Bavaria · Sailing yacht

Bavaria 37 Cruiser

The 37 Cruiser is the aft-cockpit sailing yacht that Bavaria Yachtbau of Giebelstadt, Germany, listed from mid-2005 until the 38 Cruiser, a new boat with a new hull, took its place in December 2007; the magazine YACHT dates production from June 2005 to November 2007 and counts about 850 boats, many of them charter boats. It is 11.35 m long, with a 1.95 m cast-iron keel or a 1.60 m shallow keel, two or three cabins and, in Europe, a Volvo Penta D1-30 on a saildrive as standard, with the larger D2-40 at extra cost. The US importer, Bavaria Yachts USA, sold it with the D2-40, the shallow keel, 110 V and hot water as standard. Bavaria’s earlier Bavaria 37 of around 2000–2002 (11.55 m, Volvo Penta MD2030) and the Cruiser 37 listed from 2013 are different boats, so check the year of build before you order parts.

Manuals & documents
Equipment & its manuals
Specifications
Good to know
On the marketplace

Manuals & documents

The links go to Bavaria’s own documents — some as archived copies of pages the maker has since taken down. We host no manuals or drawings.

Bavaria 37 Cruiser: technical data, 2006 (German) Spec sheet web.archive.org · DE
Bavaria 37 Cruiser: standard specification, 2006 (German) Spec sheet web.archive.org · DE
Bavaria 37 Cruiser: optional equipment, 2006 (German) Spec sheet web.archive.org · DE
Bavaria 37 Cruiser brochure with specifications and standard equipment (Bavaria Yachts USA, 2006) Brochure web.archive.org · PDF · EN
Bavaria 37 Cruiser brochure with layouts, specifications and standard equipment (Bavaria Yachts USA, 2008) Brochure web.archive.org · PDF · EN
37 Cruiser: US model page with specifications and equipment list (Bavaria Yachts USA, 2007) Spec sheet web.archive.org · EN
38 Cruiser overview: Bavaria announces that it replaces the 37 Cruiser in December 2007 (German) Archived maker page web.archive.org · DE
Used-boat test of the Bavaria 37 Cruiser with model history and what to check (YACHT, 2025) Boat test yacht.de · DE · EN · FR
BAVARIA YACHTS original spare parts: via SVB or a dealer, with the hull number Manual portal bavariayachts.com · EN
BAVARIA YACHTS Owners Club: registration with the hull number Manual portal bavariayachts.com · EN
BAVARIA YACHTS downloads: brochures of the current range only, no owner’s manuals Manual portal bavariayachts.com · EN

Equipment & its manuals

Standard equipment as the builder’s documents list it. Boats were ordered with options and refitted since — check what is actually aboard.

Item	Model	Manual / page	Note
Engine	Volvo Penta D1-30^1,2,3European standard, 2005–2007: 21 kW / 29 hp as printed by Bavaria, with saildrive and fixed propeller	Volvo Penta D1-30 Parts & service page	Two-circuit cooling with sea-water filter, hour meter and rev counter, sound-insulated engine room. Volvo Penta’s current leaflet rates the D1-30 at 20 kW (27 hp).
Engine	Volvo Penta D2-40^4,5,6,7,8Europe: option instead of the D1-30, 30 kW / 40 hp as printed by Bavaria · US boats (Bavaria Yachts USA, 2006–2008): standard, 40 hp, with saildrive	Volvo Penta D2-40 Parts & service page	The boat in YACHT’s used-boat test had this engine and a three-blade folding propeller.
Saildrive	Volvo Penta 130S^2,4,3,9,10Both engines: Bavaria writes only ‘with saildrive’; Volvo Penta pairs the D1-30 and the D2-40 with the 130S (130SR for reverse installation)	Volvo Penta operator’s manual D1-13, D1-20, D1-30, D2-40 (A version), with the 130S saildrive	Volvo Penta wants the rubber seal between drive and hull inspected every year and replaced every 7 years. Read the plate on the leg before ordering seals, anodes or a propeller.
Propeller	—^2,8Europe: fixed propeller as standard, make not named	—	The YACHT test boat had a three-blade folding propeller.
Winches	2 + 2 ST^2,5,8All lists: 2 self-tailing halyard winches and 2 two-speed self-tailing genoa winches, with handles; Bavaria’s German lists name no make	—	YACHT found the standard size-40 primaries too small for the genoa.
Winches	Lewmar^5,6US boats (Bavaria Yachts USA brochure, 2006): Lewmar winches, sizes not stated; Rutgerson line clutches, traveller and genoa cars	Lewmar Ocean & EVO winches Parts & service page
Windlass	—^4,2,5Option on the 2006 list: electric windlass with mounting base, make not named	—	Further options: a 15 kg galvanised plough anchor and 50 m of 8 mm galvanised chain. As standard there is only a bow fitting with anchor roller and a self-draining anchor locker.
Bow thruster	SP 55^4,11Option on the 2006 list: electric bow thruster ‘SP 55’, make not named	Sleipner spare parts list for discontinued tunnel thrusters, including the SP 55	SP 55 is a Side-Power type name of Sleipner, which lists the SP 55 S, Si and S2i among its discontinued tunnel thrusters; check the plate on the motor.
Toilet	—^2,4,5,8Manual pump toilet with holding tank, emptied through a seacock; deck pump-out at extra cost in Europe, standard on US boats; make not named	—	YACHT gives the holding tank as 70 l and advises that toilet hoses should be less than ten years old when you buy.
Instruments	Raymarine ST60 Tridata · ST60 Wind^2,5,6Standard: ST60 Tridata (log, speed, depth), wind instrument and compass; Bavaria’s German list gives the wind instrument without type, the US lists name the ST60 Wind	Raymarine ST60 / ST60+ Parts & service page
Autopilot	Raymarine ST6001⁴Option on the 2006 list	Raymarine ST6001 SmartPilot controller: operating instructions
Chartplotter	Raymarine C70⁴Option on the 2006 list: chartplotter with GPS	Raymarine C-Series user reference
VHF	—⁴Option on the 2006 list: VHF wiring with antenna, run from the mast foot to the chart table; no radio named	—
Heater	Webasto Air Top 3500⁴Option on the 2006 list: hot-air heater with outlets in the saloon and forward cabin, fed from the engine’s diesel tank	—
Water heater	—^4,5Europe: option, heated by the engine cooling circuit and an immersion heater, for galley, head and cockpit shower · US boats: pressurised hot water as standard	—
Fridge	—^2,5Insulated cool box with 12 V cooling unit, make not named	—
Stove	—^2,5Gimballed gas cooker with oven; two burners on the US lists; make not named	—
Gas system	—^2,5Self-draining gas-bottle locker	—
Water pump	—^2,5Electric pressure water pump with filter, make not named	—
Bilge pump	—^2,5One electric and one manual bilge pump, makes not named	—
Batteries	55 Ah + 140 Ah^2,4,5One engine battery and one house battery on separate circuits; an additional 140 Ah battery at extra cost (2006 list)	—
Charger	25 · 45 Ah^2,4,5Europe: charger on the 230 V shore supply, ‘25 Ah’ as printed, 45 at extra cost · US boats: ‘45 Ah’ charger as standard	—
Shore power	230 V · 110 V^2,5Europe: 230 V with sockets at the switch panel, in the galley and in the head, plus a 12 V socket · US boats: 110 V with outlets	—
Furler	Seldén Furlex^5,6,2US boats (Bavaria Yachts USA lists, size not stated); Bavaria’s German list gives a headsail furler without make	Seldén Furlex Parts & service page
Mast & rigging	Seldén^2,4,5,6Conventional double-spreader rig; Seldén mast and adjustable boom vang on US boats, Seldén in-mast furling on US furling rigs; Bavaria’s German list names no make	—	Options on the 2006 list: rod kicker with gas spring and in-mast mainsail furling.
Sails	—^2,4,1Standard: mainsail and furling genoa (67.40 m² together) · options: full-batten main with MDS system and lazyjacks, high-tech laminate sets for the battened main (70.8 m²) or for in-mast furling (68.7 m²); makes not named	—
Steering	—^2,5,8Pedestal with instrument console and leather-covered wheel, balanced rudder on self-aligning bearings, emergency tiller	—	YACHT measured a 100 cm wheel and found the steering stiff on its test boat, possibly because the autopilot could not be disengaged.
Hatches & ports	Lewmar^2,56 opening deck hatches with roller blinds, 6 opening ports, 2 fixed saloon windows and 2 fixed hull ports; Lewmar hatches named in the 2006 US brochure, sizes not stated	—
Deck covering	Teak^2,4,5Teak on cockpit seats and cockpit sole as standard; teak side decks at extra cost	—

Specifications

Versions	Two-cabin version (head aft, large cockpit locker) or three-cabin version (head forward) · Bavaria’s European specification with the Volvo Penta D1-30 and the 1.95 m keel · US specification of Bavaria Yachts USA with the D2-40, the 1.60 m keel, 110 V and hot water as standard · not the older Bavaria 37 on Bavaria’s site around 2000–2002 (11.55 m, Volvo Penta MD2030)^{2,1,5,6,8,12,13}
Years built	On Bavaria’s site by August 2005; according to Bavaria the 38 Cruiser replaced it in December 2007 · YACHT gives June 2005 to November 2007^14,1,15,8
Hulls built	About 850 (YACHT used-boat test, 2025; ‘more than 800’ in the article text)⁸
Builder	Bavaria Yachtbau GmbH, Giebelstadt (Germany)^1,2
Designer	Not named on the model pages; Bavaria’s 2006 site presents J&J Design, founded in 1983 by the Jakopin brothers, as the office that designs its yachts¹⁶
Predecessor	Bavaria names none. The 36 Cruiser was still at boot Düsseldorf in January 2005 and had gone from the range by August 2005, when the 37 Cruiser sat between the 33 and the 39 Cruiser (see the Bavaria 36 page)^17,14
Successor	38 Cruiser from December 2007: a new boat with a new hull (11.72 m overall, hull 11.45 m, beam 3.90 m), also with the D1-30 · the Cruiser 37 listed from 2013 (11.30 m) is another, later design^15,18,19,8
Length overall	11.35 m (US: 37 ft 3 in)^1,5,6
Hull length	11.20 m (US: 36 ft 9 in)^1,5,6
Waterline length	9.82 m (US: 32 ft 3 in)^1,5,6
Beam	3.80 m (US: 12 ft 6 in)^1,5,6
Draft	Europe: approx. 1.95 m standard, approx. 1.60 m shallow keel at extra cost · US boats: 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) standard, 6 ft 5 in (1.95 m) deep keel as an option^1,2,4,5,6
Keel	Cast-iron fin keel with a modern profile; the 1.60 m shallow keel is listed as a cast keel too^2,4,5
Displacement	Approx. 6900 kg unladen (Bavaria 2006; YACHT 6.9 t) · US brochures: 12650 lb in 2006, 15180 lb from 2007^1,5,6,7,8
Ballast	Approx. 2000 kg (Bavaria 2006) · US brochures: 4180 lb in 2006, 4400 lb from 2007^1,5,6,7
Sail area	67.40 m² mainsail and furling genoa, standard (US: 730 sq ft) · options: full-batten main 67.4 m² in total, high-tech laminate set 70.8 m², in-mast furling 62.5 m², high-tech set for in-mast furling 68.7 m²^1,4,5
Mainsail	Approx. 28.9 m² (YACHT)⁸
Genoa	Approx. 39.0 m², furling genoa of 106 % (YACHT)⁸
Air draft	Approx. 15.45 m above the waterline (US: 51 ft)^1,5,6
Engine options	Volvo Penta D1-30, 21 kW / 29 hp as printed by Bavaria, with saildrive (European standard) · Volvo Penta D2-40, 30 kW / 40 hp, at extra cost · US boats: D2-40, 40 hp, as standard^1,2,4,5,6
Fuel tank	Approx. 150 l, with gauge and diesel filter (US: 40 gal)^1,2,5
Water tank	Approx. 210 l with gauge; a second tank of approx. 150 l in the forepeak at extra cost · US boats: two tanks, 95 gal (approx. 360 l), as standard^1,2,4,5,6
Holding tank	Approx. 70 l (YACHT); emptied through a seacock, deck pump-out at extra cost in Europe and standard on US boats^8,2,4,5
Cabins	2 or 3; with 2 cabins the head is aft, with 3 it is forward^2,5,8
Berths	4 fixed berths with 2 cabins or 6 with 3 cabins, plus the saloon (the 2006 data sheet prints ‘2/4 or 4/6’)^2,1
Berth sizes	Forward berth 2.00 m wide, aft berth almost 1.50 m (YACHT)⁸
Headroom	1.90–2.04 m in the saloon, 1.86 m in the aft head (YACHT)⁸
Hull	GRP, hand-laid: solid below the waterline, foam core above it and in the deck, Kevlar in the bow sections, structural grid laminated to the hull (US brochure); YACHT adds an isophthalic resin outer layer^5,8
CE category	A (YACHT)⁸

Good to know

Check engine and keel before you order: Bavaria’s European boats normally have the Volvo Penta D1-30 and the 1.95 m keel, while Bavaria Yachts USA sold the boat with the D2-40 and the 1.60 m keel as standard. In Europe the D2-40 and the shallow keel were options, and US boats could have the deep keel, so read the engine plate and measure the draft.^1,4,5,6
Volvo Penta wants the rubber seal between the 130S saildrive and the hull replaced every 7 years. YACHT’s used-boat test advises that the saildrive seal, the underwater hull, the toilet hoses, sails, covers and running rigging should ideally be less than ten years old when you buy.^10,8
About 850 were built and many went into charter, so the type is common on the used market. YACHT recommends taking a charter history into account both when inspecting the boat and when agreeing the price.⁸
YACHT judged the standard size-40 primary winches too small for the large genoa. Before buying service kits or a bigger pair, read the size on the drum; the US brochure of 2006 names Lewmar winches.^8,5
The headliner is made of GRP frames with stretched panels that can be taken down, so the nuts of deck fittings and the cables are within reach, which helps when you re-bed a leaking fitting. YACHT found that some fittings, such as the cabinet hinges, are not corrosion resistant.⁸
Bavaria does not publish owner’s manuals online; its downloads page has brochures of the current range only. Original spare parts come through Bavaria’s partner SVB or a Bavaria dealer, who need the hull number or the model and year of build, and the hull number is also what the Owners Club asks for.^20,21,22

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Sources

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