Bavaria – nowhere near the sea!

by John Curnow on 1 Dec 2015 Bayern, the magnificent German State is a decent plane ride from the ocean, but does own some killer mountain views. Now the yacht builder takes its name from its home State, but obviously it too is nowhere near the sea. Actually it is closer to the centre of Germany, in between Frankfurt am Main and Nuremberg, above Stuttgart and just below Würzburg. Giebelstadt is in Lower Franconia, which is right in the top part of Bavaria.

Got you thinking, ‘How would they know about boats? Goats maybe and their cars have dominated for decades…’ Fair enough assumption on the face of it, however, and that is just the trap. After all, this is Germany; home of technology, engineering, construction quality and quite possibly the phrase, form follows function. Yes the Teutonic giant can do nearly anything when they put their mind to it.

Maybe, just maybe, they thought about the lack of salt air in upper Bavaria when they commenced operations at their 70,000m2, all-under-the-one-roof factory back in 1978. So they were the first to deploy CNC milling and routing and over time just kept adding to world-renowned German engineering, innovation and R&D.

Today, all Bavaria’s yachts are penned by Farr and the interiors are handled by Design Unlimited UK, so you get grace, a dollop of pace, plenty of space and a certain air of relaxation and comfort that can only come from careful and considerate design in the first place.

Deutsche Qualität.
They are constructed from foam sandwich, have a ladder frame in the bottom of the hull to take all the keel and rig loads, with significant bulkheads also adding to the rigidity of the complete vessel. They use extra keel bolts, both screw and bond the hull and deck together, and every craft has a collision bulkhead up for’ard, which is normally only mandatory in Cat0 racing craft.

Technology now also extends to after sales service with owners manuals, parts and maintenance guides, along with product/sailor education and how to information all presented online and in real time. Unique QR codes to each and every vessel means you can find out how operate a component, order a new part or learn to sail better, right from your Smartphone. You can even phone in and get help at any stage, and should you have taken delivery in Europe, language won’t even be a problem, for there are over 30 to choose from.

By working with the world’s best suppliers of rigging, machinery and fittings, high quality componentry, much of it bespoke and tailored exclusively to the boat’s needs, is another way a Bavaria stands apart.

So with over 700 sold here in Australia there are plenty of sailors who already know and appreciate the difference. Andy Howden is a Director of the local importers, www.ensignbrokers.com.au. “This design and production process is unique to Bavaria. In turn it allows Bavaria to build better, stronger and more completely appointed boats for less money than their competitors, as a direct result of a high efficiency and minimal labour content. Overall, you get better quality and faster build times! Bavaria have China proofed themselves in build costs, but maintained second to none German quality.”

Love my boat!
“What we’re doing here in Australia is concentrating on after sales service and exceeding client expectation in every opportunity, by tailoring a package to suit any owner, whether they be first time owners, charter or accomplished world sailors. We thrive on customisation to suit any particular buyer, and also the fact that we want every owner to love their boat and their experience with our company, equally.”

Howden added, “I have been involved with Bavaria for over 15 years and seen not only the brand grow, but also the changes in both the types of boats we now make and also the customers we attract. Liveability is now the key function, so yes, form still follows function, it’s just a different criterion that is pursued now. Cruisers spend 80+% of their time on anchor and there is less focus on the passage making itself. Our boats are still built to take it on, but it is no longer the right of passage to becoming a cruiser to have been belted all over the world.”

“Going back to the ‘90s and even early 2000s the notion was still that you had to take it on, so below decks was a bit of a rabbit warren, so that you had something to lean on or grab hold of. The technology of sails, sail and running rigging handling, along with electronic navigation has allowed for open plan spaces and also, bigger boats. Furlers and bow thrusters operated by button and joystick has made it easier for all ages and experience levels to be able to perform the required tasks aboard.”

“Today’s technology also allows for simpler and faster access to weather forecasting, and when combined with the points above it makes the coastal or blue water passage much more attainable and safer than in decades past. On average, the boats that people buy now have gotten larger, are better appointed, and are also travelling further with less experienced crew than ever before. The world has become a smaller place! When bundled all together, it can make your first passage seem much less daunting”, Howden said from clearly first-hand experience.

Coming down the mountain…
Someone else who resides nowhere near the sea, but adores his Bavaria, well Bavarias as it turns out, is Rod Reid. “I had been around boats for quite a while and used to charter them a lot, even drove my wife completely crazy going to boat shows and marinas all the time. Yet it was not until 2006 that the ability to own our first craft materialised. After all the research of those earlier times, we settled quickly on a new Bavaria 31, which we named Sapphire.”

“I wanted to keep the boat on Pittwater and was offered a berth to go with it, provided I let it be part of the showboat inventory. My wife also approved, simply saying, ‘Let’s do it. The kids are grown up, and if you don’t like it, we can sell it.’ It was these two important elements combining at the right time that made it all possible”, explained Reid.

Indeed his first three Bavarias were showboats, and as such, there was a new one every couple of years. In 2009 there was a 40-footer, Sahara, and then in 2011 he moved on to the new Farr-penned 40’, which he called Stormtrooper. As things changed over time, Rod and Yvonne began looking at their options. Critically, they chose to stay in the Blue Mountains, rather than move to the coast. As a result, they needed a boat that was far more like a modern apartment and a lot less like a caravan.

“I was looking around and found the new Bavaria 46, which is the first that is all us! Out of the mass produced craft, they are the strongest, have a reasonably fast cruising hull and don’t date so much, as with the other continental brands. I totally love the boat as a de-stressing agent after a hectic week at work. No matter how busy we have been, we can get out on Pittwater and have that gurgle from the transom – well I just get a smile on my face!”

“We are very happy with our Bavaria 46, Oberon, as she is everything we expected her to be. She offers huge interior spaces, a large cockpit and that big swim platform, which is just perfect for an Australian summer. We put our deck chairs there and get close to the water, fish from it, then the BBQ is also nearby and sometimes only go below to sleep.”

Big Blue
“We overnight on Pittwater a lot and also go to the Harbour. Currently we just don’t have the time for anything more than short haul passages, but are quite happy to use up the entire weekend on board. Longer term, I want to semi-retire by stepping back from the company and then go travelling to see Far North Queensland and all the places there. Fiji is on my list and I’ll even look at the Bavaria 51 for that, perhaps… Yvonne loves it when the sailing is more relaxed and I am keen to get into the big blue, so we’ll probably have to fly her to the boat. We’ll see.”

Reid finished by saying, “Whilst I was incentivised to keep updating earlier on, I would have bought a Bavaria anyway. Oberon is testament to that. I did investigate all the popular brands before settling on the new Bavaria 46, so can thoroughly recommend them to anyone wanting quality and strength.”

Now you do not have to come down off the mountains to get into a Bavaria. Should you be into detail, technology, workmanship, comfort and the peace that only wide-open spaces deliver, you’ll find Bavaria all on your own. To get there a bit quicker, simply see www.bavariasail.com.au or call 1300 609 900 to find out how a bit of German engineering and some terrific after sales service can go a long way to making your next boat an even more pleasurable experience.