Design and Construction
Bavaria Yachts tapped into German engineering to build the Cruiser 34, and the result is a foam core sandwich hull and deck that are infused rather than laid up by older methods, making for a lighter structure that keeps lightweight displacement under 12,000 pounds. This was the first infused boat in the Bavaria line, with other models set to follow the same approach. The same hull had previously served the Bavaria 32 and 33 before being carried into the 34. Quality details below and in the cockpit include dovetailed joinery, solid wood doorframes and counter fiddles, and a choice of wood finishes, while Bavaria also provides plenty of grab rails so there is always something to hold in the cockpit or down below. The boat carries an RCD category A rating.
Rig and Handling
The Cruiser 34 carries a double-spreader, deck-stepped Seldén rig with a rigid boomvang, which eliminates the need for a topping lift. The sailplan is deliberately simple: a traditional Dacron mainsail, lazyjacks and a sail bag, with in-mast furling and tri-radial sails as options. Short jib tracks sit on the cabintop for tighter sheeting angles, and the shrouds are set all the way outboard, which leaves a clear run forward along the side decks. A German mainsheet system is standard. On the water, the design shows excellent and very safe sailing characteristics; testers found her responsive and enjoyable on the helm, and in 18 to 20 knots of true wind she sailed 6.6 knots at a 45-degree apparent angle, speeding to 7.3 knots when eased to 60 degrees and still reeling off 6.2 knots downwind at 150 degrees. Even a short waterline could turn out good speed, and with sails down the 20hp Volvo Penta diesel and three-bladed folding propeller make her spry under power, reaching 7.3 knots at wide-open throttle.
Accommodations
The Cruiser 34 is offered in two- or three-cabin versions, and it may be the smallest vessel on the market to offer three cabins. In the three-cabin arrangement, cockpit stowage is limited to two small lockers aft, while the two-cabin version opens a deep lazarette in the port cockpit bench and gives the starboard aft cabin more width, moves the head farther aft and larger, and frees room for a small aft-facing nav station sharing a seat with the port settee. Neither layout has a separate shower stall. The L-shaped galley opposite has a single sink, two-burner stove and top-loading refrigerator; it is not large but is workable for meals on a weekend or longer. The saloon seats six or more around a drop-leaf table under two hatches, and with the owner's cabin door open the boat feels especially spacious and inviting. The placement of galley, saloon and forward stateroom is unchanged between layouts.
Cockpit and Deck Gear
The XXL cockpit is pleasantly commodious and functional, with a table holding integrated stowage, cup holders and a light socket. A drop-down swim platform — manual but so well counterbalanced it closes with one hand — eases coming aboard, and standard teak decking covers the cockpit sole, benches and swim platform, with teak side decks optional. Buyers choose one or two helms; the single-helm version mounts a large wheel abaft the cockpit table with a Garmin 721 display, wind instruments and compass, while the twin-helm version puts wind instruments and autopilot by the starboard wheel. Wide side gates help load provisions, and an electric horizontal windlass with remote sits behind the roller furler.
Known Issues
Period testing surfaced a handful of ergonomic shortcomings rather than structural faults. Writing in SAIL Magazine, test sailors found the lifelines a bit low, especially for taller sailors, and at significant heel good foot bracing was not easy to find at the wheel; the helm positions themselves lack foot braces. The two Lewmar primary winches on the cockpit coaming are a bit of a reach from the wheel(s), and the mainsheet is out of easy reach of the helm on what is essentially a family boat. In the twin-helm version the chartplotter is harder to see while steering, and the backstay obstructs the helmsman sitting upwind. The fold-down transom is not broad and its pushpit rails push into the helmsman's back. Crew also needed time to adapt to tacking and managing headsail sheets in the new layout.
The Verdict
The Cruiser 34-2 distills a great deal of cruising capability into a sub-33-foot hull through infused sandwich construction, a simple and effective Farr rig, and a flexible two- or three-cabin interior that punches above its length. It sails safely and quickly, motors well, and finishes details with care; the caveats are about cockpit ergonomics and helm comfort at heel rather than any deficit in the boat itself.
Pros
- Infused foam core hull and deck keep displacement low and were a first for Bavaria
- Simple, well-thought-out rig with outboard shrouds and clear side decks
- Genuine three-cabin option in the smallest boat to offer one
- Strong light-air to fresh-breeze performance under sail and power
Cons
- Low lifelines and absent helm foot braces challenge taller sailors at heel
- Primary winches and mainsheet reach from the wheel is awkward
- Three-cabin layout trades away cockpit stowage and a larger head
