Buying a used Hans Christian: the boat you're evaluating may not carry its original name
A used Hans Christian may not be listed under its original name. Perry has traced the same 36-foot hull -- his stretched 34 design, taken over by the Union yard after a split with founder John Edwards -- to at least four brand names: Hans Christian 36, Mariner Polaris 36, Union 36, and EO 36, plus a close cousin, the Mao Ta 36, built at a separate yard. Hull numbers starting USC or UYC mark the Union-built run specifically -- about 160 boats, the last sold in 1988 -- a more reliable identifier than whatever name is on the listing. Treat the hull and its actual construction as the real subject of any survey; the nameplate alone won't tell you which yard built it.
Which era to target
Early boats came out of a string of contract Taiwan yards -- Horng Bin, Shing Fa, King Dragon, and Union among them -- using thick, hand-laid solid fiberglass hulls and teak-planked decks over a fiberglass-plywood-fiberglass sandwich; the builder later planned a shift toward lighter Divinycell foam-cored hulls. Production relocated to Thailand in 1989 and, after 2004, concentrated at Pantawee Marine's Bangsaray plant, which added air-conditioned lay-up facilities, quality control under Michael Kaufman, and ABS certification -- a meaningfully different build environment than the early Taiwan-yard boats. That plant discontinued the traditional line entirely in February 2017 to shift toward catamarans, so any traditional Hans Christian on offer necessarily predates that cutoff.
What to inspect across the range
The teak that defines the brand -- decks, cockpit, cabin trunk roof -- is also its most consistent maintenance line item across the range. Reviewing the 33, SpinSheet found some degree of osmotic blistering below the waterline to be common, along with teak overlays that were not always well bedded, leaving moisture and delamination in the deck composite underneath. OceanWaveSail's profile of the 38 Traditional flags electrical systems as the likely weak point on any Taiwanese-built boat from the 1970s and 80s -- some early examples used automotive-grade wiring prone to corrosion, with looms buried under teak battens and ceiling liners that make repairs costly -- alongside hoses, clamps, chainplates, and through-hulls worth checking for age-related wear.
Navigating the lineup
The traditional, double-ended line runs from the 33 through the 34 -- only 34 hulls of which were built before the design grew into the 36 -- and on through the 38 Traditional, 41, and 48, all sharing the brand's full-keel, heavy-teak identity. The Christina series, including the Christina 40, 43, 48, and 52, moved some models toward a more modern fin-keel-with-skeg profile. Buyers set on the traditional bluewater look should stay within the numbered line; those open to a more contemporary underbody have the Christina series to weigh against it. The full model directory on this page breaks out years and dimensions for each.
Where they're listed
Hans Christian listings appear across 13 countries. United States has the most listings with 74 (63.8%), followed by Mexico and Australia.
Country view
116 listings · 13 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $88,500 | 74 | 14 | 63.8% |
| Mexico | $89,000 | 11 | 0 | 9.5% |
| Australia | $112,618 | 10 | 2 | 8.6% |
| Canada | $101,043 | 4 | 2 | 3.4% |
| United Kingdom | $61,166 | 4 | 0 | 3.4% |
| New Zealand | $85,504 | 3 | 2 | 2.6% |
| Turkey | $208,585 | 3 | 0 | 2.6% |
| Thailand | $70,000 | 2 | 0 | 1.7% |
| Spain | $96,718 | 1 | 0 | 0.9% |
| Fiji | $95,000 | 1 | 0 | 0.9% |
| Greece | $208,585 | 1 | 0 | 0.9% |
| Netherlands | $179,900 | 1 | 0 | 0.9% |
| 1 other country | — | 1 | 1 | 0.9% |
All Hans Christian models
10 models grouped by length overall. Open any model to see recent asking prices and active listings.