Design and Construction
The 355 shares the construction philosophy of her larger Hanse siblings rather than a simplified small-boat recipe. The hull is a monolithic fiberglass layup with a vinylester first layer and isophthalic gelcoat, while the deck uses a balsa-cored laminate; main bulkheads are laminated to both hull and deck, and GRP strongbacks reinforce the structure. Buyers could choose between a standard 6.3-foot draft and a shoal option, both on the iron bulb keel. This is a solid-core hull rather than a cored one, which pairs with the balsa deck to keep panel stiffness without adding weight aloft. The boat's capsize screening ratio is 1.93 and comfort ratio is 25.36.
Rig and Handling
Hanse equipped the 355 with a trademark self-tacking 95-percent furling jib as standard, paired to a single-line, slab-reefed, fully-battened mainsail. Mid-boom sheeting runs through a German mast-base turning block system to cabin-top winches, which keeps the cockpit clear of lines in cruising mode and lets the jib 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 giving light control and no slack at the wheel. The trade-off is that, with mid-boom sheeting and no traveller, boom-angle control is not as precise as on the end-boom arrangement of the smaller 325. Rig options extended to genoas and asymmetric or pole spinnakers for those wanting more downwind range. In an impromptu race around Pittwater in breezes to 12 knots, the longer, more powerful 355 outpaced the 325 both upwind and down, and off the wind she should always have the legs to outrun her shorter sibling.
Accommodations
Below decks the 355 is offered in two- or three-cabin layouts. The three-cabin version provides three double sleeping spaces within the hull's footprint, while the two-cabin layout opens into a spacious plan with a larger head and separate shower section. Forward, both versions carry vee-berths and twin robes. The saloon dinette seats six comfortably, and the 355's table is larger than the 325's, with a highly polished compression post dropping through its center and a movable padded round stool supplied as standard. The galley gains a tad more bench space than the 325, and the radio and electrical modules wear grey plastic covers with roller shutter doors. Tap and recessed shower-head designs are non-obtrusive and stylish. In the two-cabin arrangement, a huge sail-storage locker sits beneath the portside cockpit seat with additional access from the head — a practical detail for cruisers who live out of their sail bags.
Known Issues
The one documented handling caveat is on deck rather than structural: Hanse finished the cabin tops in gloss that looks classy but offers no foot-grip when wet, making moving forward a tad tricky in those conditions.
Refits and Ownership
The base 355 was delivered as a sail-away proposition with cruise and navigation packs and a Volvo D1-30 saildrive diesel rated at 27 HP — an upgrade from the 18-HP base — included in the standard equipment list, along with items usually treated as extras. The 2011-model-year example reviewed sat alongside the 325 as a longer-coach-house, longer-cockpit, slightly taller-masted evolution, and the large cockpit itself offers crowd space uninterrupted by mainsheet or block. Owners choosing the third cabin trade separate-shower luxury for guest capacity, a decision worth weighing against the sail-locker access the two-cabin version provides.
The Verdict
The Hanse 355 is a thoughtfully engineered small cruiser that trades a little mainsail trim precision for a genuinely easy-to-handle rig and a clear, sociable cockpit. Her construction mirrors the larger Hanse fleet, and the two-cabin layout in particular makes smart use of volume. The gloss cabin top is the one real-world annoyance, easily mitigated with careful footing or aftermarket tread.
Pros
- Self-tacking jib and cabin-top-winched main make solo or short-handed sailing straightforward
- Shared larger-sibling construction with monolithic hull and laminated bulkheads
- Two-cabin layout gives separate shower and huge cockpit-seat sail locker
- Outpaces the 325 off the wind and matches her upwind in light-to-moderate breeze
Cons
- Gloss-finish cabin tops provide no grip when wet
- Mid-boom sheeting without traveller limits boom-angle precision
