferably built with stainless steel as warm water tanks always are. We have preassembled the piping which is simultaneously installed with the inner shell without applying any clamps as those are likely damaged by vibration.

ENGINE

Diesel tanks are built exclusively in stainless steel since what applies to electricity and water is also valid for the engine. Good installations are seldom noticeable and we pride ourselves on these. To avoid improper installations we rely on our state of the art construction, but we further have all of our piping, ventilation systems, feeders, and other installations attested to and verified by our suppliers.

RUDDER

Next to the Mast we apply our knowledge and skill to other very important elements of the yacht ? the rudder. We use aluminium alloys which again saves weight. The inner construction is drilled and glued together. Welding only weakens the aluminium. It is worth the time and effort we put into its construction. We pivot the hubs with self-aligning bearings, which insure that the rudder is always in the correct position. We decided upon a sophisticated rod steering system instead of a cable steering. We want to play it safe.

Final inspection

Regarding our comparison of a mansion and a yacht: At HANSE we prefer a yacht to a mansion. Why? We can live on board of a yacht but we cannot travel with a house. We, as well as the HANSE yard are directly located on the waterside. We do not build our yachts in the mountains but at the coast which is great advantage. As soon as we come up with a new idea, we are able to carry it out on the water. We do not have to travel afar and make special arrangements, we just hop on board and cast off. It is the same procedure with our owners. Each trial shows us whether an idea is effective or not and can be evaluated very quickly.
We do not have to take part in every trend ? We set them. We still put great emphasis on tapered mast tops because we understand the desire to tune up the boat. These, in addition to top-notch sails guarantee fast sailing. Apart from the functional advantage, tapered mast tops have an aesthetic appeal which corresponds to our ideal: a yacht must be beautiful. The beauty of our yachts is the icing on the ?HANSE-cake?.

We trust our employees and suppliers. We have great confidence in ourselves but we know that we as with all human beings are not perfect. For that reason, we put great emphasis on the accuracy check at the final inspection before handing over a yacht.
Before a HANSE yacht is passed on to a dealer it is first put into its intended element: The water tightness of all outlets and valves can only be checked in the water. The water pressure of the sea is absolute. The engine has to prove its capacity and performance at sea - in as close-to-reality situation as possible rather than in a water tank. Our location next to the sea allows us to do these realty test runs.
As we are experts in building yachts we leave the final inspection to an independent outside company who are professionals in putting yachts to the acid test. We have scheduled 48 hours for this final inspection of each yacht. We feel that this has added value to our customers and will minimize future problems.

Normally , HANSE yachts are sent to dealers by truck or by ocean freight however some owners arrange the handing over with their respective dealer in Greifswald. This is not a problem the Baltic Sea, the Greifswalder Bodden (coastal inlet), and the isles of Rügen and Usedom are literally located in our back yard. Your vacation in this wonderful area can start right away?