bavaria 38 yacht

Yachting Monthly

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The most boat for your money? Bavaria C38 yacht test

• Theo Stocker
• April 26, 2021

Competition is hot for high-volume cruisers, but have Bavaria built a boat that is fun to sail as well as spacious and affordable? Theo Stocker took her for a spin to find out

Product Overview

Bavaria c38.

• Fun and engaging to sail
• Vast amounts of space
• A lot of boat for your money
• Limited stowage in 3-cabin version
• Mainsheet lacked power
• Some exposed systems in lockers

Manufacturer:

Price as reviewed:.

A job worth doing is worth doing properly, so the saying goes. There’s no doubt that Bavaria have committed wholeheartedly to the concept behind their new C38 and the result is a boat fully confident in its identity. That’s a good job, given the level of competition the C38 will be up against in the 37-38ft production cruiser market.

This boat aims to do three things: create the absolute maximum amount of space on deck and below from the available waterline length; be enjoyable and engaging to sail, if not a race boat; and give a potential buyer the maximum bang for their buck. In practice, the design has added significant volume in both the bow and the stern, introduced a deeper, rounder forefoot to reduce slamming, and has deepened the single rudder, which, coupled with the bow thruster, should give plenty of control in harbour and underway.

A first look at the boat reveals a few significant details. Firstly, her waterline takes up almost her entire length, with virtually no overhangs at the ends. Then there are the chines. This is only the second Bavaria to have hull chines, and they are used to take the significant beam, which is carried all the way aft, down to the water, creating more volume in the aft cabins, as well as providing power to the hull form. Next, there’s the huge bluff bow and vertical stem, again multiplying the volume in the forward cabin. Pretty it might not be, but there’s a certain purposeful muscularity to it.

Bavaria Yachts, the company, gained new owners in 2018, and they’ve been quick to make a fresh start, starting with a plan to update the entire range. Having moved from design house J&J to Cossutti Design, the C38 is the latest, smallest boat in the new lineup. The strongly chined hull shape makes a bold statement about that new direction. I was keen to see how this added up on the water.

TEST VERDICT

If you looked at this yacht and thought the vast volume would make her a poor sailer, you would be mistaken. I was very pleasantly surprised at how much fun we had sailing her. The feel on the helm was direct, responsive and engaging; this boat is fun to sail. She wasn’t twitchy even when overpressed and gave plenty of warning before the rudder started to lose grip. This boat reminds you of why a single rudder makes sense, and is deep enough that she has plenty of grip even when heeled, which is the main reason wide-sterned boats have twin rudders. The benefits when handling in harbour are huge, given that manoeuvring and mooring is the most stressful part of any cruise for most owners.

Granted, the mainsheet purchase needs a bit of improvement, but if I were buying this boat, I’d go for the more easily handled furling main and self-tacking jib, with the Code Zero for the extra sail area to keep the boat moving off the wind. This would seem to fit with the ethos of simple and fun sailing that this boat ascribes to.

WOULD SHE SUIT YOU AND YOUR CREW?

I’d imagine this boat will prove popular with sailing schools and charter companies, but if you’re after maximum boat for your buck for family coastal cruising, this is definitely worth a look too.

The idea of having three king-sized beds on what is really a 36-foot hull is staggering. You’d have to weigh up whether you want an ensuite owner’s head enough to sacrifice some of this bed space in the forward cabin, but given the layout options, there seems little reason to go for the two-cabin rather than three-cabin layout. If you’re not using the third you could still use it for the stowage you’d be missing out on.

Given the price point of this boat, the quality of finish was really very good, and the resurrected Bavaria has upped its game several notches. Arguably, the C38 could now be the boat to beat in this size sector and you’ll struggle to get more new boat for your money than this.

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Boat test: Bavaria C38

Bavaria Yachts has founded its reputation on comfortable cruisers and their new C38 is the cornerstone of a new generation of yachts which are roomier than ever, Sam Jefferson reports .

Bavaria Yachts has always had a talent for giving the public precisely what it wants. And, no, that is not a racing yacht capable of foiling in 12kn of breeze. For most of the yachting public, our aspirations are a bit more prosaic and involve a comfortable yacht that is easy to handle, feels safe and sails respectably. Bavaria has proven itself to be one of the masters of providing boats that blend these criteria into an appealing and affordable product. The German behemoth did seem to have briefly lost its touch when it launched the rather elegant C65 but this moment of excess was quickly forgotten and the company has gone back to its roots, producing more modest yachts that appeal to a much broader audience.

Which brings me to the Bavaria C38, their entry levely yacht that was actually launched in 2021 and has become the workhorse entry level yacht of the range. Despite being named the C 38, this Cossutti designed yacht is actually more like 36’ on deck, with the fixed sprit/anchor roller giving her the extra 2’ or so in overall length. While 36’ might sound small by today’s standards, this would be misleading as the boat is anything but; the key takeaway from this yacht is the simply astonishing amount of internal volume. How has this been achieved? Let me chine a light on this question. Not so very long ago the accepted philosophy was that a boat was pointy at the front with a bit of taper aft. A design revolution took place when designers penning the lines for IMOCA style downwind racing machines realised that broad aft sections with a chine could significantly boost volume. All was well for a while but then a chap by the name of Sam Manouard drew up the lines of a mini transat that strongly resembled a bathtub, featuring incredibly full bow sections. Designers tasked with penning the lines for cruising yachts collectively stroked their chins and realised that they could win even more volume by running a chine forward to give full forward sections by flaring the hull shape out heavily above the waterline. This meant fine waterlines providing low wetted surface area and decent performance in light airs married to more power in a blow and also, crucially, yet more volume forward. The results have been fascinating as, suddenly, you have relatively small yachts with huge staterooms forward.

The Bavaria C38 was at the forefront of this design revolution and marked a real step change for Bavaria, being one of their first ever yachts to feature a chined hull. The result is a dramatic looking yacht with no sheer, vertical stem and transom, decent freeboard, a low coachroof which blends into the cockpit coamings and that big chine that runs from stem to stern. Below the waterline there is a 2.05m keel – which seems a lot for a 36’ cruising yacht (a shallow draft option is available, however), plus a deep single spade rudder. It’s safe to say that this is a dramatic looking boat that bears a strong family resemblance to the new C46 and the c42. I would say that in the case of the c38, the shorter length overall gives the boat a slightly squat look compared to its bigger sisters but it’s also fair to say that this is a dramatic and muscular looking yacht that certainly draws the eye. Sail area is decent but not excessive and the boat weighs in at a little under 10,000kg lightship.

Step aboard and you find yourself in a decently dimensioned cockpit. The coachroof has been pulled further aft to give plenty of interior volume but the beam of the boat aft ensures that there is still ample room and the twin wheels are also pulled right aft to open up more space but there is still a comfortable helming position outboard and flip up seats inboard with storage underneath and excellent access to the rudder quadrant in between. You feel securely enclosed by the raised bathing platform. The helm position is good but strangely I felt too tall for it when standing up (I am not a tall man) but very much at ease sitting outboard. The instruments are also nicely placed in the end of the coamings, with the chartplotter set into the end of the table  The running rigging set up uses four winches with a pair of primaries for the headsail set forward of the helmsman and tantalisingly out of reach and a second pair of winches set on the coachroof for the mainsail. There is the option of a self tacking headsail which further simplifies an already relatively simple set up. The seating area in the cockpit is very comfortable and the backrests are nicely angled to ensure a good lounging position and the cockpit table is well dimensioned. There is further locker space under these cockpit seats.

The bow has the now pretty much standard sprit and bow roller set up and aft of this is a chain locker with a big storage locker just aft of this and integrated into the same space. You could easily fit six fenders in here. The toerail is moulded in and looks very neat. The foredeck is large and there is even space on the coachroof for a sunbathing pad just forward of the track for the self tacking jib. The side decks are wide with the shrouds set outboard while the boom is high and well clear of the cockpit. The mainsheet is set up on the coachroof to keep the cockpit uncluttered.

The C38 has a well protected companionway with hinged doors rather than washboards and you descend down into the saloon via well angled steps. Once beolow you find yourself in a very light space that has a great feeling of space thanks in part due to the fact that the boat has immense volume but also because the interior fit out has been made to maximise this feeling of light and space. It’s almost aggressively modern in feel and perhaps a touch on the stark end of things but this could doubtless easily be softened up. As it is, it felt clean, uncluttered and, above all, spacious. The layout is pretty standard with twin double cabins aft, an L-shaped galley to port and heads/shower to starboard. The saloon features a U shaped seating area to starboard and a bench seat to starboard. The table is large and folds out to double width to straddle the cabin so you can seat eight in comfort. with a chart table set at the end of this. There is perhaps a bit of a shortage of handholds heading forward if you were being picky. Forward is that palatial fore cabin. The boat felt like a good liveable space – particularly for coastal and particularly Med cruising where you are likely to be in port most nights or perhaps on the hook.

The galley was a really good size with a large single sink, three burner cooker and oven plus a big front opening fridge. There are a number of layout options, with the most notable being a two cabin version as opposed to three and also the option of an extra heads/shower in the forecabin. I tested it in the standard format and I’m sure that 90% or owners will go for this layout. One minor oddity was the heads/shower which had a vanity basin with lots of room as you stepped in and a shower stall at the back of the compartment with the heads in the shower stall. It seemed a bit odd but it opened up the space and sort of makes sense. The big feature, however, was the palatial front cabin which really did feel like it belonged on a much bigger boat. There was access to the bed from either side and big cupboard space aft of the bed. The level of comfort was superb. The overall level of fit out was also excellent. Access to the engine was under the steps as you’d expect and was very good.

We set out from the Hamble River on a grey day that at least delivered a pleasant 12kn breeze. We didn’t venture out of Southampton Water so enjoyed flat water and the usual endless procession of ferries calling for vigilance. The boat was equipped with in mast reefing and a self tacking jib and this made getting underway incredibly sinple. The boat was surprisingly lithe and nimble for a big cruiser and the single rudder had vary good feel. It’s also worth noting that this single rudder was also something of a boon under power, making manoeuvring very simple. Anyway, under sail, the self tacking jib really made things a breeze and we were bowling along at 6kn and spinning through the tacks with ease. I suppose the only slight grouse would be the fact that the primary winches are just out of reach of the helm. Not a big deal with a self tacker but something that nonetheless struck me as a strange oversight. Other than that, the boat was well behaved, manageable and good fun. Off the wind, we were definitely a bit underpowered thanks to the self tacker and lack of a Code Zero. This was a shame as, given the level of grip and control that rudder provides, combined with that powerful hull shape would make for really decent performance with a bit of extra power.

Sam’s verdict

Bavaria were not trying to reinvent the wheel with the C38; they wanted a high volume pocket cruiser that took maximum advantage of the latest trends towards fuller bow sections to boost volume. They have certainly achieved that and the C38 delivers very good performance to boot given that it has few pretensions of being anything other than a comfortable cruiser. The interior fit out was excellent and the amount of space inside suggested mission accomplished as far as Bavaria are concerned.

• Blue water: 3/5
• Comfort: 5/5

Specifications

Length overall  11.38 m (37’4″)

Beam overall  3.98 m (13’1″)

Cabins  2/3

Draught (Standard keel)  2.05 m (6’9″)

Draught (Shallow Keel)  1.65 m (5’5″)

Mainsail  46.0 m² (495 sq.ft)

Displacement: 9.386 kg

Engine Power  21.3 kW (29.3 hp)

Contact: clippermarine.co.uk

Alternative boats

Jeanneau sun odyssey 380.

A stylish Marc Lombard design that mixes dramatic styling with, you guessed it, lots of interior volume thanks to full forward sections. This boat is a lively performer which has an interesting forward berth which is offset to starboard.

jeanneau.com

Beneteau Oceanis 37.1

Another Marc Lombard design from the French masters of mass production. The 37.1 is a sprightly performer that is easy on the eye and shares a fair amount with the Sun Odyssey 380.

beneteau.com

This Judel/Vrolijk design has bee around for a few years now and, as such, boasts more classical styling than some of her rivals. The boat features finer forward sections and no chines. This is a proven performer that is well respected for its performance and ease of handling.

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Bavaria 38 Ocean

This german-built production cruiser has first-class construction and is favorably priced. for serious cruising, however, she does have a few drawbacks such as a small galley and marginal sea berths..

In our travels to the boat shows, we’ve noticed an increased number of German and Scandinavian boats distributed in the U.S. by American dealerships. Part of the reason, certainly, is favorable exchange rates. To get a feel for how these boats stack up to their American and French counterparts, we decided to test sail the German-built Bavaria 38 Ocean. In a nutshell, it’s a well-built, comfortable cruiser with a small sailplan that may be well suited to offshore passage-making, but will not be exactly spirited in light air.

The Company Bavaria Yachts is a family-owned operation that began as the manufacturer of glass windows. Today, it produces boats in a new, modern plant in Giebelstadt, Germany. The firm evolved into the boatbuilding business in 1970’s, and currently produces approximately 450 boats per year, ranging in size from 29′ to 50′. Bavaria builds several distinct lines. Heavy emphasis is placed on the Holiday series, multi-cabin cruisers destined for the charter fleets in the Mediterranean. The Exclusive line consists of traditional aft cockpit sloops with fewer sleeping compartments, and a large master stateroom. The 38 Ocean features a center-cockpit intended for family cruising. The first boats imported to North America began arriving in 1995, and are in service in a charter fleet in the Pacific Northwest.

Though the company may not have the decades-old pedigree of some competitors, it enjoys among Europeans a reputation as the builder of sturdy, seaworthy boats. Bavaria funds the cost of two Lloyd’s inspectors who are permanently on site to inspect each boat as it works its way through the production line. Consequently, boats aren’t simply “built to Lloyd’s specifications,” but are issued a Germanischer Lloyd A5 certificate that covers hull, rig, engine, electrical system and locking devices.

Design Bavaria yachts are designed by the J and J design office, a relatively obscure firm founded by brothers Jernej and Japec Jakopin in 1983. Their first yacht, the Elan 31, was an immediate success, winning the 3/4 Ton world championships; more than 700 were produced. The firm subsequently formed a boat engineering company, Seaway, that offers marketing, design, tooling and prototyping services.

J and J works with more than 20 production yards in Europe, and has designed boats for Jeanneau, Bavaria, and Dufour, in collaboration with Bruce Farr, Doug Peterson and the Jeanneau design team. Three designs received Boat of the Year awards at the 1997 Dusseldorf boat show.

The pleasing lines of the Holiday and Exclusive models are similar in appearance to many Baltic, Swan, Wauquiez and Swedish Yachts.

The Ocean 38 Ocean, because it is a center-cockpit design, presents a different look. Its beam is considerable (13′ 2″), which gives us some concern regarding inverse stability and upwind performance. On the other hand, it makes for a large interior and increases initial stability.

The displacement/length (D/L) ratio is 217, and the sail area/displacement (SA/D) ratio is 17.8, numbers that are reasonable for most coastal cruising conditions. The D/L is a bit low for what most people would consider suitable for blue-water cruising.

The whale’s tail fin keel and spade rudder represent current thinking to improve lift and control. The boat is available with either 5′ 1″ or 6′ 5″ draft.

We think that one of the major drawbacks of a center cockpit arrangement is the height above the water, which can translate to mal de mer in heavy seas when the boat pitches and rolls; the tradeoff is a drier ride, even when pounding to weather, as we learned on a trip from San Francisco to Hawaii.

Construction The firm boasts that most of its employees have been working for Bavaria for more than 10 years, most having come through its formal apprenticeship program. A video we reviewed showed the operation to be highly efficient. Wood is brought into the wood shop as logs and milled; workers in the lay-up process are presented with shopping carts filled with numbered sheets of fiberglass that have been precut to specific sizes by a computer, and premixed containers of resin, so there is no deviation in the lay-up.

The downside to this rigid approach is that no customizing is possible. As Henry Ford said, “You can have any color you want as long as it’s black.”

The lay-up methods are fairly straightforward. The outer skin is powder-bonded glass mat and isopthalic resins. The hull below the waterline is solid fiberglass laid up to a thickness of 32 mm with alternating layers of 15-ounce and 20-ounce Verotex woven roving. The forward section of the hull, from the bow aft to the first bulkhead, is reinforced with a 2-mm thick layer of Kevlar. Additional strength is provided by double layers of fiberglass extending 12″ to either side of the centerline from the bow to the rudderpost, and a double lamination on the keel flange, a Lloyd’s requirement.

The hull is additionally strengthened by solid fiberglass stringers, and beams running athwartships that are bonded to the hull with S-glass. The engine bed is also laminated to the hull, and an aluminum engine bracket is glassed to its timbers so that engine bolts are lagged through the metal piece to the bed.

All of the interior bulkheads, as well as cabinetry and closets, are bonded to the hull before the deck is laid on. Areas around hatches are reinforced with marine-grade plywood.

A company video shows the boat sailing at full speed into a seawall. After the third collision, the boat is hauled, revealing only scrape marks in the bottom paint.

The hull above the waterline as well as the deck are cored with 15-mm Divinycell to provide strength, warmth, and a noise barrier.

The method of attaching deck hardware is unique. Winches and cleats are mounted to 3/4″ thick aluminum backing plates bonded into the deck.

Deck Layout Because the boat is targeted for cruisers who are more likely to hoist a reacher or drifter than a spinnaker, the deck arrangement is rather simple. In fact, there are only four winches. The primary sheet winches are Harken 44 self-tailers, and on the coachroof, to handle halyards, reefing and furling lines there are two Harken 40’s aft of Rutgerson rope clutches. Track for the jib cars is located at the base of the deckhouse and is equipped with Rutgerson cars, as is the mainsheet, which is located at the aft end of the cockpit.

Though there’s adequate room in the cockpit to seat six passengers, and enough length for a 6-footer to stretch out for a nap, we discovered that the steering pedestal can inhibit crew work. The helmsman will find the mainsheet, which is located on the aft coaming of the cockpit, and both jib winches, to be within close reach from the normal steering position. However, because jib winches are well aft, crew will soon discover that moving from windward to leeward will require navigating forward around the front of the pedestal on tacks, or aft of the cockpit. Our test boat was equipped with a storm dodger that extended aft from the five-piece windshield. This arrangement kept us out of the wind on a cold winter day. When tacking, however, we found it difficult to make the trip across the boat in the space between the dodger and front of the pedestal.

With 16″ of pathway between the teak toerail and the cabin trunk, movement fore and aft is easy; additionally, boats are equipped with double lifelines, stainless steel stanchions, a bow pulpit and pulpits on each corner of the stern. So, with the addition of jacklines, a crew can operate in relative safety, even at night. The boat is a 9/10 fractional rig, which we think performs more like a typical masthead rig. The mast is a tapered, double spreader Selden spar supported by 3/8″ wire standing rigging. Standard equipment includes a Furlex headsail furler, hard vang, topping lift, and hand-cranked backstay adjuster. The sail inventory consists of a 5.7-ounce Dacron Elvstrom mainsail with car sliding system and two reef points. Buyers can opt for a conventional, fully-battened main, or an in-mast furling mainsail at no additional cost. Selection of the furling mainsail reduces the size of the mainsail by 75 square feet, and the ability to shape the sail.

Stowage on the deck is in several large areas. The bow area has a chain locker large enough for an electric winch, as well as 100′ of 3/8″ chain, and rope. The stainless steel double roller, which houses a 44-lb. CQR anchor, is designed to can’tilever downwards when the anchor is lowered. This simplifies the task while avoiding damage to the gelcoat. A second stowage area aft of the locker is large enough for dock lines and fenders, and the windlass motor.

Stowage to starboard in the stern is designated for fire extinguishers; to port is a locker for propane tanks. European boats are typically plumbed for butane, so the aft compartment of boats headed for North America must be modified to provide space for propane tanks, since sizes and shapes are dramatically different. The compartment is properly vented overboard.

The stern is clearly designed for the casual cruiser. It houses a two-step swim platform equipped with a stainless steel ladder hinged to go in the water, and a freshwater shower. The emergency rudder mounts outboard on the platform. Long-distance cruisers will be challenged by the engineering necessary to mount a mechanical wind vane.

Belowdecks The generous beam of the Bavaria 38 Ocean provides large, comfortable spaces in which to lounge and sleep. The workmanship is of a quality found in boats costing considerably more.

The layout of the saloon is fairly typical, with the galley and the engine compartment beneath the companionway. A folding dining table and 6′ 6″ settee are located to port. A similarly sized settee is to starboard, forward of the nav station. The head, with doors from the saloon or the skipper’s stateroom, is to starboard.

The boat is particularly well ventilated by four deck hatches, three forward and one in the aft stateroom, and four opening ports on each side of the deckhouse. We found the boat to be well lighted, even on a cloudy, rainy day.

The master stateroom spans the stern and has a 6′ long, 5′ 6″ wide berth in the center of a compartment having 6′ feet of headroom that is surrounded by finely finished mahogany closets and cabinetry, and heavy, 3″ cushions. Because boats seem to shrink in size in proportion to the number of people aboard, we liked the fact that both staterooms have sitting areas that, albeit small, provide some private space.

The head, which is subdivided by a plastic curtain, is equipped with a single stainless sink, hot and cold water, and a medicine cabinet. The shower area has 6′ of headroom and 30″ of elbow room.

The V-berth measures 6′ 4″ on the centerline, and is 6′ wide at the head, tapering to 18″ at the bow. Cabinetry includes a 43″ tall hanging locker to starboard and a similarly sized cabinet with three shelves to port.

About the only drawbacks we noted were the lack of a good, tight sea berth or two, and the size of working space available in the navigation station and galley, which oppose each other amidships near the companionway. But while one might wish them larger, the space would have to be subtracted from the dining area and head. One must remember that despite its great beam, this boat is still just 38′ LOA. The working surface on the nav station is only 22″ deep and 38″ wide. The galley runs fore and aft, and is equipped with a double stainless steel sink, two burner stove, and an L-shaped countertop. There’s adequate working space on the 24″ x 66″ countertop when the stove is covered. However, when the stove is in use, 24″ of countertop are lost, so the cook may have to use the dining table for preparations.

The boat’s mechanical systems are well-conceived and executed.

The engine compartment is accessible by removing the companionway steps, and via a removable panel in the galley. This permits one to work on all four sides of the engine. The Whitlock cable steering system is directly overhead and easy to inspect or service.

Wiring and plumbing are accessible by removing wooden panels in the back of stowage compartments. We found all wiring to be bundled and wrapped every 6″, which reduces the possibility of chafe. Through-hulls are bronze with stainless steel ball valves, and all hoses and manifolds are accessible and double clamped. Though the headliner is not removable, deck hardware fasteners can be inspected by removing mahogany covers attached to the overhead.

Performance We tested the boat on a rainy day on flat water in wind speeds ranging from 15-22 knots. Whether you like the looks of the five-section permanent windshield is a personal matter, but it certainly affords superior protection from the weather and is easy to see through. The center section opens to provide ventilation. There certainly is a trend amongst cruisers toward hard dodgers or at least hard-top dodgers, and a permanent windscreen is a good foundation from which to design an all-weather enclosure.

Under power, the 50-hp. Volvo Penta, equipped with a fixed, 3-blade prop, powered the boat into 10 knots of wind at 7 knots at 2,500 rpm. We noticed that at 2,100 rpm the noise level belowdecks allowed conversation at normal voice levels; at 2,500 rpm engine noise was more noticeable.

The saildrive has pros and cons. Its horizontal thrust is efficient, but the aluminum housing is vulnerable to corrosion, particularly from stray AC currents in marinas. Owners should monitor the unit carefully. The Wauquiez Pretorien 35 reviewed last month also has a saildrive, and owners were cautioned to regularly replace the zincs and to dive on it for a visual inspection every 90 days.

The boat proved responsive to the helm, and easily turned a tight 360°. She also tracked well in reverse, even in gusty conditions.

Our test boat had both furling main and jib, which will simplify sailhandling for cruising couples. The furling main looked disproportionately small for this size boat. We also learned rather quickly the importance of fully hoisting the main; if there’s a scallop at the tack, the sail will not furl into the mast.

We began the test sail with a full main and 150% genoa and discovered very quickly that we were overcanvassed. We shortened the jib to about 90% and in this configuration we sailed comfortably to within 40° of the apparent wind at just less than 6 knots. The boat tracked well. Because the jib sheeting angle is 16°, it is unlikely the boat will sail closer to the wind. Speed increased to 7.5 knots when we footed off and sailed at 85°, but she became less stable so we further reduced the headsail. She proved more manageable at 120°.

We suspect that owners will be motoring until wind speed reaches 6-8 knots, and using the 150% genoa until wind speed reaches 10 knots. In stiffer breezes, she’ll need a shortened headsail or reef in the main. However, with a properly balanced sailplan, we think most cruisers will find the boat manageable and comfortable.

Sailors in gusty conditions, such as San Francisco Bay, will find a sail inventory consisting of main and genoa to be adequate; the need for a light air drifter or reacher will become apparent where winds are lighter.

Conclusion We think the Bavaria is an exceptionally well-built boat. She’s finely finished; gelcoat surfaces are smooth; and joinerwork is of the highest quality. Crew and guests will find accommodations below to be spacious and well-appointed.

The Bavaria 38 Ocean comes well-equipped with brand-name hardware, Par head, Espar forced-air heater, and a Coolmatic 12-volt refrigeration system that fared poorly in our December 1, 1996 test. Though securing foreign replacement parts can be a headache, the North American distributor maintains a modest inventory of post-1992 parts for all Bavaria yachts.

The boat comes with an extensive list of standard equipment such as teak cockpit seating and sole, ICOM VHF radio, Autohelm ST 50 instruments, dodger, windlass and anchor with 165′ of chain.

Given current exchange rates and a sailaway price of $189,900 (US), fob Seattle, or $182,990 (US), fob Annapolis, we think the boat is a very good value. For comparison, the somewhat larger Jeanneau 40 Deck Saloon 40 lists at $190,000 and the superb but somewhat smaller Halberg Rassy 36 at a bit under $200,000. A more run-of-the-mill production boat, such as the Beneteau Oceanis 381, starts at $138,000.

Contact- Yacht Sales West, Unit B, 2144 Westlake Ave. N, Seattle, WA, 98109; 206/378-0081. In Canada, Yacht Sales West, 1523 Foreshore Walk, Vancouver, BC, Canada; 604/488-1202.

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Bavaria 38 Cruiser

• By Jeremy McGeary
• Updated: July 30, 2009

Of all the high-output production sailboat builders in Europe, Bavaria Yachts is located farthest from the sea. Interestingly, distance hasn’t separated the company’s design office from the realities that the sea imposes on boats and those that sail them.

On the Bavaria 38 Cruiser, this is most apparent belowdecks. Half a step from the foot of the companionway, robust furniture is close at hand. To port, it’s the sturdy fiddles on the galley counter; to starboard, the nav desk. They provide secure handholds to someone descending the companionway in a seaway. Other offshore-friendly features below include a forward-facing nav desk that’s large enough to take paper charts, saloon settees that are parallel to the centerline and long enough to stretch out on, and corner cut-out grabs in the partial bulkheads at the galley and nav desk. The finish (high-gloss varnished pale mahogany) will take on a more classic appearance once time and the natural light that pours in through numerous hatches and portlights have darkened it a little.

In the two-stateroom layout, the forward cabin occupies the entire space forward of the mast. It has a large V-berth, lots of storage lockers, and a good bit of walkabout room. In both the two- and three-cabin layouts, the aft cabin(s) have generous standing room and a large berth.

The single head in the two-cabin layout is aft, behind the nav station. If it appears unusually spacious, maybe that’s because we’ve become accustomed to boats this size having more than one. The head is smaller and takes up a good chunk of the forward cabin in the three-cabin arrangement.

No matter what navigation practices you follow, a functional nav station still provides a key central location for instruments and a useful flat work surface. The 38’s nav desk serves the purpose adequately, with several storage compartments, a dedicated area for mounting instruments, and a dished seat for a little butt traction when the boat heels. The electrical panel is of a new generation, with touch-pad switches that light up when a circuit is activated but they don’t respond with the reassuring on/off clunk of a circuit breaker. The breakers are mounted behind the panel.

Given the elbow room everywhere else, it seems that the galley was last in line when volume was being assigned and a three-burner stove would allow more culinary options than the two-burner model installed. Still, the galley is functional, has a nice corner for wedging into at sea, and is well furnished with stowage space and the obligatory, it seems, microwave oven. The twin sinks are artful in that their bottoms slope toward their drains, which are inboard, but they’d be more practical if they were a bit deeper.

A peek under the floorboards reveals a structural grid that’s laminated to the hull. The space below the floor is deep enough to create a shallow bilge, but the hull’s flat bottom could make completely drying it a challenge. The keel bolts are installed through the grid and secured with double nuts backed by stainless-steel washers.

The cockpit of this boat is comfortable and workable. The table mounted on the steering console is an expected accessory, but while it’s convenient for many activities, its bulk hampers freedom of movement during sailing maneuvers a bit.

Forward, the seat backs have the right geometry to give support where needed, but they lose it as they get shorter going aft. In the Gee-Whiz Department, electric rams tucked under the cockpit sole aft of the wheel open up the center section of the transom to reveal a swim step and ladder. At the other end of the cockpit, a low bridgedeck and, atop it, a low sill will help keep green water from getting belowdecks. The companionway door may look a bit light weight, but it’s made of veneer-topped Starboard.

A flush hatch in the foredeck opens to reveal a deep anchor well with a windlass mounted on a shelf. The brochure for the boat shows the anchor mounted on a short projection off the bow, but the boat we tested had no such arrangement. The anchor was snugged right back to the stem, and its shank was four chain links from the wildcat on the windlass.

The 38 is available with an in-mast furling main (as on our test boat) or a main with either conventional or full-length battens. The deck is also sufficiently reinforced to accept a wide range of options, such as a double-ended mainsheet system that brings both tails back to the helmsman. The roller-furling jib, adjustable backstay, and six winches are standard.

The wind took a vacation on the day of our test sail, so all we can report is that when the wind gusted up to about 4.5 knots, the boat made about 2.7 knots when closehauled.

A couple of years ago, Bavaria adopted the tandem keel for its shoal-draft option, and this has become the standard keel offered on North American imports. Patented by Warwick Collins, the tandem keel can reportedly impart greater controllability than conventional shoal-draft keels.

In the absence of wind, conditions were ideal for measuring speed under power. At its maximum 2,800 rpm, the 40-horsepower Volvo with saildrive pushed the boat at 7.8 knots; a much-quieter 2,000 rpm delivered a shade under 6.5 knots. When the wheel was put hard over, the boat turned in one boat length. Behavior when backing was commendable.

The Bavaria 38 should appeal to those looking for a sailboat to take out sailing, not a weekend apartment furnished in the current vogue. Certain design decisions appear to have been made to favor sailing characteristics over a few more cubic feet of living space. The 38 is less beamy, and the beam draws in a bit more toward the stern than some of its contemporaries. As a sailboat, it’s handsomely styled, it appears to function well, and it has most of the equipment and amenities (and many more are available as options) needed to make sailing and living aboard a rewarding experience. The bottom line is that the 38 Cruiser is a production boat, which makes it a starting point from which to build a personal yacht.

Jeremy McGeary is a CW contributing editor.

LOA 38′ 6″ (11.75 m.) LWL 32′ 6″ (9.91 m.) Beam 12′ 10″ (3.91 m.) Draft 5′ 3″ (1.60 m.) Sail Area 745 sq. ft. (69.2 sq. m.) Ballast 4,629 lb. (2,100 kg.) Displacement 15,840 lb. (7,184 kg.) Ballast/D .29 D/L 206 SA/D 18.9 Water 95 gal. (360 l.) Fuel 40 gal. (152 l.) Mast Height 50′ 8″ (15.44 m.) Engine 40-hp. Volvo with saildrive Designer J&J Design Price $203,500 Bavaria Yachts (410) 990-0007 www.bavariayachts.com

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BAVARIA 38 OCEAN similar search results:

BAVARIA 34-2

BAVARIA 36-3

BAVARIA 37 CRUISER

The bavaria 38 ocean shown below has been sold:, bavaria 38 ocean.

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• +31 299 65 63 50
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Broker's comments.

The Bavaria 38 Ocean probably will appeal to families looking for a comfortable and strong cruising boat with far better than average accommodations. It has a superb layout with a large master cabin aft and the heads compartment accessible from the salon. Structurally this Bavaria complies with Germanischer Lloyds requirements. There is even a Kevlar layer in the bow area to add to the impact resistance of the hull shell forward. All lines led aft to the dry, comfortable, center cockpit as well as having in-mast furling on the main sail and a furling genoa.

General - BAVARIA 38 OCEAN

Accommodation

VICTOIRE 1044

DEHLER 36 CWS

DEHLER 36 JV

JEANNEAU SUN ODYSSEY 35

• Data and Options

BAVARIA C38 - Interior

A new sense of space.

Foredeck and side decks offer you plenty of freedom of movement and thanks to the innovative hull design, new dimensions open up below deck as well. There is a choice of individual cabin layouts, from the luxurious 2-cabin version with one spacious bathroom to the comfortable 3-cabin version with two bathrooms. As the owner, you can dream in a real king-size bed in the forward cabin - comfortable headroom and plenty of daylight included.

In the U-shaped seating area to starboard and on the lounge bench to port you can enjoy a cozy dinner with eight people. The L-shaped galley is classically located to port.

Plenty of daylight in the spacious salon.

Breakfast, lunch or dinner – The large saloon table offers comfortable space for up to 8 people.

Lounge sofa, chart tabel and home office in one.

The lowerable salon table turns the salon into a chillout area.

The bright and luxurious owner's cabin

Plenty of space in the cupboards for all your belongings.

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