Bavaria 35 opinions? What about buying used charter boat?

[Oskari]

I just registered to the Forum. I am thinking to buy used Bavaria 35 cruiser (year 2009/2010). I have been googling around to find some reviews & articles of the boat model but without success. Does any of the members have opinions, experiences of that particular model? I would be very grateful. Thank you in advance.

Secondly, the boat has been in charter sailing before. Obviously that raises questions but in addition to visible observations (used sails, damages inside cabin due to heavy use, etc.) what do you think I should check very carefully when I am inspecting the boat? Again thank you in advance :-)

[Salty]

Get a good survey and tell the surveyor that the boat is an ex charter vessel. Choose your own surveyor, not the one recommended by the seller.

[sy_Anniina]

If the boat has been chartered in rocky shallow area like Baltic sea, have a qualified surveyor inspect it for any potential grounding damage.

Prepare for extensive wear in sails and interior as you already described, but note also the potentially high motoring hours and consider the effect on final price / value of the boat.

Many non-charter boats may have higher level of equipment already installed, which may make them more economical if you end up upgrading the "charter" level to your taste. These can include things like electronics (radar, AIS..) but also higher spec. sails (laminate vs original dacron) or downwind and/or storm sails.

BR,

Tommi
s/y Anniina

[Yngmar]

Good advice so far. Charter boats get a lot of abuse, especially in these areas:

Sails, expect to replace them, they're likely beaten up by now, although sometimes you get lucky and it's already been destroyed by someone and replaced recently. Same for the rig. Standing rigging is due a replacement anyways. At least would do a thorough inspection by a rigger who knows what to look for, including chainplates. Furling gear likely to have been abused with winches - check drum and if it rotates easily on the forestay. Unreported groundings are commonplace, but a surveyor should find if there are any problems in that area. Bad parking and dragging anchor are everyday events in charter use, so make sure the topsides are checked for delamination. Windlass sees a lot of abuse too, and with it the bow fitting. And the engine will have many hours on it and occasionally been repaired (bodged together) in a hurry so people can continue their journey. Water tanks are sometimes filled with the wrong fluid (water in diesel or diesel in water) and not always perfectly cleaned up afterwards. Interior will look a bit banged up and the toilet is usually half broken. Those are the things to look out for - not all ex-charter boats will have all of them of course.

Pricing should reflect the state of the boat.

On the upside, you can expect to find a basic dinghy and working outboard in the inventory. Otherwise charter boats tend to be equipped with the bare minimum, so expect further spending to fit whatever equipment you desire.

[Symphony]

This particular model was only made for just over 2 years. The hull was a J&J design - the last they did before the change to Bruce Farr. However the interior style was from the subsequent Farr/BMW designs. Numbers sold were relatively small as this was post financial crisis and many charter companies were not buying new boats, and of course the private market was depressed as well. In many ways it is a good compromise with the well established hull and rig similar to earlier designs and the lighter and simpler interior. The drop down transom is simple and fool proof unlike the earlier powered ones.

Others have covered the pros and cons of buying an ex charter boat. If you are buying in the Med, for use in there, most will be well equipped for holiday type usage, but may be short on equipment for long distance sailing.

[Oskari]

Great advices. Thx a lot. I will follow many of them!!

[seagran]

Hi Oskari,
I am not sure if you have already decided to go for the Bavaria 35 cruise or not... I have been invited for a drink once on this Model. I can't tell you much of the technical side, but I really loved that it is such a compact but still functional and beautiful design. There isn't a negative thing or problem I heard from the owners.
We used to charter as well before we finally decided to buy our Ship. Apart form the things already mentioned here: we very often had problems with the motor of the anchor unfortunately... So maybe you should have a closer look on this as well

[Trundletruc]

We bought an ex-charter boat that had been in a Yacht Management scheme. I would not buy another one.
Over a period of 5 years we had to replace virtually everything!. New engine 3 years later (bad corrosion inside the engine, must have been topped up with salt water?) Used quite a bit of oil. New sail drive (a repairer for some reason had not bothered to isolate sail drive from the engine. Bad corrosion on sail drive after a couple of years? Rudder bearings very tight (suspected bent rudder shaft?. thankfully we could see this problem and the seller paid for the replacement) VHF radio had not been registered so could not get a MMSI!) Autopilot was very difficult to switch on as it had been set up wrong). Echosounder sensor had been hurriedly repaired by putting in another one working through the hull. Alternator had been modified and the wiring was all wrong. Repairs by charter companies have to be done quickly in order to get the boat ready for the next holiday makers.
Why did we not find this out by having a survey? I don't think a surveyor would actually have found the corrosion issues and others which would have required quite a lot of hours sailing to spot. As it started as a boat share it would have added a large amount of money to the cost.
I am not saying don't buy an ex charter boat but be very very careful and get some guarantee before you buy. Sorry to put a cloud over your enthusiasm.