Project: Improving my Bavaria Sport 43

[Brunan]

Hi all!

I've been lurking around on this forums for several years and gotten a lot of good information from it so thought I've share some info/inspiration regarding my project to improve me new Bavaria Sport 43. The boat will arrive from France where I bought her in the mid of Februari and then the activities will kick-off.

The boat is in excellent condition so this is not a refit project, rather a minor refinement project to get here they way I want. I will do some of the jobs myself and some I will get help by contractors, but I will oversee everything and even in such a small project there will be quiet a lot of individuals involved and a lot of details to take into considerations. The goal is to be all done before May when the season start.

Some short information about my self; I'm in my mid thirties and live in Sweden so I'm not an native English speaker hence excuse my poor grammar. Been boating my whole life but it's just the last couple of years I've been able to buy larger/newer boats and that have highly increased my interest. My boating routine is mostly weekend trips together with my girlfriend with maybe 2-3 nights over stay or just day trips.

Below is the items that should be carried out it everything goes as planned (which it will not so I consider this a draft).
I will try to document as much of it as possible with before/after images. I hope you will find it interesting.

General:
- Installation of underwater lights (Blue Ocean Led X8)
- Installation of rear windlass (Anchormatic with belt)
- Installation of Zipwake interceptors (kit of 75cm)
- Installation of Bowsprit with ladder (Båtsystem)
- Installation of diesel heater (Webasto Airtop 40)

Cockpit/helm/exterior:
- New cockpit deck lights to improve the cosyness (no lights today on low level)
- New cockpit spot lights (stainless instead of white ones)
- New plotter (Simrad 12 inch)
- Vinyl wrapping of the hardtop (from white to gray)
- New outdoor upholstery (Sunbrella Marine most likely)
- New Bavaria logo stickers
- Custom made name sign with back lighting
- Improvement of the swim platform door (so the dog can't get through it)
- Fix some various gelcoat damages
- Varnish of table and wooden details
- New camper boat cover

Interior:
- Carpets in all cabins
- Restore the kitchen layout (the previous owner have modified it)
- Integrate an dishwasher (the previous owner have added on but it have to be redone and with better finish)
- Replace brown interior fabrics with something else
- New mattresses
- Move the fresh water pump to the engine room (in order to reduce noise-level)
- New dinning table

Engines & drives:
- Full service of everything (not sure what they previous owner have really done or not)

This is boat of subject:

Cheers Krister

 

[mcanderson]

Krister,

What a great write up, especially as English isn’t your first language. I have a Bavaria 37 HT in the South of France so I am looking forward to seeing and hearing about your project.

 

[Bouba]

Looks like a good project, I’m like you in that I have a long list of minor improvements. Hope you’re quicker than me
If I had to guess I would say that photo was taken at La Ciotat

 

[vas]

nice boat you have there!

interested on what you think of the interceptors and why you decided on them, not cheap are they?
Not seen one in the flesh, do you have a opening in the h/t? if not, a few solar panels on this large area wouldn't go amiss...
You have hi-lo platform and no passerelle right?

cheers

V.

 

[Brunan]

Krister,What a great write up, especially as English isn’t your first language. I have a Bavaria 37 HT in the South of France so I am looking forward to seeing and hearing about your project.

Thank you. How are you enjoying the 37? My previous boat was a 35 from 2007 and I loved it (also spent a fortune on improvements on that boat also). Looked at some 37 and the 38 before buying the 43. Here's a pic of my old 35.

Looks like a good project, I’m like you in that I have a long list of minor improvements. Hope you’re quicker than me
If I had to guess I would say that photo was taken at La Ciotat

The plan is to be done before the season starts. It will be challenging but doable. Yes you are right, the picture is from La Ciotat!

nice boat you have there!

interested on what you think of the interceptors and why you decided on them, not cheap are they?
Not seen one in the flesh, do you have a opening in the h/t? if not, a few solar panels on this large area wouldn't go amiss...
You have hi-lo platform and no passerelle right?

cheers

V.

Hey, I've had Zipwake on my old Bavaria Sport 35 - loved it! Made a big different in reducing the roll. The Zipwake kit is pretty decent prized in my opinion. Have the soft top roof and the hi-lo platform on the 43. No hydralic passarelle but a manual one (see image below). Think it will do the trick the few times we will use it, we often moor with the aft towards the dock here in Sweden.

 

[Brunan]

Today the project started! Went to the shop and looked on carpets for the cabins. Took home a couple of samples to select from. Will go for the the white one in the middle. Not sure if I should mount the carpets fixed or make it possible to remove them (guess that's good for cleaning)? Most of the new boats I've seen have them glued for e.g in the cabins.

 

[simonfraser]

Webasto heater, order the remote control too, excellent being able to walk into a warm boat.

 

[Brunan]

So just got informed that the boat have been loaded in France. There where some intial problems due to the boat being higher than expected and first the transport company requested the IPS to be removed. Some how they anyhow moved the boat in a feasible position and the IPS could stay on. Will be interesting to see how the journey goes.

 

[rafiki_]

Very best wishes with this. Please take lots of pics, and keep us regularly updated. I would not glue the carpets. You can get ‘poppers’ to clip them to the floor, but there will probably be hatches in the floor for lockers or bilges, or holding tanks, and you will need access.

 

[sc25 Sweden]

Hi
Greetings from Sweden.
Avoid the anchormatic like the plague. Fit a Quik Balder with 50m leaded line instead. The anchormatic have a poor reputation, are heavy, awkward to install and expensive.
mvh Terence

 

[Brunan]

Very best wishes with this. Please take lots of pics, and keep us regularly updated. I would not glue the carpets. You can get ‘poppers’ to clip them to the floor, but there will probably be hatches in the floor for lockers or bilges, or holding tanks, and you will need access.

Thank you for the wishes, I certainly will take a lot of photos.

Hi
Greetings from Sweden.
Avoid the anchormatic like the plague. Fit a Quik Balder with 50m leaded line instead. The anchormatic have a poor reputation, are heavy, awkward to install and expensive.
mvh Terence

I have installed Anchormatic on my last two boats and I don't share your experience. They have worked very well and the installation is as any other windlass. The belt can't slip as the leaded line will and do from time to time and that is the best thing with it in my opinion.

 

[PalmaTarga]

Nice boat, and some great modifications you're making to her.


Where in Stockholm do you keep her? We've got our Ryds cuddy in Ekhagen/Hagaparken. Do you know any resorces in english for stuga's and places to visit in the archipelago?

 

[Thundergod]

Great post!
Interesting project that will be fun to follow!
I have a Bavaria 28 sport 2012 model with a D4-300 that we keep outside Stockholm. We have made quite lot modifications during the years.

 

[Brunan]

Time for an update!

To start of with, I have created an Instagram account that I update more on regular basis, ny nickname is captainstockholm.

I have spend quite alot of time at the boat will post a mixture of something that have been done:

Installation of Zipwaker and Oceanlead X8 underwater lights:





Installation of new speaker system (still ongoing)




All upholstery removed



Started to rebuild various parts in the cabins, here's a custom drawer for a dishwasher (ongoing)


Removed all panels in the boat to change color on them, here's from the master cabin when one panel is removed




Feels nice to have gotten started, a lot of things going on at the same time at the moment!

 

[mcanderson]

I like the look of the speakers above the helm. I’m thinking of placing some in the same spot on my Sport 37 HT. How did you wire them? An extension from the speakers to the rear of the cockpit?

 

[SwedeSkipper]

Great project, Brunan!

Have you had a chance to test the Zipwake interceptors on the water yet?
Considering installing the same on a V39.

Good luck!

 

[Christian L]

Thank you. How are you enjoying the 37? My previous boat was a 35 from 2007 and I loved it (also spent a fortune on improvements on that boat also). Looked at some 37 and the 38 before buying the 43. Here's a pic of my old 35.



The plan is to be done before the season starts. It will be challenging but doable. Yes you are right, the picture is from La Ciotat!




Hey, I've had Zipwake on my old Bavaria Sport 35 - loved it! Made a big different in reducing the roll. The Zipwake kit is pretty decent prized in my opinion. Have the soft top roof and the hi-lo platform on the 43. No hydralic passarelle but a manual one (see image below). Think it will do the trick the few times we will use it, we often moor with the aft towards the dock here in Sweden.

Hi!

I

Thank you. How are you enjoying the 37? My previous boat was a 35 from 2007 and I loved it (also spent a fortune on improvements on that boat also). Looked at some 37 and the 38 before buying the 43. Here's a pic of my old 35.



The plan is to be done before the season starts. It will be challenging but doable. Yes you are right, the picture is from La Ciotat!




Hey, I've had Zipwake on my old Bavaria Sport 35 - loved it! Made a big different in reducing the roll. The Zipwake kit is pretty decent prized in my opinion. Have the soft top roof and the hi-lo platform on the 43. No hydralic passarelle but a manual one (see image below). Think it will do the trick the few times we will use it, we often moor with the aft towards the dock here in Sweden.

Hi Krister,

I recently bought your old Bavaria 35 sport =) and I am about to change the upholstery. Do you know how to remove the old cushions? Are they screwed from the backside?

Would love to hear more about the improvements made to the boat =)

Many thanks!

/Christian Lindahl