Hanse 630 or Hanse 540 for solo circumnavigation

[oceanbluesail09]

Hi Everyone, i am new to this forum.
I intend to undertake a solo circumnavigation around the globe, via the three capes. solo. non-stop and unsupported.

I am looking for a yacht of approx 60 ft in length.
Rigging for easy handling by one person. Other modifications that will need to be done to customise it for the journey include extra watertigh compartments fore and aft, crash boxes etc.

I have been seriously considering the Hanse 54 and the Hanse 63.

(The other options are
Marten 49 - very expensive , about 1.5 million, but an all carbon yacht

Jenneau SunOdessy DS - well built (from what Ive heard), better than the
Beneteau

Swan 60 - heavy yacht, very expensive

What are your thoughts on the suitability of the Hanse 54 or 63 for such a voyage thru the southern ocean.
In terms of
1. build quality
2. handling ease
3. reliability & safety

would appreciate any help on this , thanks

[Tad]

And which boats have you actually sailed across an ocean?

Buying any production boat means you are paying a large fee for marketing, service, brand recognition, tooling, fancy interior furnishings, and styling. Lowest on the list are the sailing qualities and construction of the basic structure. IMO one would be making a big mistake (financial among other things) to modify a new production boat for such a voyage. None of the boats mentioned are intended for such work, why not spend less for a design and structure actually intended for such a voyage?

[dskira]

I can't agree more with Tad.
He is right.

[sonosail]

With your budget, I think you have a LOT of choices. Certainly you pay a premium for new boats. (this is not something that I PERSONALLYwould ever consider). But you CAN get all the options that you want, and none of the ones you don't want.
I have a friend who is a dealer for Hanse. Prices are steep, but the build quality seems to be extremely high. I can't imagine that, with a few modifactions, these boats would be capable of going anywhere. (I have no affiliation with Hanse Yachts. It's just a brand that I happen to have seen)
rb

[Omeron]

Your plans, sound like you promised yourself to take up this challenge, for whatever reason, rather than cruising round the world leisurely.
Since you are going to do it non stop, it will be over in a matter of months, rather than years.
What you intend to do with the boat afterwards is probably as important as getting you around the world. If you are going to sell and switch to something else, probably a good quality production boat would make sense.
But the modifications you might do will make the boat heavier and may be less attractive to a potential buyer, if he has no intentions to take her around again.
Similarly, if you are going to keep the boat,you may get to dislike most of the mods you have done.
In the end, you will be spending and owning a boat which has fulfilled a specific purpose for a fraction of its expected life span.
Needs careful planning if you do not want to be stuck with a boat nobody wants.

[FrancoisP]

Very frankly, you do not sound very experienced (not that I am that experienced either, but still ...) and I am a bit hesitant to give advice regarding such ambitious plans.

First of all, I would go for a smaller boat for a single-handler, say around 40'. Second, none of the boats you name sound particularly suitable.

I have somewhat similar plans and personnally I decided to have a one-off of 45' designed and build for this purpose:
http://francois.heoblog.com

A few characteristics:

• Light yet extremely solid thanks to top materials and construction
• Very high AVS (145-150°)
• Watertight bulkheads + compartimentalized interior
• Versatile cutter rig optimized for use with asymetrics
• Twin, skeg-protected rudders for directional stability
• Partially enclosed cockpit
• Self-draining lockers
• Large tankage: ~700 l for water and ~200l for diesel
• Powerful autopilot backed up by windvane
• Simple and functional interior, but very comfortable
• Etc

It does not come cheap of course. The construction is drawing to a close, and so far I am extremely statisfied with the yard. I am sure they would be happy to build a second one.

Regards,

Francois