Design and Construction
The 890 carries 1.4 tonnes of iron ballast on a 3.2-tonne hull, giving it a 44 percent ballast ratio. The period press treated that figure as evidence of serious construction intent. The hull and deck are sandwich lay-ups made by hand with iso-resins, while stressed areas were left solid. The hull-deck transition is fully laminated.
YACHT’s testers found the build quality good and described the boat as robustly built. On the test example, they found not a single hairline crack in the gelcoat. With a torso length of 8.94 metres and a beam of 2.95 metres, the 890 looks purposeful rather than voluminous.
Rig and Handling
Boats originally from Lake Constance may carry the 890’s distinctive inland rig. The forestay attachment moves from 7/8 to the masthead and the boom is lowered, immediately adding sail area but leaving the boom almost dangerously low. The crew must duck during every tack or jibe, and a sprayhood is hardly possible any more. The mainsheet runs to a traveller on the bridge deck.
In 8 knots, the boat sails downwind with exceptional agility. It achieves turning angles of around 80 degrees at some 4.5 knots—excellent given the conditions—and shows very good performance on the cross. Rudder pressure is very light, and the boat is sensitive on the wind edge, almost a little nervous.
The original brochure specified a Volvo diesel with 18 hp and saildrive. However, the test boat had a shaft-driven Faryman, which its owner reported was also original. The engine compartment is large and accessible through a hatch in the cockpit floor, with room for more expansive engines.
Accommodations and Stowage
Below, the 890 is a study in compromise. The berths are rather short at 1.90 metres, and the headroom matches that length. In practice, both suit people no taller than 1.80 metres. The height-adjustable saloon table creates a 1.10-metre-wide sea berth measuring 1.90 metres long.
The compact toilet room fits the general picture. One layout placed the toilet between the saloon and foredeck, with sliding doors on both sides. This shifted the interior forward by about half a metre and created an oil locker in the saloon. The test boat instead had a small toilet room without a washbasin, while the galley stood to starboard beside the companionway.
The shipyard brochure claimed forward berths measuring 2.05 metres, but the foredeck berth doesn’t meet today’s minimum standard for either length or width. Stowage is a stronger point, with huge spaces to starboard and in the stern, along with large water and diesel tanks.
Known Issues
Stability drew criticism in period testing. Writing in YACHT, testers noted that in 1982 the magazine’s colleagues found the 890 insufficiently stable for a cruising yacht and recommended retrofitting.
The wheel-steered version has several shortcomings. The gap between the aft bench and wheel is too small for steering while standing, and the wheel itself is too small to show its direction from the coaming. Deflections also reduce rudder sensitivity.
On the test boat, the upper plastic rudder bearing was worn, though it is straightforward to replace when the hull is out of the water. The superstructure windows are usually Plexiglas; they become brittle and need replacement, although their small size makes the job easier. The cast-aluminium bow fitting is also brittle, with no replacement available if it’s damaged.
Other age-related problems include glued cabin-roof lining that comes loose over the years and sheds material from above. The WC seacocks are also difficult to operate.
The Verdict
The Bavaria 890 is a compact, heavily ballasted early Bavaria. It rewards a suitably sized crew with agile sailing and solid construction, but demands tolerance for tight quarters and attention to aging fittings.
Pros
- High 44 percent ballast ratio and a fully laminated hull-deck joint
- Agile downwind performance and excellent turning angles in light air
- Large, accessible engine bay
- Generous tankage and stowage
Cons
- Headroom and berths best suited to sailors no taller than about 1.80 metres
- Inland rig leaves the boom dangerously low and makes a sprayhood hardly possible
- Brittle Plexiglas windows
- No replacement available for the cast-aluminium bow fitting
- Poor WC seacock operation
