Design and Construction
The 46 Cruiser carries 7,275 pounds of iron ballast in a bulb keel. She draws 6 feet 1 inch and has a 40-foot waterline. Her ballast-to-displacement ratio is around 30 percent, while a comfort ratio in the mid-20s marks her as a steady cruising hull rather than a light-air flyer.
In Cruising World’s evaluation, the overall workmanship below appeared good. The production-line varnish application was less impressive, however, and the faux wood around the nav station annoyed the reviewer. These details reflect a value-driven production build: sound structure with lightly finished trim.
Rig, Cockpit, and Handling
The test boat sailed in light Chesapeake Bay conditions with in-mast furling and a battenless main, a rig chosen for easy handling rather than peak performance. Cruising World noted that some skippers would probably want full vertical battens to improve sailing performance, a trade any buyer can still make.
Twin helms provide good visibility from either wheel, whether the helmsperson is standing or sitting outboard. The cockpit has ample seating around a solid, fixed-mount table. That table extends a little too far aft, though. With its leaves open, moving forward from the twin helms is difficult—a real close-quarters nuisance on a boat this beamy.
Accommodations
The 46 Cruiser was offered with three- and four-cabin layouts. The magazine tested the three-cabin version in light Chesapeake Bay conditions.
At the foot of the companionway, the aft cabins have double berths and hanging lockers. A head and shower are to port, with a forward-facing nav station to starboard. The nav desk is shallow for chart stowage, but it has good fiddles and leaves plenty of room for mounting electronics.
Forward of the head is an in-line galley designed to let crew pass the cook in port. It’s a neat arrangement alongside the dock, though the reviewer found that cooking there would be challenging in a seaway. To starboard, a large table with a U-shaped settee and an amidships couch seat anchors the saloon.
The forward cabin is notably spacious. It has a queen berth with seats on each side, two hanging lockers, and a split head-and-shower arrangement. There’s a sink to port, while the head, shower, and another sink are to starboard.
Verdict
The Bavaria 46 Cruiser is a straightforward, roomy production cruiser that succeeds at what it was built to do: provide comfortable living aboard and manageable short-handed sailing with in-mast furling. Its weaknesses center on finish quality and a cockpit table that impedes movement, rather than structural integrity or sea-kindly volume.
Pros
- Three- and four-cabin layouts, with a genuinely spacious forward owner’s cabin
- In-line galley and pass-through companionway layout aid circulation in port
- Twin helms offer good visibility, while the 75-hp Volvo supports confident docking
- Solid overall belowdecks workmanship on a 24,250-pound cruising hull
Cons
- Production varnish and the faux-wood nav area reflect thin finish standards
- Fixed cockpit table restricts forward movement from the helms when open
- Battenless in-mast-furling main leaves sailing performance on the table
- Galley is challenging to use in a seaway
