Would you take a Bavaria 32 across the Atlantic

[dom]

Fairly straight forward question. Would you take a Bavaria 32 across the Atlantic.

The trip is easily doable, but you might like to consider:

1. Stability curves for the fully loaded boat in ocean crossing guise. You may need to keep weight down.

2. Be careful with weather routing. I have no experience of Bav 32, but sailed a Bav 38 to Channel Islands in a F6-7. Boat was fine, but sometimes took quite a bit of steering downwind. You'll need to get a feel for the adequacy/power consumption of your autopilot in an Atlantic swell (assuming you are using one). Consider fatigue if you're hand steering. The boat did not seem to like going upwind at all, but I imagine you're planning to ship the boat back.

3. Finally, I'd take a really good look at the fittings, rig and other equipment. Sometimes light masts can pump in a big sea and it can be hard to rectify this problem within the limitations of a light rig. An easy way to test the rig is to sail to say Cherbourg on a blowy day (preferably SW F6-8), when a decent swell is rolling in from Atlantic (see Meteo France). The objective is to meet wind over tide on the French side. When you do, stand at the mast, strap on and take a good look at the rig alongside some photos/video to show a rigger if necessary.

Most of all, have a great and safe trip.

 

[maby]

The trip is easily doable, but you might like to consider:

...
2. Be careful with weather routing. I have no experience of Bav 32, but sailed a Bav 38 to Channel Islands in a F6-7. Boat was fine, but sometimes took quite a bit of steering downwind. You'll need to get a feel for the adequacy/power consumption of your autopilot in an Atlantic swell (assuming you are using one). Consider fatigue if you're hand steering. The boat did not seem to like going upwind at all, but I imagine you're planning to ship the boat back.

...
Most of all, have a great and safe trip.

I would assume that few, if any, would use a powered autopilot on that crossing in a 32 footer. The power consumption will be far too high and the boat too small to carry the generating capacity to run it. Surely it's either a windvane or hand steering, isn't it?

 

[Seven Spades]

Only in one direction, down wind so I would go there but would ship her back. It would not however be my choice, it could be uncomfortable and frightening in poor conditions, if I had a limited budget I would probably buy an older Moody. The downside with older boats is they all have smaller fuel and water tanks.

 

[maby]

Only in one direction, down wind so I would go there but would ship her back. It would not however be my choice, it could be uncomfortable and frightening in poor conditions, if I had a limited budget I would probably buy an older Moody. The downside with older boats is they all have smaller fuel and water tanks.

Surely you are always going down wind, aren't you? You cross east to west near the equator where the predominant winds are in that direction, then come up north for the return journey to latitudes where the winds are west to east? (P.S. never done it - just regurgitating what the books say! )

 

[dom]

I would assume that few, if any, would use a powered autopilot on that crossing in a 32 footer. The power consumption will be far too high and the boat too small to carry the generating capacity to run it. Surely it's either a windvane or hand steering, isn't it?

You're right about powered-auto and diesel generators are certainly a squeeze on smaller boats and the petrol ones some folk use offshore are a bit dodgy IMHO. That said, some extra power can be got from solar/towed systems.

However, I doubt such a boat will be easy to steer with a wind-vane, which leaves hand-steering. This will require a crew of four for comfort. Of course three or even two could do it, but that's starting to sound like graft.

For many I think the question will not come down to could I do it? but would I do it? I personally wouldn't, but that's just me.

 

[colhel]

We used a tiller pilot on a wind vane

 

[capnsensible]

Yup.

 

[Uricanejack]

Personally, No.

Niether would I.

 

[Halcyon Yachts]

Fairly straight forward question. Would you take a Bavaria 32 across the Atlantic. This is aimed mainly at people who have competed some distance sailing.

Yes - do you want a quote? ;-)

Pete

 

[Uricanejack]

Why not?

Nothing against the boat. I would give same answer for swan 65.
3 weeks in a tiny wee boat probably full of 2 or 3 other big people. no where to stop, no pubs, run out of fresh food, just not my thing.
3 weeks with same people on same boat a long coastal voyage much more fun.

 

[Uricanejack]

Quite possibly true! I was thinking more along the lines of something the size of the QE2...

From my point of view it would be a bit cramped after a couple of days, though I hear the food was good and there was a pub on board.

 

[MinorSwing]

Fairly straight forward question. Would you take a Bavaria 32 across the Atlantic. This is aimed mainly at people who have competed some distance sailing.

Of course, if it's properly equipped.

 

[Bobc]

No reason why you shouldn't.

The main thing to work out is this:-

How much will you spend on liferaft, EPIRB, satphone, bigger battery bank and up-rated alternator, AIS, lots of boat and engine spares, etc., then the general wear and tear on the boat, rig, and sails. Then the diesel (you'll probably need about £500 worth) with a load of plastic fuel containers, etc...

Once you add all that up, and the food and, and, and,,,,you'll probably be not much more putting it on a ship.

So my view would be that if you want to do it because it's there, then go ahead and do it, the boat is more than capable of it. If on the other hand you want to move the boat out there, then put it on a ship.

I speak from experience.

 

[Javelin]

Only if;

and the list would be pretty long.
It would be the same for Bavs and many of the 35' or less French pop outs.

In the right conditions there would not be a problem but I would not want to be in bad conditions in a boat with distinctly average ballast ratio, many being under ruddered, internal moldings which make getting to the hole in the hull having bounced off a container almost impossible to get to.
Open cockpits astern inviting a breaker to slop in.

On the build side I've worked a lot on these and similar and frankly any boat where the internal doors move by an inch when you apply the correct rig tension would worry me.
In many cases this is because the manufacturer has selected a sporty looking swept spreader rig which requires a lot more rig tension.

Just have a look at simple fittings under the head linings to see how they have attached them.
Have they inserted backing pads? many don't bother.
Have they used penny washers or have they used a washer hardly bigger than the nut?
On the foam decks did they insert hard points before the fitting was fitted or is the nut/washer compressing the laminate.

On a bav 38 recently I noticed a couple of bulkheads were veneer faced MDF!

As an earlier post said, maybe ok going over with reservations but I'd worry big time about coming home.

Another earlier poster mentioned going over in a UFO34 which I would consider a far better prospect.

 

[JumbleDuck]

How much will you spend on liferaft, EPIRB, satphone, bigger battery bank and up-rated alternator, AIS, lots of boat and engine spares, etc., then the general wear and tear on the boat, rig, and sails. Then the diesel (you'll probably need about £500 worth) with a load of plastic fuel containers, etc...

What's all that diesel for? My reading matter of late may be a tad out of date - Sopranino, Very Willing Griffin, My Ship Is So Small, My Lively Lady and so on - but I didn't think that great big alternators and hundreds of litres of diesel were needed to cross oceans under sail. Have I missed something or has the RYA mantra of thou-shalt-switch-on-the-engine-whenever-thy-speed-falleth-below-five-knots taken hold of ocean voyaging too?

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

The boat will make it, provided is fitted out for the trip (auto pilot etc), can the crew make it?

 

[prv]

What's all that diesel for? My reading matter of late may be a tad out of date - Sopranino, Very Willing Griffin, My Ship Is So Small, My Lively Lady and so on - but I didn't think that great big alternators and hundreds of litres of diesel were needed to cross oceans under sail. Have I missed something or has the RYA mantra of thou-shalt-switch-on-the-engine-whenever-thy-speed-falleth-below-five-knots taken hold of ocean voyaging too?

Presumably it's to power the electric autopilot. Don't see many Bav32s with windvanes on the back

Pete

 

[Tomahawk]

To the OP...
Sure... as deck cargo...









Where is my coat?

 

[BlueSkyNick]

To the OP...
Sure... as deck cargo...









Where is my coat?

You beat me to it. I wouldnt cross the Atlantic on any 32foot boat regardless of its manufacturer, age, equipment, other crew. Its just too small for my physique and appetite.

 

[Wandering Star]

As Halcyon (and others) say - yes, it'll do just fine. Before a long passage any boat is going to need a thorough inspection of its critical systems with replacement as required. As for steering, whilst I prefer wind vane systems, an ST2000+ with a spare backup will see you across and the power consumption can easily be handled by recharging a reasonable battery bank with a solar panel, don't forget the sun shines (most of the time) on this passage so your solar panel will be working at optimum performance.

I've made several crossings in smaller and older, and larger and newer, boats than a Bavaria 32, I'm jealous, do you need crew!