Bavaria Cruiser 38 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

Owner three-cabin layouts are the more common on the brokerage market, but both two- and three-cabin versions appear, and ex-charter examples are common. In the two-cabin arrangement the forward cabin takes the whole space ahead of the mast with a large V-berth and walkabout room, while the single head sits aft behind the nav station. The three-cabin layout instead places a smaller head in the forward cabin, sacrificing some of that owner's-space for a second aft berth. Either way the aft cabins have generous standing room and a large berth, and the saloon keeps parallel settees long enough to lie down on.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Most used Bavaria Cruiser 38s carry a chartplotter, autopilot, bimini, life raft, hot water, solar, and teak decks as standard cruising kit. Often-seen additions include AIS, heating, cockpit shower, radar, inverter, bow thruster, and a furling main. Less common owner upgrades run to spinnaker, swim platform, EPIRB, dinghy davits, and dodger. For a buyer, the power-and-energy cluster of solar, inverter, and sometimes a bow thruster means reduced generator dependence and easier med-mooring; canvas and sail-handling items like bimini and furling main speak to warm-water use; navigation gear such as chartplotter, AIS, and radar is expected on a well-equipped example, while comfort items like heating and cockpit shower matter more in northern waters.

What to Inspect

A structural grid is laminated to the hull under the floorboards, and the keel bolts pass through it, secured with double nuts backed by stainless-steel washers anchor; check for any staining or movement at that joint. The flat bottom means the hull can be hard to dry completely, so look for trapped moisture in the bilge. The companionway door is veneer-topped Starboard rather than solid wood, and the electrical panel's touch-pad switches sit over breakers mounted behind the panel, which matters if a reset is needed at sea. Twin galley sinks slope to inboard drains but are shallow, and the low bridgedeck with low sill is there to keep green water out, so confirm those seals.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

These yachts typically turn up in Greece, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. For a shopper, the short list is: confirm keel-bolt and grid condition; test the electrical panel reset access; inspect the flat-bottom bilge for moisture; choose three-cabin for extra berths or two-cabin for a larger forward head; verify the furling main and solar/inverter suite match your plans.