Stanchions, Bavaria 42 Cruiser

[jet42]

Hello all you Bavarians :-)
I recently withdrew a proposal for buying a Bavarai 42 Cruiser, because several of the stanchions had fractures in the gelcoat/grp - and because the construction in general is weak. But I wonder if it is possible to make a reinforcement of these stanchions from inside the hull underneath the deck. Anyone who has a solution for this ?
Best regards Jesper, Denmark

[JEN-et-ROSS]

I think you have just been unlucky and somebody ( not necessarily the current owner ) has used them as boarding grab-handles. This could occur on any boat if misused. 
  Bavaria build boats that are equally as well built as any other mass produced boat, but they succeed in cutting costs be using efficient production line methods.
  If there is any criticism in this, it is in the lack of a 'hand finished' look internally, and yes, there is more mastic and filler used than you would be happy with if buying a yacht at twice the price, but the basic quality/robustness of the hull and deck is as least as good as comparable competitors.
  It's a shame that Bavaria have reputation for being lower quality just because of the price of the finished product, but this is just jealousy on the part of other boat owners when they realise they've spent too much !!...........................................Bill

[Symphony]

Stanchion bases are a weak point in the construction, although there are variations on the attachment methods depending on the model. You can access the through deck fittings by removing the interior panel under the deck and you can reseal the bases using a better sealer than the original. You will find crazing around bases on many boats because of the small base area and the fact (as already mentioned) that some people use the stanchions as levers to board the boat. It is mainly cosmetic and not necessarily a reason to reject a boat if every thing else about the boat is OK.

[Salty]

The problem with the stanchion securing method is that it's a two person job to maintain them tight and secure, while it takes only one person to undo all of your efforts when they grab the top of a stanchion to pull themselves onboard instead of holding on to the shrouds. It would be so much better, if the securing nuts for the stanchion bases were tack welded to a large metal backing plate, if the stanchion bases were significantly larger in order to provide better support, if the securing bolts could be tightened with a spanner instead of a screwdriver, and lastly if everyone who grabbed the tops of the stanchions to pull themselves onboard would slip and fall into the water first.
Mine is an ex-charter boat and trying to stop people from pulling at the stanchions was bad enough while I was present, let alone while they were off somewhere else doing their utmost to wreck my investment. The fact that they didn't completely wreck my boat stands testimony to the strength and the excellent build quality that Bavaria boats have. If I chose to change my boat, I would not be looking to change the brand.