Bavaria 37 Cruiser Review, Prices and Ownership Guide

Bavaria 37 Cruiser, a 2013 design still on the order book

Most production cruisers are replaced after five or six years. The Bavaria 37 Cruiser has outlived that cycle comfortably: it appeared on Bavaria Yachts USA's site in the autumn of 2013 at $190,557 delivered, was nominated for European Yacht of the Year, competed in Cruising World's 2015 Boat of the Year, and is still listed on Bavaria's website in 2026 next to the Cossutti-designed C-Line boats.

That longevity is good news for buyers. Parts, sails and know-how are easy to find, there is a deep pool of used boats from 2014 onward, and a new one is still available if you want a factory-fresh 37 without paying C-Line prices. The catch is that a 2014 boat and a 2024 boat can differ in detail, so read the spec sheet that matches the hull you are looking at.

What turned a Cruiser 36 into a 37

The 37 replaced the single-wheel Cruiser 36 as part of a set of five new Cruiser designs for the 2013 and 2014 model years, styled with Design Unlimited of the UK on top of Farr Yacht Design's naval architecture. Boating New Zealand's John Eichelsheim, who sailed one in 2016, listed the main changes.

First, twin helms replaced the 36's single wheel, which opens up the cockpit and gives a clean walkway to the bathing platform. Second, the 36's individual square coachroof ports gave way to long continuous windows that make the saloon far brighter. Bavaria's own description adds an extremely spacious cockpit, a long foredeck and a large fold-out cockpit table that doubles as a foot brace when heeled.

Spec sheet drift, from 7,000 kg to 7,450 kg

Over its long run the published numbers have changed, and listings often mix them. The 2013 US data sheet gave a 9.90 m waterline, 1.63 m shoal draft and a 7,000 kg lightship displacement with 65 square meters of sail. Bavaria's current data sheet lists a 10.20 m waterline, 2.02 m deep or 1.69 m shoal draft, 2,084 kg of ballast, 7,450 kg displacement and 67.4 square meters of sail, plus a bowsprit that takes overall length from 11.30 m to 11.81 m.

Tankage has been quoted several ways too. Older sheets showed 150 liters of fuel and up to 350 liters of water depending on options; the current sheet lists 135 liters of fuel and 180 liters of water. The safe approach is to ask the seller for the builder's plate and original specification, and to measure what is actually fitted before planning long passages.

• Hull length 10.90 m, beam 3.67 m on every version
• Mast height above the waterline 17.20 m on the current sheet
• CE category A for 8 people or B for 12

The charter boat that impressed the judges

Cruising World's 2015 Boat of the Year judges inspected a Cruiser 37 in Annapolis that had already spent much of the year in charter service. That turned out to be the boat's best argument. Mark Schrader noted very little visible wear, an immaculate Volvo saildrive at 127 hours and an emergency tiller you could comfortably steer from all day. He called the boat honestly done.

Tim Murphy pointed out that Bavaria's factory had capacity for about 2,000 boats a year, and Ed Sherman said the yard had raised its own bar in how current models present compared with earlier ones. The Beneteau Oceanis 35 took the Midsize Cruiser title that year, but the Bavaria earned praise for layout and systems installation, which is what matters most on a boat you intend to keep.

Sailing a 37 in the Bay of Islands

Boating New Zealand's test boat belonged to a couple who had moved up from a Bavaria 32 and spent six months a year aboard in New Zealand. It was set up for easy sailing: in-mast furling with a vertically battened laminated Elvstrom main, a bow thruster, carbon wheels on Jefa steering and an extra pair of winches on the coamings for a future gennaker.

The dominant impression was helm lightness. Close-hauled in 10 to 12 knots of wind, the boat touched 7 knots and hummed along in the six-knot range, helped by genoa tracks set well inboard. The double-ended mainsheet, jib halyard, outhaul and vang run through jammers to the coachroof winches, there is no traveler, and an adjustable backstay gives some control over mainsail shape. With short-handed crews, lines can be moved to the coaming winches so the trimmer stays near the wheels.

Under power, the 30 hp Volvo Penta with a folding Kiwiprop gave a cruising speed of about 7 knots at 2,500 rpm.

Two cabins and a giant locker, or three cabins

The two-cabin 37 has a large V-berth forward and a single, particularly roomy aft double to starboard; the port side becomes a cavernous cockpit locker that can swallow a deflated tender. The three-cabin version mirrors the aft cabin to port and shrinks that locker. Both share one head to port with a pull-out shower.

The L-shaped galley has generous counters extended by covers over the twin sinks and stove, and a top-loading fridge; some owners specify a larger three-burner gimbaled stove with oven. Opposite is a roomy midships nav station that will take a paper chart. The saloon table has twin leaves and drawers in its base, and the New Zealand owners valued that a couple can sail it yet still entertain eight aboard.

Earlier Bavaria 37s from 2000 and 2005

Two older J&J Design boats share the Bavaria 37 name. The first was the Bavaria 36 of 1998, renamed Bavaria 37 for 2000 and 2001: a masthead sloop of 11.55 m and about 5,360 kg with a 29 hp Volvo MD2030 and small 91-liter fuel tank. The second is the Bavaria 37 Cruiser built from 2005 to 2007, a fractional sloop of 11.35 m and 6,900 kg lightship with a Volvo Penta D1-30 saildrive, 150 liters of fuel and 210 liters of water.

Neither has the plumb bow, fold-down transom or twin wheels of the Farr boat. Search terms like Bavaria 37 2000 or Bavaria 37 2007 point to these boats, which trade at a fraction of the Cruiser 37's price.

Bavaria 37 price, new and used

Used Cruiser 37s ask roughly $95,000 to $200,000 in 2026. Early 2014 and 2015 boats from charter fleets fill the bottom of that range, private boats from the late 2010s the middle, and nearly new boats the top. A new boat is estimated at $215,000 to $285,000 delivered in the US, based on the 2020 European base price of about 111,000 euros before VAT plus later increases, options and commissioning.

Annual costs of $9,500 to $19,000 cover a 38-foot slip, insurance, a haul-out with antifouling, saildrive and rigging service. Construction uses isophthalic resin in the outer layers for osmosis protection, a foam-cored hull and deck, aluminum backing plates under hardware and a hull-to-deck joint that is both screwed and bonded, which helps these boats age well.