Design and Construction
The C46's hull is conventionally built from hand-laid polyester and E-glass with a PVC foam core above the waterline, reinforced around the chainplates and at the fore and aft bulkheads, while the inner matrix is likewise hand laid in E-glass and polyester with the keel area laminated straight to the hull. Maximum beam of 15ft 4in is carried almost right aft, and the single spade rudder sits beneath that broad quarter. Two keel options exist: a 7ft 7in draft with 5,677lb of iron ballast, or a 5ft 9in shoal draft carrying 6,301lb. Displacement on the deeper keel is 28,065lb, yielding a displacement-to-length ratio of 150 and a sail-area-to-displacement ratio near 23 — figures that place her firmly in the modern voluminous cruiser camp rather than the lithe racer lineage.
Rig and Handling
Bavaria built the C46 for easy handling single-handed or with crew, and the deck layout reflects that intent. A coachroof-mounted double mainsheet system keeps the cockpit clear, while a new rig-sail concept further optimizes the already commendable sailing characteristics carried across the C-Line. The test boat flew a furling main and jib from Elvstrom built of 95% recycled polyester with 5% Dyneema; the builder says that Dyneema content keeps pricing on a par with a classic laminate while making the cloth stronger and has reduced elongation under load. A smaller self-tacking jib is offered as an alternative for shorthanded sailing. With 1,238 sq ft of sail and a fractional sloop rig under a 72ft mast, she is tuned for relaxed cruising rather than all-out pace.
Accommodations
Below deck the C46 surprises with numerous clever layout options, developed expressly to guarantee maximum privacy and to allow extensive individualization. The boat takes three to five cabins. The test configuration was a three-cabin, two-head arrangement with a walk-in storeroom; every berth in that version is a full European king at 160cm wide end to end. The owner's cabin forward is an open space with a separate toilet and shower, benefiting from the full forward sections that also add form stability. Two four-cabin versions exist: a charter-grade four-cabin, four-head layout with two doubles forward, and an owner's four-cabin, two-head version keeping the master forward while adding a small Pullman bunk cabin. A raised navigation station to port, a large sail locker forward, and shallow lockers under the cockpit benches round out the stowage thinking.
Deck Equipment and Outdoor Living
On deck, the C46 offers telescopic davits as an alternative to a tender garage, a big lazarette accessed between the helm stations, and a choice of one large central cockpit table or twin folding-leaf tables. The reviewed boat carried a cockpit fridge and a barbecue under the helm seats served from the large electrically operated bathing platform. Teak decks and a hardtop are among the personalization options that let owners shape the boat to taste.
Known Issues
The prototype sailed by reviewers showed some systems in the bilge, including the engine start battery, mounted on plywood bases whose edges were not sealed — a detail the builder stated would be revised for production boats. Testers also noted exposed sealant on deck at the coachroof join where line conduits are led aft. Neither item was characterized as structural, but both are worth a look on early hulls.
The Verdict
The Bavaria C46 is a thoughtfully evolved cruiser that trades on privacy, layout flexibility, and easy handling rather than raw performance. Cossutti's hull geometry and Bavaria's production discipline produce a boat that feels modern without abandoning practical cruising priorities.
Pros
- Three to five cabin layouts with genuine full-width king berths in the three-cabin version
- Easy single-handed or crewed handling via coachroof mainsheet and optional self-tacking jib
- Strong, foam-cored E-glass construction with reinforced bulkhead and chainplate zones
- Award-winning second-generation C-Line design with optimized rig-sail concept
Cons
- Prototype bilge plywood bases needed edge sealing, revised for production per builder
- Some exposed deck sealant at line conduits on reviewed boat
