Design and Construction
The 36's hull is a cored laminate with solid fiberglass below the waterline and a Kevlar-reinforced bow section, while the topsides use E-glass with an Airex PVC foam core hull core construction. The deck and cabinhouse molding is also cored with Airex foam and incorporates a partial grid structure to stiffen the cabintop, and a deep, strong-looking lattice FRP sub-frame hides under the cabin sole where the keel bolts pass through large backing plates. A spray dodger moulding is part of the coach house roof, and the coach house itself carries trademark reverse-curve sides. On deck, a sturdy aluminum toerail runs with cutouts for chocks near heavy-duty mooring cleats, and the shroud base is set as wide as possible with chainplates on the hull.
Rig and Handling
The boat's double-spreader deck-stepped rig uses conventional wire rigging and a uniform-section Selden mast, with a slightly fractional configuration to accommodate a large reaching sail and an optional sprit. A slightly overlapping furling jib is sheeted via coachroof-mounted cars on inboard tracks, and long, swept-back spreaders effectively lengthen the J-measure. Mainsheet control forgoes a conventional traveler in favor of a mid-boom bridle arrangement with two fixed cabin-top blocks, and for shorthanded sailing the mainsheet can be led to one of the coaming winches. Under power, the 27hp Volvo-Penta with saildrive pushed the boat at 3.6 knots at 1,400 rpm and 7.2 knots at 3,000 rpm in flat water engine performance under power, and testers found the wheel light and accurate, with the boat spinning easily in its own length and virtually self-steering with only finger pressure. Under sail, the test boat ghosted well on a light-air Chesapeake day, gliding at 3.2 knots in 5 knots true and a little over 4 knots just past 9 knots; off the wind she gurgled along at a comfortable 7.5 knots.
Accommodations
Below, the Cruiser 36 shows a modern Euro apartment-style interior with a home-on-the-water feel, 6ft 3in of saloon headroom, and natural light from many overhead hatches, portlights, and fixed hull ports in every cabin. Buyers could specify a two- or three-cabin layout, both with a single head/shower, L-shaped galley, and walkthrough dinettes with a large drop-side table. The two-cabin version has a dedicated nav station and full-sized chart table; the three-cabin version folds out a nav table from the bulkhead and uses a removable settee section as a seat. The L-shaped galley pairs a deep sink with Corian infill, a two-burner gimballed stove with oven, and a top-opener fridge-freezer, while drop-in Corian panels cover sinks and stove when not in use. Aft doubles run a full 6ft 8in with good ventilation, though the forward berth is narrow in legroom for a six-footer. The cockpit itself is voluminous with long bench seats, a teak-faced floor, and a drop-down transom platform spanning over half the beam that doubles as a helm seat when raised.
Equipment and Options
Standard equipment includes in-mast furling, twin Lewmar sheet winches at the helm and another pair flanking the companionway, and power-saving LEDs throughout. A bow thruster is offered but hardly necessary. The NSY Pack could add a hot-water system, electric windlass, anchor with 50m of chain, and VHF, among other items. For performance-minded owners, cockpit coamings carry Code 0 or spinnaker winch pads and two foredeck pads accept a removable bowsprit for an asymmetric kite; one owner took delivery of a carbon spinnaker pole.
Known Issues
The vertically-battened in-mast furling mainsail drew a tester's note that durability may be an issue, though only time would tell. The stainless fiddle rail in the galley serves as a handrail but may let smaller items slip through.
The Verdict
The Bavaria Cruiser 36 is a thoughtfully engineered cruiser-racer hybrid that trades some sailing purity for volume and easy handling. Farr's balanced hull and the wide shroud base give her a sure-footed feel, while the cored construction and hidden grid keep weight sane. She is beamy to a fault in the forward cabin but generous everywhere a cruising family actually lives. TradeABoat found good club racing potential in the boat's balanced hull and rig.
Pros
- Balanced hull and rig suiting cruisers and club racers alike
- Cored laminate with solid FRP below waterline and Kevlar bow
- Voluminous cockpit and class-leading drop-down swim platform
- Easy sail handling with bridle mainsheet and shorthanded lead
- Two- or three-cabin layouts with modern, light interiors
Cons
- Forward berth narrow in legroom for taller sailors
- Vertically-battened in-mast furling sail durability unproven
- Galley fiddle rail may pass small items to the sole
