The brief called for volume and simplicity below, manageable sail handling above, and a conservative but contemporary underbody. The keel form itself took second place in the 2001 Bricola de Oro Design competition.
Design and Construction
The Hanse 311 has a contemporary but conservative hull form. Displacement is 3,860 kg, including 1,250 kg of ballast in a cast-iron fin secured by stainless-steel keel bolts. Buyers could instead specify a lead bulb drawing 1.45 m, or a swing-keel version with twin rudders and a draft range of 0.95–1.80 m.
The hull is solid fiberglass below the waterline, while the topsides and deck use an end-grain balsa/GRP sandwich. The hull, topsides, and deck are all laid up with iso resins. The bulkheads are glassed in at both top and bottom.
A separate inner ceiling moulding carries padded vinyl headliner panels. These pull out to expose the deck fittings, a practical maintenance feature that’s rare on a boat of this size. The interior structure and furniture are built from mahogany marine plywood, with veneers finished in two-pack varnish to produce a high-gloss shine.
Rig, Sail Handling, and Power
The 311 carries a seven-eighths fractional rig on a deck-stepped, anodized aluminum Sparcraft mast. Two sets of swept-back spreaders support the mast, together with shrouds and lowers. The mainsail roach clears the backstay, which is adjustable by block and tackle; the boom vang uses the same arrangement.
Sail handling is deliberately simple. A single jib sheet runs to a foredeck traveler car and then aft to one of two Harken 16 self-tailing winches. Two Harken 32 self-tailers are mounted on the coamings, and a Pfieffer mainsheet traveler spans the cockpit.
The 28.5 sq m mainsail is paired with a 21.3 sq m furling, self-tacking jib on a twin-foil Facnor roller. Lazyjacks and a boom bag simplify dropping the main.
The standard 19 hp Volvo Penta saildrive sits beneath the companionway. Writing in boatsales.com.au, testers found the 311 maneuverable under power and happy to make 6 kt at 2,600 rpm in calm conditions.
Accommodations
The standard layout has two private double sleeping cabins, berths for four to six overall, and 6 ft 1 in of headroom. Forward, the bow cabin contains a 2.01 m V-berth that fills the available space. The starboard aft master quarter has a 2.03 m berth, a hanging locker, and storage, with a door separating it from the saloon.
In the saloon, opposing settee berths extend forward to the chainplate bulkhead. Between them, a drop-leaf table is mounted on the stainless-steel compression post.
The galley occupies the starboard aft end of the saloon. It has twin sinks supplied with pressurized hot and cold water from a 22 lt tank, a two-burner Triton stainless stove with oven, and a Waeco-cooled icebox with a removable door.
To port aft, the bathroom contains a marine toilet, vanity, washbasin with a pull-out shower hose, and space for hanging wet gear. The aft head also has electric pressurized water.
A “charter” layout replaced the standard arrangement with two mirror-image double quarter berths. There is also a pipe berth in the lazarette adjacent to the head, though access is tight.
Equipment and Systems
Standard equipment included:
- A pressurized hot-water system
- 12V refrigeration
- A Muir electric anchor winch
- Simrad log and depth instruments
- A Plastimo binnacle compass
- Stainless-steel fuel and freshwater tanks
- A toilet holding tank
The navigation station includes a chart table and a switch panel with circuit breakers. At the stern, the 311 has a boarding platform and swim ladder, although the transom itself doesn’t open.
Verdict
The Hanse 311 is a thoughtfully packaged small cruiser that favors usable volume and forgiving systems over overt performance pretensions. Its balsa-cored topsides and glassed-in bulkheads provide a stiff, accessible structure, while the self-tacking jib and single-sheet lead make short-handed sailing genuinely simple.
For its length, the two-cabin layout is generous. The main compromises are the V-berth, which is better suited to children than tall adults, and the pipe berth, which feels like an afterthought. The swing-keel option broadens the boat’s reach, but the standard iron fin remains the pragmatic cruiser’s choice.
Pros
- Two genuine private double cabins with doors in a 29-foot hull
- Self-tacking jib and single sheet make short-handed sailing easy
- Pull-out headliner panels provide access to deck fittings for servicing
- CE Category A (Ocean) certification with German Lloyds quality assurance
Cons
- Forward V-berth is short for adults
- Pipe-berth access is tight and awkward
- Transom doesn’t open despite the boarding platform
