New Bavaria 36

[Vjs]

Has anybody else got a new Bavaria 36 on this site.
We bought ours late last year so have not had a lot of chance to use it yet but would like to hear from others with this boat, there's a lot on here about how horrible the new interiors are, well we love ours, it's modern and very spacious with stacks of storage and modern essentials like a microwave!!!
Has anybody been far in one crossed oceans, lived on one etc
Look forward to some replies which don't tell me that the interior is ugly

[Ripster]

Hi
Yes we have one.  A 2011 Farr Design 36 - 2 Cabin.  Don't let anyone tell you the interiors are rubbish - they are fine to use.  We have the light oak colour and ocean line floor and with blue upholstery it all looks fine.  If you buy a Bav, then you are not going to get an Oyster or Malo interior, because they are built for functionality at an affordable price using production line materials and techniques.  The same or similar materials are used in Dufours, Bene's, Jeans etc.

Overall, if you expecting a handmade interior of Teak with sculptered lines, then a Bav is probably not going to give you this.  But if you like clean well made strong practical construction that is neat, tidy easy to live with and functional, then IMO you'll love her.

 

[westward]

Hi Ripster,

I have a 2012 Bavaria 32 and so far have done about 7000 miles in it around the Med and across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. I've lived aboard continously for nearly a year.

I also like the interior which is very light and spacious and very liveable for a 32 foot boat. Visitors all comment on how nice it is.

I ordered the boat with the dark wood interior and the light floor and the "sand" coloured upholstery. When it arrived the upholstery was white. After pointing this out to the agent, I learned that this is apparently one of those changes in spec which Bavaria reserves the right to do without informing you.

The white upholstery makes for a very bright interior but is terribly impractical for a live aboard boat particularly in a hot climate. I have shrunk all my covers with repeated washing.

I would suggest that before you set off anywhere far, to have velcro patches sewn on the cushions wherever it corresponds with a velcro pad on the woodwork. The standard cushions just use the soft foam material as a velcro "hook" and this ends up wearing out and tearing after only a few months. I got fed up having cushions all over the floor after a windward passage and got a sailmaker to do this.

My boat doesn't have much storage. This may be a result of the stock standard interior spec I took or may be the result of four feet less length. In any case, I have to use the under seat storage a lot which may be another reason I ripped up the cushions so quickly.

Happy cruising!

[westward]

And another thing:

I have the wooden doors on the companionway. These are not watertight. I learned this one night off Morocco in 4 metre swells running away from a 30 knot south-westerly when the cockpit filled. I was downstairs with the doors shut and the hatch cover pulled over when I heard a crash and a gout of water sprayed up from the bottom of the doors and soaked the cabin floor.

In the Bavaria 32, the hatch coaming is below the height of the cockpit seats so water in the cockpit will drain into the cabin if it has the choice.

Ideally, I want to add water tight wash boards. This is a big job which I haven't had the courage to embark on myself or the money to get done. I have added blocks to fill the gap between the doors and the coaming where the bolts go and a second level of rubber sealing. Experiments with buckets of water show that this helps but water still gets in.

Or maybe the 36 has a more seaworthy companionway design?

[Ripster]

Westwood,

So far our seating is fine, but mine has not had the level of use yours has.  We hardly use any under-seat storage in the saloon as we find the overheads deal with most things along with the galley suite, the cabins have adequate and the cockpit does the rest.  We have also put custom stud held carpet mats in ours too.

You make a very valid comment on the companion way doors though.  We have not had a big wave come right in the cockpit yet (the spray hood usually stops most of it, only a splosh or two and that drains away fine.  I have often thought they would not be particularly good if the cockpit took a big hit.  Its one improvement I would certainly make if we were to go true blue-water cruising.  Perhaps have some additional wash boards for going inside the doors.

[Vjs]

Good to hear from fellow we boat owners
How was the trip across the Atlantic westward
Did she cope ok, any issues
What you've done is our plan in a couple of years, preceding a trip round Britain
Found my 36 very stubborn on the bow but it's got a bow truster so just need to get the hang of using it
Keep the story's coming
I suspect the people who don't like our boats also live in old houses with thatched roofs don't you !!!

[Ripster]

VJS, so when you say stubborn on the bow and mention the thruster, you mean at close qtrs when steering on the engine?  Coming from a skatey powerboat background, I think they steer like they are on rails... with a nice deep keep and huge rudder.  I had a BT fitted too, but hardly ever use it!  The only dead spot is when you get under about a knot of speed and the helm does not respond or when stpped for changing direction to go aft.   I have found mine is as easy to steer backwards as frowards once the rudder bites at about knot say.

[Vjs]

Hello Ripster
When I say stubborn I mean that she seems to have a mind of her own when I'm trying to get the bow to do what I want it to.
We had a Bavaria 30 before this and she seemed to do what I told her with very little fuss so it's just proberbly me needing to get used to the extra size, she seem like. A cruise liner looking forward from the wheel to the bow compared to the 30 !!
Plus I'm a rubbish sailor so that doesn't help!!!

[westward]

VJs I am now in the Azores having done the trip Antigua - Bermuda and Bermuda - Azores single handed. No issues apart from ones I already knew about;
- the grub screws holding the pinion on the auto-pilot drive were loose by the time I got to Bermuda
- the trip Antigua - Bermuda was one heavy reach with 20-25 knot wind continuously and lots of water coming across the foredeck and from time to time the roof.  The anchor locker leaks into the boat. I had to mop out the cavity behind the panel in the forward cabin twice and water got right back into the under seat storage.

Oh, two new things. The pathetic ventilator which let's in hardly any wind, let's in water if you get a big lump on the roof. I taped it over for the trip Bermuda to. Azores. The companionway hatch cover also leaks water into the cabin if you get a big lump of water onto the roof. The gutters which are supposed to drain the flush hatch on the roof are overwhelmed and water drips straight into the cabin from the corner of the companionway. Very poor for an A rated offshore boat.

[Vjs]

Sounds like your having fun westward
Hope you can get the issues sorted
Please keep the tales coming, those of us who are still wage slaves relie on people like you for our future plans
Take care
Vjs

[Imagine]

I have a 2002 bavaria36 and have sailed it around the world singlehanded with no major problems.i find it a great boat in all conditions

[Kibo]

Re the companion way doors leaking with a cockpit near swamping.... On my boat I have a lifting horizontal hinged flap of clear acrylic (about 8mm thickness maybe) which can be raised and held in place with a small sliding bolt so that basically doubles the coaming height. I do have vertical washboards but there is then a kind of double back pathway for any water formed which might help. Not a full fix but it might be a cheap partial for you. I haven't tested it "live" .....Just an idea.....

[MarkTheBike]

....On my boat I have a lifting horizontal hinged flap of clear acrylic (about 8mm thickness maybe) which can be raised and held in place with a small sliding bolt so that basically doubles the coaming height. I do have vertical washboards but there is then a kind of double back pathway for any water formed which might help.....

Sounds like a good idea, Kibo; any chance of a photo or two?

[Salty]

I have a 2002 bavaria36 and have sailed it around the world singlehanded with no major problems.i find it a great boat in all conditions

From another B36(2002) owner, thats good to know. Mine is an ex charter boat that had been thoroughly ill treated and heavily criticised by charterers who would have you know they were expert yachtsmen. (No qualifications mind, just experts). Those same experts also knew how to collide, but were not expert enough to avoid collision. Despite their total negligence the boat has taken it all in its stride, and survived. I sail it mostly singlehanded and it's an excellent boat despite the bruises.
Oh, and it doesn't get chartered any more !!

[Kibo]

Hi Markthebike...

Kibo is in Grenada and I won't be down again until November. I will try to remember to post photos when we get to her

[MarkTheBike]

Hi Markthebike...

Kibo is in Grenada and I won't be down again until November. I will try to remember to post photos when we get to her

Thanks, Ian.