hans christian sailboat

Hans Christian Yachts

Design Philosophy

Hans christian yachts is known for producing a series of high-quality, traditional-looking, long-distance cruising sailboats.

The design philosophy behind Hans Christian Yachts has always been to create vessels that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also robust and seaworthy. Their traditional lines, inspired by old-world sailing vessels, are combined with modern construction techniques to produce yachts that can handle the rigors of long-distance cruising.

Navigating the Market: Choice Vessels Ready for Open Waters

1976 Hans Christian 38t: A Timeless Seafarer’s Dream

“ Footloose “- revered Hans Christian 38t series . A vessel that harks back to the golden age of sailing, she’s built with the robustness and craftsmanship that Hans Christian is renowned for. Her interiors are a blend of tradition and comfort, featuring two private staterooms, a seagoing galley, and a spacious main salon. While she’s in need of some TLC, particularly in areas like refrigeration, stove/oven, and teak deck rejuvenation, this is a golden opportunity for a hands-on sailor to acquire a classic at a value well below market rate

Hans Christian 38 MK II: A Mariner’s Timeless Classic

Behold the Hans Christian 38 MK II, a vessel that embodies the very essence of traditional seafaring. With her unmistakable lines and robust craftsmanship, she stands as a testament to the golden age of blue water cruising. Every inch of this yacht speaks of adventures across vast horizons, from her sturdy full keel to the intricate woodwork that graces her interiors. Designed for the discerning sailor, the 38 MK II offers a harmonious blend of performance and comfort, ensuring safe passage through both calm seas and tempestuous waters. Whether you’re charting a course to distant shores or seeking a tranquil anchorage, this classic cutter is your trusted companion on the timeless journey of the sea.

1986 Hans Christian 33: A Nautical Legacy

Yacht seamlessly blends tradition with functionality. This classic sailboat, moored in Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles , boasts a fiberglass hull designed for displacement, ensuring stability and grace on the water. At a length of 10.06 meters, she’s powered by a Sole Mini 44 engine from 2010, with only 575 hours on the clock.

The interior reveals a well-maintained space, accommodating two single berths, a twin berth, and a head. Sailors will appreciate the new navigation equipment, overhauled systems, and the freshly painted mast & boom. The vessel also comes equipped with a range of sails, including a main sail, stay sail, genoa, and jib, all inspected and serviced by Doyle in November 2020.

Whether you’re charting new waters or anchoring in a tranquil bay, this Hans Christian 33 promises reliability, comfort, and the timeless charm of classic sailing.

Not  just a vessel

Why do we hold our Hans Christian in such high regard? Well, mate, she’s not just any vessel; she’s a blend of tradition, craftsmanship, and true blue-water spirit.

Traditional design

Hans Christian sailboats are easily recognizable by their classic, traditional design. They often feature a canoe stern, clipper bow, and a lot of teak woodwork, both inside and out

Blue Water cruisers

Hans Christian Yachts are often referred to as “blue water cruisers” because of their ability to handle long ocean passages safely and comfortably.

Heavy displacement

Hans Christian Yachts are known for their heavy displacement, which contributes to their stability in rough waters. This makes them slower in light wind conditions but more comfortable in heavier seas

The interiors of Hans Christian yachts are often noted for their warm, cozy, and traditional feel, with extensive use of teak and other high-quality materials

Yacht delivery

Frequently asked questions, what are the primary methods of transporting a yacht from the usa to europe.

Answer: The primary methods include shipping on a freighter (either as deck cargo or in a shipping container), hiring a delivery crew to sail the yacht, or sailing it yourself. W can arrange transport or support you in your passage.

How much does it cost to transport a yacht from the USA to Europe?</p> <p>

Answer: The cost varies based on the size of the yacht, the method of transportation chosen, and the specific starting and ending locations. It’s best to get quotes from multiple shipping companies for an accurate estimate. Push a Contact button and let us know 

What documentation is required to transport and import my yacht into Europe?

Answer: You’ll need the yacht’s registration, proof of ownership, a bill of sale, and potentially a Certificate of Conformity. It’s also essential to check the specific import regulations of the European country you’re importing to.

How do Hans Christian Yachts perform in rough seas?

Answer: Known for their heavy displacement and robust construction, Hans Christian Yachts are designed to handle rough waters with stability and comfort. Just be sure, your boat passed a boat survey ans she is prepared for planned passage. And … Bon voyage 🙂

BRUTAL take down of a Hans Christian 38T

The video discusses a Hans Christian 38T sailboat that is priced at $37,000 US dollars, whereas a good one typically costs around $130,000. The video seems to explore why this particular boat is priced so low. Questions raised include:

• What’s wrong with the boat?
• Why is it so cheap?
• Does it need a new marine diesel engine?
• Does it need new sails?
• Can you buy a bad boat and fix it up to go sailing?

Hans Christian models

Anchored in tradition and crafted for the open seas, Hans Christian Yachts’ models are the quintessential mariner’s vessels, blending old-world craftsmanship with blue-water performance, making every horizon a new adventure for the salt-blooded sailor 🌊🏴‍☠️

""Hans Christian Yachts: A harmonious blend of timeless craftsmanship and innovative design, these vessels are more than just boats; they are floating legacies that capture the boundless spirit and romance of the sea.""

Marcello ★★★★★

"Hans Christian Yachts: Synonymous with unparalleled comfort and steadfast safety, each vessel is meticulously crafted to ensure every journey is as serene as it is secure, embodying the true essence of luxurious and worry-free sailing"

Borys Borkowski ★★★★★

"Hans Christian Yachts: Crafted with an unwavering commitment to onboard luxury, each vessel offers a haven of comfort, where every nook and cranny is designed for the utmost relaxation and ease, making life at sea feel like a home away from home"

Oskar  ★★★★★

"Quis blandit erat. Donec laoreet libero non metus volutpat consequat in vel metus. Sed non augue id felis pellentesque. Semper leo et sapien lobortis facilisis aliquam feugiat ut diam non tempus et malesuada."

Preserving the Legacy of Hans Christian Yachts

Join our quest to preserve the legacy of Hans Christian Yachts. Contribute documents, blueprints, and photos to help keep the dream alive for future sailors. Your support is vital in safeguarding the history of these timeless vessels

Chiliad Falcon

Ampage singer Mark Mason's 1980 Hans Christian 43T Sailboat

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• Sailboat Reviews

Hans Christian 34/36

In many ways this blue-water cruiser represents the best and worst of taiwan boatbuilding- heavy but maintenance-intensive construction..

The story of the Hans Christian 34 and 36, and their successors, is a microcosm of the history of the Taiwan/U.S. boatbuilding industry. That is to say, a mixture of good designs, fine hand craftsmanship, knockoff gear, occasional shoddy finish and detail work, double-dealing and broken promises. Sometimes out of the mix comes a well-built, good-sailing blue water cruiser like the Hans Christian 34.

The Designer(s) and Builder(s)

Hans Christian Yachts got its start 24 years ago when a former Long Beach, California high school teacher named John Edwards approached naval architect Robert Perry about a plan to build quality yachts economically on the island of Taiwan. It wasnt an original thought; the Formosa Boat Building Co. in Taipei and Cheoy Lee in Hong Kong had been at it since the 1950s. Edwards and Perry had collaborated on an earlier Taiwan-built boat, the CT 54. For Edwards, Perry came up with plans for the hull, keel and rig for what would become the HC 34.

Before the first 34 was built, Perry says he was informed that Hans Christian had blown up his design to a 36-footer but that, no, he wouldnt be getting any royalties. Thus ended, for a time. Perrys role with the design, although the company continued to credit (or exploit) his name in connection with the 36.

Under Edwards Taiwan arrangement, he owned the designs and controlled the distributorship. An outfit called Union oversaw construction, and the yard basically owned the tooling. House designer for subsequent designs such as the 33 and the 41, was listed as Harwood S. Ives of Cruising Design in Winterport, Maine (Perry says hes tried unsuccessfully to track down Woody Ives, has found no one who knows him and tends to doubt his existence. Hans Christians new president, Jerry Finefrock, who took over this year, says he understands that Ives is English, but that he hasn’t been able to locate him either.)

Finefrock, a lawyer who concedes his knowledge of the firms earlier history is somewhat incomplete, says that through some sort of Chinese chicanery someone took the HC 36 molds and began building the Union 36. He said a lawsuit, filed by Edwards after Union lightened the scan’tlings and reverted to the Hans Christian name, ended the chicanery. Perry, who meanwhile had retaliated by designing the Tayana 37, disagrees with that version. He suspects that Edwards somehow alienated the yard, which owned the molds, much as he had with the earlier project, the CT 54.

Later, the Union people asked Perry to lend his name to the 36 in return for royalties. He agreed to a compromise in which the yard could claim the boat was based on a hull by Bob Perry, which was true to the extent it was a knockoff of his 34. When the company continued to claim it as his design, he disassociated himself and the royalties stopped.

In the middle of all this, a Union employee asked Perry at a meeting in Taipei to redesign the 36s keel, paid for the job with a personal check, then took the design and began building his own boat at the Mao Ta yard. The 36, ultimately more successful than the 34 in sales, popped up as the Mariner Polaris 36 and EO 36. None did as well as the Tayana 37, however, of which 570 eventually were made.

Hans Christian went on to create a number of successful models (John Edwards has a good eye for a boat, Perry concedes), eventually parting ways with the Hansa yard, which had taken on the line land presumably dropping German-built from its advertising claims, claims that made a lot of people believe the boats were built in a little Bavarian village high in the Taiwan Alps). The boats then were built at several other Taiwan yards before relocating, in 1989, to Thailand. Edwards then faded from the scene (Hes out of the business, Finefrock said) and the new ownership took over early in 1993 from Edwards former partner, Geoffrey White. Hans Christian now consists of two distributorships, one headed by Finefrock in Annapolis, another in Europe, and a new plant in Bangsaray, Thailand. Finefrock said the factory has air-conditioned lay-up facilities, a new quality control program directed by Michael Kaufman of Annapolis, and is certified to build to ABS standards.

Gone from production, the president said, are the 33 and 38; the 33T (traditional) is suspended, the 38T has been idle since 1990, and the 38 MK II is dead and buried. The 43T, out of production since 1989, will be reactivated, while the 43 Christina, part of Hans Christians updated Euro line, will continue. The 40 Christina is gone, but a new version of the 48T will be made. Plans are in the works for a 60-footer. In all, there are some 1,100 Hans Christians sailing the oceans of the world, including the 34 and 36.

Dont ask Hans Christian for the plans or any data, however; all was lost when the company relocated from California to Annapolis.?You can, however, call Perry (Robert Perry Yacht

Designers, 6400 Seaview Ave. N.W., Seattle, WA 98107; 206/789-7212), who feels a connection to Hans Christian owners, even if he didnt design all their boats. His consultation fee of $250 entitles per- sons to ongoing access and consultation, drawings and any technical backup you need.

As designed by Perry, with a little help from Edwards/ Ives, the Hans Christian 34/36 is a heavy, double-ended, cutter-rigged cruising yacht designed specifically for ocean sailing. Like others of its kind, its often described as a traditional North Sea double-ender, although the tradition exists mostly in the imaginations of builders and owners rather than with any vessels that actually existed. They are exaggerated caricatures of old boats, says Perry. Nevertheless the 34/36 has pleasing lines that draw admiring glances. And it was boats like this that helped Taiwan expand its boatbuilding industry during the 1960s and 70s.

The boat is typical Taiwan in other ways-solid construction (it displaces 18,300 pounds), its real teak decks and all-wood interior. The craftsmanship is excellent and affordable only because native carpenters were paid a tenth of what their U.S. counterparts earned. All this weight, of course, tends to make it a poor light-air sailer.

The 34/36 has a low chin bow, a short canoe stern, a long flat run aft and a fairly straight deadrise in the mid-section over a V-bottom, similar to Perrys U.S.- built Valiant 40. Perry said he began rounding his hulls for boats like the Tayana 37 and FD 35 before realizing hed gotten it right the first time. Thats a hull shape I went back to as time went on.

The hull is solid (and thick) hand-laid fiberglass. The deck is 5/8″ teak planks over a sandwich of 3/8″ glass, 3/4″ plywood, and another 3/8″ glass layer. The cabin top is cored with 1/2″ plywood. Although the deck bungs are bound to loosen with time (this is a boat that requires lots of maintenance) we saw no evidence of deck delamination in the 1978 model we inspected. The hull-deck joint is glassed over on the inside and appears to be through-bolted as well. Solid bulwarks allow the lifeline stanchions to be mounted vertically for better strength than those through-bolted to the deck. Interestingly, the nuts are embedded in the glass, a practice used elsewhere on the boat. (Hans Christian, incidentally, in the future will drop the thick glass and wood-cored hulls in favor of lighter Divinycell foam-cored hulls.)

The solid bronze traveler is definitely heavy-duty, although its position well forward on the boom makes sheeting difficult (photos of other 34s show boom-end sheeting). The bronze, like the wooden blocks, is part of the traditional aesthetic. Despite the overbuilt nature of the boat, little flaws here and there can create problems. On the 34 we sailed out of Newport in the summer of 1993, the Rosalie, a worker had failed to drill a weep hole in the port stanchion of the boom gallows. The result was a persistent leak over the galley that took the owner many hours to track down and remedy. And theres occasional mismatching of metals-in one case we saw stainless steel screws inserted into a bronze fitting.

Another complaint was a squared-off leading edge on the 7,000-pound full keel, described by the owner as looking like a cheese wedge. Perry says that probably was his fault as a relative newcomer, who neglected to give precise enough instruction to the yard that built the keel. The best solution, he said, is to reshape the leading edge with foam and fiberglass.

Accommodations

This is a good-sized boat with commodious, if less than perfect, storage and space below. The galley, to port at the foot of the companionway stairs, is small, with a two-burner stove, ice chest for cold storage and limited counter space.

Rosalies owner, Frank Girardi, cut a door into the compartment under the sink to convert otherwise dead space to storage. To starboard aft is a quarter berth that the owner says is his favorite sleeping berth. Theres also a generous chart table, positioned and sized for the dedicated navigator.

In the saloon is a settee berth to starboard and to port a U-shaped dinette; theres plenty of stowage behind and under seats. Six opening bronze ports, oval in size, and a large rod-reinforced skylight introduce lots of light to the main living area. A second, smaller hatch and several more ports forward provide natural light for the head and V-berths.

This is a deep boat with a big bilge, good access to the systems including the engine, and lots of tank- age; the original boat came with two stainless steel water tanks under the main salon and a smaller one forward. A previous owner removed the saloon tanks and replaced them with a single fiberglass unit that holds 150 gallons-sufficient for almost any trip. Girardi installed filters between tank and head and galley for better-tasting water.

Other alterations made (and worth checking on any boat) included replacing an (illegal) T-joint in a propane line behind the dinette, leading to a LPG water heater, and replacing a gate valve in the head with a Wilcox-Crittenden seacock. The owner also cut another door under the head sink for better access to seacocks. A check of all the seacocks, which may or may not be cheap knockoffs, is a good idea.

Performance

At 18,000-plus pounds and with a 5′ 6″ full keel (with cheese wedge up front), this is not your ideal light-air cruiser, despite its three sails (main, Yankee and staysail) and total sail area of 676 square feet. In fact, it requires a good 15 knots to get up and go at anywhere near its hull speed. We were doing 5.6 knots close-hauled, relatively-speaking, in 13-15 knots and small Narragansett Bay waves. The owner has reached a top speed of 11 knots (while surfing in a following sea) and recorded a high of 9 knots on the return of this years Bermuda One-Two race. For the record, the only PHRF data for the 34 and 36 we could find, one boat each, was 204 and 186 respectively.

Despite Hans Christians one-time claim that the 34/36 has a genuine appetite to go to weather in a drifter or a blow. this boat is best on a reach. The highest youre likely to get to point is 45 degrees; we tacked through an even 90 degrees on our outing. A bigger jib should help the boats overall performance, according to comments Practical Sailor has received. In fact, Perry recommends sailing with a genoa and without the staysail to maximize light- air performance. Sailed as a sloop, he says the 34s performance compares favorably to other boars of this genre.

While hardly the boat for a drifter, its definitely a good boat to be on during a blow. Owners report that it rises exceptionally well to the steepest of waves. High-sided with big bulwarks, it may not be the aerodynamic ideal, but it is dry and safe. The cockpit, surrounded by teak staving, is comfortable in size and configuration, but small enough to be safe at sea and with adequate drainage. The bulwarks make going forward feel quite safe.

Although OSTAR and BOC veteran Francis Stokes calls a cutter sail plan the best for ocean sailing, it can be difficult to learn to trim. Perry agrees that the clutter rig is the most difficult for the beginner to master, noting that an over-trimmed staysail acts like a parking brake. We experienced some backwinding of the mainsail by the staysail tin part because its foot was too long for the club and had quite a hook in it) and felt occasional weather helm. Part of the problem may have been the extreme forward location of the mainsheet traveler, which made trimming difficult; a dodger also interfered with cranking the winch a full turn.?The boat itself balances well; the owner reports that his Monitor wind vane works well in most conditions. On the wind, he was able to simply lock the wheel and sit back and relax while the boat held its course.

Heeling was not excessive at 15-17 degrees in 15- knot winds. Reefing should not be necessary until well into 20 knots of wind; easing the mainsheet will buy some extra time without suffering undue consequences.

Hans Christians came powered with a variety of engines. Two 34s we know of, one with an Isuzu 40, the other with a 3-cylinder, 35-hp. Volvo, got about the same results in speed-about 6 or so knots at 1,800 rpm. Rosalies performance under power improved (for a time) to about 8 knots with a three-bladed propeller, but fell off during the season, possibly because of bottom fouling. The owner had switched from his two-blade because it thumped when passing behind the deadwood; fairing the aperture would help this condition.

While not a good boat for the weekend coastal cruiser, or for anyone who does much sailing in light-to-moderate air, this is an excellent choice for the serious blue-water sailor. This is a boat that will take you offshore to Bermuda or just about anywhere and will stand up to a gale. The 34/36 wont get you there fast, but it will get you there safely.

The teak decks and wood interior are attractive, but carry with them the burden of constant upkeep. This is a good-looking boat, particularly to those who like the traditional canoe stern and all the trimmings. And you can probably pick one up in the $50,000-$55,000 range.

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Hans Christian 38 Traditional

Hans Christian 38 Traditional is a 37 ′ 11 ″ / 11.6 m monohull sailboat designed by Harwood Ives and built by Shing Fa Boatbuilding Co., Ltd. and Hans Christian Yachts between 1976 and 1989.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

From BlueWaterBoats.org :

Built like a tank and laden with teak, the Hans Christian 38 Traditional (sometimes known as the 38T) is a heavy displacement double-ender that oozes the classic feel of a bygone age. Like many American cruisers from 1970/80s it traces its origins back to the work of Colin Archer, who in turn inspired William Aitkin with Thistle and Eric from which rose Crealock’s famous Westsail 32 , the boat that not only “launched a thousand dreams” but a boatbuilding boom eager to quench the demand for the salty Scandinavian double-ended styling.

The timing was perfect for Hans Christian Yachts which was founded in Long Beach, California by John Edwards, a school teacher described as a dreamer and an eccentric. He was one of the very first of a wave of American entrepreneurs to utilize the cheap yet skillful boatbuilding industry in Taiwan. Interestingly he was the first to approach the now famous Bob Perry to design a production yacht, the CT54. It led onto the Hans Christian 34 Traditional which set the design direction for the Hans Christian line for over two decades. However the company’s ties to Perry did not last and by 1974 Hans Christian Yachts was using Harwood Ives. The 38T introduced in 1976, became the third Hans Christian boat from Ives.

Like other siblings of that era (the 43, 36 and 33) the 38T is beautiful visually and incredibly seaworthy with many circumnavigations under her belt. They have many fans, owners love their liveaboard comfort and “cadillac ride”, yet pundits will be quick to point out their mediocre “heavy displacement” boat speed.

Above the waterline, the styling is classic Hans Christian; a long bowsprit, a springy sheerline, and rounded canoe stern with large dollops of teak all over. Below the waterline you’ll find a hull with very rounded sections, a full keel with a forefoot cutaway and a big “barn door” rudder.

As you can imagine, they are solid boats overbuilt to cruise in safety and comfort. Practical Sailor Magazine in their 1999 review recalled one US Coastguard who made a mid-winter passage from Annapolis while the boat was ice-bound.

“ He described using a standard ice-breaking technique of moving ahead, riding up on the ice and letting the weight of the boat crush through a path. During a haulout he discovered the only damage to be a small worn area of bottom paint “

Underway at over 30,000 lbs in typical cruising trim, she’s definitely no lightweight, and light air performance suffers despite carrying a generous amount of sail area. Ignoring the later variations on the boat, the standard 38T doesn’t point very high, owners comment around 40 degrees of apparent wind is about the best. With 10-15 knots she can make around 6 knots to weather and about 7 knots off the wind. The first reef is usually taken in in around 15-18 knots and as the winds pick up there is a tendency for weather helm. Of course in heavy airs and seas, the Hans Christian 38T comes into her own, she’s both seakindly and dry with no bobbing or banging around in the rough stuff.

The variations on the 38T are as mysterious as the sea itself. We shall venture into these realms with the help of Craig Beckwith, once VP of Sales for Hans Christian, he oversaw production in Taiwan. Still devoted to these boats to this present day he holds the entire encyclopedia of Hans Christian in his head.

The original 38T was optioned as a cutter or ketch, the cutter proved by far the most popular. Interior layouts came in two flavors, a pullman berth or a v-berth in the forepeak. Not long after the boat’s introduction a “MkII Interior” was offered, where the pullman berth moved further aft and the head relocated to the forepeak. On these boats the main bulkhead was moved aft to make more room for the pullman berth.

Around 1977, the 38T inspired an all new boat, somewhat confusingly named the Hans Christian 38 MkII . This sibling, also designed by Ives, had flatter bottom sections with beam carried further forward and aft, a taller rig with more sail and an interior layout similar to the 38T “MkII Interior”, except the galley sink was placed on an island bench. You can quickly identify these by looking for a truncated teak coaming at the very stern of the boat (unique to only the MkII and the Hans Christian 33 Traditional). Hauling out, you’ll also see the placement of the rudder is further aft. The taller “MkII rig” from this boat was offered as an option on the 38T, but really the rig was overpowered for the 38T, that is until the next chapter, when the Telstar Keel was introduced.

In 1984 one of the two 38T production molds went in for surgery in search for better performance. The keel’s leading edge was moved aft, a large bite was taken from the trailing edge, and was complemented with a redesigned skeg-mounted rudder. The revised boat was dubbed the “Telstar” Hans Christian 38 Traditional. Beckwith tells us, the Telstar Keel was a considerable improvement, it pointed higher and particularly improved light wind performance.

“ Design input came from Scott Sprague, but really the area to cut the keel was figured by John Edwards, the founder of Hans Christian. There was a bit of trembling when the first sea trial was conducted in Taiwan. Nobody really knew what to expect. But lo and behold, the boat sailed like a dream. The helm was light as a feather when compared to the older 38 Traditional which really sailed more on her head sails. We also increased the lead of the mast by moving the spar 12 inches forward, thus reducing the weather helm vastly. ” – Craig Beckwith

The Telstar 38T came with the taller “MkII rig” as standard equipment. However the “MkII interior” was no longer an option for the Telstar 38T as the new position of the compression post (12 inches further forward) obstructed the would-be berth entrance. This was also true of the handful of 38T boats optioned with this “MkII rig”.

In all Beckwith estimates 167 Hans Christian 38 Traditionals were built, this includes 30 Telstars, in a production run that outnumbered Hans Christian 38 MkII (87 built). Both boats ceased production at the same time around 1989 when a recession and a luxury tax hit the boat industry with both barrels. By then the builder, Shin Fa Industries, was on the way out of business and Hans Christian Yachts was in the process of migrating their operations to Thailand. The last boat built was a Telstar 38T sold by Beckwith in the San Diego boat show in 1989 and the molds were destroyed shortly thereafter.

Buyers Notes

As with most older boats some standard things to check are:

• Chainplates for signs of leaks
• Inspect hoses for deterioration and clamps for rust and corrosion, the original boats did not necessarily use the best grade metals
• Through-hulls and seacocks should be inspected closely as some loosen with age
• And of course the teak decks should be inspected if they have not already been replaced

Electrical problems are probably the weakest link in most Taiwanese built boats of the 1970-80s era. Some earlier boats used automotive grade wiring more suspectible to corrosion and wiring looms were often hard to access buried under teak battens and ceiling liners making repairs expensive.

As of 2010, the asking price of the 38T is in the range of $60k-170k USD depending on age and condition. Prospective buyers are recommended to contact the Hans Christian Owners Association who have an online forum for advice and further information.

References, Links, and Further Reading

» Practical Sailor Magazine, Feb 1999, A look at the Hans Christian 38 and its history. » Hans Christian Owners Association , Images, Information and discussions.

For assistance in the research of this article, thanks goes to Craig Beckwith who joined Hans Christian Yachts in 1979, was involved with overseeing construction in Taiwan, and served as VP of Sales. Permission to publish Hans Christian line drawings and images kindly granted by Francis Mertens.

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