Bavaria Cruiser 37 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Bavaria's solid fiberglass hull carries selective reinforcement, and the Cruiser 37's structure shows careful attention to the bilge. Floorboards sit atop a construction floor tied into closely spaced stringers and floor timbers, forming a laminated composite skeleton that runs from the anchor locker aft. Bilge compartments are linked by drilled limber holes so any water drains to the deepest point, and glued-in tubes keep that water from seeping into the timber and stringers anchor. The top-coated bilge is reached through nine large, loosely fitting hatches. On deck, the cabin trunk now wears stretched-out windows and five deck hatches instead of the four on the 36, and a combined aluminum rub and toe rail replaces older detailing. A dark yellow Duradeck coating resembles teak across the cockpit sole.

Rig and Handling

Twin-wheel steering defines the cockpit, a layout that forced a new cockpit mold and pushed the companionway bulkhead forward; that move in turn shifted the main bulkhead forward so the saloon would not be cramped anchor. The Danish Jefa steering works cleanly and is compact enough to be easy to service. Aloft, a two-spreader Selden mast carries a 110-percent genoa on movable cabin-top cars, while a split backstay attached farther outboard stays clear of the helm. The standard mainsheet is a 1:2 system on both sides of the companionway, worked through Lewmar 30 halyard winches; owners can re-reeve it as a 1:4 without extra effort, and a German cupper continuous-sheet setup is possible with minor changes. Test sailors found the 37 able to tack through 90 degrees at 4.8 to 5.4 knots in 3 to 4 Beaufort, and under gennaker she touched 6.4 knots anchor. The Volvo Penta D1-20 pushed her to 8 knots wide open and held 6 knots at cruising speed.

Accommodations

Below, the three-cabin version lets the nav table slide aside so the settee becomes a full berth, but the head shrinks and the shower cannot be separated from the toilet, while lazarette storage falls to a minimum. The two-cabin layout moves the longitudinal bulkhead to port, gaining head space, stowage, and a larger aft berth anchor. Both plans get upper cupboards and hull windows, and ventilation comes from six opening hatches, though cross-flow is weak with only one opening port in the galley. From either helm station the sailor has an optimum view of sails and course, and the crew finds room at the functional foldable cockpit table. Freshwater capacity can be expanded with an optional fore-cabin tank.

Equipment and Cockpit Details

The boat ships with twin wheels, a steering pedestal carrying a GPS plotter, genoa and gennaker winches, halyard and bulkhead winches, flush hatches, a rail gate, and an anchor roller with a solid footrest for bow boarding. A grand stern hatch folds down by hand on gas cylinders to ease boarding and add deck space; when closed, its top edge serves as a helm thwart anchor. An XXL bathing platform and hull windows round out the standard cruising kit.

Known Issues

The one documented shortcoming is the starting battery, which sits in a disadvantageous spot in the bilge by the companionway anchor.

The Verdict

The Cruiser 37 is a thoughtfully updated Farr hull wrapped in a more modern deck and cockpit by Design Unlimited, trading the 36's smaller ports for light and livable volume. She sails cleanly across the wind range and offers a buyer a choice between compact three-cabin charter logic and a roomier two-cabin cruising layout, with only the battery position and modest galley airflow as caveats.

Pros