Presenting BAVARIA 44 a true sailing yacht.
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
Like all of Bavaria's sailing range, the 44's lines are from the European company J & J Design. The hull is full-bodied, powerful and beamy, with a long, low-slung coachroof which looks good in profile and goes against the trend towards raised deck cruisers.
Construction is to Lloyds Register CE certification. The topsides and deck are constructed of fibreglass/closed cell foam sandwich, while the hull below the waterline is solid fibreglass incorporating Kevlar fabric for added strength around the forefoot and the keel flange. An outer layer of isophthalic resin in combination with a powder-bound layer of fibreglass matt provides protection against osmosis.
INTERIOR LAYOUT
Below decks the Bavaria feels very roomy. The forward cabin includes a very large and comfortable double island berth rather than a V-berth. The joinery includes five storage compartments along each side of the hull above the bunk; a system which is repeated throughout the interior. These compartments have doors which can be propped up and open on springs while you rummage inside for sunglasses or whatever.
Aft of the island berth on the port side is a padded seat where you can sit and relax before or after a siesta. Aft of that is a reasonably sized hanging locker.
On the starboard side is an ensuite bathroom with blue synthetic bench tops on the vanity unit and plenty of storage space, a big mirror and a Jabsco manual toilet. There is a fibreglass cover which can be pulled down over the toilet and used as a seat when you have a shower. The pressurised hot and cold water nozzle doubles for the sink and shower.
Moving aft into the saloon, the galley runs along the port side of the hull and is brightened by the use of the same blue synthetic surfacing on the benchtops as seen in the ensuite. At the forward end is a fairly shallow double sink, with a mixer tap for the pressurised hot and cold water supply next to a top-loading ice box, and then the two-burner stove and oven. Aft of that is a very big top-loading icebox with a 12V cooling compressor.
Cutouts and fold-away covers allow all of the benchtops to be used for food preparation if required. There is storage space under the sink, as well as above the galley in more of the timber cupboards repeated on the opposite side of the saloon and elsewhere. The curved galley front is something to lean against when moving around the saloon in bumpy water, and although there are no handholds to reach for up above, there is a good handhold on the back of the two-person benchseat next to the galley.
There is ample seating for up to eight or nine people on this benchseat. Opposite is a U-shaped lounge which curves around the large saloon table, and has storage compartments built into its base. At the forward end is a timber support base for the deck-stepped mast, adjacent to the bulkhead-mounted bottle rack, while the tie-rods linking the shrouds to the hull/keel structural grid can be seen to either side of the hull.
There's a big opening hatch above the saloon table, a dorade vent slightly further forward and additional light from the series of portlights along the side of the coachhouse, and the long, sliding companionway hatch which is clear perspex.
Glossed mahogany veneers and solid joinery throughout provide a traditional look which may be a little dark to some tastes. Bavaria's use of brown flowcoat on some of the internal mouldings (eg, under the nav station and the bunk bases) is certainly not to my taste, which would be for a lighter tone, but this is a minor quibble.
The sombre browns are lifted by the use of cream-coloured vinyl wall and head liners, floorboards with a teak and holly look and fabric for the saloon seating with a white suede look. This upholstery looks great while flying in the face of practicality; keeping the settees clean may provide quite a challenge. Covers will probably be made for use during club racing.
Aft of the dinette on the starboard side is a fairly large and traditional navigation station with a comfy benchseat and a large chart table. This area is set up with the electrics switchboard, which includes a voltmeter, 12V and 230V sockets for shore power and facility for battery charger, a Blaupunkt CD player, Raymarine RC320 chartplotter and an ICOM ICM45 VHF marine radio, all included in the standard issue electronics package.
Opposite is the main bathroom, which duplicates the facilities of the forward ensuite. The one thing missing from the Bavaria 44's interior configuration, compared to some other new cruising-orientated production yachts in this size range, is a separate shower stall.
In the conventional position under the companionway is the Volvo MD22L marine diesel saildrive, a 55hp model which should certainly not be under-specified for this application.
To either side in the aft quarters are two big double cabins, each with hanging lockers, wall-mounted storage compartments and open shelving, plus a benchseat for taking your boots off before hitting the rack. Light and ventilation are catered for with the inclusion of opening hatches outboard, inboard (to the cockpit) and overhead.
A four cabin version is available, the only differences being in the forward cabin. The double bunk is reduced in size and moved forward while the ensuite is shifted to the port side, to make way for a small fourth cabin with twin bunk beds to starboard.
ON DECK
First impressions on deck are of a big boat with ocean-going capabilities, due at least in part to the solid teak gunwales and bulwarks which rise towards the bow.
Up the front is a split pulpit, teak bowseat and large anchorlocker housing a plough anchor and 50m of chain. The forestay is set up with a Selden roller furler for the No 2 genoa which is included in the standard equipment.
The Selden aluminium rig is set up with two sets of swept-back spreaders, sidestays, lowers and intermediates, plus a backstay which is tensioned via a wormdrive unit, using a standard winch handle.
The standard mainsail is a fully battened set-up with Selden RCB Sliding System batten cars and lazy jacks which pull forward out of the way when not in use, as well as Selden's single-line reefing system. The boom is supported by a solid Selden boom vang.
The owner of this yacht has opted for a decent set of club racing sails from the Sydney Quantum loft, including a triple-reefed mainsail, plus non-furling No 1 and No 3 headsails and a symmetrical spinnaker.
There are substantial handholds along the coachroof which I tripped over the first time I moved around the deck, one of those traps you hopefully fall into once only.
The main traveller is positioned on the coachhouse in front of the companionway, with the mainsheet, halyards and control lines leading back to self-tailing winches either side of the companionway. When extra grunt is required, you can lead any of these lines back to the primaries, which are electric-powered Harken 48 two-speed self-tailers mounted on the broad cockpit coamings. The electric winch power is optional rather than standard issue, and it's great, especially when you're sailing short-handed. It's probably another one of those things that you don't miss until you've had it, and then find it hard to live without.
The deck hardware, such as blocks, jammers for the roller furling, and the mainsheet traveller, is mostly Rutgerson brand.
There is no doubt that the twin wheel arrangement opens up the aft end of the cockpit for easy access, while also allowing the steerer to perch comfortably to windward or leeward, as preferred. The stern can be opened right up to the generous boarding platform through the removal of a central fibreglass transom moulding.
The broad cockpit coamings are quite stylish and the teak-laid cockpit seats have big, deep lockers which can house all sorts of gear. Separate storage for LP gas bottles is provided under the transom seating, where the emergency tiller position can also be found.
A neat little fibreglass hatch on the boarding platform lifts up to reveal the telescopic stainless steel boarding ladder, and there is a cockpit shower with hot and cold water.
UNDERWAY
A fresh southerly wind gusting from 15-30kt gave us excellent boat testing conditions in Sydney's Pittwater. We began the day optimistically with the big No 1 genoa, which when goosewinged downwind dragged us northwards past Scotland Island at speeds of around 7kt at the lower end of the wind range.
The boat was manageable upwind under this headsail, powering along in the high 6kt range, but as the wind built there was going to be no reward or thanks in flogging the big overlapping sail, and we changed down to the high-clewed No 3.
Under this sail and the full main, the Bavaria 44 was happy and no problems to handle right up into the strongest gusts. Reaching at 100o apparent wind angle, it easily sat on 8kt plus, and the Whitlock steering was not heavy in spite of the chain attachment of a Raymarine ST6000+ autopilot (I wouldn't have noticed its existence if not for being told it was there).
Sailing upwind under this rig we sat on 7-7.5kt speeds at 30-35o degrees apparent wind angle or better in 22-23kt of breeze, holding pace but pointing higher in the stronger gusts.
The boat seemed stiff, we didn't have any round-ups at all, and it was comfy to steer from a seated position on the windward rail, or standing behind either wheel. When the boat heeled through some of the strongest gusts, I thought a strategically-positioned foot brace on the cockpit sole could have contributed a sense of security. But there we were slipping into race mode rather than more relaxed cruising mode, which after all is more in keeping with the spirit of this boat.
It was very easy to move around the cockpit, with the large centre table providing no hindrance to working and something to hang onto at times. Some rope bags near the companionway were badly needed to deal with the miles of rope we seemed to accumulate in the cockpit.
I wasn't crazy about the positioning of the Raymarine ST60 Tridata, wind and autopilot units on the aft face of the cockpit table, which seemed well out of the steerer's line of vision when positioned anywhere except sitting on the transom, but at least the big Plastimo binnacle compasses were well-located on the steering pedestals.
Under motor the Volvo proved very quiet (more than once I had a quick look over the gunwale at the water-cooled exhaust to verify that the engine was actually running), and it pushed us along at an effortless 8kt plus at less than 2500 revs, which could be very reassuring on some grim occasion involving a lee shore.
Highs
There's a lot of boat here for the price tag, with true sailaway specification.
Handling characteristics under sail or power are reliable and sure.
The extra interior space gained by moving into the 42ft+ size range has been very well utilised in the three cabin layout.
Lows
Dark-toned interior timberwork and brown fibreglass mouldings may not suit all tastes.
One or two rough edges down below mean the finish isn't to superyacht standard, but neither is the price.
Bavaria 44 ready to charter
source: www.boatpoint.com.au
