Bavaria vs Jeanneau vs Beneteau

[Cold_sailing]

Hi Everyone,

My wife and I are looking to get a sailboat this year (2024); we are living in North America, but, most probably, we will buy the boat in the Med. I’ve been checking the YachtWorld, and most models/sizes of sailboats we are looking for are in Croatia/Greece.

Our budget is around US $250k-$300k. We are looking to stay there (Med) for a couple of years while living aboard, and when the time is right, we will cross the Atlantic to the Caribbean. We are still looking for a European broker to help us (any suggestions?).

Our requirements are:
1 – All lines going Aft (nice to have) Most of the time will be my wife and me on the boat. This would make life easier to manage the boat solo if needed
2 – Swimming Platform (must have)  Easy access to the boat for loading/unloading and for having fun
3 – Twin Helm (Must have)  We are not looking for a center cockpit, not that we don’t like it, but it is a different boat
4 – Twin Rudder (Nice to have)  Just because of redundancy, once there are a lot of Pros and Cons here
5 – 100HP Motor (Nice to have)  is a Sailboat, but a bigger engine, sometimes could be a lifesaver.
6 – 3 cabins (Nice to have)  based on my budget, I don’t believe this will be an easy one, so ex-charter still on our list

The boats that we are looking at are:

Jeanneau 54DS (2016-2017)
Pros – Galley & Saloon layout / All lines go to aft / 100HP motor available.
Cons – waterline is 46’10 (smallest of all 3)

Beneteau Oceanis 55 (2015-2016)
Pros – Beam 16’ 4” (largest of all 3)/ All Lines go aft / shoal draft (5’1”) / Deck Layout.
Cons – 75HP motor / Most expensive of them ($$$)

Bavaria Cruiser 56 (2015-2017)
Pros – Waterline 51’ 4” (less than 10% of overall) / dual Rudder / Dinghy Garage / Galley Layout / Bigger Sail area / 110HP motor
Cons – Not all lines go to aft / beam 15’ 7” (smallest) / Builder reputation (cheap finish)

I don’t have any experience on these boats (charter), and honestly, I don’t want to spend three weeks of a charter trying them out. I’m pretty sure they are good choices based on size (not small, but comfortable), brand (production boats) and budget ($250k-$300).

So, if you have experienced 2 of them and could compare them (especially the same boats), I’d like to have a couple of insights.

Thanks all.

[TeddyDiver]

Check the winch sizes on them too.. I mean if some of them by occasion has larger and more stronger winches. They are usually undersized on these boats so some (private) owners might have choosed or changed them for better.

[Loredo]

I think the Jeanneau 54 went out of production in +/- 2008-2009 and was replaced by the 57. So a 2016-2017 Jeanneau 54???

[more]

Originally Posted by Cold_sailing

Hi Everyone,
Jeanneau 54DS (2016-2017)
Pros – Galley & Saloon layout / All lines go to aft / 100HP motor available.
Cons – waterline is 46’10 (smallest of all 3)

Beneteau Oceanis 55 (2015-2016)
Pros – Beam 16’ 4” (largest of all 3)/ All Lines go aft / shoal draft (5’1”) / Deck Layout.
Cons – 75HP motor / Most expensive of them ($$$)

Bavaria Cruiser 56 (2015-2017)
Pros – Waterline 51’ 4” (less than 10% of overall) / dual Rudder / Dinghy Garage / Galley Layout / Bigger Sail area / 110HP motor
Cons – Not all lines go to aft / beam 15’ 7” (smallest) / Builder reputation (cheap finish)

I don’t have any experience on these boats (charter), and honestly, I don’t want to spend three weeks of a charter trying them out. I’m pretty sure they are good choices based on size (not small, but comfortable), brand (production boats) and budget ($250k-$300).

So, if you have experienced 2 of them and could compare them (especially the same boats), I’d like to have a couple of insights.

Thanks all.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 54 DS was produced from 2003 to 2009
2016-17 dont exist. quality 2016-24 garbage,cheap. 2003-2009 good quality but nightmare for maintance
benetou bigest garbage of jeannau all model after 2008

bavaria 55-56 hand made qood quality only becouse is not produced in germany made,design in Croatia.also problem bavaria american owner hedge fond. buy bavaria not to make ship,but to take loan and play with stock.
hansa more garbage off all.

look on more 55 yacht, but you must double budget.

all boat in greec private or charter minimum 1 time annualy hard hit shore or ground rudder,italy take charter boat private italy is joke,maintance what is maintance put oil in hair who scrrew boat.

in Croatia ussualy super big charter company make good maintance,small you have.

i now in proces buying hanse 50 ft 10 year old after last 4 year nobody open door on boat,nobody start engine. for clean boat i need 2-3000€
this is under 200 000€ all slide drawer is for bulid new.

[Zanshin]

There's a reason that the Jeanneau 54DS was one of their most popular charter boats. Build quality was good enough to survive the charter business, the price-performance was great. It is more solidly built than the Beneteaus and Bavarias in your list. I've sailed both the 54DS and the Beneteau Oceanis.

Twin rudders don't give you redundancy, just more points of failure. There is just one steering system; if that fails then you lose steering on both rudders.

All those boats are roughly in the same class and size range. They will all sail well. I'd recommend going aboard and checking out the ergonomics, styling and layout to see which you like best.

[Rohan]

Originally Posted by Cold_sailing

The boats that we are looking at are:

Jeanneau 54DS (2016-2017)
Pros – Galley & Saloon layout / All lines go to aft / 100HP motor available.
Cons – waterline is 46’10 (smallest of all 3)

Beneteau Oceanis 55 (2015-2016)
Pros – Beam 16’ 4” (largest of all 3)/ All Lines go aft / shoal draft (5’1”) / Deck Layout.
Cons – 75HP motor / Most expensive of them ($$$)

Bavaria Cruiser 56 (2015-2017)
Pros – Waterline 51’ 4” (less than 10% of overall) / dual Rudder / Dinghy Garage / Galley Layout / Bigger Sail area / 110HP motor
Cons – Not all lines go to aft / beam 15’ 7” (smallest) / Builder reputation (cheap finish)

If you are looking for quality, I would slightly lean toward Jeanneau, however all these boats are by respected mass production boat builders. Their quality is not the highest possible but they are all good.

However 54 - 55' is a lot of boat for a couple, especially if you don't have experience! You really don't need one that big. A larger boat is more difficult to handle and repair. Plust costs are all higher - not just the price of the boat, but repairs, haul-outs, marina fees, etc and sometimes taxes. If it's just the two of you with no children, no pets, I would go with 40 - 45' range. You two would even be fine in 36' range but for liveaboards the extra space would give you much needed storage.

[Cold_sailing]

Originally Posted by Loredo

I think the Jeanneau 54 went out of production in +/- 2008-2009 and was replaced by the 57. So a 2016-2017 Jeanneau 54???

Hi Loredo, You are right, the DS is out of production, I was looking for the Jeanneau 54, that has a new layout starting in 2015.

https://www.boat-specs.com/sailing/s...54-shoal-draft

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Cold_sailing

Bavaria Cruiser 56 (2015-2017)
Pros – Waterline 51’ 4” (less than 10% of overall) / dual Rudder / Dinghy Garage / Galley Layout / Bigger Sail area / 110HP motor
Cons – Not all lines go to aft / beam 15’ 7” (smallest) / Builder reputation (cheap finish)

.

As a surveyor, the Bavaria is even worse under the "cheap finish".

[Cold_sailing]

Originally Posted by Zanshin

All those boats are roughly in the same class and size range. They will all sail well. I'd recommend going aboard and checking out the ergonomics, styling and layout to see which you like best.

I agree, the idea is to book a couple visits on the boats before take any decisions.

[Cold_sailing]

Originally Posted by Rohan

However 54 - 55' is a lot of boat for a couple, especially if you don't have experience! You really don't need one that big. A larger boat is more difficult to handle and repair. Plust costs are all higher - not just the price of the boat, but repairs, haul-outs, marina fees, etc and sometimes taxes. If it's just the two of you with no children, no pets, I would go with 40 - 45' range. You two would even be fine in the 36' range, but for liveaboards, the extra space would give you much-needed storage.

I agree, but the reason that we are looking for a 55ish is that my wife requires space and comfort, and from my side, because of the sailing itself.

I have 2 kids (with respective fiances), and as soon as I get the boat, they will visit and stay with us for 2 or 3 weeks every other summer.

So, even if we get 5 cabins, we will transform the 2 front cabins into one and the Bunk bed cabin into a utility room.

[Cold_sailing]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

As a surveyor, the Bavaria is even worse under the "cheap finish".

That is what I heard about it..

[Cold_sailing]

Hi, More.

Thanks for the reply. Just to be sure that I understood what you wrote (sorry, but English is not my first language)

Originally Posted by more

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 54 DS was produced from 2003 to 2009
2016-17 dont exist. quality 2016-24 garbage,cheap. 2003-2009 good quality but nightmare for maintance
benetou bigest garbage of jeannau all model after 2008

If I were looking for a Jeanneau, I would look up to 2009 and forget about the Beneteaus after 2008.

Originally Posted by more

Bavaria 55-56 hand made qood quality only becouse is not produced in germany made,design in Croatia.also problem bavaria american owner hedge fond. buy bavaria not to make ship,but to take loan and play with stock.
hansa more garbage off all.

The Bavaria 56, even the ones made in Croatia, is garbage, is that correct?

Originally Posted by more

look on more 55 yacht, but you must double budget.

That is the problem. I don't have the budget to get a Hansen, Dufour, or Grand Solei, even though all these are still mass production, and I believe they have better quality, so I need to stay within my budget.

Originally Posted by more

all boat in greec private or charter minimum 1 time annualy hard hit shore or ground rudder,italy take charter boat private italy is joke,maintance what is maintance put oil in hair who scrrew boat.

in Croatia ussualy super big charter company make good maintance,small you have.

My understanding is that Greece and Italy are not good places to buy, and I would agree. I chartered a Beneteau 43 in Italy (Sunsail); the boat was garbage. I got a Lagoon 40 in Greece and had issues with the main sail and other small things.

I don't have any experience in Croatia, so I can't say anything.

Originally Posted by more

i now in proces buying hanse 50 ft 10 year old after last 4 year nobody open door on boat,nobody start engine. for clean boat i need 2-3000€
this is under 200 000€ all slide drawer is for bulid new.

As you are in Croatia, I'm pretty sure you have many opportunities to find the right boat that is not even listed.

Do you have any brokers to refer to?

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Rohan

However 54 - 55' is a lot of boat for a couple, especially if you don't have experience! You really don't need one that big. A larger boat is more difficult to handle and repair. Plust costs are all higher - not just the price of the boat, but repairs, haul-outs, marina fees, etc and sometimes taxes. If it's just the two of you with no children, no pets, I would go with 40 - 45' range. You two would even be fine in 36' range but for liveaboards the extra space would give you much needed storage.

Let me guess: you have a small boat and are not feeling good when all around you have 50 footers?

A 55’ boat handles much, much easier than a 36’ boat. I know, I owned and sailed them all over the past 50 years. Even close quarters maneuvering is much easier with the bigger boat. Also, just a couple can’t do it? What do you think, a crew needs to go up the rig to deploy the sails? This really is just BS, the bigger boat is easier to sail by just a couple.

Yes, more expensive. That’s what it is about, right?

[Rohan]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Let me guess: you have a small boat and are not feeling good when all around you have 50 footers?

Ah... what?? I love large boats. I just wouldn't get one that size as my first, especially if it was just me and my spouse. A 45 footer would easily hold all the equipment you need and then some.

Now the OP has said he'll have other family members staying with them, that changes things a bit. It's still better to start smaller though. I don't know about the Eastern Med, but in the US, some marinas don't even have slips for 50+ foot boats. The mast height is also a barrier to getting under standard 65' bridges on the ICW. Sailboats over 50' long typically have mast heights 70-80 feet, unless you get an older ketch or yawl.

A 55’ boat handles much, much easier than a 36’ boat. I know, I owned and sailed them all over the past 50 years. Even close quarters maneuvering is much easier with the bigger boat.

That hasn't been my experience. Heavier boats are more steady in waves or stormy seas, but if you think they are easier to maneuver in close quarters - well....

If that's your experience, I'll take your word for it, but you seem to be in the minority on that one. In fact, we just had another recent thread about this.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Rohan

Ah... what?? I love large boats. I just wouldn't get one that size as my first, especially if it was just me and my spouse. A 45 footer would easily hold all the equipment you need and then some.

Now the OP has said he'll have other family members staying with them, that changes things a bit. It's still better to start smaller though. I don't know about the Eastern Med, but in the US, some marinas don't even have slips for 50+ foot boats. The mast height is also a barrier to getting under standard 65' bridges on the ICW. Sailboats over 50' long typically have mast heights 70-80 feet, unless you get an older ketch or yawl.

That hasn't been my experience. Heavier boats are more steady in waves or stormy seas, but if you think they are easier to maneuver in close quarters - well....

If that's your experience, I'll take your word for it, but you seem to be in the minority on that one. In fact, we just had another recent thread about this.

The smallest slip in our Florida marina is 55’. The ICW is for motorboats, sailboats 50’+ sail offshore. Our 64’ boat turns on the spot… without even a bow thruster.

The “a couple can only handle a small boat” is for boats that haven’t been built for 50 years. All modern boats can be sailed solo. It’s just old wives tales.