Design and Construction
The 355 follows the construction philosophy of larger Hanse models rather than a simplified small-boat approach. The hull is a monolithic fiberglass layup with a vinylester first layer and isophthalic gelcoat. The deck uses a balsa-cored laminate, while the main bulkheads are laminated to both hull and deck and GRP strongbacks reinforce the structure. The solid-core hull pairs with the balsa-cored deck to provide panel stiffness without adding weight aloft.
The boat has a waterline length of 31.5 feet, a beam of 11.65 feet, and a displacement of 14,021 pounds. An iron bulb keel carries 4,067 pounds of ballast. Buyers could choose between the standard 6.3-foot draft and a shoal-draft option, both using the iron bulb keel. The capsize screening ratio is 1.93, and the comfort ratio is 25.36.
Rig, Handling, and Performance
Hanse equipped the 355 with its trademark self-tacking, 95-percent furling jib as standard. It’s paired with a single-line, slab-reefed, fully battened mainsail. Mid-boom sheeting leads through a German mast-base turning-block system to cabin-top winches, keeping the cockpit clear of lines in cruising mode and allowing the jib to look after itself.
Test sailors found the 355 ridiculously easy to sail on that account, with simple mainsheet controls and a Jefa rack-and-pinion steering system providing light control and no slack at the wheel. The trade-off is less precise boom-angle control: the boat has mid-boom sheeting and no traveller, unlike the smaller 325’s end-boom arrangement.
Available rig options included genoas and asymmetric or pole spinnakers for sailors wanting more range downwind. In an impromptu race around Pittwater, with breezes reaching 12 knots, the longer and more powerful 355 outpaced the 325 both upwind and down. Off the wind, she should always have the legs to outrun her shorter sibling.
Cockpit and Deck
The large cockpit provides plenty of room for a crowd, uninterrupted by a mainsheet or block. Compared with the 325, the 2011-model-year boat reviewed had a longer coach house, a longer cockpit, and a slightly taller mast.
The one documented handling caveat is on deck rather than structural. Hanse finished the cabin tops in a gloss surface that looks classy but provides no grip when wet, making it a tad tricky to move forward in those conditions.
Accommodations
The 355 was offered with either two or three cabins. The three-cabin version fits three double sleeping spaces within the hull’s footprint. The two-cabin version opens up the interior, providing a spacious plan with a larger head and a separate shower section. Both layouts have vee-berths and twin robes forward.
The saloon dinette seats six comfortably. Its table is larger than the 325’s, with a highly polished compression post passing through the center. A movable, padded round stool was supplied as standard. The galley also has a tad more bench space than the 325’s. Grey plastic covers with roller-shutter doors conceal the radio and electrical modules, while the tap and recessed shower-head designs are unobtrusive and stylish.
In the two-cabin arrangement, a huge sail-storage locker sits beneath the port cockpit seat, with additional access from the head. It’s a practical feature for cruisers who live out of their sail bags. Choosing the third cabin adds guest capacity but means giving up the separate shower and the sail-locker access provided by the two-cabin layout.
Equipment and Ownership
The base 355 was delivered as a sail-away proposition. Its standard equipment list included cruise and navigation packs, along with items usually treated as extras. It also included a Volvo D1-30 saildrive diesel rated at 27 HP, an upgrade from the 18-HP base.
The Verdict
The Hanse 355 is a thoughtfully engineered small cruiser that gives up a little mainsail-trimming precision in exchange for a genuinely easy-to-handle rig and a clear, sociable cockpit. Its construction mirrors that of the larger Hanse fleet, and the two-cabin layout makes particularly smart use of the available volume.
The gloss cabin top is the one real-world annoyance. Careful footing or aftermarket tread can mitigate it.
Pros
- Self-tacking jib and cabin-top-winched mainsail make solo or short-handed sailing straightforward
- Larger-sibling construction approach, with a monolithic hull and laminated bulkheads
- Two-cabin layout provides a separate shower and a huge sail locker beneath the cockpit seat
- Outpaces the 325 off the wind and matches her upwind in light-to-moderate breezes
Cons
- Gloss-finished cabin tops provide no grip when wet
- Mid-boom sheeting without a traveller limits boom-angle precision
