Bavaria 34 from 2006...any thoughts or experience to share?

[DueSouth]

Any insight and first hand experience to share on this boat most welcome - I am looking for a coastal family friendly yacht to sail around the UK mostly. Plan to keep her on the East Coast, River Orwell, then mostly sail locally with some longer trips around the coast South and maybe up the East Coast...also crossing the channel to France and Netherlands on occasion.

From what I gather this yacht should be capable, but keen to get any more pointers from people with more experience.

The yacht I am looking at was only launched in 2008, but it is a 2006 build and spent 2 years in boat shows. (Southampton and London) This Bavaria 34 has teak side decks, which I don't see on some other 34's advertised...

 

[jwilson]

Look very closely at the condition of the teak decks: you will get a surprise if you investigate the cost of professional replacement either with similar teak or "plastic" teak. Apart from that they are good boats, and note that a Bav 34 of that era is actually a 36-footer.

 

[Paulfireblade]

Greetings, I also keep my boat on the Orwell and find it so much more peaceful than South coast.

The boat is capable of crossing oceans in the right hands so what you want to do is we’ll within the capabilities of the boat. I have sailed Bavaria 36 which is very similar and it sailed well in my opinion and one day we had gusts up to 50 knots.

Probably more important with that age is how it has been looked after, both maintenance and upgrades. Has standing rigging been replaced, normally around ten years is good so a conscientious owner would have replaced by now. The Bavaria has a sail drive and the seal needs to be replaced every 7 years IIRC. Rudder bearings seem to be a weak spot on Bavaria’s, sailed a Bav 46 which I really enjoyed on a long passage but rudder bearings were shot and made a terrible clonk.

Sails are probably getting tired now if original.

As said teak replacement, scary money.

A few tips a previous owner of a Bav 34 gave me:

Bavaria hull brown to see cracks
Check keel bolt area
Check aft port panel for:
Steering gear
Tow rail leak & rotten wood

Aft port bunk see exhaust mix box plastic or stainless

Also make sure you have somewhere to moor it as they are not as freely available as pre covid and I hope the market is not as hot as last summer as boats were being sold unseen within minutes of ads going live. Crazy times.

Best Wishes Paul

 

[Momac]

. Rudder bearings seem to be a weak spot on Bavaria’s

A friend has just had that sorted - so yes it may well be a common fault