Dehler, Germany's Performance Cruiser Brand Inside HanseYachts

From a cinema foyer to the Olympic podium

Willi Dehler was one of the first European builders to see what fiberglass could do. In 1963 he began building small dinghies in the former foyer of a cinema, brought in his brother Heinz, and in 1966 launched the Varianta, a 21-foot family cruiser designed by E.G. van de Stadt that sold about 4,000 units by 1982. Racing followed: the Sprinta quarter-tonner, a gold medal in the 470 class at the 1976 Olympics on a Dehler-built boat, and the DB-1 and DB-2 three-quarter-tonners, whose cruising version became the much-loved Dehler 34.

The family left the company in stages, and a slump in the 1990s led to bankruptcy in 1998, ownership by Dutch groups and a second insolvency in the 2008 financial crisis. HanseYachts took over in 2009, renewed the partnership with Judel/Vrolijk & Co and in 2012 moved all Dehler production from Freienohl to Greifswald on the Baltic.

The Dehler 38 and 38 SQ

Inside the Hanse group, Dehler became the performance brand. The Dehler 38 of 2013, launched in the company's 50th anniversary year, won Cruising World's Best Cruising Sailboat Under 38 Feet for 2014 and was named a European Yacht of the Year performance cruiser. In September 2020 the yard gave it the SQ treatment, and the Dehler 38 SQ premiered at Cannes with an integrated bowsprit, larger hull windows, a square-top main option and upgraded details. By May 2021 it had more than 70 orders, and the SQ update was later extended to the Dehler 46.

The 38 SQ measures 39 feet 7 inches, with standard, competition and shoal keels, an aluminum or carbon mast and a Yanmar diesel of 29 or 39 hp. It remains in production in 2026.

Buying a Dehler in the United States

Dehler is a niche brand in the US, so the used market is thinner than for Beneteau or Jeanneau. That cuts both ways: good boats can be hard to find, but buyers who want a fast, well-built cruiser without paying J/Boats or X-Yachts prices often find value. Our model page estimates new 38 SQs at about $320,000 to $420,000 and used boats at about $250,000 to $340,000. Many US listings are imports, so check VAT status, documentation and shore-power conversion.

Older Dehlers such as the Dehler 34 turn up in North America only occasionally.

• Inspect the T-keel joint and bulb for grounding damage.
• Check rudder bearings and twin-wheel steering cables.
• Survey the balsa-cored deck around winches and tracks.
• Confirm whether the carbon or aluminum mast is fitted.
• Review sail age, especially on membrane sails.