Bavaria
Bavaria 42
You crouch at the leading edge of a Bavaria 42 keel with a flashlight, looking for the "Bavaria smile" - a sealant crack at the keel joint that forums talk about. Before you decide it is only sealant or a survey call, read the builder's plate. Listings often show 13.05 × 4.05 m and years like 2005–2012; on this J&J Design Cruiser 42 plate you want 12.99 × 3.99 m and window 2004–2008. Not an open catalogue to 2012, and not another "forty-two" under the same badge.
Year and dims come from this hull's plate, not a database with a stretched end. Some press ends the run near 2007; secondary indexes sometimes keep 2005–2013: the buyer trusts the plate and 2004–2008. Lightship is about 9.2 t. This Cruiser 42's aft cockpit is not another living pattern under the same number.
A neighbouring card can be Classic 1998–2001, a centre-cockpit Ocean, a Match (Doug Peterson), or a later Vision 42 (Farr, raised salon). One digit on the topsides hides different decades and different lives aboard. Two drafts share the name: about 1.80 m standard and about 2.11 m deep lead. A Volvo Penta D2-55 class engine is common; exact badge and drive type belong to this hull.
Until haul-out and paperwork: keel smile and keel-bolt torque, saildrive diaphragm and seals, rudder bearings, standing-rigging age, invoices. Baltic and Med liquidity is deep, but a cheap charter-exit listing without books is a trap. Iron-keel oxidation campaigns sit outside the annual berth band. Ownership in SEK often lands near 90–230 thousand a year before major keel work.
In the Baltic and Med this length sells often: compare more than price - plate year, draft on the plan, and keel-joint photos. A card that says "Bavaria 42" without a plate year, without draft on the plan, and without a keel-joint photo is not yet this hull's passport. A survey is not a formality: keel, saildrive and rudder decide whether you stay inside budget after the deal.
At a glance
Quick facts
- Production
- 2004–2008
- LOA
- 12.99 m
- Beam
- 3.99 m
- Model
- Bavaria 42
Key takeaways
- Best for: J&J Cruiser 42 volume family cruising (2004–2008)
- Common issue: saildrive service gaps and charter-exit wear
- Typical price: volume ~42 ft band; reject 2005–2012 framing
Technical data
- Length overall (LOA)
- 12.99 m
- Beam
- 3.99 m
- Production years
- 2004–2008
Design history
Bavaria built the Cruiser 42 on the J&J Design line after the Classic era: add two drafts (standard about 1.80 m, deep lead about 2.11 m) and a typical Volvo Penta D2-55 class. Classic, centre-cockpit Ocean, Match (Doug Peterson) and later Vision 42 (Farr) are not facelifts of this aft-cockpit cruiser.
Secondary sources sometimes end the series near 2007; open indexes stretch 2005–2013: again a plate fight, not a reason to invent production to 2012. Exact engine badge and drive type are hull-specific.
Typical problems
Buyer FAQ
- How do I read years if the card says 2005–2012?
Check the builder plate year on this hull. Model window for Cruiser 42: 2004–2008. Years 2005–2012 on the card are an elongated catalog ghost, not this series. An end near 2007 or open 2005–2013 in secondary lists is again plate work.
- What length and beam belong to this Bavaria 42?
About 12.99 × 3.99 m with lightship around 9.2 t. Figures 13.05 × 4.05 next to 2005–2012 are catalog drift, not this plate.
- Is this Classic, Ocean, Match or Vision 42?
Not if this page means Cruiser 42 (J&J, aft cockpit). Classic is 1998–2001. Ocean is centre cockpit. Match is Doug Peterson. Vision 42 is later Farr with a raised salon.
- What is the "Bavaria smile" at the keel?
A crack or mark in sealant on the leading edge of the keel joint. Often sealant; sometimes a cue to check keel-bolt torque once hauled. Not a failure percentage - survey this hull.
- Which engine and drive are typical?
Volvo Penta D2-55 class is common; exact badge and saildrive belong to the hull. Check diaphragm, hours and invoices.
- Which drafts exist?
About 1.80 m standard and about 2.11 m deep lead. The keel decides winter marina depth.
Annual ownership costs
A mass-produced Bavaria around 13 meters offers deep liquidity in both the Baltic and the Mediterranean. Expect berthing and wintering costs typical for its class, plus a budget for sails, deck hardware, heating, and systems, and a rigorous check of the keel and saildrive if it's coming out of charter. A low asking price without a maintenance log is a trap, not a bargain. The figures below are in Swedish Krona (SEK); major keel repairs or full sail replacements are not included in these annual ranges. Budget for approximately 90,000–230,000 SEK per year.
| Item | Low (SEK) | High (SEK) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berthing | 28,000 | 62,000 | ~13m class, Stockholm/Gothenburg |
| Insurance | 9,000 | 22,000 | Agreed value; surcharges for former charter |
| Lift + Wintering | 12,000 | 28,000 | Crane and keel blocks |
| Antifouling + Hull | 6,000 | 16,000 | Materials and labor |
| Engine / Saildrive | 6,000 | 18,000 | Volvo D2-class service kits |
| Rigging Reserve | 7,000 | 20,000 | Based on wire age |
| Sails / Deck / Systems | 12,000 | 34,000 | Canvas, windows, heating maintenance |
| Total per year | ~90,000 | ~230,000 | Excluding major keel/structural campaigns |
Pre-purchase survey checklist
Survey checklist: Bavaria 42
- Builder-plate year matches the card (not 2005–2012 as an open catalogue)?
- LOA × beam 12.99 × 3.99 m, not 13.05 × 4.05?
- J&J Cruiser 42 2004–2008, not Classic / Ocean / Match / Vision 42?
- Which draft on this hull (about 1.80 m or about 2.11 m)?
- Keel "smile" / keel-bolt torque on haul-out?
- Saildrive / hours / seals and rudder bearings vs invoices?
- Volvo D2-55 class on this hull?
- Do not take twin wheels or cabin count from another card as this passport.
Expert verdict
FairHelm rating: 7.5/10: The Bavaria Cruiser 42 is a J&J Design volume cruiser (2004–2008, 12.99×3.99). FairHelm judgment: reject 2005–2012 fixture framing; saildrive, rigging, and charter wear decide fairness more than brochure berth counts.
- Pros
- Interior volume for larger crews, German parts familiarity, and turnover that often beats Swedish semi-custom peers in the same LOA.
- Cons
- Charter-exit variance, saildrive service gaps, and deck hardware bedding that differ hull to hull more than model year suggests.
- Who it suits
- Families who want space and liquidity over Swedish finish and will survey seals and wire age before deposit. Unknown: true engine hours until service books open.
Vadim Nareyko, FairHelm Editorial, Last reviewed: 2026-08-29
Owner reviews
Share your experience owning this model. Reviews are moderated before publication.
- Weekend crew★★★★★
Spacious salon for our crew of four on short Baltic hops. We replaced older plotter and VHF before our first overnight outside the archipelago.