Bavaria Cruiser 46 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Farr Yacht Design is credited with the Cruiser 46’s design, which reflects the firm’s structural engineering work for Bavaria’s Cruiser line. Although the hull shape and appendages came from the Cruiser 45, Bavaria redesigned the deck and interior for the newer model.

The hull is hand-laid using stitched-biaxial and chopped-strand mat in isophthalic polyester resin. Below the waterline, the laminate includes two additional 2 mm layers of Coremat; above it, closed-cell Airex foam provides the coring hull laminate construction. An inner grid stiffens the hull. The cast-iron keel is secured with 20 mm stainless-steel bolts and Plexus adhesive.

The deck is also Airex-cored. It is bedded in polyurethane sealant on a 3¼-inch flange and fastened with screws every 8 inches.

Rig, Handling, and Performance

Standard sails are supplied by Elvstrom. Control lines from the split twin-mainsheet bridle lead aft to Spinlock XTS clutches on the coachroof. The shrouds terminate outboard near the gunwales, which rules out a large overlapping genoa. The standard 110 percent jib can be supplemented by the optional gennaker, the prescribed remedy for better light-air speed.

The test boat had a slightly fractional Seldén rig with in-mast furling and a Furlex 304S furler for the jib. Twin helm stations are positioned well aft and provide good forward visibility. In testing, the Jefa twin-wheel steering system delivered excellent response.

With the optional 75 hp Volvo and saildrive, the Cruiser 46 turned within one boat length at speed and backed down easily. It reached 7.8 knots at 2,200 rpm and 8.8 knots at full throttle.

Accommodations

The forward master stateroom is enormous, with an en suite head and a dedicated shower in its own mini-cabin. A removable centerline bulkhead can divide the space into two smaller double cabins. Bavaria describes this arrangement as transforming one huge cabin into two big cabins.

Aft, two staterooms each have their own head, along with good headroom, large berths, and plenty of light. Ventilation in these cabins remains a challenge, however.

In the saloon, the table incorporates nav-desk drawers. An optional centerline island with a fold-down settee sits between the table and the port-side in-line galley. The long galley has deep fiddles and a front-loading Waeco refrigerator.

Cockpit and Deck Layout

The cockpit has large L-shaped benches, high coamings, and a strong fixed table with folding leaves. Stowage includes two shallow lockers beneath the seats and a huge lazarette. At the bow, a separate sail locker forward of the Quick windlass is sized for two flaked sails.

An electrically controlled fold-down transom creates an XXL bathing platform suited to swimming and lounging. The twin steering wheels have flip-up foot cleats at the helms. The coachroof carries a steering pedestal with a GPS plotter.

Deck equipment includes genoa and gennaker winches, halyard and bulkhead winches, genoa tracks, flush hatches, hull windows, a rail gate, and an anchor locker with a bow roller. A foldable XXL cockpit table and the mainsheet system complete the standard cruising kit.

Known Issues

Ventilation in the aft staterooms is limited, a notable shortcoming in an interior otherwise generous with light and space.

The outboard shroud position also makes a large overlapping genoa impractical. That limits the light-air sail plan to the standard 110 percent jib and the optional gennaker.

The Verdict

The Cruiser 46 is a well-engineered evolution of the Cruiser 45, with a stiff, Airex-cored hull, a flexible forward cabin, and a deck arranged for short-handed cruising. Its handling is crisp for a 46-footer, and engine access from the front and sides is genuinely good. Limited airflow in the aft cabins and the restriction on overlapping genoas are the main trade-offs.

Pros