Bavaria Sport 32 Specs, Layout and Used Prices

Which Bavaria Sport 32 are you looking at?

Bavaria has used the 32 name twice for motorboats, and the listings do not always say which one is for sale. The first was the Bavaria 32 Sport, built from 2003 to 2007 according to YachtBuyer and replaced by the 33 Sport in 2007. The boat this guide covers is the second: the Bavaria Sport 32, introduced when Bavaria refreshed its whole Sport line in August 2012, replacing the Sport 31.

The Sport 32 kept going longer than most of its siblings. When Bavaria announced the Sport 300 and Sport 330 in 2015, it stressed that the Sport 29 and Sport 32 would stay in production. By January 2017 the website listed the same boat as the S32 Open, with identical dimensions and weight, and it had dropped out of the range by late 2018. A 2018 Sport 32 or S32 is therefore the same design as a 2013 boat, with detail and equipment updates.

The easiest check is length and beam. The 2012 to 2018 boat is 10.06 m (33 ft) overall, 10.97 m with its bathing platform, on a 3.31 m (10 ft 10 in) beam. The older 32 Sport is a different hull.

Built for speed first, sleeping second

Bavaria pitched the Sport 32 as a driver's boat. Its own copy claimed speeds of 40 knots and more with the right engines, and engine choices running from 330 to 640 hp. That is a lot of power for a 6 ton boat, and it tells you who the Sport 32 was built for: owners who want a fast weekender that can also sleep four, not a compact family cruiser.

Unlike most 32 to 34 ft sportscruisers, the Sport 32 was listed with one cabin rather than two. The forward part of the lower deck is a saloon with a seating group and table that converts into a double bed, while the only enclosed cabin is aft under the cockpit, with two single berths that join into a double. Bavaria quotes 6 ft 3 in (1.90 m) of headroom in the cabin.

Forward saloon, aft cabin: how the layout works

The upside of the one-cabin plan is daytime space. On a rainy afternoon at anchor the forward saloon is a real place to sit and eat rather than a bed with a cushion on it, and the galley and single head sit amidships between the two areas. Bavaria's standard spec included six opening hull windows with blinds, so the lower deck is brighter than the exterior suggests.

The downside is privacy. If two couples sleep aboard, one of them is in the saloon, which is fine for a night or two but not for a week. Families with young children often like the arrangement: kids forward, parents aft.

On deck, the cockpit has a wet bar, an aft sunbed, a second sunpad on the foredeck and a co-pilot seat whose backrest folds to add a place at the cockpit table. It is a simple, open cockpit rather than the hardtop designs that later became popular.

• Forward saloon converts to a double
• Aft cabin with two singles that join into a double
• Single head amidships
• Wet bar, aft sunbed and foredeck sunpad on deck

Single diesel, twin diesels or twin petrol V8s

The engine list changed through production, so expect variety on the used market. Bavaria's 2013 data shows petrol twin MerCruiser 377 MAG or twin Volvo Penta V8-320 at 320 hp each, a single Volvo D6 at 330 or 370 hp, and twin D3-220 or D4-260 diesels. The 2014 and 2015 brochures list twin MerCruiser 5.0 MPI V8s at 260 hp each as the base boat.

For an American owner on a lake or the Intracoastal, twin petrol V8s are the simplest choice and parts are everywhere. In salt water and for longer runs, a single D6 is the efficient, easy option and avoids two sets of drives to maintain, while twin D4s give redundancy and the best resale in Europe. Joysticks (Axius for MerCruiser, Volvo's Aquamatic joystick for twin Volvos) were optional on twin-engine boats.

Published independent speed and fuel figures for this hull are hard to find. Treat Bavaria's 40 knot claim as a light-load figure for the most powerful twins, and expect a comfortable cruise in the mid to high 20s with diesel power.

Tankage, weight and a spec-sheet discrepancy

Fuel capacity is 520 liters (137 gallons) and fresh water 150 liters (40 gallons), which is generous for the size and gives a useful range at cruise with diesels. Bavaria's 2013 data quotes 6,000 kg (13,228 lb) unladen, the same figure the 2017 S32 Open page used, while the 2014 brochure gives 5,470 kg. The difference probably reflects engine fit, but it is worth knowing if you plan to trailer the boat or lift it on a marina hoist with a weight limit.

Draft with the drives lowered is about 4 ft (1.21 m) and about 2 ft 5 in (0.73 m) raised. The boat is rated CE category B for eight people.

Inspection priorities on a ten-year-old Sport 32

Many Sport 32s have spent time in Adriatic charter or on European lakes, so history matters more than year. Sterndrives are the biggest cost item: have bellows, gimbal bearings, U-joints and props checked, and ask for service records on Volvo DPS or DPH drives, which need regular oil and seal attention.

Check the cockpit upholstery and the iroko or optional teak flooring for UV damage, and test every hull window and hatch for leaks. On petrol boats, confirm the blower, fuel lines and bilge ventilation meet US Coast Guard requirements if the boat is being imported, and check whether the 230 volt shore power system has been converted.

Who the Sport 32 suits, and the alternatives

The Sport 32 is a good buy for a couple or young family who want a quick, solid German boat for day runs and short weekends, and who prefer a real saloon to a second cramped cabin. It is less suitable for two couples who want separate sleeping areas, and it is not a boat for week-long cruises with guests.

Its in-house rivals are worth a look. The Sport 330 and S33 that arrived in 2015 have a more modern cockpit and a two-cabin layout, while the older 33 Sport is cheaper. Among other brands, Jeanneau's Leader 10 and Sea Ray's 320 Sundancer offer two-cabin layouts in similar sizes.