Bavaria S36 and S36 HT, Three Tops on One Hull

From Sport 35 to Sport 360 to S36

The Bavaria S36 started as the Sport 360, launched in 2014 to replace the Sport 35. At first glance it looked like a stripes-and-cushions refresh, MBY wrote, but the changes ran much deeper, as if Bavaria had asked Sport 35 owners for a wish list and worked through it. The most famous detail is almost invisible: every piece of interior woodwork was rotated 90 degrees so the grain runs horizontally, because vertical grain was associated with cheaper sailing yachts.

The lower deck kept two cabins at opposite ends, but the forward vee berths became a centerline double, the aft cabin got a longer settee, portholes gave way to larger hull windows, the galley gained better worktops, and concealed lighting appeared under steps, settees and cupboards. Styling came from Marco Casali of Too Design. With the 2016 creation of the S-line the boat was renamed S36, and YachtBuyer shows it in production until 2023.

Open, HT or Coupe: three answers to the weather

Few 36 footers offered so many superstructures. The Open has only a slim radar arch above the cockpit. The HT, the version buyers search for most, adds a hardtop over the forward cockpit while leaving the back open, so the cockpit runs uninterrupted from windscreen to transom. The Coupe, revealed in 2014 ahead of its UK debut at the Southampton show, closes the back with doors to create a deck saloon and uses a solid sliding roof that opens less than fabric but lasts longer.

MBY noted that the cockpit layout is identical on all three: helm to starboard, a large dinette to port whose front section flips to provide forward-facing seats, a wet bar opposite and more seating aft. That is why the Coupe works as well as the open versions despite its doors.

• Open: lightest feel, best for hot climates, lowest price
• HT: shade and shelter with an open-backed cockpit, the best all-rounder
• Coupe: lockable deck saloon for cooler or wetter cruising

Three living areas on a 36 ft boat

Boating New Zealand's test of an S36 HT summed up the layout as three living areas: the cockpit, an upper saloon a step up under the hardtop, and the main saloon below. For a family with growing children that means everyone can have their own space while staying together.

On the test boat the upper saloon had L-shaped seating and a table to port, a wet bar with fridge and sink, and teak flooring. The helm had a generous bench, a Garmin plotter as standard and simple controls for throttles, trim tabs and bow thruster. One seat back flips like an old train seat so guests can face forward or aft, and the favorite family perch is an upholstered lounge on the dash ahead of the saloon seating.

A truncated double forward and twins aft

Below, the boat feels larger than expected thanks to high topsides and full headroom. An L-shaped settee and table sit to port and the galley to starboard, with a solid-surface counter, twin sinks and an under-counter fridge-freezer. The saloon table converts to an extra double for overflow guests.

The master cabin is in the bow, with a truncated, diamond-shaped double that can be extended and hull windows for light. The aft cabin, tucked athwartships under the upper saloon, has two single berths that convert to a double using the settee cushion, plus a window and good headroom despite its position. The single head has a shower and its own window but no separate shower stall.

Single D6 or twin D3s: the power debate

YachtBuyer lists twin MerCruiser 4.5 liter 250 hp petrol engines as standard, with twin Volvo Penta V6 and V8-300 petrol options, twin D3-220 diesels and a single D6 diesel at 370 or 380 hp. MBY described twin MerCruiser petrols as the fast but thirsty choice and the single D6-370 as the parsimonious diesel. Most boats got twin D3-220s, which MBY called adequate rather than ample, good for close to 30 knots.

The New Zealand owners chose the single Volvo 370 hp diesel to save weight, maintenance and cost, with a bow thruster for close quarters. They had seen close to the quoted 32 knot maximum, and reported a comfortable cruise of 23 to 25 knots. YachtBuyer lists a 520 liter (137 gallon) tank and a range of about 231 nautical miles at 25 knots.

Ride and handling: solid, with a full bow

MBY judged the hull solid and capable, but noted that the full bow, which creates so much interior volume, can throw spray in a head sea. That is one more reason the HT and Coupe tops are popular in northern waters. Boating New Zealand found the ride comfortable in a bouncy Waitemata chop, with a dry foredeck and the single Volvo surprisingly quiet in the mid 20s.

Thick hull banding around the windows disguises the high topsides and lets the superstructure stay low without losing headroom below. Wide walkways on both sides, a high rail and grab rails on the cabin top make it easy to go forward, and anchoring is push-button from the helm.

A sailor's powerboat

Boating New Zealand's owner was a lifelong sailor who switched to power for speed, so he could reach anchorages quickly and still watch his son race. He chose the S36 HT because it fit a 12 m marina berth, could be run by the family alone and came from a German yard he trusted for quality. The family added an extended swim platform, upgraded mattresses and blackout blinds.

That profile fits many American buyers too: sailors moving to power who want something manageable, well finished and capable of a quick run to the islands, without stepping up to a 40 ft express cruiser.

What to pay for an S36 or Sport 360

Recent listings show a 2015 petrol Open at 159,000 euros, a 2015 Sport 360 with twin D3-220s at 168,000 euros, 2017 and 2018 HT and Coupe boats with twin D3s from 199,000 to 229,000 euros, and a 2021 petrol Open at 199,500 euros. That is roughly $165,000 to $255,000, with very few boats in the US.

Treat Sport 360 and S36 as the same boat when comparing prices, then adjust for top, engines and equipment. Sterndrive history, roof condition and canopy wear are the main survey items, together with the usual check of hull windows for leaks.