14 Jun
Windcraft’s Iain Bishop has travelled from Auckland to the home of Hanse in northern Germany where he’s currently supervising the commissioning and handover of a Hanse 458 that’s just rolled out of the factory.
He managed to find time to file this insider report on the process.
Picking-up your brand new yacht from Hanse’s Greifswald headquarters value adds to the Owners’ experience in many ways. There’s a lot to like about a factory handover.
The factory itself is an impressive showpiece of organisation, cleanliness and top-notch boatbuilding. Highly-skilled boatbuilders work across several different production lines and the standard of quality is very high as you’d expect. A factory tour while your boat is being built is a must do, and an eye-opening experience.
One of the Windcraft models on the production line.
Once the factory have completed the production process the team of painters, riggers, electricians and shipwrights are coordinated by your Windcraft representative to drop the rig in and install her final items by the river Ryck that runs through this historic town that dates back eight centuries.
Several boats can be commissioned at the same time and the flexible team have it down to an art form. Nothing is overlooked and a “can be done” attitude brings it all together.
Depending on how your yacht is specc’d, what extras and options it has, it’s a one to two-week turn-around from the launch date to when your boat is put through her paces to test systems prior to handover. Your Windcraft representative is right there thoughout the process and able to readily assist with any questions or queries you will have.
A just-completed Hanse 460 joins the fleet of yachts in the commissioning pond.
Exploring Greifswald
Greifswald is an ancient university and merchant trading town that retains a picturesque old-world charm with botanic gardens, museums and a reputation as a hub for jazz and the arts.
The architecture and countryside are spectacular. The infrastructure is centered around using a bike and this area is the 3rd biggest for bike ownership in Germany per capita! There is history everywhere you look and the town of Weick at the mouth of the river is an important wetlands site and its maritime connections hold interest for any sailor.
Hanse owners enjoying a dockside lunch before the bridge built in 1886 opens to let them head out on their boats into the sheltered South Baltic Sea.
Every boat is different and the plan for the Hanse 458 we are handing over in a week’s time to an excited Kiwi owner, is to motor out to the protected waters just out from the river mouth then give everything a good test, demonstrate yacht’s capabilities and check she is ready for sea.
Where to after the handover?
Greifswald can be a relaxing first stop on your cruising journey in the Baltic and beyond. The islands of Denmark and Sweden offer surprising and rewarding cruising experiences. Denmark has 400 named islands as well as 7,000 kilometres of coastline studded by spectacular fjords.
Or you can winter your yacht in Greifswald, before heading off for summer in the Med choosing between cruising grounds in France, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece and Turkey. Either way you can be assured of sourcing parts and obtaining service through our contacts across Europe. Windcraft will provide support and be the first point of call for any warranty items or questions on work whilst in different countries.
I will leave this place with a huge amount of respect for the Owners embarking on their personal sailing quests and the skilled and passionate workers who craft our boats.
Iain Bishop – Windcraft Representative
