Design and Construction
Working with Bavaria Yachts, Cossutti Yacht Design gave the C38 a strongly chined hull, with a pronounced full-length chine and a fat, bluff vertical bow reminiscent of scow-type offshore racers. The vertical stem and chines aren’t merely styling exercises: they increase interior volume forward and carry the beam aft. A deeper, rounder forefoot was introduced to reduce slamming, while a single deepened rudder preserves grip when the boat is heeled.
Bavaria uses wet, hand-laid cored sandwich laminates for both the hull and deck rather than vacuum infusion. The bulkheads are fully laminated to the hull sides, with their ends bedded into slots in the liner. Ballast is carried in L-shaped iron bulb keels, and heavy metal plates set into a glass-laminate grid back the keel bolts.
The standard keel draws about 6 feet 6 inches, while the shoal option is closer to 5 feet 5 inches. Displacement is roughly 19,996 pounds, with a 24 percent ballast ratio and a displacement-length ratio of 232. Those figures place the C38 firmly in the moderate-displacement cruiser camp.
Rig and Handling
The C38 can be ordered with a sport mast and a conventionally slab-reefed mainsail, or with a furling mast for convenience. The standard sail plan combines a 46-square-metre mainsail with a 35-square-metre genoa, giving about 79 square metres of working sail area. A conventional overlapping 103 percent jib can also be specified. Downwind choices include a 70-square-metre Code 0 and a 130-square-metre gennaker.
A self-tacking blade jib is standard. Its single-line sheet leads to twin Lewmar 40 winches at the companionway, and a backstay with tensioner is also standard. Writing in SAIL Magazine, testers noted that their boat carried Elvstrøm sails, an in-mast furling main and the small self-tacking jib.
Yachting Monthly found the helm direct, responsive and engaging. The deep rudder provided plenty of grip even when the boat was overpressed, with no twitchiness before it finally lost hold.
Cockpit and Deck Gear
The wide cockpit places the twin wheels hard against a fold-down transom. A sturdy, fixed centerline table has folding leaves and serves both as a brace and a storage bin.
Moving forward, a long coachroof handrail, aggressive nonskid and medium-height gunwales help keep the crew inboard. At the bow, a short sprit on a solid bobstay incorporates an anchor roller. Standard ground tackle consists of a 10-kilogram anchor with 75 meters of galvanized or stainless chain. The Sail Ready package adds amidships railing access, extra battery capacity and an electric windlass.
Accommodations
Despite a true hull length of only about 36 feet, the C38 offers a phenomenal amount of interior space, helped by the beam carried well aft. Bavaria offered four layouts, with two- or three-cabin and one- or two-head permutations. The aft-cabin arrangements also vary, and one of those spaces can serve as a simple storage zone.
The three-cabin version is unusual in providing three king-size double berths. Its twin aft cabins are particularly notable for their headroom and the clearance above the berths. A single midships head with a semi-separate shower stall is the more sensible arrangement.
Large portlights and side windows brighten the saloon. To starboard, a dinette wraps around a large fold-out table. Opposite, a shortened port settee ends forward at a small, vestigial navigation station.
The galley sits to port at the foot of the companionway. It includes a three-burner Eno stove, a large front-loading refrigerator and a fair amount of storage. In the bow, a forepeak locker behind the sprit provides useful storage above a somewhat undersized rode bin.
Known Issues
Testers felt the mainsheet purchase could use some improvement. The three-cabin layout also has limited stowage, and some systems remain exposed inside lockers. These are minor shortcomings typical of production cruisers rather than structural concerns.
The Verdict
The Bavaria C38 is a cleverly packaged modern cruiser. She trades some traditional overhang for enormous usable volume, yet sails with more verve than her boxy profile might suggest. She’s easy to live aboard and handle short-handed, although buyers who want pristine systems concealment or maximum sail-control leverage should budget for a few small upgrades.
Pros
- Three king-size double berths in a 36-foot hull are a genuine accommodation achievement
- Engaging, stable helm, with strong rudder grip when heeled
- Standard self-tacking jib and furling options simplify short-handed sailing
- Chined hull and bluff bow provide volume without nervous handling
Cons
- The factory mainsheet purchase could be better
- The three-cabin layout has limited stowage
- Some systems are exposed in lockers
