The Bavaria 34 / 37 / 42 on Port Phillip
- Built
- 1995 – 2005
- Length
- 34 – 42 ft
- Drive
- Saildrive (Volvo 120S)
- Original engine
- Volvo Penta MD2020 (34) · MD2030 (37) · MD22 (42), on 120S saildrive
Bavaria sold heavily into Australia through the late 1990s and 2000s, and Port Phillip has a solid fleet — including boats berthed at Sandringham and Geelong. They’re roomy, quick, well-priced cruisers whose owners sail them hard.
The catch: almost all of that era left the factory on Volvo’s 120S saildrive with an MD-series diesel — both long discontinued. On a saildrive boat the repower question is really an engine-plus-leg question, and it pays to answer it before the leg answers it for you.
MD2020, MD2030 and MD22 on the 120S leg
The MD2020 (20 hp, Bavaria 34), MD2030 (29 hp, Bavaria 37) and MD22 (~55 hp, Bavaria 42) were dependable packages, but the youngest are now two decades out of production. The classic end-of-life events are salt-side: the exhaust elbow that corrodes from the inside until it puts water in a cylinder, and heat exchangers and manifolds reaching the end of their service life.
Because the 120S leg is also discontinued, we recommend replacing engine and saildrive together with the current Volvo Penta 130S package — documented conversions on this exact era of Bavaria show the new package installing cleanly on the existing saildrive aperture.
Why these engines reach the end
- Exhaust elbow corrosion — the classic sudden killer on 1990s Volvo diesels
- Ageing 120S saildrive: seals, cone clutch and diaphragm all past their design life
- Heat exchanger and manifold corrosion on the salt-water side
- MD-series parts supply thinning — and the engine’s value falling below repair cost
The pattern across every brand: sailing auxiliaries corrode out long before they wear out. At 50–100 engine hours a year, the calendar — not the hour meter — decides when a yacht diesel is done. Repower or rebuild? Read our honest guide.
What we fit in the Bavaria 34 / 37 / 42
Volvo Penta D1-30 + 130S saildrive
Our recommendation29 hp · 3-cylinder · new saildrive leg · for the Bavaria 34 & 37
- Volvo’s documented replacement path from the MD2020/MD2030 on 120S — real-world conversions fit without hull modification
- One job, one warranty: new engine and new leg, no thirty-year-old saildrive under a new engine
- 3-year factory “helm to prop” leisure warranty covering engine and saildrive together
Volvo Penta D2-50 + 130S saildrive
The alternative50 hp · 4-cylinder · for the Bavaria 42 (or as a power upgrade on the 37)
The 42’s MD22 replacement — and for 37 owners who want more push into a Rip tide, the D2-50 is the comfortable upgrade. The D2-60 on a 150S leg is the like-for-like 60 hp option for the 42. We’ll size it at inspection.
Volvo Penta D2-50 + 130S saildrive specificationsPrefer Yanmar? The 3YM30AE with SD25 saildrive is the equivalent modern package for the 34/37 — as a dual dealer we quote both.
What a Bavaria 34 / 37 / 42 repower costs
Engine plus new saildrive leg, installed and sea-trialled. Saildrive packages cost more than shaft repowers because the leg is replaced with the engine — quoted fixed after inspection.
How your repower runs
- 1
Inspection & fixed quote
We survey your engine, beds, shaft or saildrive, exhaust and electrics — at your berth or on the hard — and quote the complete job fixed, usually within days.
- 2
Book the yard
You book the hardstand and we coordinate dates. Royals (Royal Victorian Yacht Club) and Savages Wharf at Williamstown are ideal for us; we also work at Wyndham Harbour and Sandringham YC with some added travel cost.
- 3
Out with the old
Old engine out, bay cleaned and prepared — and we dispose of your old engine as part of the job at no extra cost.
- 4
In with the new
New beds and mounts, engine in, shaft or saildrive fitted and aligned, exhaust, cooling, fuel, electrics, controls and panel — engineered, not improvised.
- 5
Sea trial & handover
Commissioning checks, a proper sea trial on the bay, factory warranty registration and your service schedule. You get a finished boat, not a box of loose ends.
Factory warranty, dealer-registered
Volvo Penta — 3 years
Full “helm to prop” leisure coverage — engine, transmission or saildrive, controls and genuine accessories — with no engine-hour cap.
Yanmar — 2 years, extendable
24-month leisure warranty as standard, with Yanmar’s extended program taking eligible engines to 5 years of coverage — ask us when we quote.
As an authorised dealer for both brands we supply, install, commission and register every engine — one job, one responsible party, warranty watertight.
Bavaria 34 / 37 / 42 repower — your questions answered
Can you replace just the engine and keep my 120S saildrive?
Technically sometimes, but we don’t recommend it and will tell you why honestly: the 120S is discontinued, its seals and clutch are as old as the engine, and putting a new engine on a worn leg means doing half the job twice. Engine plus 130S as one package is the right engineering and carries one clean warranty.
Does the saildrive diaphragm get replaced too?
A new 130S comes as a complete new leg — diaphragm, seals and clutch included — which is precisely why the package approach beats patching the old leg.
My Bavaria has the Yanmar option, not Volvo — can you still repower it?
Yes. Some boats of this era carry Yanmar saildrive packages; we’re an authorised dealer for both brands and will match the right current package — Volvo 130S or Yanmar SD25 — to your boat.
Where does the work happen?
At Williamstown, minutes from our Spotswood workshop — Royals (Royal Victorian Yacht Club) and Savages Wharf are our preferred yards. We can also repower at Wyndham Harbour or Sandringham Yacht Club, with some additional travel cost. You book the hardstand (we’ll point you to the right people) and we handle everything from there. Geelong owners: we’ll ask you to bring the boat up to Williamstown.
How long does a repower take?
A standard repower is about two weeks on the hardstand. Engine lead times are currently reasonable — but plan ahead a few weeks so the engine is on the floor before your boat comes out of the water.
What warranty comes with the new engine?
Volvo Penta engines carry a 3-year factory “helm to prop” leisure warranty with no engine-hour cap. Yanmar engines carry a 24-month leisure warranty, and Yanmar’s extended program can take eligible engines to 5 years of coverage — ask us when we quote. As an authorised dealer for both brands, we commission and register every engine so your warranty is watertight.
Can you fit an engine I buy elsewhere?
No — we install engines we supply. That’s not a sales line: it’s how we can stand behind the entire job, from engine to beds to sea trial, under one warranty and one responsible party.
What happens to my old engine?
We remove and dispose of it as part of the job, at no extra cost.
What about an electric conversion?
We’re developing an electric repower offering in-house and will be bringing it to market. If you’re weighing diesel against electric, talk to us before committing either way — we’ll give you the honest state of play for your boat and how you use it.
Request a Bavaria 34 / 37 / 42 repower quote
Tell us your boat, where it's berthed, what engine it has now (roughly is fine) and how you use it — we'll come back with honest advice and a fixed quote, usually within a few days.
Boat model names are used to describe the vessels we service; Mariner Engineering is not affiliated with the boats' designers or builders. Mariner Engineering is an authorised Volvo Penta and Yanmar dealer.