# Pearson 323 or Bavaria 32



## Mercedes98 (Jan 2, 2016)

i'm looking to buy sailboat but i can make design on which one Pearson 323 or Bavaria 32 ?
I'm looking for more good and negative information on those yachts.
performance ,rigging ,handling, hole problems,living on board problems....
Thanks everyone for helpful inputs.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Going to go out on a limb and guess there's a significant age difference between the two?


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## Mercedes98 (Jan 2, 2016)

Pearson 323 is 1977 and Bavaria 32 is 1985


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

They are fairly different boats, I think. The Pearson is a deeper hull/shallower keel where the Bavaria is closer to the typical fin keeler. Don't have the specs at my fingertips but seems an odd pair to be " choosing between" unless it's simply about price point and availability.


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## roverhi (Dec 19, 2013)

Have always been suspicious of boats built where the only water comes out of a faucet.


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## Mercedes98 (Jan 2, 2016)

I t is not abut many. Pearson 323 is fully restored and have nice cabin, motor is serviced with all records.
Bavaria Cruiser 32 offers a lot of living space below, motor is serviced with all records, only need Interior wood touch up.
I can't find negative point on Pearson 323 or Bavaria 32 any suggestions from sailing neighborhood ?


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## krisscross (Feb 22, 2013)

Is that Bavaria 960? modern underbody with very fragile (bolt on) keel and rudder, 5.5' draft. Faster boat, but will pound heavily in choppy water.
P323 has a more traditional underbody, skeg hung rudder, encapsulated keel, 4.5' draft. Slower boat but more comfortable and safer in bad weather.
It all depends where you intend to sail and how.


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## Mercedes98 (Jan 2, 2016)

I t is 1985 Bavaria 32 Cruiser


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## Lazerbrains (Oct 25, 2015)

Pearson would get my vote.


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## krisscross (Feb 22, 2013)

Mercedes98 said:


> I t is 1985 Bavaria 32 Cruiser


Are you sure? According to:

Sailboats built by Bavaria Yachts (GER) by year on Sailboatdata.com

the only 32' Bavaria was making in 1985 was Bavaria 960 (9.6 m = 32').


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

If you are planning on living aboard, then the Pearson wins hands down. Will have more storage, and a better layout for living on not to mention it looks to have more standing headroom(at least extends further forward. If you were planning on day sailing the Bavaria would likely be better as it is a more modern hull form and preform much better. If I was going cruising, the Pearson for the same reasons above, and if I was day sailing and weekending, then the Bavaria would win out, as it will preform better and likely have more "bunks" for friends and family. the Aft cabin in the Bavaria looks big but is likely quite claustrophobic. I have yet to see an aft cabin I would sleep in on a regular basis in any aft cockpit boat under 36 feet. 

The Pearson is certainly a more traditional looking boat, and going to be a much heaver built boat. I was not been impressed by the Bavaria build quality I was on, but it was a later model (late 90's or early 2000's) and I understand the company has gone through some different ownership or at least different cooperate goals. The Pearson is 4000 pounds heavier, and has less sail area to weight so will take more wind to get it going but will likely be more comfortable in rough seas.


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## CJT (Jan 31, 2016)

Pearson also for me. I like the interior better as well as the encapsulated keel and nice combings up forward where you would be working with groundtackle etc. I also like the "deep" hull; looks like a cruising boat that could gobble up a lot of stuff. More cruising weight (interior ballast) would probably mean better "digging in" anyway. Like my P28 the longer keel, slightly skegged rudder and deeper hull does seem to make for better tracking. 
Good luck... an enviable "quandry".


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## sandy stone (Jan 14, 2014)

No experience with Bavaria, but the P-323 is a stout little cruiser. Just be aware that they were built with a V-drive and a "backwards" engine. May make a difference, may not.


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## SchwarzBart (Apr 9, 2016)

Guys I am so sorry to make an entry like that, but...

Isn't a boat from 70's, or 80's, hell even early 90's too old for buying? More importantly, is it safe?


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

SchwarzBart said:


> Guys I am so sorry to make an entry like that, but...
> 
> Isn't a boat from 70's, or 80's, hell even early 90's too old for buying? More importantly, is it safe?


Try telling that to the thousands of boat owners currently buying, selling and sailing boats from those eras.

Many feel the 'new' boats have lost some desirable features.

Even so-called 'crap boats' (ie poor build quality reputation) are still, in many cases, intact and viable - and CHEAP, so have their appeal too.


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

roverhi said:


> Have always been suspicious of boats built where the only water comes out of a faucet.


Well the Pearson was built in RI, they have coastline(granted not a lot since it is a small state, but pretty much the entire state is within about an hour or so of the coast.. Germany has coastline on Baltic Sea and the North Sea, and has a very long history of building boats.

Though I have never really been impressed by the couple of Bavaria's I have been on. I doubt they are much worse than any other production boat of the same vintage. They do seem to have had some ups and downs though. They have retreated at least to some extent from the US market, but seem to be trying to come back. I think the limited dealer network has really made it hard for them to compete here. (well that and the current boats are ugly IMHO)


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

SchwarzBart said:


> Guys I am so sorry to make an entry like that, but...
> 
> Isn't a boat from 70's, or 80's, hell even early 90's too old for buying? More importantly, is it safe?





Faster said:


> Try telling that to the thousands of boat owners currently buying, selling and sailing boats from those eras.
> 
> Many feel the 'new' boats have lost some desirable features.
> 
> Even so-called 'crap boats' (ie poor build quality reputation) are still, in many cases, intact and viable - and CHEAP, so have their appeal too.


Odd first post. Not only absurd, but seeming to only be there to provoke. I would say there are more folks who believe that anything built after the 80's is not worth buying than the other way around. I don't agree with it but there are lots of folks who preach older is better. I only want to go older because I can afford more boat (or boat at all) and because many of the best manufacturers are no longer around. (I really want a Kelly Peterson 44)


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## SchwarzBart (Apr 9, 2016)

miatapaul said:


> Odd first post. Not only absurd, but seeming to only be there to provoke. I would say there are more folks who believe that anything built after the 80's is not worth buying than the other way around. I don't agree with it but there are lots of folks who preach older is better. I only want to go older because I can afford more boat (or boat at all) and because many of the best manufacturers are no longer around. (I really want a Kelly Peterson 44)


I wasn't trying to provoke anybody, i was just wondering.

I heard fiberglass materials are having osmosis problems and also heard, older they are, bigger the problem. I see boats from 70's, 80's are going almost for free (around 10k$ or less) and new productions of the same models are selling for 10 to 20 times more. If they are safe to buy then why would anyone buy new? Market is already flooded with old boats. Don't understand that.

Mind that, i am a newbie. Don't own a boat yet. Just collecting information. Sorry, if i offend anyone.


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

SchwarzBart said:


> I wasn't trying to provoke anybody, i was just wondering.
> 
> I heard fiberglass materials are having osmosis problems and also heard, older they are, bigger the problem. I see boats from 70's, 80's are going almost for free (around 10k$ or less) and new productions of the same models are selling for 10 to 20 times more. If they are safe to buy then why would anyone buy new? Market is already flooded with old boats. Don't understand that.
> 
> Mind that, i am a newbie. Don't own a boat yet. Just collecting information. Sorry, if i offend anyone.


Fiberglass has a usable life well in excess of 100 years or so. We really don't know how long it will last as we have not been making it long enough to know. There were issues with osmosis, but mostly cosmetic. Sometimes caused by poor layup, other times because of materials used. Yes, there is a glut of old boats out there. Many have not been taken care of and are in need of at least refitting. The good ones out there (good designs and or well maintained boats) sell quickly. Sailboats differ more by design than anything else. Most modern boats are designed to be quicker and low maintenance(limited exterior wood work) while the older boats tended to favor solid construction over performance. Modern computer aided design has resulted in much lighter and faster boats. Some feel they are not as durable or safe as the old designs but there really are no statistics to prove that out, more of an emotional thing.

They don't make nearly as many today as they did back in the 60-80's as materials are oil based so have gone up faster than inflation (or at least have during certain periods) so in the 80's (add to that the luxury tax and recesion) we saw the loss of most of the makers of boats. There really are only a few manufacturers left, and as can be seen by what happened recently to Island Packet even the survivors are struggling. Other things have happened like the reduction of leisure time, and expendable income for average families have gone down. Add to that boats that have basically an infinite lifespan you are truly competing with the last 60+ years worth of stock. It is a tough business. At least most of the wooden boats were not well maintained and rotted.(yes a properly maintained wooden boat can last for ever, but replacing every piece of wood over time does not really count!) Not so with modern materials, they just last, even in the landfill for ever.

And lots of those old boats are truly going for free, as it costs just as much to keep an old boat as a new one. So owners are tired of sticking money into a boat they have no use for anymore, and are willing to give them away. Sometimes in decent shape too. But there is an old adage "there is no boat as expensive as a free one!" as they often have issues, expensive issues.


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## Sailbad (Jul 8, 2013)

The way I think of it, old versus newer, I purchased a very well maintained and lightly used Pearson 303, little brother to the 323 and am completing a refit and planning on sailing her from VA to Maine in 4 trips over the summer. Boat has new sails. New cusions, two complete sets of canvas and covers, new tranny, a 12-15 year old awe grip job, 7 coats of bottom epoxy, harken roller, all halyards lead aft. I have added new, depth, blue tooth stereo, new old stock Kenyon wind FREE, Ais vhf, all LED, re-sheaved original deck hardware from Schaefer"thanks Joy" bedded with Butyl tape"thanks Mainesail" new aqua-signal tricolor,anchor LED, and many other housekeeping items like new head , nauta tanks and lines and much more. If I tried to buy a late 90's to newer boat in anywhere near this condition it would have cost as much as I paid for my house. Not including transport to the coast i will have less than 20k into a boat that can take me anywhere I want to go. Safely and at resonable speed and in what I consider to be fine "style". Bullet proof hull, early 80's classic styling and a comfortable motion along with 6'3 plus headroom. Until i can affoard my 1960's-early 70's Bermuda 40 our "old" Yacht will fit the bill for us. And more safely than any modern 30footer i know of. Although, boats dont make people safe, people make boats safe. Pick up a copy of GOOD OLD BOAT magazine and you may find you dont need nearly as much money to as you think to own a fine sailing craft.


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## albrazzi (Oct 15, 2014)

The Bavaria looks like a lot of Boat for the prices I've seen but it has Teak decks, at least the ones I looked at. Makes them negative value muck quicker than the ones without especially on a 32 footer.


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## capta (Jun 27, 2011)

SchwarzBart said:


> Guys I am so sorry to make an entry like that, but...
> Isn't a boat from 70's, or 80's, hell even early 90's too old for buying? More importantly, is it safe?


Is IT safe? I sailed a 65 year old boat into a hurricane in the SoPac. I made every mistake in the book and that old girl got me to safety, not the other way around.
Would you rather drive your present vehicle or a vehicle built back when someone took pride in their product? There are very few new boats on the market today that I would feel as safe on as our 1981 Pearson.


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## amwbox (Aug 22, 2015)

krisscross said:


> Is that Bavaria 960? modern underbody with very fragile (bolt on) keel and rudder, 5.5' draft. Faster boat, but will pound heavily in choppy water.
> P323 has a more traditional underbody, skeg hung rudder, encapsulated keel, 4.5' draft. Slower boat but more comfortable and safer in bad weather.
> It all depends where you intend to sail and how.


^^What he said. Pearson is a good solid boat. The Bavaria is likely faster though and easier to handle for docking and such, if you have those sorts of concerns. Pearson is a _significantly_ heavier boat. Which I view as a good thing, but others will of course disagree.


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## amwbox (Aug 22, 2015)

SchwarzBart said:


> Guys I am so sorry to make an entry like that, but...
> 
> Isn't a boat from 70's, or 80's, hell even early 90's too old for buying? More importantly, is it safe?


Saf_er_ IMO.

Boats aren't cars. They don't have the same curve for loss of practical functionality. Obviously if its that old and has had zero maintenance, that's another story, but it sounds like either of these have had responsible keepers over the years.

Though many will of course call me dirty names for it, I'll say there are very few brand new boats that I'd be interested in buying. New boats that I like are most of 7 figures if not over that by a huge amount.


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## ashleyec (Oct 31, 2016)

I am looking at a Bavaria 32' 960 for New England coastal cruising. I understand it is not a traditional cruising hull but it seems like a good boat for the price. Tear decks removed and replaced with non-skid. Any particular handling or maintenance concerns?


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## fallard (Nov 30, 2009)

miatapaul said:


> Well the Pearson was built in RI, they have coastline(granted not a lot since it is a small state, ......


Based on NOAA data, RI has the second highest ratio of coastline to land area, whether you include tidal areas or not. If you include tidal areas, only MD has a higher ratio, whereas if you exclude tidal areas, only HI has a higher ratio.


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