The morning we set out aboard the Hanse 505 for a test sail on Biscayne Bay just south of Miami, the trade winds were blowing a gentle 10 knots, the sky was clear and the water under our keel a perfect tropical turquoise that makes you want to dive right in.
Motoring away from Miamarina, the 505 handled very easily under power. Her large spade rudder had plenty of bite and the twin wheels allow you to choose your steering position for maximum visibility forward over the low cabin top. The saildrive unit is positioned quite far forward so there is very little cavitation on the rudder from prop wash. Yet, there is enough water flow even at slow speeds to allow for precise maneuvering.
We motored south and found that the 505 settles in at a good cruising speed of 6.5 knots at medium revolutions, around 1800 rpms. At this speed in relatively flat water, the 72-hp. diesel engine will consume about one gallon an hour; with 80 gallons of fuel in the tank, you have a safe motoring range of about 500 miles. That’s a reasonable margin for a boat making offshore passages. Read the full review.
