As it happens, we actually didn’t include all the optional items in our new boat. Some were without a doubt unnecessary, but others frustratingly hard to decide on. Here is the list of what was left out (including some brief comments as to why), as well as some other things we changed (see previous post) before putting in the final order.
No DVD or Television
We included all the optional electronics (radar, plotter, AIS, the lot), except for the DVD player (607 €, VAT included) and the TV (1723 €). I think being able to be off the screens for a while is dearly needed in our modern times. (Isn’t it nice to be a parent.)
Good Old Manual Toilets
Marine toilets are usually quite terrible because they frequently get blocked or start leaking, or both. I don’t know whether electrical toilets (1 426 €) would be an improvement, but for now we’re taking our chances with the manual ones.
I’m prepared though, to do whatever it takes when inevitably we will face potential (smelly) disaster and I, the Naked Sailor, will have to put on some pieces of protective rubber clothing (in yellow), dig in and save the day. (I’m sensing there is a forthcoming superhero name lurking somewhere in these dark shadows. Is it a bird? A plane? No, it’s … !)
No Real Teak, but Some Synthetic
We didn’t want teak on the side decks or coach roof. Mainly because of the substantial price (13 020 € for real teak, 14 805 € for synthetic teak), but partly because of the additional maintenance work as well as the increased risk of loss in resale value due to degradation. Personally I think the boat looks equally beautiful without being fully covered in teak, so no big deal really.
Teak in the cockpit, though, does look beautiful (in our humble opinion) and feels nice to sit and stand on, so that we have, but the upgraded synthetic version.
No Extra Hatches and Portlight
Getting one extra hatch in each companion-way deck window (the dark windows in the bottom part of the picture above) as well as one portlight above the gas burner in the kitchen would have been nice, but finally we decided that this relatively big pile of money (2 876 €) might be better spent elsewhere.
No Electrical Winches
A few people on the myHanse forum suggested to either upgrade the manual winches (one size bigger to Lewmar 45s) or substitute them for the electrical versions (5 580 €).
The price of the electrical upgrade is a bit steep and Hanse actually doesn’t offer the manual upgrade as a factory installation (maybe they did before?), so we are getting the standard ones.
Things would be easier with at least one electrical winch (hoisting me myself and I up to the mast top, for instance), but I’m sure we can manage without. (Charlotte is quite strong, by the way, and she will get me up there. Or maybe she is the one who wants to go. It will be fine.)
No Furling Main Sail
I never really considered having a furling main. It’s easy to find people that are dead against them (see this thread, for example), but don’t know, technology is constantly evolving.
A third reef in the main sail, however, should be a good addition. There isn’t a factory option for that, but I will ask the dealer.
Elvström CZ Crossover Sail Instead Of Gennaker
Originally we ticked the Gennaker package (5 108 €) but after talking to Ben, my sailor friend and sailing guru, we replaced that with the Elvström CZ Crossover with CX endless furler (6 398 € including extra halyard, sheets, blocks etc). It is most likely a more useful sail that can cover quite a good bit of wind angles.
No Bimini or Air Conditioning
This summer it has been exceptionally warm around the Baltic Sea. More frequently, though, too much sun and heat is not a problem in our neighbourhoods. Also, it seems it’s possible to fit either heating or air conditioning into a Hanse 388, not both, so the choice is quite obvious. (Average low temperature for August where we live is 13 degrees C.)
No Rub Rails
This was a tricky one since quite a few people strongly recommended to get them (1 364 €). However, I sincerely think they are terribly ugly and make the whole boat so very much less beautiful.
“So you’d rather damage the sides of your boat, huh? How beautiful is that?”, someone could ask, with good reason, but I don’t care. I don’t care! They are ugly and I don’t want them.
On the more serious side, rub rails are very useful, especially when box berthing between tightly spaced wooden poles or posts.
Fortunately, though, there are some (less practical) alternatives to protect the boat from the poles: SeaEQ (among others) makes flat fenders and LIROS a bumperline, which is a thick rope attached from bow to stern, functioning as a temporary (and removable) rub rail.
Average White Hull Colour, but There Is More!
Neither of us wanted the standard (dare I say: boring) white hull colour, so we were a bit surprised when we found out that Hanse makes this model in only two colours: standard (boring) white and optional (slightly less… no, also quite boring) gray (3 596 €).
What I didn’t know was nowadays a lot of people are using vinyl wrapping instead of actually painting the hull, so we will get the colour we want, but not directly from Hanse. It’s a very uncomplicated process, luckily, since our dealer has a partner in Greifswald that will wrap the boat next spring, before we set sails for home.
Beauty, Comfort and Performance
Selecting the “right” options feels like striking a good balance between aesthetics, living comfort, comfortable boat handling and sailing performance (and obviously available money). Charlotte is very much inspired by the former two, I’m a bit more devoted to boat handling and sailing.
But I do appreciate beauty, and it will be a beautiful boat, I’m sure of that. Will we be the merrier sailing her, who knows, but quite soon we will find out.
Cheers to hoping that we will!