Bavaria 33 Sport and 33 HT, a Used Sportscruiser Guide

Bavaria 33 Sport, the successor to a best-seller

The Bavaria 33 Sport arrived in spring 2007 with a hard act to follow. It replaced the Bavaria 32 Sport, which UK dealer Ancasta described as its best-selling model after four years of very successful production. Motor Boat and Yachting reported that the new boat was 20 centimeters longer and 25 centimeters wider than the 32, and that Bavaria used the extra space for a separate door to the forward cabin and an aft cabin with two single berths. Like the 32, it came as an open Sport or as an HT with a hardtop.

Factory data from 2009 gives 10.40 meters, or 34 feet 1 inch, overall on a 9.96-meter hull, with a 3.45-meter (11 foot 4 inch) beam. The open boat weighs from about 5,800 kilograms and the HT from about 6,100 kilograms depending on engines. Draft is about 2 feet 11 inches with the drives down. The boat is rated for eight people, carries 520 liters (137 gallons) of fuel and 120 liters (32 gallons) of water, and stands about 10 feet above the waterline in open form.

Open Sport or 33 HT

The choice between the two versions is mostly about climate. The open Sport is the lighter boat and the better one for warm-water day trips, with a lower 3.05-meter air draft. The 33 HT adds a fixed hardtop, raising air draft to about 3.20 meters and adding around 300 kilograms, and it gives shade and rain protection over the helm and cockpit without the flapping canvas of a bimini. In cooler climates and for spring and fall boating, the hardtop is the more practical choice.

For a US buyer in Florida, the Gulf or the Chesapeake, either works. Check whether an HT has an opening sunroof panel or canvas section, and look for leaks where the hardtop meets the windscreen frame.

Five engine packages, and which one to buy

Bavaria offered the 33 with an unusually wide engine list. In 2009 the petrol choices were twin Volvo Penta 4.3 GXi V6s of 225 hp with DPS Duoprop drives, twin Volvo 5.7 GXi V8s of 320 hp, twin MerCruiser 5.0 MPI V8s of 260 hp or twin MerCruiser 350 Mag V8s of 300 hp, both with Bravo III drives. The diesel option was twin Volvo Penta D3-190s with DPS drives. MBY's launch report put top speed with the D3 diesels at around 33 knots.

For most buyers the diesels are the ones to own. They burn less fuel, have more torque for cruising at moderate speeds, carry lower fire risk and are what the European resale market wants. Several boats have since been repowered; one 2008 boat on the market in 2026 had twin D3-220s fitted in 2020. Petrol boats are cheaper to buy and the V8s are fast, but at sportscruiser speeds their fuel bill climbs quickly.

We have not found a published fuel-burn table for the 33 Sport, so treat any figures in a listing as owner estimates and log your own consumption on a sea trial.

• 2 x Volvo Penta 4.3 GXi petrol, 225 hp, DPS
• 2 x Volvo Penta 5.7 GXi petrol, 320 hp, DPS
• 2 x MerCruiser 5.0 MPI petrol, 260 hp, Bravo III
• 2 x MerCruiser 350 Mag petrol, 300 hp, Bravo III
• 2 x Volvo Penta D3-190 diesel, DPS

Two cabins in 34 feet

Below, the 33 Sport follows the familiar European sportscruiser recipe. Forward is a double cabin with its own door, a feature the 32 lacked, so the forward berth no longer doubles as part of the saloon. Under the cockpit is the aft cabin with two single berths, which suits children or two friends better than a couple. Bavaria's 2009 data lists two cabins, four berths and about 1.90 meters, close to 6 feet 3 inches, of cabin headroom; the galley, saloon seating and heads share the space between the two cabins, so check the exact arrangement on any boat you view.

On deck the emphasis is on the cockpit and a generous bathing platform, which owners and brokers single out as the boat's best entertaining space. The layout is designed for day trips and weekends for two couples rather than long cruises.

Living with sterndrives

Every 33 Sport uses sterndrives, either Volvo DPS Duoprop or MerCruiser Bravo III, both counter-rotating twin-prop designs that give good grip and handling. They are also the most maintenance-intensive part of the boat. Bellows, gimbal bearings, U-joints, oil seals and anodes need regular attention, and the drives should come out of the water or be serviced on a strict schedule if the boat is kept in salt water.

Budget around $12,000 to $25,000 a year to run a 33 Sport in the US, excluding fuel, covering a slip, insurance, annual drive and engine service, bottom paint and winter storage where needed. Drive overhauls can easily run several thousand dollars each, so ask for invoices.

Finding a Bavaria 33 Sport in the US

Bavaria built far more motorboats for Europe than for North America, so most 33 Sports are in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and the Mediterranean. In 2026 UK listings ranged from £79,950 for a repowered 2008 open boat to £89,950 for a 2009 HT with twin D3-190s. Importing one is possible, but factor in transport, US compliance checks for electrical and fuel systems, and the fact that European boats often have 230-volt shore power.

Watch the names in listings carefully. Bavaria later built the Sport 34 from 2011, the Sport 330 from 2015, then the S33 and, in 2023, the SR33, and brokers sometimes describe a newer S33 HT as a 33 Sport HT. A 2018 boat with a single large diesel is from a later generation, not a 33 Sport of this era.

From 33 Sport to Sport 34 and S33

The 33 Sport was still in Bavaria's range in January 2010 alongside the Sport 28, 30, 38 and 42. The Bavaria 34 Sport was previewed in early 2011 and tested by Motor Boats Monthly as the Sport 34 HT later that year, effectively replacing the 33. If you like the concept but want a newer boat, the Sport 34 and the later S33 are the natural next steps, at higher prices.