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. It is reinforced around the chainplates and at the forward and aft bulkheads. The inner matrix is also hand-laid in E-glass and polyester, with the keel area laminated directly to the hull.
Maximum beam is 15ft 4in and extends almost to the stern, with the single spade rudder beneath that broad quarter. Buyers can choose between two keels: a 7ft 7in draft with 5,677lb of iron ballast, or a 5ft 9in shoal-draft keel carrying 6,301lb.
With the deeper keel, displacement is 28,065lb. The displacement-to-length ratio is 150, while the sail-area-to-displacement ratio is near 23. Those figures place the C46 firmly among modern, voluminous cruisers rather than in the lineage of lithe racers.
Rig and Handling
Bavaria built the C46 for easy handling, whether sailed single-handed or with a crew, and the deck layout reflects that aim. A coachroof-mounted double mainsheet system keeps the cockpit clear. A new rig-and-sail concept further optimizes the commendable sailing characteristics found across the C-Line.
The test boat carried an Elvstrom furling mainsail and jib made from 95% recycled polyester and 5% Dyneema. According to the builder, the Dyneema keeps the price comparable to that of a classic laminate while making the cloth stronger and reducing elongation under load. A smaller self-tacking jib is available as an alternative for shorthanded sailing.
The fractional sloop rig carries 1,238 sq ft of sail beneath a 72ft mast. The emphasis is on relaxed cruising rather than outright pace.
Accommodations
Below deck, the C46 offers several clever layout choices, developed expressly to provide maximum privacy and allow extensive individualization. Depending on the arrangement, the boat can have three to five cabins.
The test boat had three cabins and two heads, along 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. It also benefits from the hull’s full forward sections, which add form stability.
There are two four-cabin versions. The charter-grade arrangement has four cabins and four heads, including two doubles forward. The owner-oriented four-cabin, two-head version retains the master cabin forward and adds a small Pullman-bunk cabin.
A raised navigation station sits to port. A large sail locker forward and shallow lockers beneath the cockpit benches complete the stowage arrangements.
Deck Equipment and Outdoor Living
On deck, telescopic davits are available as an alternative to a tender garage. There’s also a large lazarette accessed between the helm stations. In the cockpit, owners can choose either one large central table or twin tables with folding leaves.
The reviewed boat had a cockpit fridge and a barbecue beneath the helm seats, served from the large, electrically operated bathing platform. Teak decks and a hardtop are among the personalization options.
Known Issues
On the prototype sailed by reviewers, some systems in the bilge—including the engine start battery—were mounted on plywood bases with unsealed edges. The builder said this detail would be revised on production boats.
Testers also found exposed sealant on deck at the coachroof joint where the line conduits lead aft. Neither issue was characterized as structural, but both are worth inspecting on early hulls.
Verdict
The Bavaria C46 is a thoughtfully evolved cruiser that emphasizes privacy, layout flexibility, and easy handling rather than raw performance. Cossutti’s hull geometry and Bavaria’s production discipline have produced a modern boat that retains practical cruising priorities.
Pros
- Three- to five-cabin layouts, with genuine full-width king berths in the three-cabin version
- Easy handling single-handed or with a crew, aided by the coachroof mainsheet and optional self-tacking jib
- Strong, foam-cored E-glass construction with reinforcement around the bulkheads and chainplates
- Award-winning, second-generation C-Line design with an optimized rig-and-sail concept
Cons
- Plywood bases in the prototype’s bilge needed edge sealing, which the builder said would be revised for production
- Exposed deck sealant around the line conduits on the reviewed boat
