where are bavaria yachts built

How it´s made: Boat Joinery

• March 12th, 2024
• On Location

You may have read my article about the Bavaria C46 as seen during the boat show Duesseldorf 2024. After the boat was awarded the renown title “European Yacht of the Year” I was keen on taking a look. Little had I done research beforehand, mostly because I was biased and honestly did not expect too much of a surprise, but I was puzzled setting foot on a truly well-built boat. To be specific: Her well-built interiors.

I was astonished how nicely the interior had been done, the joinery was not just beautifully designed by also had a high quality feel to it. Nothing squeaked or groaned. The fittings – like the grab handles – had a nice touch and I was astonished about the veneer quality, especially the thickness and robust quality of the edge bands. I asked Marcus Schlichting , Head of Marketing at Bavaria, if I could come and visit the shipyard: “Yes, of course!”, he agreed surprisingly openly. Now, roughly five weeks after the show, I dropped by at the Bavaria Yachts headquarter.

Somewhere in the nowhere

It was a cold early morning, the sun barely risen over a misty, half frozen landscape. The shipyard is situated in a small village called Giebelstadt. Where are we? Well, some of you may have heard the name Wuerzburg, the nearest city. Giebelstadt has nearly 6.000 inhabitants, it´s not a “Stadt”, meaning “town” in German, it´s a bigger village. Bavaria Yachts is apparently the business around. The large white halls are easily recognizable from afar.

It´s a strange location: In the southern part of Germany (it´s Lower Franconia, not Bavaria, as the inhabitants would proudly persist to make clear) with hundreds of kilometers to the next shore. Nevertheless, since the company was founded back in 1979 as a joint business from the then window-maker Winfried Herrmann and a charter fleet broker, Josef Meltl, this brand has seen a some impressive growth but it also had some serious setbacks, the one we all have in mind is the insolvency back in 2018. Since then, they are on their hard way back onto the market, fighting for their customer´s loyalty and trust. You can literally see this history by looking at the large white workshops, the big Bavaria-logo, multi layered painted on the walls and in the eyes of their proud workers walking by.

A German success story

Marcus knows that I am especially interested in getting to see the joinery of Bavaria. The quality of the furniture I have seen inside the C46 was really good. But Marcus, a PR pro, said that we would take the whole tour. This was a good decision: Although I have been to so many shipyards since I´ve started blogging – big ones , small ones , industrialized ones and small workshops for one-offs – each shipyard is a bit different in how the work is done and organized. And so I was keen on getting the whole tour.

After the big bang in 2018 the shipyard is back into pretty secure waterways securing its place among the four big brands of series production boats. I see bustling activity in the halls, literally every square meter of the production is occupied, boats of all sorts, sizes and types are built in a sheer endless queue. Bavaria employees are working, walking around, carrying parts or moving hulls, decks and equipment. It´s reassuring to see such a hustle and bustle, because it means that apparently there are enough orders.

The Bavaria shipyard

The process of making a GRP boat is the same since many decades. Bavaria manufactures most of their yachts in classic hand-lamination. “We can do vacuum infusion of course”, Marcus explains, “but for our market, client base and the use-case for the majority of our boats, the advantages of vacuum infusion are miniscule.” It all starts with the application of the first layer, the Gelcoat. A huge hull mold is “flying” past us, from behind I can see freshly prepared hulls in line waiting to take on their white coating.

The lamination at Bavaria is organized in a way I have never seen in any other shipyard. There is no dedicated line for a specific type, but rather everybody here works on every type and form of boat. No matter if it´s a power boat or sailing yacht, no matter if it is a small sized boat or the flagship, the C57. “Well, it is all the same, isn´t it?”, Marcus explains. This goes for the Gelcoat, but when the molds enter the next hall for lamination, things get a bit complicated.

Each team on each mold must recap the layup specifications when laminating. This is important because the guidelines by the naval architect and structural engineers must be followed to insure the maximum stiffness, least twist and distortion. As in every GRP-shipyard, the air is filled with biting odors of the resin, we keep our distance from the freshest of them laminated molds to protect our lungs.

Handcraft meets High-Tech

So far, so good. I recognize many similarities to the shipyards I have seen so far, but there are also specialties. For example, I´ve never visited a yard before that employs autoclaves, essentially big “ovens”. There are two of those in which they heat-dry the freshly laminated parts. As we pass by, a deck was parked inside one of those.

The temperature isn´t that high, I mean, you couldn´t bake a Pizza in here, but they say they can significantly reduce the drying time of the laminates by applying heat and thus speeding up the overall production time of a boat. Another highlight is to be found in one adjacent hall: The CNC machine.

I´ve seen many of them in many shipyards, yet this one is special. Whereas on the machines I am familiar with one single robot is milling, cutting, drilling and sanding the boats and decks. This particular machine has two robots which are operating on one boat at the same time: It again reduces building time. Marcus tells the story of a fire, a cutting device had caught, lighting up the boat inside and having the machine standing still for a couple of months. “We had to organize this work to be done by hand again”, he says: “It took us many weeks to just make gauge models for each boat so that our guys would be able to make their cuts and drill their holes at exactly the right positions.” Making a boat is a lot of handcraft work – but you also need at least some degree of automation, especially when putting out large numbers of units.

Finally: The Joinery of the shipyard!

After seeing the hull and deck production, we finally enter another workshop. The smell of wood, Teak and plywood, a scent of slightly burned chips – indicator of wood-cutting and sanding going on – fills my nostrils. I am familiar with this odor, during the refit of my King´s Cruiser 33 this was what I was smelling for four years …

The material storage is arranged in “islands”. Push carts and large trolleys containing wooden parts, thin sheets of plywood and thick boards of massive wood. Handwritten notes, route cards and barcodes make it possible to track each sheet through production. “In the early days the joinery was much bigger.”, Marcus says: “We received whole trees which had been treated to become veneers, battens or furniture. This was the DNA of the company back from the windows production.” Nowadays, such an in-house production wouldn´t be financially sufficient. But there´s still something to this place …

The sheets and boards are cut by huge CNC-robots, of which I observe for some minutes. After cleaning the machine from the previous operation, the worker places a large wooden plywood board on the “table”. A program is entered, the robot starts to cut out the parts. This process is surprisingly quiet – I had thought we would be wearing ear protection, but there is literally no noise in here although huge machines are working around us all over the place.

On the opposite side, another big table, the wooden part is slowly re-appearing after having entered the machine. I cannot identify what exactly the robot has cut, but I can see a spotless work. “All parts are precision cut here”, Marcus tells me. “Basically a huge puzzle that is put together later on.” At the opposite side of the hall, another impressive machine is located. We head towards it.

Automation: Wooden parts coating

On our way through the production Marcus and I greet the workers. Many are smiling, some seem to be are a bit grumpy, which is just the way they are here in the deep South of Germany. Listening to the heavy Bavarian (or Lower Franconian, I am sorry!) accent quickly reminds me of this very special and kind of weird fact, that we are here in the middle of nowhere. Arriving at another big machine, a very un-grumpy and funnily joking specimen of Lower Franconian worker, greets us: “This is our painting machine”, Marcus says.

This machine can spray-paint the wooden parts as wished. Glossy paint, matt paint, impregnation: Depending on the program put in. “It is able to apply no less than six layers of paint and have them dried as well”, Marcus explains, as the worker puts a number of wooden parts in a conveyor that is slowly but surely transporting the parts into the protected inner of the machine.

Two of those chambers have glass fronts so that I can look inside. Two spray-arms with two nozzles each are constantly hovering back and forth over the wooden parts which are rolling underneath them. A camera is “watching”, probably a quality checking device. Passing through the paint chamber roughly takes a minute.

Again, to speed up drying process, the freshly painted parts are funneled through a heavy UV-light exposure. This process is kind of soothing. A never-ending stream of blunt wood enters. And eventually re-appears after some time, coated in gloriously shiny gloss-paint. Again, no noise and, what surprises me most, no smell.

As impressive as it looks, so far I cannot see any bigger differences to other yards. The fine joinery I´ve witnessed during Duesseldorf is made with the same machines and processes others employ. But why did the Bavaria C46 make such an impression on me? Maybe because I was biased by our “own” products and I lost a bit the sight for our competitors? Maybe …

The secret of their massive bandings

Most apparent in furniture quality on production boats are the edge bandings. Why? Because of the fact that massive wooden joinery parts are too cost-intensive for production boats, manufacturers use those thin wooden “framings” that run around floorboards, tabletops, cabinets or flaps. Of course, when in use, those edge-bands are the “neuralgic points” in every boat´s furniture, so I am especially keen on checking how Bavaria does it.

The banding machine is operated by another very friendly guy. He shows me how to do it – which in the end isn´t that spectacular. At the backside of the machine two large coils of wooden banding are put. They run over many rollers fed into the machine´s inside. The worker is on the other side, putting – for example in this case – raw cut and painted floorboards onto a track.

The floorboard is fed through the machine that heat-glues (some call it “ironing”) the banding onto the edge of the piece. The end product is a firmly attached, thick banding that has a real quality. It not just has to look nice, it is expected to be standing the test of time and rough handling (mostly by charter crews ).

The big wooden puzzle

After all parts have been made that way, they are put on another pushcart and being brought to one of the nearby assembly “islands”. There, as we know it from so many big industrialized shipyards, the furniture is put together in modules. I see large parts which I can quickly identify.

There is much space inbetween so that people and their materials can pass by quickly without hitting into somebody or something. Some of these “islands” are used to store raw materials, some are a kind of hold for pre-fabricated parts and some are used as fitting areas where whole modules are fitted. We walk towards this area so that I can have a look onto them.

One of these is dedicated to galley modules. There is much space for the workers to access both the front and the backsides of each module. Making those is not just bringing together the joinery parts but also to already install all electrical and mechanical parts needed. For example here where the galleys are made, the complete fresh water supply and drainage is already in place, just along with the equipment, LED-lighting and such.

After a quality check, the modules are set up with some protection for the most exposed areas and deemed ready for installation into the boats. In designated “waiting areas” the modules – completely pre-fabricated and pre-installed with all wiring – are awaiting the fitting crew to be brought into the big halls where the boats are finalized.

Worth being proud of: The end product

The modules arrive one by one after each other just in time. These are also build in a way that the wooden modules come with built-in lift-eyes which accept either a crane or a special-purpose built gantry. Attached to it, the module is lifted and placed into the hull at the designated location. Held tight by the gantry, the module cannot shift much so that a precise fit during glueing, lamination or screwing of the very module is ensured.

Piece by piece the modules are fitted, just after the bulkheads, technical parts like engine, tanks and piping have been installed. Inside, nothing will be visible for the owners and guests. A nice wooden interior, just as I have seen in Duesseldorf. “Now you have seen the complete production here in Giebelstadt”, Marcus concludes our tour. And just as if it was pre-arranged, a brand new Bavaria C46 is there with some stickers on it for last works before delivery. This is how my voyage began, some weeks ago on a boat like this with an appealing interior.

In the end, it´s neither magic nor something special. I´d say that Bavaria utilizes the same machines, techniques and materials like any other shipyard does. Maybe, because of their historical origins, there is a kind of special emphasis on the joinery, much like for example Beneteau taking their pride in seaworthiness and performance of their hulls or Pogo , who build fast boats, not really focusing on interiors. It´s a bit like cars, I think to myself as I drive away, waving Marcus a Goodbye: Each brand has its specialties, its strength and individual touch. Which is a good thing for the customers who – in all the similarities especially for production boats – have a real choice to decide for the one boat that fits their needs and dreams best.

Thanks so much Marcus for the tour and the time taken!

You might as well be interested in these articles:

Walkthrough of the Bavaria C46 cruising yacht

At the Beneteau shipyard

RM Yachts of La Rochelle: How a boat is build from plywood

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Inside the Bavaria factory

St editor sam fortescue goes on a tour inside the bavaria factory, which makes 1,000 boats a year.

Even back then, industrialisation was key to the business. A large purpose-built hangar housed hull after hull, busy with workers. As Bavaria CEO Lutz Henkel tells me: “Herrman was the Henry Ford of boatbuilding”.

Today, automation and process are the beating heart of Bavaria, and the 70,000m 2 halls of Bavaria Yachtbau, which turns out over 1,000 boats per year with the input of workers from 14 different countries, resembles none other that I have ever visited. The first thing I see is a row of bikes, which Bavaria’s 600 production workers use to save valuable minutes getting around the factory.

Bavaria’s output has fallen from its 2007 peak of 3,000 boats per year. But it’s not all spare capacity – the boats take longer to complete now.

Bavaria CEO Lutz Henkel explains: “I would say that we are nearly at the same capacity as before – it’s just that our boats are more complicated.

“They have a wider variety of interiors now, whereas before it was ‘take it or leave it’.”

Within a year, all Bavaria boats will be manufactured using vacuum infusion.

Production line

An unbroken production line stretches from the moulding hall through fit out to finishing, each boat on a wheeled cradle which moves from station to station on narrow railway tracks.

Machine-operated

One of the two five-axis milling machines hard at work cutting out ports, hatches and holes for fittings.

A fortnight's build

It takes just two weeks to get a Cruiser 46 gets from being just tubs of epoxy and boxes of screws to a gleaming, finished article.

Changes in processes and options have led to more premium products. A decade ago, the yard’s entry-level Cruiser 33 cost €65,000 (£51,000) ex-VAT; today, the new 34 starts at €89,000 (£70,000).

Laying up the hulls

Laying up is still a very manual task at Bavaria. It is the job of one man to dunk precut strips of glass mat in epoxy resin before they’re collected by colleagues in hazard suits and respirators. They swarm all over the mould with rollers and and in this way, it takes just a day to lay up each hull or deck before it is gently cooked at 60° in a large oven.

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Scoop - Bavaria C65, the largest sailing yacht ever built by the Bavaria Yachts shipyard

July 14 2017

Written by Yachting Art Magazine

The Bavaria C65 will be the new flagship of the Bavaria Yachts fleet of sailing yachts. A next logical step in the expansion of the Bavaria C-Line. A Scoop by Yachting Art Magazine .

The Bavaria C65 is the largest yacht ever built by Bavaria Yachts. Its production has already begun. The first sea trials are planned for the autumn, for an official présentation at Cannes Yachting Festival.

With the Bavaria C65, Bavaria Yachts aims to bring fresh impetus to the booming market segment of sailing yachts between 55 and 75 feet. The Bavaria C65 wants to impress both on and below deck thanks to its elegant and modern design. Bavaria Yachts announces to offer a high level of customisation with numerous different layout options available below deck for the owner to choose from.

The Bavaria C65 will be the masterpiece in design, engineering and technology of the German shipyard.

She targets sailors who place high expectations on their yacht. Bavaria announces fast and reliable sailing performance. Even on long trips, the Bavaria C65 could be sailed with very small crews or even single-handedly. It is classed as a fast cruiser and is also the perfect yacht for blue water sailing .

The clear line of its hull, its flat wide deck and its sporty rigging define the design of the Bavaria C65.

The large windows in the hull fit elegantly into the line of the hull lending even more dynamism to its length. The dynamic lines of the Bavaria C65 support the flat design with its narrow strip of windows running from the mast to the cockpit support. The large XXL bathing platform in the stern plays host to the dinghy garage and provides the ideal location for bathing, preparing for a thrilling dive, or enjoying some sunbathing. There is easily enough room in the dinghy garage for a jet tender and other equipment.

A glance at the technical specifications for the Bavaria C65 immediately reveals the perfect balance between elegant design, a generous amount of space, a high level of reliability at sea, and fast sailing capabilities. At 19.45 metres in length and with a breadth of 5.40 metres the Bavaria C65 has a very streamlined appearance. But below deck, it’s quite a different story. Whether in the 3-cabin or 4-cabin version, with the skipper cabin in the forecastle, the Bavaria C65 is unbelievably luxurious when it comes to space.

=> Bavaria lance le Bavaria C65, son plus grand voilier jamais produit

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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 C65 – The largest yacht ever built by the shipyard

The BAVARIA C65 is the new flagship of the BAVARIA YACHTS fleet of sailing yachts and, following the successful presentation of the yacht this spring, is the next logical step in the expansion of the BAVARIA C-Line .

With the BAVARIA C65, BAVARIA YACHTS brings fresh impetus to the booming market segment of sailing yachts between 55 and 75 feet. The BAVARIA C65 impresses both on and below deck thanks to its elegant and modern design. BAVARIA YACHTS offers a high level of customisation with numerous different layout options available below deck for the owner to choose from.

It is the largest yacht ever built by BAVARIA YACHTS. Production of the new yacht has already begun. The first sea trials are planned for the autumn.

The BAVARIA C65 is a masterpiece in design, engineering and technology. She was designed for sailors who place high expectations on their yacht. Her fast and reliable sailing performance is impressive. Even on long trips, the BAVARIA C65 can be sailed with very small crews or even single-handedly. It is classed as a fast cruiser and is also the perfect yacht for blue water sailing. From Cannes to Nice, or from Hamburg to the Caribbean, the BAVARIA C65 opens up every sea to its owners.

Length overall

Beam overall, 2.6 m / 3.5 m.

The clear line of its hull, its flat wide deck and its sporty rigging define the design of the BAVARIA C65. The large windows in the hull fit elegantly into the line of the hull lending even more dynamism to its length. The dynamic lines of the C65 support the flat design with its narrow strip of windows running from the mast to the cockpit support. The large XXL bathing platform in the stern plays host to the dinghy garage and provides the ideal location for bathing, preparing for a thrilling dive, or enjoying some sunbathing. There is easily enough room in the dinghy garage for a jet tender and other equipment.

DISCOVER MORE FREEDOM TO DECIDE. There are four configurations to choose from in the BAVARIA C65. Each of them can be adapted to your needs. The benefit for owners is that they can combine different areas flexibly, just the way they want them.

A glance at the technical specifications for the C65 immediately reveals the perfect balance between elegant design, a generous amount of space, a high level of reliability at sea, and fast sailing capabilities. At 19.45 metres in length and with a breadth of 5.40 metres the C65 has a very streamlined appearance. But below deck, it’s quite a different story. Whether in the 3-cabin or 4-cabin version, with the skipper cabin in the forecastle, the BAVARIA C65 is unbelievably luxurious when it comes to space.

BAVARIA YACHTS’ vision is to build the best yachts in their class. The BAVARIA C65 was developed with exactly this vision in mind. The designers, engineers and boat builders challenged this vision again and again at each development stage until they found the best solutions.

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Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Bavaria Cruiser 45 review: from the archive

• Toby Hodges
• June 2, 2021

This production 45-footer offers huge volumes of living space from a starting price around £125,000. Toby Hodges finds out just how much much boat you you get for your bucks with the Bavaria Cruiser 45

Under engine, she behaved obediently for a twin-rudder set-up. Credit: Main photo: William Payne

Product Overview

Manufacturer:.

Bavaria is back with a bang. Their collaboration with Farr Yacht Design and Designworks USA has proved to be a dream in terms of sales figures so there are naturally high hopes for the Bavaria Cruiser 45.

The Cruiser 32 has sold a staggering 300 since her launch last September and 60 of the 45s have already been shifted since her debut in Düsseldorf in January.

There is also a 55 and a new 40; a 36 follows this autumn.

The fold-down transom/bathing platform and twin rudder combos have been particularly successful and the Bavaria Cruiser 45 seems to deliver as many benefits as the 55 in an arguably more tempting package.

With a Force 4, gusting 5 briefly at times, and a 1.5-2m swell in Palma Bay, we had ideal testing conditions.

Upwind we were into early 7 knot speeds at 40-45° to the true wind. What the Bavaria Cruiser 45 lacks in feel and response, she makes up for in seakindliness.

I was pleasantly surprised by her motion through the swell and she kept consistent speed without slamming. This was very noticeable down below at heel.

On Bavarias of old things creaked, groaned and banged, but since Farr took over the design work, greater focus has been placed on strength – from laminating bulkheads to the hull and deck to fitting abundant sturdy handholds, and it’s certainly a lot more reassuring.

We cracked off 30° (70-80° true) to reach across the swell at commendable passagemaking speeds of 8.5 knots in 15.

The sails had been specified by the yacht’s Swiss lady owner, who planned to go bluewater sailing , and comprised an in-mast, vertical-battened main, with 107 per cent jib, though a self-tacking option is available.

Sailing the Bavaria Cruiser 45

Rather than the standard Dacron, these had Elvström’s Epex membrane, a modified aramid fibre.

The battens in the main gave it impressive roach and shape for an in-mast sail, aided by good luff tension from the Selden mast profile.

Had we had one on board, an asymmetric would have made friends with the swell.

As it was, our efforts at goose-winging quickly became uncomfortable, producing 6 knots in 12 knots of wind, and we settled instead for some long, lazy reaches for offwind work, making 8 knots at 130° true.

Despite using a steel-link system, the steering didn’t feel direct, but the dual rudders provide good tracking, and an improvement in rudder angle over the original design for the 55 proved noticeable.

That flat, low coachroof makes for clear views forward and the helmsman has easy side deck access and lift-up sole plates for good standing security.

The split backstay set-up, however, restricts seated comfort in the after quarters of the cockpit.

Under engine, she behaved obediently for a twin-rudder set-up, making 6.8 knots at 2,000rpm with her upgraded 75hp motor.

On balance, an enjoyable boat to sail, though slightly lacking in response, but easy to handle with creditable performance.

Make your way down the narrow, steep companionway and what greets you is not that visually exciting. But you’ll soon appreciate what these new Cruisers offer in abundance – space.

It has to be seen to be believed. Headroom is key – a pro basketball player would be quite content in any of the cabins.

The saloon has a nav area, but no dedicated nav seat.

The luxury of having an en-suite heads for each cabin is unique at this size too – this will be greatly appreciated on charter.

The test boat’s interior was done in mahogany, but light oak and walnut veneers are also available. However, the large surface areas of bulwark panels make for a rather monotonous appearance.

Ten colour schemes are available for the upholstery – we had the white leather option.

Like the Impression 444, the small windows, hatches and ports combine well to encourage natural light, but unlike her rival, the Cruiser’s sole is convenient on one level.

Build for the future

Design by Farr and BMW Designworks USA does not come cheap and demonstrates the investment Elan have made in this model.

Build cost will have increased with all those flush hatches and windows.

The laminating process is also a lot more detailed, with greater reinforcement and new tray moulds for structural stiffness, encapsulating the keel top.

But Bavaria still manage to keep the end price down.

On deck of the Bavaria Cruiser 45

• A useful aluminium toerail, large cleats and double bow roller, plus a proper sail locker with steps/ladder.
• The helmsman’s seat to starboard lifts to expose the engine controls. The overdrive facility provided by the optional Gori prop meant that she could rack up good speed.
• The main part of the transom lowers electronically to provide a huge swim/bathing platform, which is a true selling point of this boat.
• Multiple windows equal a light and airy (huge) interior, helped by exaggerated freeboard.
• The large table is superb for bracing against and, while the coamings are a little low, it’s a comfortable spot under the sprayhood looking aft.
• Cockpit stowage is impressive – you could fit a deflated tender in any of the three large lockers (the central one under the sole is particularly capacious)

Below deck on the Bavaria Cruiser 45

The uninspiring table could fit eight at a squeeze.

The saloon is a no-frills zone, even in optional leather fit-out.

The uninspiring table could fit eight at a squeeze, there’s little practical stowage and the aft-facing chart table area is bland.

Losing a dedicated navigation area to the heads on this size of boat speaks volumes about its market.

There’s an abundance of flush worktop area.

Linear galleys have their critics.

They can be less secure and practical at heel, but with an L-shaped aft end and sturdy bracing against the saloon seat, this arrangement works well, boosting the open-plan format.

The 140lt front-opening, forward-facing fridge combines with a large lift-top unit.

There’s an abundance of flush worktop area, but only a two-burner stove (with limited room to gimbal) and, despite three pan cupboards below, again useful stowage is limited, with just four small raised lockers and one drawer.

For once these are not cramped for space and you can turn around, touch the ground, practise yoga, or whatever you like.

Headroom is a lofty 6ft 10in and the double berth is generous.

There’s excellent machinery space and good engine access between cabins, but elsewhere locker space is wanting.

The en-suites are light and roomy and a pleasure for both cabins to have their own, where a 6ft 3in person can stand upright under the shower.

The sink and stowage are a little small and rather plastic.

Forward cabin

The berth is big enough to sleep a couple athwartships as well as fore and aft.

What could be described as a ‘hallway’ separates a seated shower room to port and the heads to starboard – a practical layout.

Forward of this can be the grand master cabin we had on the test boat, or optional twin doubles.

The berth is big enough to sleep a couple athwartships as well as fore and aft, with side shelves providing support to lean against, but again the open layout seems a little bland.

Headroom is 6ft 8in and while there’s plenty of space beneath the bed, stowage elsewhere is poor.

It’s one thing to produce a lot of boat for your buck. And the Bavaria Cruiser 45 is a serious amount of boat. But it’s another to design it well inside and out, to build it to an acceptable standard and above all, to make it sail satisfactorily.

So on all counts bravo to Bavaria. I hold my hand up; I really didn’t take to their old cruiser line. For me they looked cheap, with limited positives. But I’m impressed with this boat. It sails well, it seems to be well-built and well-designed, but above all provides acres of space.

A relative lack of stowage in all cabins is a blemish, and not having a dedicated navigator’s seat on a 45-footer is something that would alarm many.

But these may not be trends that would worry the Bavaria Cruiser 45’s target customer.

The single-level living area is a merger of three areas (galley, saloon, nav area) which will arguably make the less salty types feel at home.

And once you’ve experienced en-suite heads in all cabins, there’s just no going back!

First published in the October 2010 issue of YW.

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

Bavaria C46 review: Space and performance

• Theo Stocker
• January 30, 2024

Massive bow sections create a huge amounts of space on board, and in theory, a powerful hull to give lively sailing. Theo Stocker sails the Bavaria C46 to see if the reality matches up

Product Overview

Manufacturer:, price as reviewed:.

There’s no denying that the Bavaria C46 is a beast of a boat. Bluff bowed, big and powerful, she has more volume than almost any boat her size. In some ways, it’s no surprise as this is the direction boat design has been going for years, underlined by Bavaria’s motto of ‘Further and more’.

In the Bavaria C46, then, we’ve certainly got the ‘more’, but the question I was keen to answer when I headed down to Hamble one beautifully blustery autumn day was whether this boat also has the ‘further’. Has she sacrificed sailing ability for her size, or have Bavaria pulled off the trick of also making her a better sailing boat?

Alongside the continuing move to ever greater volume, there has been a more recent and more subtle shift in naval architecture – one that explains why bows are also getting fatter. It’s not just a grab for accommodation space, though they help of course, but a bluff bow also helps make a beamy boat more balanced to sail.

Much like the development of scow bows trickling down from development race classes such as Mini Transats and IMOCAs, ultra wide and flat-sectioned hulls offered steroid-boosted amounts of righting moment and power, allowing them to ditch a whole load of ballast. But if you don’t want your flying saucer to nose-dive, you need to inject some volume hormones up forward as well.

Twin composite wheels drive a single rudder. Photo: Paul Wyeth

As the hull heels, the canoe body remains more closely symmetrical, so requiring less rudder-power to keep the boat on the straight and narrow, where earlier designs became unbalanced wedges with a tendency to aerate their rudders and spin up into the wind. Funnily enough, the lines of Thames barges, Dutch skûtjes and Yankee catboats have long proven that powerful hulls don’t need to be narrow and pointy even for heavy displacements.

Best of both worlds

It is a convenient truth that the wide transoms and broad bow sections also lend themselves quite nicely to the high volumes demanded of cruising boats these days. D

Designers have found that you can, in many ways, have the best of both sailing performance and cruising comfort. The critical factor in a race boat is keeping the displacement light enough to let the boat get up on the plane. That’s not going to happen with an out-and-out cruiser, so I was keen to see if the hull concept still works on cruising boats.

The Bavaria C46 joins the Bavaria C38 and the Bavaria C42 as the second generation of C-line from Bavaria from Cossutti Yacht Design, distinguishable from the first generation (C45, C50, C57 and C65) by their bluff stems, beamier bows and hard hull chines up forward. The slick styling and angular coachroof and windows otherwise remain much the same.

There’s space for a table either side of the vast cockpit without taking away from the side decks. Photo: Paul Wyeth

Below decks, accommodation benefits from the extra space of the new hull shape. Remarkably, given many other builder’s rush to twin rudders, Bavaria have stuck with a single rudder, both for simplicity of construction (and with it, cost), as well as a more direct helming experience. One less visible element that has changed, however, is the ballast.

Our test Bavaria C46 had a ballast-displacement ratio of just 20%, compared to the C45’s 26%, losing half a tonne from the keel while adding almost a tonne to her displacement, all against an approximately similar sail area. Either Cossutti have got their sums very wrong, or this new hull shape really does makes a difference to the form stability of the boat.

I was pleased to find we would have a decent, if blustery breeze from the WNW blowing Force 4 to 5 for most of the day, as cumulus clouds scudded overhead, casting cool autumnal shadows amidst the stubbornly warm sunshine. It was hard to decide whether to wear a t-shirt and shorts, or full foulies.

Article continues below…

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Clear of the shelter of Southampton Water and out in the Solent, we were hardening up onto the wind, beating in 15-21 knots of true wind (Force 4 to 5), with 18 to 25 knots across the deck. Under full canvas, we were soon sitting in the mid sixes, with 6.2-6.7 through the water at 30-35º to the apparent.

Steering from the twin composite wheels felt controlled and assured, even when deliberately overpressing the boat in the gusts. It was only under real duress that the boat began to round up to the wind, and slowly at that, giving plenty of warning that the mainsheet needed easing, which quickly returned the boat to a steady course.

In normal sailing, there was little weather helm, and the steering was precise and direct. My only gripe was that the rudder felt a little heavy, though whether this was due to the balance of the rudder, some other issue, or simply a fact of the boat’s 13 tonnes displacement, I wasn’t sure. She was otherwise without foible, responding obediently to the helm.

Tick the option and you’ll get a grill and a fridge under the aft helm seats. Photo: Paul Wyeth

With a bifurcated backstay and mechanical tensioner, it was pleasing to note that adjusting the backstay did make a difference to the feel on the helm, helping balance it and increasing forestay tension in the breeze – it’s a nice bit of control that you don’t get on backstayless rigs.

In the conditions we had, it felt like we had a good amount of power from the self-tacking jib and vertically battened Elvstrom furling main (slab reefing is standard). We even needed to tuck a furl into both sails as the wind crept up to a steady Force 5 true. Having tested the performance version of the C38 a couple of years ago, with its roached, fully battened slab-reef main, this furling main C46 actually felt like a better-balanced sail plan.

The larger performance main was just a bit too much for the deck gear on the C38, at least in windy conditions, and I found myself enjoying the ease of sailing on the C46 more. The 4:1 mainsheet purchase uses blocks either side of the companionway, and there’s no traveller, which makes it harder to centre the boom sailing upwind, costing a few degrees of pointing.

A proper bridle here might be a better system, but at 35º to the apparent, few cruising sailors are going to lose any sleep over it.

A 106% genoa is an alternative to the self-tacking jib. Photo: Paul Wyeth

The deck layout benefits from the boat’s significant beam, with loads of space to move about and relax as well as sail. As with most twin-wheel boats, the helms are right aft and outboard, but still feel secure thanks to broad side decks taken all the way aft and generous transom seats, which house either more stowage, or a fridge and grill for use in harbour.

With no dinghy garage, I’d imagine the optional retractable dinghy davits will be popular, though fold down the bathing platform and you’ll find a cubby hole big enough for a folded up dinghy or paddleboard, and a built-in air compressor to blow it up. There’s further stowage in a plywood-lined lazarette between the helm seats, plus sole-depth lockers beneath the cockpit seats.

Simple sail handling

All lines, including sheets and halyards, are led aft to two powered winches outboard of the wheel, with push-button control next to the rope bins just aft of them (also home to a gas bottle locker either side). This makes singlehanding the boat extremely easy.

Lift-up foot chocks help the helm feel secure. Photo: Paul Wyeth

The only niggle is that it all gets rather busy for the helm if you’re steering, adjusting the main and the headsail at the same time, so it was easier for the helm to move to the other wheel while a crew member came behind the wheel to handle the lines. The only exception to this is the extra set of primary winches on the cockpit coamings if you opt for the 106% overlapping genoa.

All this leaves those in the cockpit to relax without having to lift so much as a finger, other than to sip their drinks. In fact, we didn’t pick up a winch handle for the whole test sail, and tacking with the self-tacking jib was effortless.

With L-shaped seats, there’s plenty of space to sit back, while split cockpit tables provide bracing for each side.

Aft of the rope bins is stowage for gas bottles on both sides. Photo: Paul Wyeth

The pedestals have been redesigned, giving space for 12in B&G plotters, as well as an electronic throttle, thruster controls and all the other modern gizmos like stereos and phone chargers. Best, though, was the side panel which housed an extra repeater and autopilot controls so you can still see the numbers when helming sitting down without needing to stand up. It’s clear Bavaria has worked hard to make the Bavaria C46 a more user-friendly boat.

Step over the low coamings and you’re onto the side decks inside deep moulded bulwarks. It wasn’t a rough edge exactly, as it was very neatly done, but I did wonder about the wide bonding join between deck and hull moulding atop the bulwarks – it would have been nice if this had been a little better hidden.

Otherwise, Selden deck gear was all of a decent size and spec, with coachroof-mounted genoa car tracks, grab rails from forward of the sprayhood to the shrouds, loads of opening hatches and a large single forepeak for fenders and offwind sails, through which you get access to the chain locker. The windlass is mounted on deck, with a control unit stowed inside the forepeak, and the anchor stows under the chunky moulded bowsprit with tack points for Code Zero and gennaker.

This level of space and comfort in a boat that is enjoyable to sail is a real achievement. Photo: Paul Wyeth

Construction is the tried-and-tested Bavaria method, with all laminates laid up by hand, a moulded keel grid bonded into the hull, and deck and hull bonded together. We didn’t have big seas, but things seemed quiet down below even when sailing hard, and it was also noticeable that the boat didn’t slam as it took on the wind-against-tide Solent chop.

Heading below, there is a ridiculous amount of space, allowing Bavaria to offer a large number of standard layout options of three, four or five cabins, sleeping up to 12 on board if you include the saloon.

Our test boat was the four-cabin version, each with its own ensuite heads, which will be popular with charter companies. The starboard aft heads can also be a Pullman bunk cabin for an extra two beds, or the port heads can become a utility space.

The large saloon is dominated by the C-shaped seating to starboard, a generous galley and the raised chart table. Photo: Paul Wyeth

In our layout, the forward cabin is split into two. They’re not huge cabins, but perfectly comfortable, especially as they are ensuite. Most owners will, however, probably go for the single cabin forwards, which gives a palatial amount of space with a massive island berth, and comes all the way aft to the mast support,with the option of split shower and toilet compartments.

Whatever you opt for, all berths are over 2m long and the narrowest is 147cm wide at the head end, even if they narrow towards the feet. Furthermore, there’s never less than 193cm of headroom throughout thanks to the high topsides. In the saloon, the C-shaped seating takes pride of place to starboard with a large single-piece dining table, around which you’ll easily fit eight or more for dinner. One neat touch was the sliding box seat which can be tucked under the table or pulled out, and can be secured for sea with a screw-knob at each end.

The galley is bestowed with a large drawer fridge as well as top-opening fridge/freezer. Overhead lockers provide lots of stowage and there’s an air filter above the hob. Photo: Paul Wyeth

Light and airy spaces

To port, Bavaria have gone back to a proper chart table (huzzah!), raised above the level of the galley for imperious views and loads of space, while the galley is a large L-shaped arrangement forwards. You’ll want a bum-strap if cooking underway as there’s nothing to brace against on port tack, but in harbour you’ve got all the creature comforts of massive fridges, lots of stowage, including a fiddled shelf outboard of the work surface, and even a cooking fumes filter (not a full extractor), which folds out above the hob.

With multiple opening hatches, big coachroof windows and four hull windows along each side of the boat, there’s no shortage of light or air below. Bavaria have worked hard to raise the level of finish on this boat, and while many of the features are on the options list, leather covers for stainless steel handrails, fabric bulkhead detailing, and proper hull and deckhead linings all make this boat feel more luxurious.

In the single forward cabin version, a huge island double takes pride of place and the door bulkhead goes aft to the mast support. Photo: Paul Wyeth

There are grab holds where you need them on the whole, including at the companionaway, on the inboard end of the galley, and a central grab rail along the deckhead to help traverse open spaces when underway. Solid wood edges and corners have been used on all the joinery, which will help protect veneers from knocks and bumps in years to come.

There’s oodles of stowage below the seating in the saloon, in the bench seat and in overhead lockers on either side. Tankage is reasonable too, with up to nearly 800 litres of water (554 litres is standard) and 245 litres of fuel – more than enough to keep the Yanmar 50hp (or optional 80hp) ticking along nicely for a while. Of course, if you run the generator or air-conditioning, which this boat is fitted with, you’ll get through it slightly quicker, but there’s plenty of water for showers for everyone.

Access to the engine is pretty good, though with the genset on this boat mounted on a steel frame above the engine, things in the engine compartment are fairly cosy.

Bavaria have done a good job with this boat. The concept of high-volume, extra comfortable cruising platform works well, and the C46 has the muscle to back up the volume. The finishing touches on our test boat made this feel like a place you’d enjoy spending time. When I was poking around on board I was impressed with the quality and level of finish to which this boat was put together. You’d hope so, given that you can easily spend well over half a million pounds by the time you’ve finished with the options list, though for a standard UK spec you’ll be about on par with a Dehler 46SQ and Hanse 460 for price.

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A BAVARIA yacht is the perfect interaction of many elements. Everything is built around the extensive expertise of German engineering. It is an art that looks back on a long and successful tradition in boat building. Today it is possible to implement all this knowledge with a high degree of precision and quality. We make use of the best materials, the best equipment and exquisite craftsmanship to create something that is the essence of every BAVARIA: the joy of yachting.

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Nautitech Catamarans

Excellent sailing characteristics, a generous space concept where cockpit and saloon merge into one living space, cabin layouts created for owners and their guests, and a perfect design - that's what NAUTITECH CATAMARANS stands for.

The shipyard in Rochefort, directly near the Atlantic Ocean, has been part of the Bavaria Yachtbau Holding GmbH since 2014.

One dead, one hospitalized after boat capsizes on Hoover Reservoir Sunday night

One man died and another was hospitalized after their boat capsized Sunday night on Hoover Reservoir .

The men were out fishing around 8 p.m. Sunday on the reservoir when the boat capsized, according to Genoa Township officials.

More: Mandatory life vests in Ohio? Lawmaker eyes boat safety rules after Hoover Reservoir tragedy

Fire crews managed to pull both men from the water. Both were taken to Mount Carmel St. Ann's hospital. One of the men was in critical condition and the other's condition was described as "fair," officials said.

The man who had been in critical condition died from his injuries. His name has not yet been released.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is investigating the incident.

What is Hoover Reservoir?

Hoover Reservoir, located off of Sunbury Road near Westerville, encompasses more than 4,000 acres, including a lake that is frequently used for boating and fishing.

The park also includes options for picnics, bird watching, a disc golf course and hiking. The parks spans both Delaware and Franklin counties.

Hoover Reservoir was initially built as a water supply facility in 1955 by the city of Columbus.

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