Design and Construction
The Vision 42 measures just under 42 feet overall, with a 37-foot-5-inch waterline and a beam of 13.29 feet. She displaces 21,605 pounds and carries 5,401 pounds of iron ballast in a bulb keel. Buyers could choose between a deep-draft fin drawing 6 feet 9 inches and a shoaler 5-foot-4-inch fin for thin-water cruising.
The hull is hand-laid, with an e-glass/Divinicell foam-core sandwich above the waterline and solid glass below. A fiberglass grid is bonded inside the hull and secured by the keel bolts, adding rigidity and helping to support rig loads. The cored deck and cabinhouse are attached to the hull on an inward-turning flange.
Overall construction quality is excellent, thanks in no small part to Bavaria’s well-thought-out, highly repeatable build process. In a Bavaria 42 Vision review, one tester noted that the joinery remained a little short of prestigious, with a few rough edges. Even so, the same review described the boat as a family-friendly, easy-to-sail modern cruiser with superyacht pretensions.
Rig, Sailing Performance, and Handling
The double-spreader Seldén mast is deck-stepped. In the United States, it comes standard with in-mast furling and a Seldén headsail furler. The chainplates are set outboard, while the tracks for the blade jib are recessed into the top of the cabinhouse.
There’s no mainsheet traveler. Instead, a double mainsheet tackle leads to blocks on either side of the cabintop. This cat-style arrangement keeps the cockpit clear, though it requires coordinated cockpit work.
In 16 knots of true wind, the boat hardened up to a 40-degree true-wind angle and powered along confidently at 6 knots. When cracked off onto a beam reach in heavier conditions, she easily topped 7 knots. As the true wind dropped below 12 knots, she still maintained a good 5.75 knots.
Under power into a stiff breeze, testers recorded 4.5 knots and 5.7 knots from the Volvo Penta D2-40 with a three-blade fixed propeller at 2,000 rpm. A fairly broad-chord rudder, mounted well aft, gives the helm authority in close quarters.
Cockpit and Deck Equipment
Twin helms come standard and lead aft to an extremely large drop-down swimstep, a Bavaria trademark. The swimstep has a built-in bathing ladder, while a shower stand sits beneath the starboard helm seat. Each helm station also has an oblong backrest attached to the stern pulpit.
Teak trim is standard in the cockpit and on the helm seats; teak side decks are optional. The side decks are wide and securely bordered by solid double lifelines and a teak toerail. A pair of solid stainless steel handrails runs along either side of the long, curvaceous cabin trunk.
Flush-deck hatches are fitted throughout. A small bridgedeck helps keep out errant water, and a grate-covered rope bin is set into the cockpit sole just aft of it. The folding cockpit table provides dining space and can also be lowered to form a berth.
The Vision 42 is available with Bavaria’s proprietary Dock Control system, which includes both bow and stern thrusters.
Accommodations
The Vision 42 is available with either two or three cabins and one or two heads. The tested two-cabin, single-head arrangement provides an expansive owner’s cabin forward. A spacious double cabin lies aft to port and can be divided into two generous single berths. To starboard, where another sleeping cabin would otherwise be, there’s an enormous storage area.
The companionway is offset slightly to starboard, which gives the layout additional volume below. Average headroom in the saloon is an astonishing 6 feet 9 inches. The dinette table lowers to make another double berth to starboard, while the navigation table slides down to create a short settee to port.
The L-shaped galley includes a small inboard counter to help the cook stay on their feet in rough conditions. Engine access is excellent, with openings deliberately placed to reach filters and strainers. The finish is excellent throughout, despite the few rough edges noted in the joinery.
Verdict
The Vision 42 is a thoughtfully engineered modern cruiser that trades symmetric tradition for liveaboard volume and short-handed ease. Farr’s hull and the bonded grid provide a stiff, well-mannered platform, while the deck-stepped furling rig and twin-helm arrangement make the boat approachable for a couple.
The two-cabin version, in particular, is a cracking liveaboard cruiser with stowage to match. The joinery detail isn’t quite at prestige level, however, and the cat-style mainsheet calls for coordinated cockpit work.
Pros
- Hand-laid hull with a foam core above the waterline, solid glass below, and a bonded grid supporting rig and keel loads
- Excellent engine access and overall finish below
- Expansive two-cabin layout with convertible berths and 6 feet 9 inches of saloon headroom
- Confident sailing performance in 12 to 16 knots of true wind, topping 7 knots on a beam reach
- Standard twin helms and drop-down swimstep, plus available Dock Control bow and stern thrusters
Cons
- Joinery has a few rough edges compared with prestige builders
- No mainsheet traveler; the double mainsheet tackle requires more cockpit coordination
- Standard in-mast furling in the United States limits traditional mainsail options
