Bavaria Cruiser 36

The brief was simple, Bavaria wanted to: “Ensure that yachting enthusiasts enjoy a fun, relaxed and very comfortable cruising experience.” And after a couple of days cruising around Pittwater an their latest offerings, we can attest to the company achieving its goals.

Our first boat was the Bavaria 36 – a pretty little cruiser to be sure. The slightly more raised cabin and the new hull windows combine to give the 36 a sleek look in the water. The tall mast hints at good sailing ability, and although the 36 is the first of the new breed, it still looks distinctly like a Bavaria.

Included in the package is an electric windlass with anchor and 50m of chain, teak cockpit sole, rodkick boom vang, shower with sump pump, extra 150-litre water  tank, 20-litre hot water system, VHF radio, safety and mooring gear and more.

All you really need extra is some eleectronics, a kite if you want it, and you’re virtually fully loaded.

I would certainly throw on an auto pilot, some wind instrumments, a decent plotter and probably a dodger.

Also the aft cabin is larger than in the three-cabin version where the bulkhead between the cabins comes to the centreline of the engine compartment. In the two-cabin, the bulkhead is offset to the port side of the engine compartment giving a bigger bed.

The galley is to starboard and is bigger than I would have expected on a 36-footer. The galley comprises a twin stainless-steel sink, a twin burner gas cooker with oven, a microwave (optional) and plenty of cupboard space. Refridgeration is via a 12-volt top-opening fridge. There is an overhead hatch and opening port for ventilation while cooking and the whole thing comes together well.

Opposite is the bathroom with a pump-out loo, substantial shower stall, vanity and even a wet locker. Again, an overhead hatch and opening port are there to provide ventilation.

One thing that the two-cabin version gets that the three-cabin doesn't is a forward-facing nav station. It's a neat little affair that has plenty of space for electronics and a handy chart table. The three-cabin version gets a rearward-facing table that shares the port side lounge. Another reason I'd go for the two-cabin version.

Forward, in the main saloon is an L-shaped lounge to starboard and another couch to port. The table has folding leaves on both sides to help with movement around the boat. The forward cabin has the usual V-berth, cupboards and a little seat for changing. It’s well lit and well ventilated.

Up on deck, there is a roomy cockpit with wide cockpit seats -- wider than in some much larger boats and quite comfortable.

The transom folds down on substantail hinges to form a big swim platform with a built-in ladder -- ideal for the kids or for getting in and out of the dinghy. Our test boat was fitted with a folding wheel which I found a great idea as moving from the transom past the wheel really means standing up on the seat if you don't have this optional extra.

Moving forward is easy and the decks are uncluttered due to the sheeting position on the coach roof.

The rig is a tall Selden two-spreader mast with a roller-furler forward and a conventional fully-battened main. The rig is big for a 36 footer towering nearly 17 metres above the waterline. It’s definitely main-driven with quite a small headsail which is sheeted via the cabin top back to the primary winches. The standard boat doesn’t come with secondary which I would include if you’re going to run the optional assymetric kite. The main is sheeted on the cabin top and, as with many modern cruisers, there is no main-sheet traveller.

Under the water, the Farr-designed hull is more flat than the previous Bavarias. There is a cast iron keel down to a fairly deep 1.95m. A deep spade rudder spins the 36 on the proverbial two-bob piece.

One thing I did notice was that all the deck hardware was top quality, and poking around the interior of the boat I found quality timberwork and hardware such as hinges which was a step up from the previous models of Bavaria yachts.

Unfortunately, on our test day, Hughie didn’t bless us with much wind but there was enough to test the light-breeze characteristics of this boat. At first I thought it a bit tender but I was assured by the boys from North South Yachting that the boat handles a blow well and doesn’t round up or have any nasty traits.

Being main driven, I would however, be looking for an early reef if it did blow up a bit.

With all the lines coming back to the cockpit, I found this a very easy boat to sail. The loads on the headsail were very light and hardly had to use the winch handles. The steering is also light and the boat is extremely manoeuvrable. My overall feeling would be that this would be a very easy boat for a couple to manage and hence makes great sense as a couple's or family's ideal weekend cruiser.