Modern, cool, almost sterile - these are the adjectives that involuntarily come to mind after descending the companionway and taking a first look at the interior of the "Pachmo". The spacious saloon of the not-so-young Hanse 545, which dates back to 2010 and has recently undergone an unusually extensive refit, is tidy and strikingly bright. Everyone will have a different opinion as to whether it was a success.
Either way, the result is remarkable. "I spend a lot of time on board, so I wanted the boat to feel as much like home as possible," says owner Christoph Ganswindt, explaining why he decided to go to great lengths to redesign the interior of his yacht. Meanwhile, the author is still trying to categorise the result for himself after his first impression below deck. White. Lots of white on the ceiling, the sides of the hull and the bulkheads. And light. Lots of light. "I really do have a soft spot for lighting," admits Ganswindt candidly. LEDs everywhere. Dimmable, direct, indirect, cool, warm, glare-free. Lighting, or rather illumination, is a central theme below deck.
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It has to be, because daylight has a hard time finding its way inside the Hanse. Hull windows were common 15 years ago. However, they were not as large as is often the case today. The cabin superstructure is also low, so the lines on deck are very pleasing, allowing a smooth transition to the sheer foredeck. The disadvantage of this is that there is hardly any space for windows in the superstructure. That leaves only the hatches in the deck. And the artificial light.
Lots of white, lots of light and a light grey floor. Doesn't sound like a cosy yacht saloon. But when you have a coffee, you discover more. For example, the discreet wooden elements around and below the sumptuous seating. These, in turn, are furnished with comfortable fabric upholstery and leather applications - admittedly also in shades of grey. And yet, the perfectly coordinated lighting provides glamour and warmth. Bright and cool, yet not uncomfortable. The owner deliberately wanted this ambivalence.
Once you start - you know it!
And what a contrast the new interior is to the original interior of the Hanse! At the time, Ganswindt opted for mahogany fittings in a dark red colour. "We bought the ship new in 2010 and travelled on the IJsselmeer and the North Sea. Then we moved to Hong Kong for eight years for professional reasons. During that time, the ship was moored in Thailand. That's a wonderful area. But it has one disadvantage: the humidity and the high salt content in the air."
After its time in the Far East, the interior of the Hanse was no longer presentable, the paintwork had eroded and the surfaces were milky and cloudy. Time for a fundamental refit. The first minor ideas for change and optimisation were quickly followed by others. Once you start - you know how it goes! The galley, for example, was to be made more suitable for long journeys: larger fridge, freezer, more shelves. A workroom was also finally needed.
The owner's cabin across the full width aft was too big anyway, Ganswindt thought. It was divided. A passageway now leads from the galley into the newly created space, where the washing machine has also found its place. Tools and lots of spare parts are stored on the shelves and in the cupboards. "When you're travelling, that's what you need. Having to interrupt a journey to wait for parts is no fun," says the owner from experience. The numerous, sometimes voluminous seat and backrest cushions from the cockpit are also stored in the new workshop. Previously, you never really knew where to put them when they weren't needed. The fact that the owner's cabin had to shrink in return is manageable. It still has sufficiently comfortable dimensions.
In addition to the interior modifications, the technology of the "Pachmo" is being refined: lithium batteries are being installed on board and the generator and air conditioning system are being serviced. The teak deck comes off. It will be replaced by a plastic alternative. The rig is also customised: A furling boom from Mainfurl now makes it easier to set and hoist the mainsail. There is now also double electric furling at the front. A mixture of genoa and code zero now sails in front of the self-tacking jib. Winches and fittings have also been optimised. Important lever clamps have been replaced by stronger ones and an electric winch for the headsail furler has been added. They round off the project.
Judel/Vrolijk & Co responsible for refit of the "Pachmo"
Speaking of the project: as the owner was unable to carry out such extensive work on his own, he turned to Judel/Vrolijk & Co in Bremerhaven. After all, the renowned design office designed the Hanse 545 at the time, at least the hull and deck. "We didn't design the interior, which the shipyard itself derived from the work of Birgit Schnaase, who was already responsible for the interior design of the predecessor model, the Hanse 531," reports Jan Kuhnert. The industrial designer oversaw the refit of the "Pachmo". "The 531 had a ground-breaking design: much tidier, less playful and much more cubic than had previously been the norm," continues Kuhnert. The living space below deck was another feature that Michael Schmidt, the owner of the shipyard at the time, established in series yacht construction: plenty of room to move around.
This space is also found on the 545, and before the purists cry "not seaworthy": Yes, that's true, but there are enough handrails and handles to hold on to in rough seas. A recessed grip on the high coaming of the navigation table was even added during the refit. A positive side effect: nothing slips off the side of the chart table.
Also perfectly seaworthy: a sea berth can be built from the saloon table and benches on longer passages. In the harbour, however, both skipper and crew are delighted with the pleasant space, the functional galley and - for those who like it - the bright ambience. The conversion was complex. "The ship was designed by us, but that doesn't mean that we have one hundred per cent reliable data from the system planning, for example. "
Owner specifications provide the framework
"Even back then, there were many expansion options from the shipyard, and a lot can change over the course of a yacht's life due to subsequent adjustments. All it takes is for a hose to be routed differently than originally planned and nothing would fit. So we started by measuring everything precisely," reports Kuhnert. Then the designers got to work. "I found it exciting to see what we could get out of the existing ship. Especially as we were now also allowed to come up with the interior ourselves - within the owner's specifications, of course," says the designer.
Ganswindt was first presented with a digital 3D model of the new interior. Fortunately, almost no structural adjustments were required because the bulkheads were to remain in place. The carpenter was responsible for realising the furniture construction. Materials and surfaces were selected beforehand. Once the new fixtures were in place, the remaining surfaces had to be finished.
"The shipyard made us an offer. They wanted to mask everything and then spray paint it. Of course, that takes endless hours," reports the owner. "So I said: 'No. It will be wrapped. That saved the masking, which significantly reduced the costs. I'm completely happy with the result, even if it doesn't look like it's been painted." Finally, the old teak deck was replaced with a wood-free alternative. And the rig was given the aforementioned modifications.
After completing the work, Ganswindt immediately set off on an extended tour of the Baltic Sea. By the end of the 2024 season, he was back on the IJsselmeer. In the wake: 3,500 nautical miles. The conversion had previously taken around a year and a half and involved almost a dozen trades. Ultimately, however, it was the 545's good sailing characteristics that prompted the owner to have his ship upgraded and not simply buy a new one.
Large width conveys sovereignty
During our visit on board in Lelystad, the wind is blowing at eight knots. We set sail anyway, even though the ship could do with a stronger breeze. After all, there are three cabins, a full galley, generator, air conditioning, plenty of water and diesel and an immense living space on board. They all need to get going first. The Code Zero has to get to work. Together with the furling mainsail - the sail wardrobe is new on board from Elvström - it brings the Hanse to a good five knots of speed. In view of the light wind, this is very good for a cruiser of this size.
It sits well aft on the wheel, perhaps a little exposed in wilder weather, but the feedback from the wheel is great. With a little feeling, the pressure can be kept well in the boat. The 545 responds to gusts with more speed. There is no heeling. The wide beam, deep keel and weight convey a sense of confidence. Of course, this is no mean feat in three wind forces, but even in stronger winds, "Pachmo" still has reserves of stability. Given the width, 28 per cent ballast is sufficient. The sail carrying capacity of 4.5 with the self-tacking jib, on the other hand, is ample. No wonder the boat runs so well with the large headsail even in light winds.
Of course, as is so often the case, the devil was in the detail. The lever clamps for the halyards of the main and headsails were replaced by larger models with snappier jaws. This allows the halyards to maintain tension and the sails to keep their shape. "The series standard is simply not sufficient," says the owner. The furling boom from Mainfurl, however, is mechanical. It is operated via an endless line, which in turn is operated on an electric winch aft of the cockpit. This gives you more feeling for the rolling behaviour of the sail. "The mechanical furling boom and the electric winch with endless line were also cheaper than an electric or hydraulic furling boom," adds Ganswindt.
Sailing characteristics of the "Pachmo" are good
Just how well the system works is demonstrated on the way back to the harbour: the mainsail and headsail disappear into the boom or forestay at the touch of a button. "Pachmo" makes you want to sail it in more wind. The stiff hull, the low centre of gravity and the powerful rig, coupled with direct steering: this must be a lot of fun despite the size of the boat. The long waterline ensures high speeds and therefore generous distances travelled.
The Hanse's sailing characteristics are therefore quite good. They are part of the answer to the question: why such an elaborate refit for a mass-produced yacht? "I like the ship, it is solidly built, perhaps better than today's large series yachts. It sails well and stiffly, we already have many miles in the wake. I trust the ship," says owner Ganswindt, citing further reasons for the considerable outlay. For him, the Hanse is the ideal platform for the improvements he wanted: a solid, solidly laminated hull with good speed potential, into which a customised interior is built and on which a rig adapted with a cutter stay and furling boom is placed. In this respect, a sensible customisation.
But is this also suitable as a template for a whole armada of series-produced boats that will need a makeover after 15 to 20 years? "You need a certain size of boat to justify all this to this extent. It certainly wouldn't be feasible on a 36-foot production yacht because it would simply be far too expensive," says Jan Kuhnert. But with a ship like the Hanse 545, in the hands of an owner who appreciates her and who also has enough to offer structurally to tolerate some extravagances, the concept can work. "Of course, that doesn't mean that things can't be changed on smaller ships in order to adapt them to the spirit of the times. But the scope of this project was quite special," says the designer.
Owner Ganswindt, however, is satisfied with the result. He is now looking forward to travelling further afield. The effort put in has paid off: "This is now my dream boat, this is how I always wanted it," he assures us. And that's how it should be.
Technical data of the "Pachmo"
- Shipyard/year of construction: Hanseyachts/2010
- Designers: Judel/Vrolijk & Co
- CE design category: A
- Total length: 16,20 m
- Waterline length: 14,60 m
- Width: 4,91 m
- Depth: 2,45 m
- Mast height above WL: 24,80 m
- Weight: 18,7 t
- Ballast/proportion: 5,3 t/28,3 %
- Large/Genua (105 %): 85/69 m²
- Engine (Yanmar): 83 kW/110 hp
