List Your Boat — Free
Home/ Boats/ Union Ship Co. (Taiwan)/ Hans Christian 36/ Known Issues
Known Issues & Common Problems

Hans Christian 36 Known Issues

Common problems, survey red flags, and what to inspect before buying a Hans Christian 36.

+ Add to Compare

These are the most commonly reported problems on the Hans Christian 36, compiled from surveys, owner reports, and marine forums. Use this list as a pre-purchase inspection checklist — especially the high-severity items.

10
Known Issues
6 High 4 Medium
Accommodations
Medium
Interior joinery is heavily built from teak and teak-faced plywood, which is prone to swelling, delamination, and mold if the boat has been kept in a wet climate or has suffered chronic leaks from deck or port hardware. Check behind panels and under berths for soft or discolored plywood.
Electrical
High
Original Taiwanese-built wiring used undersized conductors and non-tinned copper in a marine environment. Most boats of this age will have brittle insulation and corroded connections throughout; a full rewire is commonly required and should be factored into any purchase.
pre-1985 models
Engine
Medium
Early Hans Christian 36s were fitted with a variety of engines including the Perkins 4-108 and smaller Westerbeke units. The engine beds in these boats are sometimes soft or show signs of delamination from years of vibration and bilge water exposure; inspect engine mounts and surrounding glasswork carefully.
Hull/Deck
High
The teak decks on Hans Christian 36s are laid over a fiberglass substrate with numerous fasteners and bedding compounds that deteriorate over time. Water intrusion through dried-out caulking seams leads to delamination of the deck core and rot in any wooden backing blocks beneath deck hardware.
High
The hull-to-deck joint on Union-built Hans Christian boats was sometimes inadequately bonded and relies heavily on through-bolting with a rubrail covering. This joint should be carefully inspected for separation, cracking, and water intrusion, particularly at the bow and stern.
Medium
The bulwarks and caprail assembly use extensive teak over fiberglass framing. The teak-to-fiberglass interface traps moisture, and the underlying fiberglass bulwark structure is prone to delamination that is often hidden beneath the wood trim.
Medium
The ports and hatches installed at the factory were often bronze framed but bedded with compounds that have long since hardened and cracked. Leaking portlights and associated water damage to interior joinery and cabin sole framing is extremely common on surviving examples.
Keel
High
The full keel is encapsulated with lead ballast set in the fiberglass shell, but early Taiwanese production had inconsistent layup quality in the keel-to-hull radius. Inspect this area carefully for stress cracking and delamination which can indicate flexing at the keel root.
1974–1982 models
Rigging
High
The bowsprit and its associated bobstay and bowsprit shroud chainplates were through-bolted into the bow with backing plates that corrode and loosen. The bowsprit assembly should be removed and all fasteners and backing hardware inspected for integrity.
High
Chainplate backing plates on early boats were often undersized by modern standards and were embedded in the fiberglass liner or glassed over, making inspection difficult. Stress cracks radiating from chainplate locations on the interior liner are a known warning sign.
pre-1985 models
Know of an issue we're missing?
Help fellow sailors — share survey findings, recurring problems, or things you wish you'd known before buying.
✉️ Submit an Issue