Design and Construction
The Hans Christian 34 measures 34 feet on deck, with a 29.16-foot waterline and an 11-foot beam. Listed displacement is 19,400 pounds, including 7,200 pounds of iron ballast in a long keel. By every measure those numbers provide, she belongs firmly in the heavy-cruiser class.
Perry’s hull has a low chin bow, a short canoe stern, and a long, flat run aft. Through the midsection, it carries fairly straight deadrise over a V-bottom.
The hull is built from thick, solid, hand-laid fiberglass. The deck consists of 5/8-inch teak planking over a sandwich of 3/8-inch glass, 3/4-inch plywood, and another 3/8-inch glass layer. The cabin top is cored with 1/2-inch plywood.
The hull-deck joint is glassed over inside and appears to be through-bolted. Solid bulwarks allow the lifeline stanchions to stand vertically, providing more strength than deck-through-bolted arrangements, while the retaining nuts are embedded in the glass. Practical Sailor’s survey highlighted the solid bulwarks and embedded stanchion nuts as a thoughtful detail repeated elsewhere in the structure.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The cutter rig has a solid bronze traveler mounted well forward on the boom. One owner survey noted that its position makes sheeting awkward.
Under sail, the Hans Christian 34 favors reaching. The highest she’s likely to point is 45 degrees, and Perry himself recommends using a genoa and leaving the staysail ashore to get more performance in light air. In 15-knot winds, heel remained modest at 15 to 17 degrees, and reefing isn’t called for until the wind is well into the 20-knot range.
She needs a solid 15 knots of breeze to approach her 7.24-knot hull speed. Owners have, however, recorded 11 knots while surfing in a following sea and 9 knots on the return leg of the Bermuda One-Two. Her PHRF rating is 204.
Practical Sailor judged her an excellent choice for the serious bluewater sailor, while stating plainly that she isn’t suited to the weekend coastal sailor or to light-air venues.
Cockpit and Accommodations
The small cockpit is wrapped in teak staving. It is compact enough to be safe at sea and drains adequately.
Below, the all-wood interior receives light and ventilation through six oval opening bronze ports and a large, rod-reinforced skylight. The galley sits to port at the foot of the companionway. It is small, with a two-burner stove, an ice chest, and limited counter space.
Aft to starboard is a quarter berth that one owner called his favorite. In the saloon, there’s a settee berth to starboard and a U-shaped dinette to port, with stowage behind and beneath it. A generous chart table provides enough space for a dedicated navigator.
This is a deep boat with a large bilge and good access to the engine and other systems. The original stainless steel water tanks included two beneath the saloon and a smaller tank forward.
Tankage and Auxiliary Power
Original auxiliary power came from a Volvo diesel. The boat carried 80 gallons of fuel and 120 gallons of water, providing substantial capacity for long passages.
The deep bilge and good systems access make work on the engine and tanks more manageable than on many yachts of comparable size.
Maintenance and Known Issues
The teak decks and wooden interior are attractive, but they bring a constant maintenance burden. Any owner should expect the teak decks to require ongoing attention.
One owner complained about the keel’s squared-off leading edge, describing it as looking like a cheese wedge. The forward position of the bronze traveler also drew criticism because it makes sheeting difficult.
The Verdict
The Hans Christian 34 is a small-production, genuinely bluewater-minded heavy cruiser from Perry’s Taiwan-era drawings. She rewards an offshore-bound sailor with a tough, solid hull, a deep and accessible bilge, and a seakindly motion. In return, she asks for enough wind to perform and an owner committed to maintaining her extensive wood and teak.
Pros
- Solid, hand-laid fiberglass hull
- Glassed and bolted hull-deck joint
- Deep bilge with good access to the engine and other systems
- Bluewater-oriented and, according to a period review, capable of standing up to a gale
- Generous tankage
- Navigator-grade chart table
Cons
- Requires 15 knots of wind to approach hull speed
- Poor fit for light-air venues and weekend coastal sailing
- Teak decks and wooden interior require constant upkeep
- Forward bronze traveler makes sheeting difficult
- Squared-off keel leading edge noted by one owner
