Hanse 315 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used Hanse 315 means looking at a Judel/Vrolijk & Co design built by Hanse Yachts as the smallest of the 5 series, replacing the older 325. She is a 31ft 6in cruiser with a foam-cored hull above the waterline, solid laminate below, and a balsa-cored deck—offered with twin wheels or tiller and a deep or shallow L-shaped keel foam-cored hull above the waterline.
Layouts on the Used Market
The standard belowdecks plan is two cabins and a single head, with a large athwartship berth aft beneath the cockpit and a forward V-berth that may be enclosed or opened without its bulkhead. Saloon headroom is 1.74m, and the chart table seats facing aft or standing. The cockpit sits slightly higher than normal because of the aft cabin beneath it, and a manually controlled drop-down transom extends the cockpit on fitted boats.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Power and energy centers on a single 90Ah service battery under the starboard berth, with a second optional and the charger under the port berth—worth confirming on any viewing. Sail handling runs through Seldén rig, vang, and traveler, Lewmar winches, and Spinlock clutches, with Elvstrom FCL laminate sails and a self-tacking jib as the defining setup; a German mainsheet or traveler was an option. Navigation is B&G at the port wheel. Comfort touches include a touch-panel dimmable light switch, LED handrail lighting, and reading lights switchable to red or white.
What to Inspect
The deck joint carries a built-in lip at the gunwale for footing when heeled; check that this molding is sound and not cracked where it meets the hull flange. The nine-bolt L-shaped keel attachment should be examined for any staining or corrosion at the bolt heads indicating loosening. Where a fold-down transom was fitted, work the manual mechanism and confirm the aft guardrails are present and secure, since the early test boat lacked both. Verify all seacocks operate and their anti-accidental-opening slides are intact, and confirm the battery configuration matches a second unit if quoted.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Focus the search on well-documented individual hulls.
- Confirm keel bolts show no staining
- Work the drop-down transom mechanism
- Check seacock safety slides
- Verify service battery count
- Inspect deck-joint lip for cracks
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
10 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hanse 388 | 37.4' | $ 251,425 | 98 | 21 |
| Hanse 315 (2006) | 31' | $ 107,970 | 74 | 19 |
| Hanse 320 | 31.59' | $ 68,906 | 32 | 13 |
| Hanse 350 | 34.74' | $ 81,113 | 29 | 5 |
| Hanse 325 | 31.59' | $ 80,674 | 26 | 6 |
| Catalina 315 | 31.92' | $ 155,000 | 25 | 7 |
| Hanse 311 | 29.49' | $ 43,973 | 25 | 6 |
| Hanse 375 | 37.24' | $ 114,650 | 19 | 2 |
| Hanse 301 | 29.49' | $ 31,052 | 12 | 0 |
| Hanse 355 | 34.74' | $ 94,643 | 7 | 1 |