bavaria 30 sailboat

• Forum Listing
• Marketplace
• Advanced Search
• About The Boat
• Boat Review Forum
• SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

Bavaria 30 Offshore rated and twin keel

• Add to quote

I visited a Bavaria dealer yesterday to look at a Bavaria 30. I really like the boat and probably more importantly, my wife liked it. A couple of questions. I asked the dealer to compare it to the Hunter, Catalina and Beneteau boats. He stated that the big difference is that they are offshore rated. I didn't find anything in the literature that mentioned that. Is this real? The boat did seem to be more ruggedly constructed (bigger cleats and such). The keel is described as "high-tech keel with twin foils connected by an iron bulb". I can't describe it but there is a picture here: cruisingworld.com/boats-and-gear/boat-reviews-and-previews/bavaria-30-cruiser-photo-gallery-48019.html Is there any data or opinions on how good this is? Overall, this seemed to be a well thought out boat. It had a saildrive which sounds good to me. It looks like it will have a premium of $10 to $15K over a similar Hunter. Is that worth it? How does this sail compared to other similar boats? Thanks for any feedback. Right now I am only looking. Can't convince myself to buy something while I am living in the middle of Iowa with a long drive to a decent sailing ground.  

That is pure BS. A Bavaria 30 is an inshore production cruiser built lightly and not intended for offshore passagemaking. The "offshore rating" is a meaningless Euro standard that every 30 ft. boat I know of would qualify for.Most would say the build quality of Bavarias is at best no better than the other major production brands. You don't say where you plan to sail this boat but I assume fresh water lakes or Great Lakes based on your location and if you like the boat it will be fine in those conditions. I am not a fan of iron keels since any water ingress will allow deterioration. The TWIN foil bulb keel is an option on this boat and if you don't need the shoal draft, I'd suggest sticking with the standard keel. The boat sails well. I am not a fan of saildrives for cruising...(see the tartan problems thread...but if you want to race they make some sense. I would also suggest you visit your Catalina/Hunter/Beneteau dealers and look at their similar boats and ask those dealers how their boat compares to a Bavaria and you might learn more about the boat than by asking a Bavaria dealer.  

I gather that you don’t like the boat Cam. I haven’t sailed on a boat that had that type of keel but my first thought is that the second fin must operate in the turbulence from the first fin. But it’s just my first thought and that’s been proven to be wrong in the past. Cam is right and the boat doesn’t look to be an offshore capable boat and given what I have seen from that builder she may not be a reasonable candidate for upgrading for true offshore work. But again that’s an impression from looking at other small boats from Bavaria and I have not looked at this model. All the best, Robert Gainer PS. Cam, how did it end up with the Catalina thinking about going from Cape Cod to NC. I lost track of that thread.  

The only Bavarias I've seen was at the Toronto boat show. I remember it being aesthetically appealing. Small winches though, small hardware in general. As I understand the reason for the twin foils is that most of the lift from the keel is generated by the leading edge, so with 2 leading edges, you get more lift with the same or less drag. Seems like more of a gimmick than anything. Offshore capable? Seems kind of beamy for that. Poor salesmen spout features when talking about their product, the good ones will discuss benefits. Your wife likes it, that's a benefit. What do twin foils and an offshore rating mean for you?  

Robert...he never bought the boat. Now he is looking at moving to Long Island and buying a Mac26...wants opinions on that!! I think the B's are fine for doing the sailing most people do and they tend to be fairly quick boats but I am not a fan as my boat was fitted out in a yard that did the delivery prep on Bavarias and I got to be friendly with the yard workers...nuff said. Still..boating at this level is about price and accommodations and having fun for most... so I think they compete by offering a good price and a bit different style which is appealing to some. What does rankle me is dealers lying to sell boats and since most do it...I alway ask the competition what they think since they always know the points on which their own boats are superior!  

Dealers tend to overstate the boats real capabilities. The 30' boats from the major manufacturers: Beneteau, Catalina, Jenneau, Hunter, Bavaria; are not bluewater boats. Also remember that Bavaria had a small problem with the keels falling off of a couple of models of boats, and had a couple fatailities associated with that problem not too long ago.  

Sailing Dog said: "Also remember that Bavaria had a small problem with the keels falling off of a couple of models of boats, and had a couple fatailities associated with that problem not too long ago." That must be why they're using two keels on this model - redundancy!  

I am not a fan of Bavaria but just to be fair the problem was with one model and a fix was made available. That model by the way wasn’t sold in the US and was just intended for the European market. If you want to build with a minimum factor of safety you will have problems and almost every builder who pushes the limits has had trouble at one time or another. This sort of thing is another reason to avoid ultra light construction in my opinion. But that’s just my opinion. You as the customer need to do some homework and decide how far you want to push it. One indication of how much structure there really is in a boat is the ballast displacement ratio. The more boat compared to ballast the stronger the boat is as a very general rule. All the best, Robert Gainer  

Why pay the premium on the dollar to euro exchange for this kind of boat? Why buy new? If it was me, looking to purchase this catagory of boat new, I'd look at the catalina and beneteau.  

European offshore catagory A rating, from what I can tell, is the ability to handle 7M waves and a beaufort force 10 wind. Not sure if said boat will or will not handle a 7M or about 25' waves or not. Along with not remembering what a force 10 wind is, Hurracane or just before is what I am seeming to recall. The only book I have with that info is an OLD royce book, at the boat of all places. I also am recalling something about having a space for a liferaft in the cockpit area. So if said boat, will meet this criteria, it is ocean rated! The C30 is not last I checked, but that is not saying much. Catagory B, if I am reading /heard specs correctly, is what most of us will do, sail in great lakes, puget sound or other semi protected water. Some of what I have typed, maybe misread or otherwise by me, but I do feel it is close, or circling the target etc. marty  

Details of the EU's Recreational Craft Directive can be found under:- http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31994L0025:EN:HTML The definitions A, B, C, D are:- A. OCEAN: Designed for extended voyages where conditions may exceed wind force 8 (Beaufort scale) and significant wave heights of 4 m and above, and vessels largely self-sufficient. B. OFFSHORE: Designed for offshore voyages where conditions up to, and including, wind force 8 and significant wave heights up to, and including, 4 m may be experienced. C. INSHORE: Designed for voyages in coastal waters, large bays, estuaries, lakes and rivers where conditions up to, and including, wind force 6 and significant wave heights up to, and including, 2 m may be experienced. D. SHELTERED WATERS: Designed for voyages on small lakes, rivers, and canals where conditions up to, and including, wind force 4 and significant wave heights up to, and including, 0,5 m may be experienced.  

I don't see ANY reference to ANY category on ANY of the literature or spec sheets for the Bav30. Guess they don't want to talk about it.  

That EU and the Lloyd's ratings are among the most salesman-abused terms in the boating racket.  

Thanks for all the comments. I sent an email to the dealer asking for more information on the twin keel as well as the offshore rating. Hopefully he can provide some more info. I will plan to ask some of the competitors at the boat shows. I hope to make it to both Minneapolis and Chicago this winter.  

If it's sold in the EU, it has to have a RCD certificate. Maybe Bavaria doesn't issue them for US sales.  

My sense of the Bavaria's is that they are roughly the equivilent of the Beneteau Oceanis series, both of which have a 'B' rating depending on equipage, although in some noticable ways the Beneteaus looked to be better constructed and thought out.  

Dauphine..wanna point me in the right direction? Nothing I can find on line mentions it.  

The old Bav 30 specs I looked at are gone now unfortunately, with it being replaced by the bav 31. However, I can 100% guarantee you that there is an official looking rating plaque on the cockpit stating that it is CAT A. I can take a pic and post it online if anyone really wants to see it. Had it for a year, and no major problems at all with it.  

Dealer response I received a return email from the dealer and he assured me that the people at the factory say the Bavaria 30 is rated A as shown below. A. OCEAN: Designed for extended voyages where conditions may exceed wind force 8 (Beaufort scale) and significant wave heights of 4 m and above, and vessels largely self-sufficient. He will try to get more info on the twin keel. He said that there are other manufacturers that have a tandem keel but they are different than Bavaria's and shouldn't be compared directly.  

I checked out the spec sheet http://70.183.175.55/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.bavaria-yachts.com/spec_sheets/c31.pdf Cat A or not, that's a heavy boat at a D/L of 277 it's not exactly a performance cruiser. Also, at 32.9 ft and 11.9 beam and solid glass hull, I question whether they are weighing in at design - 10,300 lbs. Also, ballast of 2400 lbs, wow, that 24% of design weight, for an ocean going boat I would expect 35-40%. Probably good initial stability with the beam, but I would check the numbers on ultimate stability. Personally, I would not put too much empasis on Cat A, I would think any european cruiser over 32 ft would be Cat A. I would pay more attention to the build and the technical numbers, and then go sail one and see how you like it, then talk to other owners. Then go sail other boats to get a comparison. I did not calc the SA/D but this is not a light-air boat.  

Tandem keels and twin (bilge) keels are two different things. There are a lot of European boats that offer tandem keels for those who need to enter shallower harbours and are not concerned with racing the performance of a deep fin keel. The hole in the tandem keel is supposed to increase lift/reduce drag. There's a debate on it here:- http://forums.boatdesign.net/showthread.php?t=1058  

Twin Keel While looking for something else I stumbled across this news release from Bavaria. BAVARIA YACHTS ADDS TANDEM KEEL ON SHOAL-DRAFT SAILBOAT MODELS ANNAPOLIS, Md. - October 16, 2006 - Bavaria Yachts is now offering an optional tandem keel that provides shallower draft with improved sailing performance. The tandem keel is available on the shoal-draft models of the Bavaria 30, 33 and 37 Cruisers. "The tandem keel design offers the same range of stability as a deep keel, in that the center of gravity is kept low by putting weight from the center of the keel into the bulb," said Bruce Mundle, managing director of Bavaria Yachts USA. "The result is less drag and more lift, with better tracking to windward and easier tacking." "Test results have revealed improved performance over traditional shoal keel designs, with performance comparable to a deeper draft keel. It also provides better damping of pitch and roll and enhanced directional stability and resistance to broaching," Mundle added. "Tandem keels have been actively campaigned in the grand prix racing circuit for many years and many people with intimate knowledge of the program speculate that tandem keels will be in evidence in the next America's Cup." Bavaria Yachtbau is one of the largest sailboat builders in Europe. With a modern highly mechanized factory in Wurzburg, Germany, it employs state-of-the-art automated processes to ensure product consistency and quality control while reducing manufacturing costs. As a result, Bavaria Yachts provide an extraordinary combination of value and quality.  

• ?            
• 175K members

Top Contributors this Month

• Search forums
• Practical Boat Owner's Reader to Reader

Bavaria 30 Cruiser

• Thread starter Bavarian
• Start date 19 Jan 2006
• 19 Jan 2006

After a year of searching for a used boat, I have finally been persuaded to order a new Bavaria 30 Cruiser. We previously sailed a GP14 and took charter holidays. I quite fancied a Sadler 29 or Moody 27 but SWMBO wanted hot water and wheel steering etc., and my 15 year old son wanted street cred. 1. Have I made the right decision/compromised well? 2.The bow anchor is being factory supplied but what would be the suggestion for an appropriate kedge anchor i.e type, weight, chain/warp length combination. We will be basing the boat in the Solent.  

anything I have read about the Bavarias would indicate go value for money. best of luck  

I have a Bavaria and I am very happy with it. An excellent yacht, not fancy but sturdy in all the right places. I looked around the LBs and Southampton Boat show and came to the conclusion that BAVs are just good value. Not fancy but better than some of the FR yachts... Enjoy it... I am sure you will....  

• 20 Jan 2006

Active member

Not familiar with the boat, saw it at LBS and thought that, on the surface, they look good value, but you have to bear in mind that this market is highly competitive and they are cheap because they are, well...cheap. I have concerns about the integrity of their build quality born out of readers comments and the incidents you read about. Anyway moving on - depreciation is to be considered if for some reason you need to sell on in the early years, and there are alternative in this price range. How much are you paying for it specced up? If you are paying £45k ish for the boat on the water then you will get the extras you want and maybe a few more from a used 32fter either from Bav, Ben or Jen. My favourite for you would be the Beneteau 311. A choice of keel options, plenty around so you can bid (low) with confidence and at leisure and now is a good time to pick one second hand when peeps are upgrading. And you should avoid all the niggles that go with a new boat. Good luck  

Given that choice, Sadler 29. Street cred........Bavaria.........your avin a larf /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif  

You will hear a lot of opinions here that will suggest that you have been stupid in choosing a Bav. I disagree and think that you have chosen a boat that meets your needs. We have opted for a Bav 33 and take delivery in a couple of weeks so will hopefully be able to give better feedback shortly. I also looked at the Sadler. If I intended to spend my days on the boat with a bunch of hairy-chin crew and go home at night I may well have gone that route. As I sail with my family and need decent storage to stow all the stuff that goes with that sort of crew I felt that the Bav was a better option. (Same criteria ruled out the Ben, Jen and Dufour) We have also gone for the Bav plough. Would have preferred a Genuine CQR but the anchor locker mouldings would not accept a big enough CQR so opted for the big Bavaria Plough. For a kedge we intend to get and aluminium Guardian (5.9Kg) as it folds flat and can be stowed easily. Good luck with your choice. You just need to accept that there are peeps out there who have a lot of money and would rather buy a much more expensive boat and slag off the cheaper end of the market. Cheers Wayne  

Guilty as charged your honour, but perhaps you have not considered how SWMBO is going to cope leaping from such a great height on to a slippery pontoon whilst you try and controle the bearthing of the beast in a cross-wind. /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif  

Trust me, SWIMO would not be doing that from any boat. Me maybe yes. Something that we are are just going to have to learn to deal with. Guess that it is going to be the same with any AWB. At least the Bav turns on a sixpence though./forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif W  

Well-known member

[ QUOTE ] Trust me, SWIMO would not be doing that from any boat. [/ QUOTE ] In that case yours isn't boken in properly. On our boat this comes under "love, honour and OBEY" She wanted an old-fashioned wedding - so we had old-fashined vows to go with it  

Come again ???? Quote > You just need to accept that there are peeps out there who have a lot of money and would rather buy a much more expensive boat and slag off the cheaper end of the market. < I am at the cheapo end of market with little money to waste on boats etc. - I have to look for bargains in boat and gear ... I would not buy a Bav in preference to many other boats I can think of. But that is a personal view based on MY thoughts and observations ..... To the guy buying the 30 ... I wish you luck and I hope you get all the enjoyment out of her that you expect. Regardless of whether the boat meets others spec's or not is irrelevant ... you have chosen a "proven" boat .... for what ever reason. (I do think the lad's idea of "street cred" is a bit out of touch though !!! IMHO ---- this purely for ME and am not advising others ... for same money - I would be looking at a 3 - 5 yr - even older depending on Model / Company - old alternative boat already commissioned and equipped ... slightly bigger probably and all kinks hopefully ironed out.....  

Trust me, she would obey. Once. Then I would have no crew...... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif  

One time ... Our marina is plagued by the newer narrower fingers on pontoons ... such that we were coming in ... SWMBO neatly stepped off ... slip, whoops, sploosh !! Fingers unless another boat is tied on other side are so tippy as to be lethal ... She has now decided that mooring is best left to me as a single hander !! Or look for another ON the pontoon to take the line .. she has so far refused to go swimming again .... It didn't help that I had her half out of water, put her back in again to stop boat drifting (boat was secure only with stern-line ... bow line was in water with her !!) and then had to get another to help to get her out ... When tide went out there were two foot-marks in the mud right where she went in !!!  

Re: One time ... You will have to change you macho ways and let your wife be capitain when docking!!!!!!!!!!  

stevebirch2002

Re: Come again ???? I would second the opinion of buying a newish second-hand boat. Same as in cars the price drops dramatically after a few years. A proven second-hand yacht will have all the necessary kit that is added as options to a new boat. You will also get a larger, better quality marque for similar price. For about £40 - £50k you can get a very nice HR312 that will outlast all of us and is built to last. All IMHO. Just bought a new (old) car - Peugeot 406 HDI Estate. Lovely condition (£22k four years ago, I paid less than £3K  

Re: Come again ???? We took a short look at second hand but decided against. One of the reasons that we are buying another boat is to move away from endless maintenance that we have on an older boat. I'm fully aware that boating will always involve maintenance but hopefully this will be less on a new boat compared to what we have had to put up with so far. Sure, a 3-5yr is prob similar to new in that aspect but at least we know what we are getting with new. We have been hit with far too many surprises in the past which has made me weary of trusting anybody else’s DIY. At least with a fully kitted out new boat I can go back to Opal and kick them W  

Opal ... Mmmmmmmmmmm .... I think there are one or two I know that think Opal need quite a few harder kicks - especially after I saw their attempts to reset / repair a faulty rudder ... which they failed repeatedly at ... Bav 34. But then again I'm sure there are many that will say they have rec'd very good service and support .... I still like the idea of a fully kitted out s/hand boat .... but then again I'm still trying to find the dosh to even think about another boat !! (I did have 3 .... now only 2 !)  

Phoenix of Hamble

Re: Come again ???? [ QUOTE ] 1. Have I made the right decision/compromised well? [/ QUOTE ] of course you have!.... you'll love her.... everyone loves their own boat.... SWMBO will love her too.... just as you'd have loved a Sadler, or whatever you bought... FWIW, I think the Bavs are incredibly good value for money.... [ QUOTE ] 2.The bow anchor is being factory supplied but what would be the suggestion for an appropriate kedge anchor i.e type, weight, chain/warp length combination. [/ QUOTE ] Anything that folds flat and can therefore be stuffed in a locker.... pref with chain, but a warp would also be OK for a kedge..... get as big as you can get away with (within reasonable handling,grounds) as for sure, you'll need it as some point for kedging off, and the little ones can get bent quite easily when you do that.....  

One of the things that struck me about Bavarias is that the smaller you go, the better the relative quality is. This is probably because of the volume production methods that encourage commonality across the range. So for example, a substantial reiforcement (eg. hull deck join) in a small model would be flimsy on a big one. Although Bavaria do scale things like reinforcement a bit, I don't think it is proportional to the loads. This to me is also reflected in the pricing as the bigger models seems to be cheaper compared to the competition than the smaller models. With that logic I reckon you got the best quality boat in the range with the Bavaria 30, so have fun with it. (By the way not having a dig at bigger Bavarias because this logic says that you got a proportionally cheaper boat, so you pays your money and makes your choice)  

Can anyone give a guide to depreciation? I'm currently sans boat and I am looking for something 30-34 ft in the next couple of years, I was amazed at the price of a new bavaria 30, I think it was somewhere around the £40K mark, could anyone hazard a guess how much it would likely depreciate over say 3-5 years?  

Re: Come again ???? How much is the list price of the 30 fully speced out. I ask out of interest as we went aboard the 30 Bav at LIBS staggered at a price of only £30k and overheard 2 people asking their dissapointed friend "so how did £30k become £50k?"  

Members online

• Motor_Sailor
• Cptsideways
• springertoo
• Frank Holden
• dolabriform
• sailoppopotamus
• justanothersailboat
• spindly_killer_fish
• Chiara’s slave
• fredrussell
• mikefleetwood

Share this page