Design and Construction
The Cruiser 36 measures 37ft 1in overall, with 12ft 3in of beam. Displacement is 15,432lb, including 4,585lb of ballast.
The hull uses a cored laminate, with solid fiberglass below the waterline and a Kevlar-reinforced bow section. The topsides are built from E-glass around 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 that stiffens the cabintop.
Below the cabin sole, a deep, strong-looking lattice FRP sub-frame supports the structure. The keel bolts pass through large backing plates. A spray-dodger molding is part of the coachroof, whose sides have Bavaria’s trademark reverse curve.
On deck, a sturdy aluminum toerail has cutouts for chocks near the heavy-duty mooring cleats. The shroud base is set as wide as possible, with the chainplates mounted on the hull.
Rig, Sailing and Handling
The double-spreader, deck-stepped rig has conventional wire rigging and a uniform-section Selden mast. Its slightly fractional configuration accommodates a large reaching sail and an optional sprit. Long, swept-back spreaders effectively lengthen the J-measure.
A slightly overlapping furling jib sheets through coachroof-mounted cars on inboard tracks. Instead of a conventional traveler, the mid-boom mainsheet uses a bridle arrangement with two fixed blocks on the cabintop. For shorthanded sailing, the mainsheet can be led to one of the coaming winches.
On a light-air Chesapeake test day, the boat ghosted along well under sail. It made 3.2 knots in 5 knots true wind and a little over 4 knots in just over 9 knots. Off the wind, it reached a comfortable 7.5 knots.
Testers found the wheel light and accurate. Under power, the boat spun easily within its own length and virtually self-steered with only finger pressure. The 27hp Volvo-Penta engine and saildrive produced 3.6 knots at 1,400 rpm and 7.2 knots at 3,000 rpm in flat water engine performance under power.
Cockpit and Accommodations
The cockpit is voluminous, with long bench seats and a teak-faced sole. A drop-down transom platform spans more than half the boat’s beam and serves as the helm seat when raised.
Below deck, the Cruiser 36 has a modern, Euro apartment-style interior intended to feel like a home on the water. Saloon headroom is 6ft 3in, while numerous overhead hatches, portlights and fixed hull ports bring natural light into every cabin.
Buyers could choose between two- and three-cabin layouts. Both include a single head and shower, an L-shaped galley, and walkthrough dinettes arranged around a large drop-side table. The two-cabin version has a dedicated navigation station with a full-sized chart table. In the three-cabin version, the navigation table folds out from the bulkhead, and a removable section of the settee serves as its seat.
The L-shaped galley includes a deep sink with a Corian infill, a two-burner gimballed stove with an oven, and a top-opening fridge-freezer. Drop-in Corian panels cover the sinks and stove when they aren’t in use. A stainless fiddle rail also serves as a handrail, although smaller items may slip through it.
The aft doubles run a full 6ft 8in and have good ventilation. The forward berth, however, has narrow legroom for a six-footer.
Standard Equipment and Options
Standard equipment includes in-mast furling, power-saving LED lighting throughout, twin Lewmar sheet winches at the helm and another pair flanking the companionway.
A bow thruster was available, though it was considered hardly necessary. The optional NSY Pack could add a hot-water system, an electric windlass, an anchor with 50m of chain, a VHF and other items.
For performance-minded owners, the cockpit coamings have pads for Code 0 or spinnaker winches. Two pads on the foredeck accept a removable bowsprit for an asymmetric kite. One owner took delivery of a carbon spinnaker pole.
Known Issues
A tester noted that the durability of the vertically battened in-mast furling mainsail might become an issue, though only time would tell.
In the galley, the stainless fiddle rail can double as a handhold, but its gaps may allow smaller items to fall to the cabin sole.
The Verdict
The Bavaria Cruiser 36 is a thoughtfully engineered cruiser-racer hybrid that trades some sailing purity for interior volume and easy handling. Farr’s balanced hull and the wide shroud base give it a sure-footed feel, while the cored construction and concealed grid keep weight sane.
The boat is beamy to a fault in the forward cabin, yet generous in the spaces where a cruising family spends most of its time. TradeABoat also found good club racing potential in its balanced hull and rig.
Pros
- Balanced hull and rig suited to cruisers and club racers alike
- Cored laminate, with solid FRP below the waterline and a Kevlar-reinforced bow
- Voluminous cockpit and class-leading drop-down swim platform
- Easy sail handling, with a bridle mainsheet that can be led aft for shorthanded sailing
- Choice of two- or three-cabin layouts, both with modern, light-filled interiors
Cons
- Forward berth has narrow legroom for taller sailors
- Durability of the vertically battened in-mast furling mainsail remains unproven
- Galley fiddle rail may allow small items to fall to the cabin sole
