Hanse 385

Mell is a Hanse 385, one of the most successful models to come out of Hanse Yachts and a boat with a strong reputation worldwide as a capable, practical cruiser that offers genuine value in her size class. Designed by Judel/Vrolijk & Co., she carries a well-balanced hull that delivers solid performance without sacrificing the easy handling that makes short-handed sailing straightforward — all control lines run aft to twin electric sheet winches, so sail changes rarely need more than one pair of hands on deck. Launched in 2017, Mell is among the last of the 385s built, and one of the better-kept examples of the model.

Below decks she runs the sought-after two-cabin layout, with a spacious forward owner’s cabin and a large double aft cabin, finished in Italian oak with teak-and-holly flooring that gives the interior warmth without feeling dated. She’s been well maintained throughout her life, with new standing rigging fitted in November 2025 and her hull soda-blasted back to gelcoat in a recent haul-out — the kind of upkeep that shows a boat has been sailed properly rather than just kept afloat.

Mell now belongs to Scott Knights, Vice Commodore of the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club, who picked her up after more than 30 years in commercial roles in the mining industry and has been an active NCYC member since 2007, sailing his own boat Ataraxia in the club’s offshore races. She made the 600-nautical-mile journey north from Melbourne to her new home on the NSW coast, and is set for a mix of NCYC club racing and cruising — with plans already in the works for extended trips up to the Whitsundays.