Lagoon 42 question

[OceanDwelling]

Hi! I’ve been looking at Lagoon 42’s and I want a 4 berth version. However I’ve noticed all the 4 berth versions have 4 heads. I’d like a 4 berth version with the desk and storage on one side and the heads/showers on the other side.

Does this exist? Or do all the 4 berth versions also have 4 heads/showers?

Thank you!

 

[Bobc]

I maybe completely wrong on this, so please don't shoot me down, but I seem to remember that Lagoon had a big problem with main beams. Just maybe something you want to look into before buying.

 

[OceanDwelling]

I maybe completely wrong on this, so please don't shoot me down, but I seem to remember that Lagoon had a big problem with main beams. Just maybe something you want to look into before buying.

Thank goodness for you seeing this before I made a silly mistake! I’ll look into that now.

Do you know of anything similar to the lagoon 42 without the issue? To be honest I’m new to looking. I was happy with my much smaller boat but I don’t believe it’s sufficient for what I have planned

 

[Bobc]

Not big into cats, but I believe the Nautitech ones have a good rep.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Thank goodness for you seeing this before I made a silly mistake! I’ll look into that now.

Do you know of anything similar to the lagoon 42 without the issue? To be honest I’m new to looking. I was happy with my much smaller boat but I don’t believe it’s sufficient for what I have planned

He has the wrong problem, I think. It’s the bulkheads. It is fixable, it’s possible to buy a bargain. But before taking my word for it, I’d do some serious poking about, the internet and a specialist surveyor for some pre purchase advice. Be aware that most of our esteemed members here sail in Breton caps and Guernsey smocks, and probably find the fin and skeg configuration a bit avant garde….. Lagoon is not a brand that finds much favour here. Yet they’re spacious, quicker than most, sail pretty well overall. Many boats have known problems, most of them develop a fix. I wouldn’t let it get in the way of my dream until I was certain the disease was fatal.

 

[CJTurner]

Lagoon have a terrible reputation with bulkheads parting company, poor layup, beams loose and a multitude of other problems reported on you ntube. The worst part is their denial of the many issues and attempts to deflect them to 'misuse'

 

[Minerva]

Lagoon have a terrible reputation with bulkheads parting company, poor layup, beams loose and a multitude of other problems reported on you ntube. The worst part is their denial of the many issues and attempts to deflect them to 'misuse'

This.

Have watched enough YouTube horror stories to know I wouldn’t touch one with a barge pole. Your risk tolerance may differ.

 

[Gixer]

They talk a lot about the Lagoon issues on the spear it animal YouTube channel.

 

[dunedin]

Lagoon have a terrible reputation with bulkheads parting company, poor layup, beams loose and a multitude of other problems reported on you ntube. The worst part is their denial of the many issues and attempts to deflect them to 'misuse'

And yet there are probably more Lagoons crossing the Atlantic each winter than almost any other brand

 

[CJTurner]

That's true, there are hundreds. It does seem to vary by model which I guess, isn't surprising. The one constant though, is Lagoon's dismissive attitude to their warranty obligations. There's a Facebook pressure group apparently - not my thing but I suspect the originator of this thread will have gathered its not a good idea to buy one unless you are very technical.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Lagoons have the dubious combination of being vastly overweight (17 tonnes for the 450F) while being lightly built (12mm plywood main bulkhead on the 450). 12mm plywood for a main bulkhead is more suited to a 1.8 tonne Hurley 22.

The way the builder blamed the owners of misuse when the 450's were found to be failing structurally, like "powering against sea and wind for a long time at 30° off the true wind" or drying out, just stinks. I wouldn't care how many have crossed oceans with that attitude.

Italics are Lagoon's words in their pathetic response to blame the owners for their own design inadequacies.

 

[westernman]

Sail pretty well overall.

Not upwind.

 

[Trident]

I've worked on lots of Lagoons (as I do almost exclusively cats) and all are poorly built and overweight but then, if you want to cruise in big spaces for less money than many brands and don't expect to cross an ocean in a F9 without something expensive breaking , they suit many needs.

Mostly they run 4 cabin / 4 heads charter versions and an owners version. Due to the very modular construction the floors and ceiling mouldings on both are the same (so there will be slots for the walls of the extra heads in the owners version that are there but unused ) so its possible a buyer asked for what you want and they made it but that's going to be rare and you'd need to just look at all the ads.

It does however mean it's a relatively inexpensive task to change the layout if you wanted to. The 45 had/has major bulkhead issues, the 42 has not had many major problems and sails ok for a big heavy production cat but most will be ex charter so have lead hard lives and prices are falling on these boats and there are many many to choose from (as with Leopard cats too as the charter fleets renew their stock every few years) so you can be very patient and have lots and lots to choose from and offer low prices on.

Everyone's needs vary but I can say I wouldn't take a Lagoon for free (other than to sell and put the money towards a brand I would trust) but there are many happy owners out there too

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Not upwind.

Is there a ‘cruising spec’ cat that outperforms it in that respect? You need a dagger board boat if you expect much upwind work without motor assistance. Twice the money for less gin drinking space. And for all the youtube horror stories, Lagoons seem to be about half the cats on the ocean. I know a couple of owners, one of whom actually races the thing. He hasn’t broken it yet. I don’t doubt there are problems. Equally, lots of people are at least ok with theirs. Otherwise there’d be a lot more youtube stories.

 

[westernman]

Is there a ‘cruising spec’ cat that outperforms it in that respect? You need a dagger board boat if you expect much upwind work without motor assistance. Twice the money for less gin drinking space. And for all the youtube horror stories, Lagoons seem to be about half the cats on the ocean. I know a couple of owners, one of whom actually races the thing. He hasn’t broken it yet. I don’t doubt there are problems. Equally, lots of people are at least ok with theirs. Otherwise there’d be a lot more youtube stories.

I don't think there are better cruising cats. May be Outremer, but they are a bit more racing orientated and less suited for gin drinking.

But yes, upwind performance is disappointing in VMG terms compared to beam to broad reaching.

 

[geem]

There are probably more cats here in Antigua than monohulls, although I haven't verified that. Lagoon, Leopard, Nautitech, Outremer, Balance, Excess, and St Francis are all anchored close by. Lots to choose from. Lagoon wouldn't make it to my list.
I have several friends with Lagoons. They all agree that the sailing performance is pretty crap but they didn't buy them for that. They make fantastic floating homes in the Caribbean. If you want to go to windward, you motor. I don't think I have ever seen a Lagoon beat the 8 miles up to Nonesuch Bay from English Harbour. I doubt any could do it against the wind and 2 metre seas.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

There are probably more cats here in Antigua than monohulls, although I haven't verified that. Lagoon, Leopard, Nautitech, Outremer, Balance, Excess, and St Francis are all anchored close by. Lots to choose from. Lagoon wouldn't make it to my list.
I have several friends with Lagoons. They all agree that the sailing performance is pretty crap but they didn't buy them for that. They make fantastic floating homes in the Caribbean. If you want to go to windward, you motor. I don't think I have ever seen a Lagoon beat the 8 miles up to Nonesuch Bay from English Harbour. I doubt any could do it again the wind and 2 metre seas.

No cat without dagger boards can. Outremar are dagger board boats, westernmans comparison is a bit unfair there. Though the guy I know who races his must get it to go to windward surely? I don’t know, because he lives in the Caymans, I have never seen the boat. Perhaps just in flat water. Obviously, better performing multis do go to windward, and the best ones better than any mono, without qualification. So it can be done. But, since most cruising sailors never sail to windward anyway, it’s maybe a moot point. If ypu’re one of the ones that does, then a Lagoon is definitely not for you. Dazcat, Edel cat, Outremar, Gunboat and others all make cruising cats with more sailing credentials.

 

[Sea Change]

Lagoons of all sizes are very common and popular amongst cruising families.
As Trident says, it's the 45ft one which seems to have the bulkhead issue, extensively documented by Parlay Revival.
I have a couple of friends with 45s, and they really like them.
The old saying about no such thing as bad publicity seems to be true. They're in very high demand.

The indoor-outdoor single level living space is great, and something that you could really get used to. On the other hand, I've been told that they twist and creak a lot in a cross sea.

The OP might be better off seeking opinions elsewhere, as this forum tends to be populated by people who think Noah's Ark represents the latest sailing technology.

 

[PabloPicasso]

Interesting thread

I'm just back from a week charter on an Excess cat. Impressions were poor helm position, can't see much of the port side from low starboard helm and vice versa

Poor level of fit out.

The brand new Lagoon next to us was like a luxury apartment with Air con and everything else. Very impressive.

I wouldn't go upwind for long, cruising a caribean circuit. With two motors the cats are more like motor sailers in this regard.

I can totally see the appeal.of a cat in the carribean.

 

[geem]

No cat without dagger boards can. Outremar are dagger board boats, westernmans comparison is a bit unfair there. Though the guy I know who races his must get it to go to windward surely? I don’t know, because he lives in the Caymans, I have never seen the boat. Perhaps just in flat water. Obviously, better performing multis do go to windward, and the best ones better than any mono, without qualification. So it can be done. But, since most cruising sailors never sail to windward anyway, it’s maybe a moot point. If ypu’re one of the ones that does, then a Lagoon is definitely not for you. Dazcat, Edel cat, Outremar, Gunboat and others all make cruising cats with more sailing credentials.

Plenty of monohulls sail to weather here. The sea is 28degC. A bit of warm spray in the face is no hardship. The only ones that join in are Outremer and Gunboat.
We have sailed past Lagoons many times. On one occasion we were hard on the wind from the Saints to Pontre Pitre. There was a Lagoon ahead with full sail. He was pointing high but seem to have huge leeway. It took us a while to catch him. When we got close, he had both engines on! We passed him to weather.
As I said in my previous post. None of my Lagoon friends sing the praises of their sailing performance. Even down wind they are no quicker than a mono of the same size.