Despite her name, the Deep Blue 46 is no shrinking violet in the looks department. Her bluff bow, high freeboard and reverse transom combine to create an aesthetic impression different from any other similar vessel. The boat is engineered and built using, in some areas, icebreaker technology.

Bavaria, By Way of Southern California

Bavaria Yachts contracted with BMW Group Designworks USA to design the Deep Blue 46. Founded by noted industrial designer Charles Pelly in Malibu, California, in 1972, since 1995 DesignworksUSA has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMW AG, the German automaker. The studio works in all areas of design, and has created several drool-worthy BMW cars, including the sexy Z4; the current Rolls-Royce Phantom; Embraer private and corporate jets; the John Deere X-series lawn tractor; racing skis; stationary bikes; even shavers and cappuccino makers.



Along with cars, skis, jet planes and shavers, BMW Group DesignworksUSA is also active in power- and sailboat design. The Deep Blue 46 is only one of the studio's creations; this Zeydon Z60 sloop (pictured above) is another. Incredibly, the design needs no skipper.

According to the BMW Group DesignworksUSA website, "The company ... operates globally from its locations in Europe, America and Asia transferring knowledge from their work for the automotive area to clients from the most diverse industries and vice versa. Many of the world's great brands turn to DesignworksUSA for its service in the field of product design, research, development, design strategy, sustainability consulting, brand communications, 3D modeling, and color, materials, and finish."



Here's what she looks like on deck with the Bimini up and cruising canvas. The electric grill and heat cover/back splash makes a fine addition.

Winning the "Powerboat of the Year" award in Europe is like taking home an Oscar in Hollywood: In a part of the world where so many wonderful boats are built, it's a genuine honor, especially since the voters are a panel of hard-to-please journalists from several different European boating magazines. (BoatTEST.com was not involved.) We mentioned the award at the time, but now we are taking an deeper look at this noteworthy boat.

On Deck

The Deep Blue 46's deck plan is a "typical" combination helm seat with facing companion seating, cockpit seating with a table, a foredeck pad for sunbathing and a platform aft for swimming and boarding the tender -- except because of its 14'6" beam (4.45 m) and its high freeboard, everything seems to be on steroids.



Bavaria says the helm seat is wide enough for two, and there's a full lounge opposite for sunbathing underway. We like the half-round dinette, with a solid wood table. There's dedicated stowage for a life raft, too, an important consideration often overlooked by most builders, particularly those in the U.S.

One notable addition is a huge sunning pad in the cockpit that is so large that it has a number of possible uses. This high, wide platform, of course, serves double duty by providing for ample headroom below.



The swim platform is decked in solid teak. A hydraulic option will lower it for swimming or launching the tender – the garage can hold a 2.4 m (7' 10") dinghy. Note the large, and stylish, cleat at the corner of the platform, and the unusual mast. Note the open grill near the cockpit table; it's part of an optional Sun Galley with wetbar. A cockpit refrigerator is also available.

The central cockpit area accommodates an optional bar featuring a built-in foldable grill element and enough space to store all that is needed for an enjoyable BBQ, or an impromptu cocktail party.



Forward, the anchor stows on a pulpit placed part way down the stem, leaving the foredeck clear for other things. But can you reach the anchor to clear away chain or rope jams? There is plenty of room for lounging on deck, though, and the rails look extra-strong.



The helm is compact, but big enough for a large multi-function nav unit. The adjustable wheel is carbon fiber. Note the traditional single-lever controls which are placed at a better angle than we see on many boats. The Deep Blue 46 is powered by Volvo Penta Duo Prop diesels, not pods. A bow thruster is optional.

Accommodations

Belowdecks the Deep Blue 46 takes advantage of the aft placement of the twin diesel sterndrives to provide three double cabins, two of them aft of the salon, all with double berths. A dinette and galley are amidships. There are two heads.



Three staterooms are cleverly squeezed into the Deep Blue 46's living space belowdecks, an advantage of using sterndrives rather than inboard engines and straight shafts; pods would give the same benefit.



The galley is fitted with a ceramic stovetop and a dual-voltage refrigerator. A microwave oven is optional. There is lots of counter space, though, a feature we like. On a boat like this one, you need room to make sandwiches and spread out a mini-buffet, not prepare gourmet meals. Note the cabinets over the sink take advantage of the high freeboard.

Bavaria points out the higher-than-normal topsides means more volume belowdecks, making the space brighter. They say the Deep Blue 46's "generous hull design proclaims a new space dimension on board." We agree with that: Lots of headroom, made possible by the high freeboard, makes a cabin more comfortable and less claustrophobic. The key to getting the most out of this design concept is to use the "air space" over seats, galley counters, beds and cabinets -- places where people can't stand -- for something useful.



Classy overhead lights add to the high headroom in keeping the cabin bright and airy, despite the small-ish cabinside ports. The blinds are part of a lighting-options package. Mahogany joinery is standard; carpeting on the sole is optional. We prefer wood, of course.

Robot Construction

The Deep Blue 46 has solid GRP below the waterline, a GRP grid stringer system and all bulkheads glassed to the hull, The foam-cored topsides and decks are built literally using icebreaker technology. Aramid fabric (similar to DuPont's Kevlar) provides extra reinforcement where necessary, isophthalic resin in the outer laminate provides osmosis protection. Finally, all Bavaria yachts are tested in the company’s high-tech riverside facility in Markbreit on the Main River.



The forward cabin is elegant, but it's mostly berth. We prefer a bit more deck space. On the other hand, our required shelf for placing things at night is there, with opening ports, plenty of lockers and a large overhead hatch for letting in some daylight.

The Bavaria Yachts factory, in Giebelstadt, a small industrial town in, of course, Bavaria, is modern and automated, or as automated as a boatbuilding plant can be; it’s still a very labor-intensive industry. Some processes, like spraying gelcoat in the molds, are done by robots; computers are used liberally to ensure all structural and joinery parts are precisely milled. CNC routers cut deck openings for ports and companionways automatically.

The hulls and decks roll along separate assembly lines, and are joined only near the final stage of production. It’s easier to install engines, tanks and systems when the hull is open; hatches, fittings and other hardware when the underside of the deck is fully accessible.



The starboard aft stateroom has a slide-in berth, not our favorite arrangement. But it would be fine for a single sleeper, maybe a deckhand or boatkeeper. In Europe, boats this size often carry a paid hand.

The Bavaria Deep Blue 46 earns a GL Yacht Plus Certification, a higher standard than the basic EU requirements; she also gets a CE Category B certificate. CE category B rating means, among other things, the yacht can withstand gale force winds of Beaufort Force 8 (34 to 40 kts) and wave heights of up to 13’ (4 m).

Recommendation

Base price of the Bavaria Deep Blue 46 is €310,000 for the Open model, €340,000 for the Sport Top (with a hardtop), both plus VAT, at the factory. Standard power is twin 330-hp Volvo Penta D6-330 Duo Props, with D6-370s optional. (We haven't tested the boat, so can't provide any performance data.) The standard boat is well-equipped.

Obviously, the most noteworthy and unusual aspect of this boat is her very high freeboard. If you boat in an area that is often rough and has confused seas, the Deep Blue 46 migh be the ideal boat for you. She should keep you dry and safe.

Although Bavaria yachts are sold worldwide, at press time only the company's sailboats were available in the U.S. However, readers from most of the rest of the world should find a dealer nearby.