Well, it's early days still, as I've only done a few hundred miles so far. The commissioning in Devon was delayed by about 3 weeks, so I didn't take delivery until 18 August, then brought her back via Brighton, Eastbourne and Ramsgate. After getting back to the east coast, we were then away in September on a pre-booked holiday in Fuerteventura, so we didn't use it much as a result.
Then at the beginning of October the boat came out of the water for the missing DuraDeck to be installed. After the fiasco with the jokers in Devon, I wrote to Bavaria's CEO to request their direct intervention to get a new set of DuraDeck panels sent over and fitted by a German team. They agreed, but gave Clipper the job of coordinating here in the UK. To cut a long story short, the DuraDeck panels which had been supplied in July with the boat were sent from Devon to Clipper on the south coast, then sent by Clipper to the east coast. By then, 4 of the 8 panels were damaged beyond repair. The Germans came to fit them, took one look and went back home to Germany. The boat has now been out of the water for a month, and I'm once again trying to deal direct with Bavaria to get the situation sorted, as Clipper seem to have lost interest. I'm not holding my breath! But at the end of the day, there's going to be an interesting claim for loss of use. Incidentally, it's costing someone £250 a day for the boat to be languishing untouched in a heated workshop.
So, how do I feel about the boat? She seems fast, sails well and certainly feels safe. I did Brixham to Brighton in about 20 hours. The twin wheel Jefa steering is light and positive. The Garmin autopilot is excellent - indeed the complete Garmin plotter/radar/VHF/AIS/instrument system is seamlessly integrated and works brilliantly. Coming from a centre cockpit boat (in fact, for the last 36 years I've only had centre cockpit boats), I find the aft cockpit feels a little exposed in some ways, and there seems to be a lot of boat in front of me. For singlehanding, a centre cockpit boat is somewhat easier.
In terms of quality, the boat is undoubtedly great value for money. The build quality of the Cruiser 37 seems good. I've crawled around in lots of the more hidden bits, and everything seems to be sensibly engineered and competently installed, although I suspect future maintenance or repair of some of the kit will pose problems. My old Hallberg-Rassy was maybe a bit comfier in the saloon, but was very dark and cramped compared with the Cruiser 37. The 37's forecabin is big and has great headroom. Mine's a 2-cabin version, so the larger heads/shower arrangement is very good; one of the best I've seen. The aft cabin is OK. I'd have loved a new HR, but they're at least 3 times the price and it's difficult to see where the extra quarter of a million goes!
So, would I recommend a new Bavaria? No, definitely not if buying in the UK. The dealer support is dire. I bought from SWUK in Devon because they told me they were an independent dealer, sourcing direct from Bavaria. Untrue - it transpires they simply buy from Clipper. I bought from SWUK because I'd heard bad reports of Clipper's commissioning quality and SWUK boasted of superior commissioning. Untrue - SWUK's commissioning was poor too. Maybe buying in another country might be a better experience. As for Bavaria themselves, well they make all the right noises, but they are very difficult to contact and seem unable to respond adequately to customers' concerns.
In simple numbers, this Cruiser 37 is the most expensive thing I've bought. A bit more expensive than my house (but I bought that 30 years ago). I guess there's a feeling of anticipation and excitement about getting a brand-new boat, the hours spent poring over specs and photos, deciding options, choosing colours. And, realistically, the moment the dream turns into reality should be incredibly happy and rewarding. Well, for me it wasn't. Building the boat without the DuraDeck I'd specified was a big mistake (and I can't discover whose fault it was either). Now, more than 3 months after the boat arrived in the UK, I'm still no nearer to sorting out the deck, the boat's in a shed, and I can't use it. And the crazy thing is this: why should it be me who has to drive this process? I'm left with a feeling of frustration and disappointment; sure, it's a nice boat and I'll have some fun with it, but the dream was smashed.
