Looking to buy my first Bavaria advice please.

[Sadlerfin]

Hi all,

My first post here.

It looks as if I've just sold my 1980's 29ft yacht. I now need to decide on her replacement and the Bavaria 30 Cruiser is ticking all my boxes. We are a couple close to retirement looking for a small manageable but roomy boat for Solent work and some extended trips.

What tips or advice can you give me, any specials areas of a used Bav I should look at? I have no experience in sail drive or Volvo engines. What about sails some people have told me the original sails sold on these boats 10 years ago would now need replacing.

Thank you in advance for any advice you can offer.

Derek   

[Nigel]

Welcome to the forum Derek,

I can't offer much advice, other than to consider 32/34 variants as well, especially if you are tall.

I've just replaced my mainsail, 15 years old and possibly over due. Genoa is newer, but now looks tired.

Sail drives are excellent, but the gaiter around them should be replaced every 8-10 years. A DIY job, two people, one day.

It is alleged that some insurance companies require standing rigging to be replaced at 10 years. I just had mine checked by a rigger.

Boats are a hole in the water that you tip money into, I wouldn't have it any other way

[Symphony]

Good choice of boat. All the 30-32 models from around 2000 to 2009 are very similar but the slight differences in length can make quite a difference to the feeling of space down below particularly in the galley and heads areas. The early 2000s 32s are the most numerous and there is always a good choice on the market. Main options to look out for are deep or shallow keel and in mast reefing or conventional slab. Personal choice which you have. Some boats are loaded with extras and it is worth looking for things that are expensive to retrofit such as electric anchor windlasses and autopilots. The only big change is the engine. Up to 2005 it was the older MD 2020 or sometimes the bigger 2030. After that the D1 20 which is still current. Either engine has a good reputation, but the later one has a slightly different saildrive with a bigger anode which addresses the relatively short life of anodes in some situations on the earlier types. Diaphragms should have been replaced at least once in a boat over 7 years old - not that there is any likelihood of failure, but the recommendation from Volvo means many buyers are wary if the work has not been done. Not a deal breaker, but it is a £1000 job to have it done professionally.

Standard original sails are not that brilliant, but many will have been replaced by now. As Nigel says worth checking whether rigging has been replaced on older boats, again not because the risk of failure is high in normal use but insurers can sometimes ask fo its replacement, or at least an inspection by a professional rigger.

[livefats]

Hi Derek,

We were in your position a couple of years ago, and purchased a 2005 Bavaria 30. We've been very pleased by how roomy she is, and also by her sailing performance (for a cruiser.)

We had the gaiter for the sail drive replaced just in case - a better bargainer might have managed to negotiate that as part of the deal! The sails were original and very tired: we've soldiered on with the main, but the genny split last season - apparently there is no UV protection, part of the "built to a price" spec. The autohelm went last year too, and the sail cover Stackpack is on its way out.

But these are small problems for a ten year old yacht, and we certainly don't regret our purchase.

Sure you'll be happy too id=f you go down the Bavaria route!

[sunshine]

We bought a 2006 Bav 30 cruiser 3 years ago as a first boat.  No regrets whatsoever.  Only unexpected problem was the stainless steel exhaust silencer had corroded to give a few small pin-holes, so if there's a slight smell of exhaust in the aft cabin or brown stains in the centre of the bilge aft of the saildrive then you'll need to replace,  but it's an easy job to slot in a Vetus (plastic) waterlock in its place.

Our boat is the relatively rare tandem keel version (4'8" draft) which is supposed to have the same performance as the long-keel version but to be honest I can't really tell the difference.

The Bav30 doesn't have a traveller so if you enjoy fine tweaking the mainsail trim then this might be a downside, but as others have mentioned the sails aren't the best to begin with so maybe not as big an issue as you might expect.

Our boat was very highly specified by the previous owner, with things I wouldn't have really valued but now I have them I couldn't do without:

• Cockpit tent (really handy for sitting "inside" when moored and adds quite a few weeks onto the length of the sailing season)
  
• Mikuni air heating (ditto adding weeks onto the sailing season)
  
• Chartplotter at helm
  
• Autopilot
  
• Solar panel which means you can be genuinely "off-grid" without needing to run the engine to top-up the domestic battery.
  

If you find a boat with these fitted its definitely worth paying a bit extra.

The other options we looked at seriously were Moody 31s, but they were quite a bit older for the same money.  We had also sailed a Dufour 325 on flotilla holidays but can't say the Bavaria 30 is any way deficient in comparison.  So although this was a starter boat, we're miles away from wanting to upgrade to something bigger/more serious, it really is a great boat.

[livefats]

Hi Sunshine - where have you placed your solar panel? (Mind you, given the weather this week at Largs, a wind turbine might have been more use - if it did not blow away!)

[Trapeze Artist]

I've had my Bav 30 for five years now, and she still ticks most of my boxes. The biggest downside is the sails, but I'm feeling rather impecunious at the moment so they have to soldier on. I'm in little doubt that a new suit from someone like Crusader or Westaways would make a big difference. Someone here also reminded me that the standard genoa doesn't have a UV strip: mine ripped down the leach so I had it cut back and a UV strip put on.

The engine is a sweet little thing that purrs away. Servicing is not too bad, though not the most accessible either.

The quality of woodwork in the interior is amazing for a low-cost volume-production boat. And there is loads of stowage space everywhere.

I wish there was some place to stow wet foulies. If the chart table were rear-facing using the settee as a seat, the heads could be a bit bigger and that would allow the space. Otherwise it's hard to see how the general layout could be improved.

The semi-German mainsheet works well. You just have to learn how to play off the kicker and mainsheet against each other to get the boom well centred.

[singlefish]

if your sailing area allows , deep lead keel option is a must if you like your sailing , bigger engine option too worth having doesnt weigh much more and of course a folding prop essential ,  bobs your uncle there after .

Murray caldwell of NH sails re ragged my b38 2003 and a stunning job at reasonable price too , boat is a rocket ship now !! upwind and down.

[sunshine]

Hi Sunshine - where have you placed your solar panel? (Mind you, given the weather this week at Largs, a wind turbine might have been more use - if it did not blow away!)

It's on the coachroof, immediately in front of the sprayhood, screwed into the panel that covers the place where the top part of the door slides away into.  It's quite small to avoid being obtrusive, but gives about 3A in bright sunlight (although much less if the boom is casting a shadow on it).  It charges enough during the week to give enough power to run instruments and autopilot all weekend when sailing, runs the diesel heater and even a bit of fridge if you are careful and keep an eye on the voltage in the domestic battery.  Feel free to pop over and have a look. 

Weather on Saturday was spectacular, I managed a genuine 6.9 knots on the GPS round the Cumbraes!  But sleeping on Saturday night was a bit interesting and Sunday was best spent drinking tea.

[my dianne]

Hi Derek
Ive had a 2000 Bav30 for 6months now. Very happy with it overall. We find her ideal size for evening club racing and comfortable coastal cruising for two. Atmosphere below with a kero light so good we sometimes drive down to the boat just to have dinner aboard and watch the sun set over the water with drinks in the cockpit and dinner below, then drive home.
However,  she wasnt very well outfitted when i bought her and due for re-rig and new sails. Add in new solar, new lifelines, autopilot, gennaker,  lee clloths, engine repairs, sandblasting the badly corroded iron keel - costs inflated hugely.
So try and get one in good condition and well outfitted to start with, it all costs more than you think to retrofit/repair. About 25% of purchase price in our case.
Only design flaw which annoys is the shallow bilges,  and the void UNDER the bilge (between the hull liner and hull ) which collects any leaks (only rainwater thankfully) and is almost impossible to pump out.
Probably an issue with other modern production boats not just Bav.
Maurice

[Sadlerfin]

Thanks all ,we bought her.... A nice Bavaria 30 cruiser and looking  forward to many happy extended weekends.

I will return I'm sure with further requested for advice

Derek

[livefats]

Good sailing, Derek - I'm sure you'll be happy with her!