Jeanneau or Bavaria

[halcyonau]

Short and sweet which would be the better boat...

a) 2007 Bavaria 42 yacht sail drive twin steer self furling main and jib or

b) 2006 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42 Deck Saloon same specs. shaft drive

will be used initialy for med then offshore cruising.

Constructive criticisms please.

[MarkCK]

Jeanneau has the better reputation as far as build quality goes.

[Zanshin]

As a satisfied Jeanneau owner my view might be slanted, but I've looked into both Jeanneau and Bavaria boat with intent to purchase and it seemed that the Jeanneaus were more suited to my tastes.

I think that the "light build" that I've heard about Bavarias is exagerrated - the heavily used charter Bavarias that I've seen in the Caribbean all hold up well.

I had a 43DS, the previous model, and was very happy with it. The furling main is simple to use and you won't miss the classic mainsail shape unless you intend to race.

both Bavaria and Jeanneau are well-represented in the Med and getting spares or support won't be too much of an issue.

[nightowle]

Given that the build qualities should be fairly similar, I think it would come down to the relative condition and upkeep of each and the price at which they can be bought. And, of course, which one has the optimum layout, features, electronics and upgrades that you prefer.

[PCP]

Originally Posted by nightowle

Given that the build qualities should be fairly similar, I think it would come down to the relative condition and upkeep of each and the price at which they can be bought. And, of course, which one has the optimum layout, features, electronics and upgrades that you prefer.

That's a good advice and I would point out that you should try to find an owner's boat and stay away from charter boats. In many cases the best boats appear away from the Med, because it is in the Med that are most of the charter boats.

There are however some differences. The Jeanneau Ds is more airy and as a better overall filling and if you are going to stay a lot on marinas, it is a better boat. The Bavaria has inside a not so nice "look" but if you really search you are going to see that there are a lot more storage space. And when I mean a lot, it is really a lot

If you want to go offshore, big openings like the ones that the DS has are not a good idea. It would be better the other jeanneau, the 42i, that is more like the Bavaria, minus the storage space.

There is also a difference in Ballast ratio. The Jeanneau has 0,31 (it is not bad, some Oceanis have 0,27) but the Bavaria has 0,33 and that is very good for a modern big production cruiser boat. Some Bavaria have also a Lead keel (2.10m) that is far superior in many ways to the cast iron Jeanneau keel.

This can be different from boat to boat, but the Jeanneau normally has a 130L diesel tank and that is not much for a 55hp engine. The Bavaria normally has a 210L tank, and that's a big difference.

The build quality is very similar, but the interior of the DS looks better. On the outside both boats are good looking boats, it is just a question of taste.

There are however a detail that piss me on the Jeanneau. On the main head you can only use the bowl if the boat is on the right tack, otherwise there are no way you are going to be able to sit there .

Both boats have lots of options and those are very important to define the quality of the boat. For instance, both boats have special sails, being the special ones from the Bavaria better than the ones from Jeanneau, but being both far better than the standard sails.

This boat is already big, so if you are going to sail in the Med and have to manoever on tight marinas, a bow thruster is very handy and also very expensive.

Finally there is the electronic. If you want to really go offshore you will need radar and that's an expensive piece of equipment, so if you can find a boat with one.....

When I mean a well equipped boat, I am talking of something like this:

2007 Bavaria 42 Cruiser - Boats.com

Sometimes they ask a lot but the price eventually comes down because the price of the extra equipment is never valued as the basic price of the boat. If you are going to need the equipment, than it is a good deal to buy a boat already with it.

Regards

Paulo

[tdw]

I've often thought that Bavaria's are more harshly criticised than they deserve and have been something of a fan of the Jeanneau DS from Zanshins old boat's era.

My criticism of Bavaria has generally come down to interiors. Remember I am only talking of boats I have personally seen, there may be other versions I've not experienced. For me Bavaria try and cram in too many berths and they often end up with a forward v-berth that is too cramped for my liking.

I did have a look at a new Jeaneau DS40 at the Sydney Boat show this week and have to say I was very disappointed with the quality of the interior fitout.

[halcyonau]

Thanks guys i also saw a 2008 Bavaria Vision 40, which i am interested in. It has a approx draft of 6ft. Is there a huge difference in the vision series of yachts.



Cheers