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Hi All, does anybody know the smallest Bavaria deep fin keeled yacht to cross the Atlantic? or where i could find out?
thanks Ray
Ray
A good place to start may be the ARC Website. I know quite a few have done it the last few years but I don’t think any have been less than 40′ from what I remember of the reports I have read.
Cheers
RickRay,
A quite Sunday morning so I had a quick Google Search on ARC results and it looks like the smallest Bavaria to cross the pond is a 36. 2 did it last year in 24 and 25 days respectively. Now I have a 36 and can’t say I’d rush out and cross the Atlantic in it as I don’t like the idea of a spade rudder for blue water cruising.
Cheers
RickHi Ray,
What an interesting topic. Myself and my son crewed a 48ft Swan (16tonnes)from Main to Antigua via Bermuda about four years ago and I found myself thinking of how my Bavaria 34 would stand up to such a passage. We left Camden in Snow in November and had a good passage daysailing to Newport where we were storm bound in 55 knot winds. The pontoons in the marina broke up and we were down to the last of our mooring lines tied to the piles before the storm blew itself out. There was a lot of damage, the worst conditions I have ever known in a marina.
About 24 hours after crossing the Gulf Stream we had 55 knot winds which lasted all night and through the following day. The boat felt very secure under a small working jib, set on the inner forstay with the main lashed down. We set the boat up ready before the conditions deteriorated thanks to the owner reading the signs of gales on the way in good time.
It continued to blow hard all the way to Bermuda and we had to wait about a week before we had fair conditions to continue to Antigua. The conditions were so good you could have completed the trip in a dinghy.
I don’t think that my boat in standard form would be up to the job, but it could be modified to complete the passage. Firstly I would modify the companionway washboards and sliding hatch to conform to RORC regulations to prevent water entering during a knock down. I would take a good look at the rudder stock, particularly where it leaves the rudder and decide if it is up to the job or can it be strengthened. I would not set out without my autopilot, which fixes direct to the rudder stock, not the rubber belt on the wheel. I would fit an inner forstay and storm jib and fit an additional track low on the mast to set a tri-sail, without having to take off the main. I would look hard at the opening windows, hatches and through hull ports to assess their ability to remain intact in an Atlantic gale.
With the boat set up ready to go the main consideration is how fit am I and the crew to undertake what could be a very uncomfortable and at times worrying passage and i would not go unless I could trust them all with my life.Hi There
I have a B34 keel =1.35m which crossed the Atlantic
Rgds
Mike
ArtemisHi Mike,
Would like to hear more, what was the weather like and if you did any alterations etc.
Spoke to a yacht delivery crew in the caribbean 3 years ago. They regularly deliver Bavaria 37’s and larger from Europe to the caribbean. They told me that all benetau’s and jeannau’s are shipped over by the charter companies because of problems on trans ocean journeys.Interesting…………
Sorry I’ve not replied earlier been away. It was not me that crossed the Atlantic on my 34 but the guy bought it off he told me he never encountered any problems it took hom 22 days from Holland to St,lucia and he shipped it back to the UK. She had her Stem strenghtened, inner forstay installed for storm jib, SSB radio installed, Hydrovain installed, fwd water tank so 300 ltrs H20 strenghtened deck hatches, hook on points in cockpit, cannot think of anything else at present.
Rgds
Mike
ArtemisWe did the ARC in 2005 on my Bav40. OK, not the smallest boat to cross but we were certainly amongst the smallest in the ARC fleet.
Our prep included a careful check of the rudder but no added strengthening (in line with most other ARCers). We did make up washboards with some ply and we had the rigging checked too. We fitted a watermaker, duogen, SSB receiver, spare genoa (for twin headsail sailing), padded all chafe points and took loads of spares.
The Canaries to Carib crossing is generally a gentle meander with the trade winds. Obviously, there can be exceptions but I’d much prefer rough weather hundreds of miles from land than the same stuff on the coast.
A tip for cruising the Caribbean. Parts are easily available in the Virgins & St Martin. Other islands do have chandlers but you usually find you need to visit 2 or 3 islands before you find your ‘bits’. When ‘bits’ do arrive they go quickly because nobody can find them! Stock up well with the essential stuff.
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