Built from 2005 through 2015, the Cruiser 50 has the blocky but sculpted profile and beam-forward geometry typical of her generation of cruising yachts.
Design and Construction
Farr gave the Cruiser 50 a fairly fine entry, broad shoulders, and beam carried aft. Generous freeboard, very short overhangs, and substantial beam extending to the stern create plenty of volume. Her length-to-beam ratio is 3.34, while a displacement-to-length ratio of 149.8 makes it fair, by today’s standards, to call her a moderate-displacement 50-footer.
Below the waterline, the hull is solid hand-laid polyester and glass, with gelcoat and an outboard layer of vinylester resin. Above the waterline, it uses a glass-and-foam sandwich. The cored deck has embedded aluminum backing plates at hardware locations.
A watertight bulkhead sits just aft of the deep bow chain locker. The large cockpit opens through a transom door to a swim step and an electrically powered fold-down platform.
Rig, Sailing, and Handling
The rig is conventional by today’s standards: a double-spreader Seldén rig with an in-mast furling mainsail and the mainsheet mounted well forward on the boom. A 106-percent genoa sets on a Furlex furler. Jib tracks run along the top of the cabintrunk and lead aft to electric winches on the cockpit coamings.
In 9 knots of true wind, the Cruiser 50 reached just under 7 knots and tacked through 85 degrees. Her generous sail area provides decent light-air performance. Twin rudders, rack-and-pinion steering, and twin pedestals give her precise control. At the cockpit’s aft end, the pedestals are flanked by a split backstay.
Under power, the 75-horsepower Volvo produced a respectable 7.6 knots at 2,200 rpm and 8.5 knots or better at wide-open throttle. The boat can also spin within one and a half of her own length.
Accommodations
Bavaria offered three layout choices, and the tested four-cabin version shows how effectively the boat’s volume is used. Aft, mirror-image double quarter cabins each have their own head. In the three-cabin arrangement, the starboard head has a shower stall, while the port head does not.
Moving forward along the port side, there’s a navigation station followed by a long galley with ample counter space. Opposite, the starboard dinette is large.
The owner’s cabin forward is particularly spacious and includes an office area to port. In one layout, that office becomes a Pullman cabin. The four-cabin version divides the large forward area into two double cabins. Bavaria also offered a five-cabin model with a split V-berth, a shared forward head, and a cabin fitted with two bunks.
Natural light and ventilation come through 17 opening hatches and 12 ports, including flush deck hatches, cabintrunk ports, and hull deadlights.
Verdict
The Bavaria Cruiser 50 is a thoughtfully engineered, spacious cruiser that sails better than her beam might suggest. She also offers remarkable layout flexibility for a production 50-footer. Farr’s hull and the boat’s moderate displacement give her genuine performance, while details such as the watertight bulkhead reflect sensible cruising priorities.
Pros
- Performance-cruiser hull with a fine entry and beam carried aft for volume and control
- Layouts with three to five cabins, including a very spacious owner’s cabin with an office
- Strong light-air performance from generous sail area
- Handy under power, with a tight turning radius
- Foam-cored deck with aluminum backing plates
- Forward watertight bulkhead
Cons
- Blocky profile may not appeal to traditionalists
- Port aft head lacks a shower stall in the three-cabin layout
- In-mast furling mainsail limits sail-shape tuning compared with a slab-reefed rig
