Bavaria 320 sl - any thoughts?

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andyorr

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Sensible advice appreciated about above boat. Can't find any reports so I'm in your hands.
Is it a cruiser-racer or pure cruiser? How do they sail? etc.
Many thanks in advance.
Andy Orr
 
A time ago the Waterkampioen (=Dutch Watersport magazine) tested this boat. The test pointed out that the sailing capabilities were very poor.
 
Just come back from 2 days at Southampton Boat show. I went with the intention of buying a Bavaria 44cc or the aft cockpit Bavaria 44.

I have viewed both boats briefly before and don’t know whether it was the fact that this time I was ready to part with my hard earned cash (and wanted to be sure I was getting the boat I really wanted) or I just had more time to check them over but boy, was I disappointed. The build quality is appalling. With faults ranging from exposed (and I mean EXPOSED) GRP to finger hatches that did not fit the hole they had been cut from - and that must be almost impossible to get wrong. Loose hinges, exposed raw wood, edges that didn’t meet, gaps in the nav table instrument pod that were filled with silicone instead of being re-cut and correctly fitted. The list is long.

I know that the Bavarias are production boats and are built to a price rather that a standard but the finish in most cases was well below what I would expect for the money. Jenneau used to be the whipping boys of the "budget boat" department but their boats are now head and shoulders above the Bavarias in build quality.

This is only my opinion but it's based on fact. I was ready to buy a Bavaria but came away with the money still in my pocket and for me to turn away from what was my dream boat ..................

One other thing that has just come to mind; if they are in this state when new, what will they be like after a couple years of use?


Dallas
 
I agree 100% Ken.

What (I think) has happened at this years show is that some of the boats Opal Marine are exhibiting have already been sold and used. I attempted to go on-board the Bavaria 44 wearing deck shoes. I was asked to remove them or wear overshoes because the boat had been loaned to Opal by the owner. This also seemed to apply to some of the Legends that Opal had on display.

Having said that, some of the boats were certainly brand new and they also had poorly fitted carpentry, lots of silicone, exposed wood ends and GRP etc..

Seriously thinking of the Dufour 40 now. Very nice boat.


Dallas
 
I also had a look at the new boats at Southampton. The quality seems to have gone down somewhat. My B37, from earlier this year seems much better - better quality woodwork, varnishing fitting etc. You might try an earlier B34 if you can find one. They also sail quite well.
 
I agree. About 3 months ago I saw a 1999 Bavaria 40 or 41 (cant remember but it was around the 40 foot mark) in Dickies of Bangor. The boat was called Ziggy and I would probably have bought it exept for the price. It was almost the same as a new boat and because I was going to Southampton I decided to wait.

Getting back to your point, the finish was leaps and bounds better than the incrediby poor finish of the modern boats - especially the ones on display at Southampton.

Dallas
 
I sail, is the family boat, a Bavaria 340 Caribic from 1989. It's true that modern Bavaria Yachts have poor construction than 10 years ago.

But Bavaria 320 were build in 1988-1992 aprox. in these time, Bavaria Yachts were a very good boatyard, with good construction, at the same level of Swan Yachts, Baltics, Grand Soleil...

But aroun 1992-1993, the boatyard makes changes on company, looking to increase production, but the level of the boats go down.

In Spain, Bavaria's before 1991 are very looked at second hand market, with prices similar than moderns Bavarias of the same Loa.

Regards...

fco_lopez@navegalia.com

Studient of Naval Architect at Cádiz University (Andalusia, Spain)
 
Well the Dufour 40 at SBS is mine.................so get your shoes off if you go aboard!
I haven't even seen the boat, she's come from Dufour to SBS and onward to me in Scotland. Tell me she looks nice!



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Delivered a Bav 32 once... dont know how similar it is.
If on port tack and you went into the port quarter cabin and the boat heeled then the oven gimbled enough so you were stuck in there!!! /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif
Slightly worrying especially if you were single handed.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.yacht-links.net>http://www.yacht-links.net</A>
 
I went on several of the Bavarias at the show, and I did not notice the "faults" you mention, but then I was not looking as closely as you perhaps. Let me say at the outset that I am the owner of a six month old Bav 36, and a damned good boat it is too. The reason Bavarias are so competitively priced is due to their massive buying power, and their investment in latest computer controlled build techniques. Their cost per unit is much less than many other Manufacturers can achieve, and they are not as such "built down to a price". However, these others will have to fall in line or continue to be taken to the cleaners. Sure there's a bit of mastic in the cabin, but nowhere near as much as in a friends new Jeanneau 40DS, in which the cabin quality is much worse than my Bav. Bavaria use top quality gear from Selden, Harken, Lewmar etc, and mine is devoid of all the so called deficiencies that you seem to have spotted. I'll agree the interior fit and finish is not as good as a Hallberg Rassey, but I'd rather pay the £100K less thank you very much!!.

Bavaria have 10 boats off the line every day, every one of which is pre sold, so it seems if what you say is true, there are some 2500+ "mugs" every year that part with their money!! It's funny, but you never seem to get the actual owners of Bavarias moaning about their boats - all the one's I've met are well satisfied with their boats.

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Ford Prefect comes to mind !

Sorry but building to a price is a limitation. With Bav there are no owner mods in the design. This is contrary to a large paret of the market where the builder will involve and include owners mods.

The bav is built using production line techniques - very good and I aplaud the bringing down of prices to more affordable levels.

BUt again I am sorry - having crawled around inside them. stick probes and lights in dark spaces etc ...... I am not impressed and IMHO regard them as a boat for coastal work only - they will never compete with true offshore boat in the present style and build.
Halberg Rassy, Swan, even Moody etc. have pedigree and years of development and experience under the belt - leading to a boat that you know will go anywhere and get you home.

I do not like seeing a 44 being lifted into the water .... new demo boat ..... that the keel stays firmly on ground while the hull is lifted up .... the amount of lift before the keel showed a gap from the ground was in my mind excessive, and indicated the boat flexing more than I would accept. OK - so maybe there's Kevlar in there ..... I wouldn't want a hull to deck joint flexing that much or a keel area being that way .....

Sorry but !!


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I only came - cos they said there was FREE Guinness !
 
Show boats and the others ...

Agreed - but I also feel that the Show boat should show you what you buy - not a tarted up boat that you cannot have. Its like buying the car - they show you all the specs and options on the video etc. but fail to say that it will cost you an arm and a leg to have it !!!!


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I only came - cos they said there was FREE Guinness !
 
Friend sails one and is fairly happy.

A lot of boat for your money and designed for faster than average when comparing hull length. Also pretty roomy design.

Downsides, Corners and spaces not visible are not always well worked out, have manufacturing optimised solution, which is mostly no problem but can look a bit odd. Occasionally not really thought through in detail with respect to heavy weather or offshore sailing.

Since 90% of all boats do daytrips of 25miles and less, close to the shore and spent most time in marinas or cosy ancorages on rivers -> no problem (other than for the expensive competitors).

Why don't you charte one in the Med, e.g. in autumn and sasil her hard ?

chris

NB No I do not own one, since I have a different set of requirements, but for the majority of the sailors I know, buying a HR, Westerly, Contest, Moody, Sweden etc. is like buying a Ferrari in London (nice feeling, only use being the appreciation/envy of others)

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