bavaria yacht cruiser 34

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CRUISER 34 - Exterior

Set the course and head for fun..

The CRUISER 34 is available in two different deck layouts. With one or two helmstands. You decide.

Generous down to the smallest detail.

For BAVARIA, attention to detail always means combining comfort and safety. For example, the cockpit layout with its two steering wheels ensures that the helms‐man always has an unimpeded view of the sails, the course and the crew – for the utmost safety. At the same time, all the modern conveniences are there. The cockpit offers plenty of space and free access from the bathing platform to its companionway. It is also a meeting place for social and entertainment activities. Gathered around the large cockpit table, everybody enjoys the time spent together during a cruise.

Everything under control, because everything is in the right place.

Anchor with remote control.

Easy to sail. Easy to like. The CRUISER 34 with single steering wheel.

Sailing is all about rest, relaxation and fun – with the right boat. With a pre‐balanced rudder and a single large steering wheel (standard design),  the BAVARIA CRUISER 34 is a very easy yacht to sail. Thanks to a highly economic layout and more efficient, state‐of‐the‐art technology, captaining this yacht is a breeze. This is so that you can concentrate on just one thing – simply relaxing. The CRUISER 34 is ideal for families – and cruising with friends. Or for just going out on your own sometimes. She has everything that characterizes a BAVARIA: quality, German engineering and attention to detail – for a great deal of fun.

Even handling her is so easy, it is pure relaxation.

Available with 1 or 2 helmstands.

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Yachting Monthly

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Bavaria Cruiser 34 review

• Chris Beeson
• September 8, 2016

If Bavaria’s new Cruiser 34 looks a little familiar, there is a very good reason for that. It's the same hull as the 32 and then the 33. Graham Snook finds out what has changed

Product Overview

Manufacturer:.

See the August 2016 issue of Yachting Monthly for the full test

What’s she like to sail?

She was responsive and enjoyable on the helm, though I felt there was slightly too much weight on the twin wheels, but the view forward is excellent. The helm positions lack foot braces so, when going upwind, sitting is the only realistic option, but then the position of the backstay gets in your way. You can sit on top of the fold-down transom but it’s not broad and the pushpit rails push into your back so it’s not comfortable.

Off the wind, as she flattens out, it’s more comfortable to stand and steer. In the 10-20 knots of breeze we had, she really picked up the pace while still remaining in control and firm on the helm. I’m not wholly in favour the mainsheet being out of reach of the helm on what is essentially a family boat. But this is the trade-off with keeping the mainsheet out of reach of small or inexperienced hands.

What’s she like in port and at anchor?

Her 2.02m (6ft 8in) draught is quite deep for a 10m (32ft) boat. It adds performance but restricts where you can anchor, when you can get over sills of drying harbours etc. Also, with 34 written on the side, you’ll be constantly explaining to harbourmasters why you should pay for a 32-footer – I’d just disclose the metric length instead. Her 28hp engine had plenty of power to manoeuvre her into and out of situations.

Deck stowage around the cockpit is limited to just two sole-depth lockers in the aft cockpit seating; fine if you are cruising from marina to marina but not if you want to carry a dinghy and cruise for longer.

Below, the lack of a chart table adds space to the large saloon, and there is room enough to seat six or more around its table. Whether you need three double cabins is a choice only you can make, the port cabin does come at the expense of deck stowage and a vast heads compartment. The galley is adequate, although stowage and workspace are limited, and if you are intending to cruise with six people on board you may find the 150-litre water tank capacity a little restricting.

Would she suit you and your crew?

As an entry-level new boat, she’s great. She sails well, she’s easy to handle and offers a great combination of style, quality and value. If you do a lot of solo sailing you may find the main sheet located on the coachroof bit of a chore; it’s far easier to have it to hand when a gust hits. Obviously, choosing three cabins suggests you’ll be sailing with more crew, in which case this isn’t an issue.

In the car world, a model’s longevity is improved by adding a few new bits of restyled bodywork and more interior options. Bluntly, this is what Bavaria has done with the Cruiser 34. And that’s fine, as long as you buy the 34 with the full knowledge that it’s the Cruiser 33 with twin wheels and twin aft cabins. The curious thing is that the Cruiser 34 will soon be available in the two-cabin version, and the single-wheeled Cruiser 33 will have a vacuum-infused hull and continue to be sold. So the choice simply comes down to whether you want a twin- or single-wheeled 32ft yacht – and the mainsheet position required by that – and whether or not you need twin aft cabins.

Facts and figures

Price £131,851 inc VAT

LOA 9.99m (32ft 9in)

LWL 9.15m (30ft)

Beam 3.42m (11ft 3in)

Draught 2.02m (6ft 8in)

Displacement 5,300kg (11,685 lb)

Ballast 1,370kg (3,020 lb)

Ballast ratio 25.8%

Sail area 51m2 (549 sq ft)

SA/D ratio 17.1

Diesel 150 litres (33 gal)

Water 150 litres (33 gal)

Engine 28hp

Transmission Saildrive

RCD category A

Designer Farr Yacht Design

Builder Bavaria Yachts

UK Agent Clipper Marine Ltd

Tel 01489 5650583

Website www.clippermarine.co.uk

Bavaria Cruiser 34 : The long-runner in the entry-level size in the test

Fridtjof Gunkel

 ·  07.06.2023

The Bavaria Cruiser 34 is an update, not a new development

The new deck layout of the bavaria cruiser 34 is pleasing, new mainsheet arrangement, limited storage space on the bavaria cruiser 34, the bavaria 34 cruiser is built using the infusion process, bavaria cruiser 34 in detail, yacht rating.

There are more exciting, more beautiful or more modern boats, even in the same class. Nevertheless, a Bavaria in the ten-metre size will always be one of the most important yachts on the market. The ship comes from one of the most important and best-organised shipyards in the world, is produced in large numbers and plays an important role both in the charter business and later on the used boat market. It also sets standards for the pricing of other shipyards.

The smallest model from Giebelstadt is a further development of the successful Cruiser 33, of which around 450 units were built. There were also around 40 units of a slimmed-down version called Easy 9.7. The Cruiser 33 was not new when it was launched in 2012; it was based on the Cruiser 32, which had been on the market since 2009.

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Bavaria used this type of further development again. Instead of designing a new model, the shipyard took the simpler route and modernised the 33, retaining the recognised good hull from Farr Yacht Design, but reworking the deck once again. Instead of one wheel in the centre, there are now two on the sides, as is common on more and more small yachts today, so that the helmsman can steer far out and to facilitate the passage forward into the cockpit. The deck shape had to be modified slightly for this measure.

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The main changes below deck are two almost identical compartments in the stern instead of a wider cabin and a large forecastle. The bathroom had to be reduced in size to create access to the port cabin. However, the Cruiser 34 is also available with only one aft cabin, but with double wheels.

No matter how many wheels, aft cabins or shower room space: the Bavaria Cruiser 34 follows its predecessor in many respects. It is a relatively voluminous boat with a wide stern, large window line, high cockpit coaming and large stern hatch. The sail area is quite low in relation to the total weight (sail carrying capacity) with a value of 4.1, clearly characterising the new model as a pure cruising yacht.

The tested boat was also equipped with a furling mast and the simple standard sails. The Elvström wardrobe stood well, but the sails lacked a bit of surface area and depth if you are looking for better performance.

The Cruiser 34 proved to be somewhat sluggish and lacking in propulsion when tested off Heiligenhafen in light winds of around ten to twelve knots. With speeds of around 5 knots upwind and a turning angle of around 90 degrees, even smaller cruising yachts are capable of this. At the wheels, the desired light rudder pressure for a better steering feel did not materialise; the boat was neutral to sometimes leeward on the rudder.

The helmsman has various positions for his work. If he wants to sit on the outside of the side deck, from where he has a good view forwards and for which the two steering wheels are available, the sternstay's cockpit will get in the way. In general, the two wheels and their pillars fit perfectly on the small boat. They measure 80 centimetres in diameter and rise to an ergonomically favourable height of 108 centimetres above the cockpit floor.

New on the 34 is the arrangement of the mainsheet. Whereas this used to be a simple 6:1 jib with the foot block on the front end of the cockpit table, the system has now been changed to that of the larger sisters. Two independent 2:1 spreaders are attached to the port and starboard sides of the companionway on the cabin roof. The sheets run forwards along the boom, on deck and back onto the two halyard winches. The system replaces the traveller quite effectively; the boom can be pulled to windward in light winds. Another major advantage when handling: the boom can be fixed quickly and easily via the quasi-hammerpot of the two sheets for reefing, sail recovery and in the harbour.

The jib sheets run aft through rails on the roof onto the genoa winches. This secures small sheet angles and keeps the running deck clear. Another striking feature in the cockpit is the large table, which offers plenty of surface area and good support when positioned, but takes up a lot of space. The furniture comes from the Cruiser 37 and has corresponding dimensions. The tested boat from the charter company 1. Klasse Yachten in Heiligenhafen was equipped with an optional larger engine (21 instead of 13 kilowatts) and fixed pitch propeller. This gave it a cruising speed of 7.2 knots and sound pressure levels of 77 db(A), which only broke the limit of the loud range in the aft chambers.

Two cabins - on boats of this size, storage space in the forecastle boxes also becomes an issue. The compartments underneath still leave space for around 350 litres twice in the thwarts. That's enough for cleaning equipment, some accessories, lines and fenders - but not if you want to store a life raft there. The anchor locker is also too small to accommodate fenders and lines.

Less storage space, but this could be compensated for by using a cabin as a storage box and only as a place to sleep in an emergency. Either way, there is still a small bathroom, which still offers shower facilities. Bavaria dispensed with the small chart table and adopted the rest of the interior layout and also the visual appearance of optional teak surfaces alternating with many light-coloured surfaces.

The cabins are also still fitted with cupboards and shelves to match the size of the ship, equipped with spotlights and reading lamps and have sufficient ventilation options. Curious: There is a hull window in the aft cabin on the starboard side, but not on the port side, where the forecastle used to be.

In a class comparison, the galley's storage space is on the tight side when it comes to accommodating bulky items.

The new construction method is invisible, but more significant: Bavaria manufactures the hulls using the vacuum infusion process, as do some other shipyards. The materials of the foam sandwich are inserted dry, fixed, covered with a vacuum film and then the resin-hardener mixture is sucked through the laminate structure using a sophisticated vacuum system. In theory, this means a very controlled use of resin and should ensure a more homogeneous and firmer laminate. Bavaria claims to be able to save 250 to 300 kilograms on the new Cruiser 34 thanks to this process.

The shipyard has stuck with the solid floor assembly consisting of voluminous cradles and stringers with small, interconnected compartments.

New design, better steering thanks to double wheels, more variance: the Bavaria Cruiser 34 is a winner if you can come to terms with the narrower aft berths and the smaller bathroom. And the price. At the time of the 2016 test, the Bavaria Cruiser 34 cost around 102,000 euros in the basic version. Today, however, it costs around 152,000 euros. But such price increases, especially in the recent past, are the norm rather than the exception.

This article first appeared in YACHT 18/2016 and has been revised for this online version.

Technical data

• Constructor Farr Yacht Design
• CE design category A
• Hull length 9.75 m
• Waterline length 9.15 m
• Width 3.42 m
• Draught/alternative 2.02/1.58 m
• Weight 5.3 tonnes
• Ballast/proportion 1.4 t/26 %
• Sail area downwind 51.0 m²
• Engine (Volvo) 14 kW/18 hp
• Diesel tank 150 litres
• Water tank 150 litres

Hull and deck construction

Sandwich with foam core, manufactured using the vacuum infusion process. Iso-gelcoat, vinyl ester resin

Base price ex shipyard 152,201 euros

www.bavaria-yachtbau.com

Distribution

Dealer network

www.charterzentrum.de

The Cruiser 34 wins thanks to the two wheels, but loses a little due to minor comfort deficiencies in the cockpit. Overall, it remains one of the most important benchmark boats in the exciting and competitive ten-metre class

Design and concept

• + Solid and good overall package
• + Efficient utilisation of space
• + Still favourably priced despite increase

Sailing performance and trim

• + Simple, functional deck layout
• - Underpowered with Rollgroß
• - Backstay disturbs helmsman

Living and finishing quality

• + Clean finishing and installations
• - Cockpit table takes up a lot of space

Equipment and technology

• + Good ventilation
• + Sockets also in cabins
• - Little storage space in the back box
• Click here for all YACHT tests

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BAVARIA CRUISER 34

Set the course and head for fun, diverse and functional.

We believe that even smaller yachts can be tremendous fun. With the BAVARIA CRUISER 34 we have succeeded in bringing together the most important aspects of sailing – sailing pleasure and spaciousness – in one boat. This yacht has excellent – and very safe – sailing characteristics. The XXL cockpit area is pleasantly commodious during sailing and in between. And below deck there is all the room you need for six people. The BAVARIA CRUISER 34 is the small, yet still very great BAVARIA. It comes in a 2- and a 3-cabin version with single or twin helm positions.

Generous down to the smallest detail.

For BAVARIA, attention to detail always means combining comfort and safety. For example, the cockpit layout with its two steering wheels ensures that the helms‐man always has an unimpeded view of the sails, the course and the crew – for the utmost safety. At the same time, all the modern conveniences are there. The cockpit offers plenty of space and free access from the bathing platform to its companionway. It is also a meeting place for social and entertainment activities. Gathered around the large cockpit table, everybody enjoys the time spent together during a cruise.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRUISER 34

On the official bavaria yachts website.

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Generous down to the smallest detail.

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• Technical data

Rudder/Keel

Sailing Equipment

Bathing platform

Hatches and side windows

Fresh water

Electric System

Certification

•  400 6718 180