BAVARIA 46 CRUISER
PRICE £125,000-£170,000 YEAR 2014-PRESENT
Successor to the Bavaria 45 Cruiser, the 46 was launched in 2014 with upgrades and improvements. Although most of the major aspects, including the hull, keel, rudders and rig remained the same, both the deck and interior underwent numerous modifications to improve comfort and practicality.
The hull is hand laid up and reinforced below the waterline with two extra layers of Coremat, further stiffened by a composite inner grid. The hull above the waterline and the decks are foam-cored.
During many years of worldwide chartering, Bavaria yachts have proven themselves over and over, with very few structural faults occurring despite the typically onerous punishment meted out on them by careless charterers.
Down below, she is incredibly spacious but also well thoughtout.
There’s plenty of thoughtful handholds, too, making moving around underway safe and easy. The saloon is straightforward with a table for at least six to eat in comfort. A centre ‘pod’ provides additional stowage, a basic fold-up seat for two more at the table and excellent support for the cook at sea. The linear galley is ideal for entertaining with plenty of worktop space and stowage, plus high fiddles for keeping things under control. There’s a frontloading fridge as well as an optional top-opening fridge/ freezer and full-size three-ring cooker with oven.
The nav station, which was somewhat tokenistic on the older 45, was removed completely and replaced with twin chart drawers in the saloon table, obviously intending the latter to be used for passage planning and chartwork.
The sleeping accommodation is exceptional. Two layouts were available — providing three or four double cabins. The fourth was created by simply splitting the massive owner’s suite forward into two with a centreline bulkhead.
Each cabin had the option of an ensuite shower and loo, although for the forecabins the two were separate and on opposite sides of the boat. The two aft cabins are a really decent size and are bright and airy with above average stowage.
On deck she is very similar to the 45, although more stylish and less boxy. The cockpit is a good size without being dangerously wide and open. She has a full-beam, drop-down transom platform which, along with the twin helms, makes accessing the water simple.
The deck gear is reasonable and systems such as a German mainsheet greatly facilitate single-handed control. Cockpit stowage is above average, with two half-depth cockpit lockers, a huge lazarette and a large sail locker on the foredeck.
As standard, she came with a nine-tenths fractional Seldén rig sporting in-mast furling mainsail and a 110 per cent furling genoa. Under sail she is reasonably quick, although not particularly close-winded, especially with the in-mast mainsail.
Her displacement carries her through the waves comfortably, however, and her steering is precise yet smooth.
They came with a 55hp Volvo diesel, which pushed her along adequately, but many opted for the larger 75hp model, along with a bow thruster for better close-quarter manoeuvrability.
She carries 210 litres of fuel and 360 litres of fresh water, which is adequate but not over generous.