The galley is well equipped but rather squeezed in and short on worktopMARCH 2016 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com 93USED BOAT TEST
OUR VERDICT ON THE BOAT
What’s she like to sail?
The Bavaria 34 is a comparatively light boat with the typical
ballast ratio of a modern production cruiser with a bulbed,
cast-iron fi n keel. She’s acceptably stiff under normal cruising
conditions, but wants the fi rst reef put in at around 15 knots.
She is reasonably quick through the water, although her
shallow forefoot can lead to her slamming a little in rough seas,
which slows progress unless you bear off and sail her slightly free.
On deck she’s well laid-out and the gear quality is above
average. Her cockpit works well short-handed, but with the
primary winches so far aft it can be a little tricky for anyone other
than the helmsman to use them. She has good quality two-
speed Harken 48ST primaries and single-speed size 16ST halyard
winches. Although the majority of 34s had in-mast mainsail
furling, she’s probably a bit quicker with the greater area of a
slab-reefed mainsail. Her steering is light and positive, with very
little signs of weather helm, even when pushed hard as we did.
The rudder does lose grip, however, if you over-canvas her in
gusty conditions.What’s she like in port and at anchor?
I confess I’m a traditionalist when it comes to yacht interiors.
I like plenty of dark wood as it gives the boat a snug feel when
it’s howling outside. I also like a practical, no-frills layout, such as
straight settees that you can use as decent sea berths, a forward-
facing chart table, a heads at the foot of the companionway
(especially with a wet locker inside) to keep crew drips to a
minimum and a galley that works at sea. This boat has all of that
and more. Headroom is good, ventilation and natural light is also
plentiful, and stowage is much better than in many yachts of this
era. She sleeps six easily – I like the lifting seatbacks, which make
the berths wider and are great for hiding bedding during the day.
Probably the only let-down is her galley, which is a tad too
narrow. It’s well-equipped and has what you’d need to produce a
hearty meal for six hungry crew, but you can’t grab another bottle
of tonic from the fridge when the chef’s preparing supper!Would she suit you and your crew?
She is an ideal starter boat for a young family, as well as an easy-
to-handle cruiser for a mature couple often cruising alone. She
is well behaved, predictable and undramatic under sail, neither
does she require a gorilla to control her sails or steering.
She’s also quite pretty, looks woody and well built below, has
(or can be fi tted with) most mod cons and is easily maintained.
What she wouldn’t be suited to without considerable
upgrading is long offshore passages – not because she couldn’t
handle the open ocean conditions with the right crew, but mainly
because she doesn’t quite have the space for the extra gear and
machinery most sailors want, especially the three-cabin model
that only has two shallow cockpit lockers.
If you’re mainly a coastal cruiser with the occasional Channel
crossing and nights at anchor, then the 34 should fi t the bill
perfectly. Furthermore, they’re excellent value for money and,
being so prolifi c, there are a good number on the used boat
market to from which to choose.FACTS AND FIGURES
■ Guide price £37,500-£45,000
■ LOA 10.34m (33ft 11in)
■ LWL 8.45m (27ft 9in)
■ Beam 3.47m (11ft 5in)
■ Draught 1.83m (6ft 0in)
■ Displacement
4,500kg (9,900 lb)
■ Ballast 1,400kg (3,080 lb)
■ Ballast ratio 31%
■ Sail area 56.2m^2 (604sq ft)
■ SA/D ratio 20.96
■ Diesel 90litres (20gal)
■ Water 150litres (33gal)
■ Engine 29hp Volvo Penta
■ Transmission Saildrive
■ RCD category A-Ocean
■ Designer J & J
■ Builder Bavaria Yachtbau
■ UK Agent Clipper Marine
■ Te l 01489 550583Bavaria 34
Would she
suit your style
of sailing?COASTAL
PORT-HOPPING
★★★★★CREEK
CRAWLING
★★★★★OFFSHORE
PASSAGE-MAKING
★★★★TRADE WIND
VOYAGING
★★★★★HIGH-LATITUDE
ADVENTURE
★★★★★GRAPHICS: LIZA SAWYER■ Website
http://www.clippermarine.co.uk
■ Owners Assoc. http://www.
bavariaowners.co.ukThe forecabin is very roomy with
a good, spacious vee-berth