Why is the bare name «Bavaria 36» not enough for a shortlist?

The used market holds an early 1998–2000 boat (later sold as 37), the J&J 2002–2004 form, and a later Cruiser. Read year and designer on the plate.

Where does the ~10.96 m length come from?

It is often length on deck (LOD). For comparisons take overall length about 11.40 m from the plate, not LOD.

How do the drafts differ?

Usual keel about 1.65 m; optional lead about 1.95 m. Same title, different shallow-water life.

Wet keel bolts, walk away at once?

Trace the water first: shower, bilge hose, check valve. Then torque and stud corrosion with the sole open.

Do Bavaria keels "always fail"?

Forums lump Match race boats, groundings, and ordinary cruisers together. For this form ask grounding history and look at floors and the joint, not a blanket label.

What are realistic Baltic annual costs?

Berth, insurance, winter storage, and sail/systems reserves beyond the purchase price. Plan on the order of 6,400–17,300 EUR per year; a major keel job or a full sail set sits outside that band.

Expert-reviewed · Based on owner reports · Updated weekly · FairHelm surveyor network

Bavaria

Bavaria 36 Cruiser

Name: Bavaria 36 Cruiser
Brand: Bavaria

You stand on the pier with a tape measure at the stern of a Bavaria 36, and the numbers do not match. The listing says "36", but the tape along the topsides reads about 11.40 m - almost 37.5 feet. A broker may call the extra centimetres a "bonus"; for the buyer it is the size paradox of the J&J Design 2002–2004 form. Until you read the builder plate, you have not chosen a boat - you have chosen a name.

Under one badge the used market holds at least three stories. The late-1990s Bavaria 36 later returned as the Bavaria 37. This J&J 2002–2004 form carries LOA about 11.40 m and an aft-cockpit layout. Later the market also carries a Cruiser sister from about the mid-2000s. Pricing them as one "thirty-six" mixes different hulls. Even a headline "Bavaria 36 Cruiser" on another card does not make this plate a 2005+ Cruiser.

About 10.96 m on cards is often length on deck (LOD), not hull LOA. Forty-four centimetres look small until they shrink the shortlist. Plate LOA and year first, cabin photos second.

Even inside 2002–2004, directories note different published figures. Earlier batches can show a lighter displacement and another draft than a later card near 5.5 t and 1.65 m. Plus two keels: standard cast iron about 1.65 m and optional lead about 1.95 m. One model title - different Baltic and Gothenburg marina access.

If it is wet under the sole panels at the keel bolts, do not diagnose from the dock. On some 2002 owners' reports the water came from a shower, bilge hose, or non-looped check valve - not the stud. And the reverse: a clean outer keel joint does not cancel grounding history. Forum fear about a "typical Bavaria keel" often mixes Match race boats with ordinary cruisers. For this form, open sole, grounding marks and invoices beat a class-wide slogan.

Charter weeks, bolt torque and standing-rigging age stay unknown until haul-out. We do not invent hull counts from another ad. This page is for buyers of a German family thirty-six who refuse to buy the wrong hull on a pretty saloon.

At a glance

Quick facts

Production: 2002–2004
LOA: 11.4 m
Beam: 3.6 m
Model: Bavaria 36 Cruiser

Key takeaways

Best for: J&J Design family cruiser with high Baltic turnover (2002–2004)
Common issue: keel bolts, deck core at fittings, and charter-exit wear
Typical price: volume cruiser value; reject LOD 10.96 as LOA

Technical data

Length overall (LOA): 11.4 m
Beam: 3.6 m
Production years: 2002–2004

Design history

Bavaria built this 36 from 2002 to 2004 as a German aft-cockpit family cruiser by J&J Design. Overall length about 11.40 m, beam 3.60 m. Notes also list length on deck about 10.96 m (LOD): another measure, not a stand-in for overall length.

The late-1990s "36" and the later Cruiser on the same market are already named above. Here keep the plate and the 2002–2004 window.

The keel is usually cast iron at about 1.65 m draft; an optional deeper lead sits near 1.95 m. Period engine: Volvo Penta MD2020-class with a saildrive (leg with seals). Hours come only from this hull's service file. Early and late boats can differ on paper weight and tank figures, so the year on the hull beats a stranger's summary table.

Typical problems

Buyer FAQ

Why is the bare name «Bavaria 36» not enough for a shortlist?: The used market holds an early 1998–2000 boat (later sold as 37), the J&J 2002–2004 form, and a later Cruiser. Read year and designer on the plate.
Where does the ~10.96 m length come from?: It is often length on deck (LOD). For comparisons take overall length about 11.40 m from the plate, not LOD.
How do the drafts differ?: Usual keel about 1.65 m; optional lead about 1.95 m. Same title, different shallow-water life.
Wet keel bolts, walk away at once?: Trace the water first: shower, bilge hose, check valve. Then torque and stud corrosion with the sole open.
Do Bavaria keels "always fail"?: Forums lump Match race boats, groundings, and ordinary cruisers together. For this form ask grounding history and look at floors and the joint, not a blanket label.
What are realistic Baltic annual costs?: Berth, insurance, winter storage, and sail/systems reserves beyond the purchase price. Plan on the order of 6,400–17,300 EUR per year; a major keel job or a full sail set sits outside that band.

Annual ownership costs

Cost item	Low (EUR)	High (EUR)	Notes
Marina berth	~1,600	~4,100	~11.4 m class, Stockholm/Gothenburg (from ~18–45k SEK)
Insurance	~700	~1,800	Agreed value; ex-charter loadings
Haul-out + winter	~800	~2,200	Crane and cradle
Antifouling + hull care	~450	~1,400	Materials and labour
Engine / saildrive	~450	~1,600	Volvo MD2020 class packages
Rigging reserve	~550	~1,800	Wire calendar age
Sails / deck / systems reserve	~900	~3,200	Sail inventory, windows, heater
Total annual	~6,400	~17,300	~70–190k SEK; excludes major keel campaigns

A deep market for "thirty-sixes" does not make ownership cheap: on the Baltic, berth, winter, and sail/systems reserves usually sit beside the purchase price. Planning ranges for the J&J 2002–2004 form in EUR (~11 SEK/EUR), Nordic yard practice and survey notes, not a quote for your marina. Full sailwardrobe replacement or keel-bolt campaigns sit outside the annual band.

Pre-purchase survey checklist

Pre-purchase checklist: Bavaria 36 (J&J, 2002–2004)

Name, plate, length

Year and overall length on the plate before comparing a Cruiser card or a ~10.96 m figure (often LOD).
Do not mix this form with 1998–2000 (later 37) or a later Cruiser without a hull number.
Which draft is fitted: ~1.65 m or the ~1.95 m option.

Hull, keel, wet zone

After a dry haul-out, map underwater moisture; note barrier or blister traces.
Open sole panels: keel bolts, corrosion, torque; an exterior joint alone is not proof.
If water appears "at the bolt", trace shower, bilge hose, and check valve before blaming the stud.
Grounding history; marks on the keel toe and heel.

Deck and windows

High moisture at chainplates, cleats, and mast step after freeze seasons.
Window frames and hull–deck joint for weeps common on 2000s Bavaria batches.

Rig, engine, systems

Standing-rigging invoices; undocumented terminals on ex-charter boats are near-term spend.
Volvo / saildrive (leg with seals): seals, impeller, exhaust mixer.
Heater, charging, and battery chemistry after winter storage.

Expert verdict

FairHelm rating: 7.4/10: Tape at the stern still reads about 11.40 m on a J&J Bavaria 36 (2002–2004). LOD 10.96 on cards is not LOA; a later Cruiser sister is another plate. Buy survey and keel-bolt record, not the nickname.

Pros: Wide German and Baltic parts familiarity, family layout volume, and a used pool that turns faster than Swedish semi-custom peers.
Cons: Charter-exit rigging wear, saildrive service gaps, and deck hardware bedding that varies hull to hull more than brochure year suggests.
Who it suits: Buyers who want volume and choice over Swedish finish and will walk listings with a surveyor before the deal. Unknown: true engine hours and seal age until service books open.

Vadim Nareyko, FairHelm Editorial, Last reviewed: 2026-09-10