What rig and sail inventory came standard on the Bavaria 37 Cruiser?
I'm looking at a Bavaria 37 Cruiser with an in-mast furling mainsail and a furling genoa. Was that the standard factory rig, and would a spinnaker or cruising chute originally have been included?
Answer
The Bavaria 37 Cruiser generally came with a fractional sloop rig, a mainsail and a roller-furling headsail, with an aluminium mast and boom and swept-back spreaders. Conventional mainsail reefing was standard on relevant versions; in-mast furling was a common factory option or package item, while a spinnaker or cruising chute normally cost extra.
Check the model year
Start with the boat's build year and original specification. Bavaria used the 37 name across different designs: the mid-2000s Bavaria 37 Cruiser and the later CRUISER 37, introduced in the 2010s, are different boats. Their sail dimensions and equipment lists are not interchangeable.
Brokerage descriptions often shorten or rearrange the model name. An advert headed simply "Bavaria 37" does not establish the original rig specification.
For a particular boat, check these in order:
- Builder's identification and hull number: establish the model and production period.
- Original order or delivery inventory: identify the standard equipment and separately ordered sailing packages.
- Mast identification and sailmaker's records: establish what is fitted now, including replacement spars or sails.
A factory option can be original to the boat without having been standard equipment. This distinction matters particularly with in-mast furling, which appears on many used examples.
Mast and standing rigging
The usual arrangement is a single-masted, Bermuda-rigged sloop, with one mainsail behind the mast and one working headsail ahead of it. The forestay attaches below the masthead, making it a fractional rig.
Common features include:
- An aluminium mast and boom, commonly supplied by Seldén.
- Two pairs of swept-back spreaders on the familiar 37 Cruiser configurations.
- Stainless-steel wire standing rigging, with shrouds supporting the mast sideways and a backstay supporting it aft.
- A headsail furler fitted around the forestay.
- Halyards and reefing controls led towards the cockpit.
Check the spar and furler markings before ordering parts. A Seldén mast does not identify the exact Furlex model, wire diameter or replacement component required. Equipment may also have changed during production or subsequent ownership.
Standard sail inventory
The basic cruising inventory was two working sails: a mainsail and a furling headsail, normally in woven polyester sailcloth, commonly called Dacron. The sailmaker, cloth specification and finishing details varied with year, market and order package.