Design and Construction
Bavaria built the 38 Cruiser as a solid fiberglass hull with a structural grid laminated to the inside under the floorboards, and the keel bolts pass through that grid, secured with double nuts backed by stainless-steel washers. The hull itself is a flat-bottomed form, which testers noted could make completely drying it a challenge, and the bow sections are Kevlar-reinforced in the hand-laid layup. A cast-iron keel and cradle setup uses big bolts and hefty tie rods that also anchor the shrouds. Above the waterline, a low bridgedeck and low companionway sill are deliberate choices to help keep green water from getting belowdecks, and the companionway door is veneer-topped Starboard rather than solid wood. Compared with some contemporaries the 38 is less beamy and draws her beam in a bit more toward the stern, which shapes both the accommodations and the cockpit footprint.
Rig and Handling
The standard rig is a fractional sloop with a roller-furling jib, adjustable backstay, and six winches, and buyers could choose an in-mast furling main or a conventional or full-length battened main; the deck is reinforced to accept a double-ended mainsheet led aft. The aluminium Selden mast sits well forward to accommodate an elongated cockpit, with metal sliders on the mast rather than plastic, and a solid Rodkick boom vang and twin adjustable backstay complete the straightforward package. Under power, testers found the 40-horsepower Volvo with saildrive pushed the boat to 7.8 knots at 2,800 rpm and a quieter 6.5 knots at 2,000 rpm, turning in a single boat length when the wheel was put hard over and backing commendably. Under sail, test conditions were modest: about 2.7 knots closehauled in a 4.5-knot gust, and roughly 6.98 knots close reaching in an estimated 12 knots of breeze. The North American standard tandem keel patented by Warwick Collins is a shoal-draft option reportedly offering greater controllability than conventional shoal keels.
Accommodations
Step down and half a step from the companionway foot you find robust furniture close at hand, with sturdy fiddles on the port galley counter and a starboard nav desk. That desk is forward-facing, large enough for paper charts, with several storage compartments, a dedicated instrument-mounting area, and a dished seat that gives a little butt traction when the boat heels. The settees in the saloon lie parallel to the centerline and are long enough to stretch out on. The interior is high-gloss varnished pale mahogany, and natural light pours through numerous hatches and portlights; corner cut-out grabs in the partial bulkheads aid movement at the galley and nav desk.
In the two-stateroom layout the forward cabin takes the entire space forward of the mast, with a large V-berth, ample lockers, and walkabout room, while the aft cabin(s) in both two- and three-cabin versions have generous standing room and a large berth. The two-cabin head is aft behind the nav station; the three-cabin head is smaller and eats into the forward cabin. The cockpit carries a table on the steering console — convenient yet bulky enough to hamper movement — and an electric fold-down transom reveals a swim step and ladder.
Equipment and Galley
The galley to port is well furnished with stowage and a microwave, a two-burner stove (a three-burner would allow more options), and twin sinks whose bottoms slope to inboard drains, though they could be deeper. The electrical panel is a new-generation touch-pad type that lights when a circuit is live, with breakers mounted behind the panel. Forward, a flush foredeck hatch opens to a deep anchor well with a windlass on a shelf; on the tested boat the anchor was snugged to the stem with its shank four chain links from the wildcat.
The Verdict
The Bavaria 38 Cruiser is a thoughtfully laid-out production cruiser from the J&J Design era, with a stiff structure, sensible sea-keeping details, and an interior that balances livability against a few compromises in the three-cabin head arrangement and cockpit table bulk. She is no rocket in light air, but her power handling and shoal tandem-keel option make her a manageable, family-friendly coastal cruiser.
Pros
- Structural grid and double-nutted keel bolts through the grid give a robust, well-secured hull-to-keel connection.
- Forward-facing nav desk with dished seat and paper-chart space is a genuine cruising asset.
- Low bridgedeck and sill, plus Starboard companionway door, address green-water intrusion practically.
- Electric fold-down transom and deep anchor well with windlass add real utility at the bow and stern.
Cons
- Flat bottom makes drying out completely awkward.
- Cockpit table on the console hinders freedom of movement.
- Twin sinks are shallow and the galley is limited to two burners.
- Three-cabin head intrudes on the forward cabin's space.
