Bavaria 35 Cruiser, the Three-Cabin 35 Explained

Four boats people call a Bavaria 35

Type Bavaria 35 into a search box and you will find at least four different yachts, so start by identifying which one a listing describes. The Bavaria 35 Cruiser covered here was built in 2009 and 2010 and is the most common modern boat with that name. It shares its hull with the Bavaria 34 Cruiser and differs mainly in having three cabins instead of two.

The older Bavaria 35 Exclusive, sometimes called the 35 Holiday, is a J&J design of 1997 to 1999 with longer overhangs, about 5,100 kilograms of displacement and a 29 hp Volvo MD 2030. The Bavaria 350 of 1991 is an Axel Mohnhaupt design from Bavaria's earlier era. The Bavaria 35 Match is a separate performance-oriented boat with a different hull and rig. Each has its own market and price level, so do not compare their asking prices directly.

• Bavaria 350 (1991): Axel Mohnhaupt design
• Bavaria 35 Exclusive or Holiday (1997 to 1999): J&J design, 29 hp engine
• Bavaria 35 Match: performance-oriented model
• Bavaria 35 Cruiser (2009 to 2010): three-cabin version of the 34 Cruiser hull

The 35 Cruiser by the numbers

Bavaria's own 2009 data sheet gives 10.76 meters (35 feet 4 inches) overall on a 10.50-meter hull, a 9.20-meter (30 foot 2 inch) waterline and a 3.60-meter (11 foot 10 inch) beam. Light displacement is about 5,800 kilograms, roughly 12,800 pounds, with 1,460 kilograms of ballast. The standard keel draws about 1.93 meters, a deep 6 feet 4 inches; sailboatdata lists a shoal keel of about 1.57 meters, or 5 feet 2 inches.

Sail area with mainsail and furling genoa is about 59 square meters, close to 640 square feet, and the mast stands about 14.84 meters above the waterline. Headroom in the saloon is 1.87 meters, a little over 6 feet 1 inch. Tanks hold about 150 liters of fuel and 210 liters of water, roughly 40 and 55 gallons.

What three cabins cost you

The 34 Cruiser has a double cabin forward and one aft, with the heads aft beside the navigation station. The 35 Cruiser rearranges the aft end of the same hull to fit a second aft double, giving three double cabins and six berths, the configuration charter companies wanted for three couples. The price is space: smaller aft cabins, less stowage and more people sharing the heads and galley.

For a couple or a family of three, the two-cabin 34 is the more comfortable boat to live on. For anyone who regularly sails with friends, or who wants to put the boat into charter, the 35 earns its place. Cruising World's review of the 34 praised its mahogany interior, an easily worked galley to port, a proper navigator's station with a seat and large chart table, and a heads compartment with a molded recess for hanging wet gear, much of which should carry over to the 35, though the aft end is arranged differently.

Keel and engine choices that change the boat

Two choices matter most on the used market. The first is the keel. The standard bulb fin of about 6 feet 4 inches is the better sailing keel but limits you in the Chesapeake, Florida Bay and the Bahamas. The shoal option of about 5 feet 2 inches opens far more anchorages. Cruising World noted that the 34 Cruiser was offered with a choice of two cast iron keels, a shoal-draft tandem keel that had tested efficiently in the tank or a deeper fin, so check which shoal keel a given 35 has.

The second is the engine. Bavaria's data sheet lists the Volvo Penta D1-20, an 18 hp diesel, as standard, and sailboatdata notes the 28 hp D1-30 as an option. On a boat of about 12,800 pounds, the D1-30 is the engine to look for; Cruising World's US-market 34 Cruiser had the 28 hp Volvo. An 18 hp boat will be adequate in calm water but short of power punching into a chop or holding station in a crosswind.

How it sails

No major magazine published a dedicated test of the 35 Cruiser, but its hull, rig and keels are those of the 34 Cruiser, which Cruising World's Andrew Burton sailed in a puffy northwesterly. He found the helm light, the steering position comfortable with good visibility, and an all-around performance that might tempt owners onto the race course between family cruises. A demountable sprit for an asymmetric spinnaker was part of the 34's deck plan.

The 35 carries more furniture and people aft, so expect it to be a little less lively than a lightly loaded 34, especially with a full charter crew aboard. With a ballast ratio of about 25 percent it will want reefing early, which is typical of charter-oriented cruisers of the period.

Charter pedigree and what to check

Bavarias of this generation were staples of charter fleets, and Cruising World's review photos of the 34 Cruiser came from Sunsail. Many 35s therefore come to the brokerage market with years of charter use. That brings strict maintenance schedules but also high engine hours, worn joinery and upholstery, and sometimes keel and rudder repairs after groundings.

On any ex-charter 35, ask for the fleet maintenance history, check the keel-to-hull joint and the internal structural grid for cracks, examine the saildrive and rudder bearings, and budget for sails, cushions and electronics. Boats that have since had a few years of private ownership are often the best buys.

Bavaria 35 Cruiser 2009 and 2010 prices

In early 2009 Cruising World listed the 34 Cruiser at about $170,000, and the 35 sold for similar money. In 2026 we estimate $55,000 to $80,000 for a 2009 35 Cruiser and $58,000 to $85,000 for a 2010 boat in the US, depending on engine, keel, charter history and equipment. Yearly costs for slip, insurance, haul-out, engine service and routine maintenance run about $8,000 to $15,000.

When comparing listings, make sure you are looking at a 2009 or 2010 35 Cruiser, not a 1990s 35 Exclusive or a 34 Cruiser. The data plate, the number of aft cabins and the engine model will tell you quickly.

What replaced it

The 35 Cruiser lasted only two seasons. Bavaria soon introduced a new generation of Cruiser models in which a Cruiser 36 took over the mid-30s slot. If you want the same three-cabin concept in a newer boat, the Cruiser 36 and later Cruiser 37 are the logical alternatives.