39: Lagoon 39

[Lagoon4us]

I'm sorry but there's no way in hell i find this kind of joinery either attractive, functional or in any way 'boatlike'..

It honestly looks like a 1960's era caravan......

My opinion yes but come on?????

[rabbi]

Originally Posted by Lagoon4us

I'm sorry but there's no way in hell i find this kind of joinery either attractive, functional or in any way 'boatlike'..

It honestly looks like a 1960's era caravan......

My opinion yes but come on?????

It's a modern look and it's cheaper to build. Squares are always easier to cut and fit than rounded curves.

I like the squareness of the overall setup (like the table and sofa) but I don't like the joinery and the hard edges.

[Lagoon4us]

Really it's all price driven, Ikea is fine in a beach house but not in an environment that bounces and moves, each to their own i guess.....

[Southern Star]

I find it interesting that they have moved the mast step back to the companionway, typically the strongest athwartship part of the bridgedeck on any catamaran. The mast is stepped in the same location on my 18 year old Solaris Sunstream 40 and I find that it has several advantages for a cruising boat:
1. it leads all halyards directly into the cockpit without the need for various turning blocks, etc..
2. it tends to reduce hobby horsing as the weight of the rig and the Ce for the sailplan is more centrally located.
3. as indicated, it is mounted on what is probably the strongest athwartship part of the deck due to the companionway bulkhead.
4. it reduces the size of the mainsail to one that is more manageable - it certainly does not require an electric halyard winch.
5. in the case of my boat, it permits a cutter rig with a dedicated staysail stay and a roller-reefing staysail/storm jib. This creates great flexibility and enables one to go to a storm jib without the need to go on deck.

Now if only Lagoon would look at a cutter, or solent rig option....

Brad

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Lagoon4us

Really it's all price driven, Ikea is fine in a beach house but not in an environment that bounces and moves, each to their own i guess.....

Just as a comment, Its still not IKEA, its wood veneer plywood. There is a tendency in all boat interiors to (a) move to lighter coloured woods and (b) square design aesthetic , which is all the rage in interiors at the moment

I dont think theres much of a difference in build quality, not from what I saw at the various shows.

Dave

[Lagoon4us]

The IKEA comment refers to the design.
Agree with your (a) & (b)

All the newer Lagoons, to the annoyance of owners, are let down by veneers falling off the edge trimming.

Having looked at many at twelve months they are looking badly worn and it's not easy to get matching veneer strips.

Every edge on the pre 2009 models were more expensively trimmed with a moulding.

There is a difference in build quality, the newer ones are being controlled in their fit-outs by number crunchers to the detriment of the product.

Cheers

[Southern Star]

A few observations:

1. Upon reviewing the interior photos from posts 49, 50, 51 ,69, 70, 103 and 106 it still appears that the bulkhead corners, counters, the table and virtually all cabinets etc. are edged with solid wood rather than merely seamed veneer. I haven't seen the boat, of course, so I could be mistaken.

2. The channel for the anchor rode could easily and relatively inexpensively be covered with a larger stainless steel channel, albeit it would stand proud of the deck.

3. The location for the engine instruments is incredibly inconvenient. It also appears that the location for the handles for the decompression levers for the diesels are also incredibly incovenient: if that is what is shown in post 103, they are mounted by the companionway doors, off to the side and below the feet the helmsperson. Does anyone else think that Lagoon put them where they are so that they could use the standard length cables and wiring harness that came from Yanmar? Anyway, I suspect we'll see a change to both of those 'features' in pretty short order.

4. Looking at the line drawings, the mast is actually mounted further aft than on my boat (which is essentially center cockpit); really, it looks akin to the old 'Prout' rig, without the benefits of the staysail. Still, as I said earlier, if they offered an optional cutter or solent rig, I believe it would have much to offer the cruising sailor.

Brad

[Lagoon4us]

They may be the fuel shut-offs as part of EU construction they are required, We have no decompression levers on our 4cyl Volvos external.

The edging i speak of is on all drawers/doors/chart table tops etc...

A cutter would be incredible, still unsure why the self tacking genoa of that size has such a short track? The roller cheek plate assembly is more suited to a trailer sailor, i've seen the damage these over the beam anchoring systems suffer when the anchor is pulled to hard against the roller, it tends to rotate the forebear and indents the walkway connection into the beam. The 40 has this exact problem along with the chain catch that really is quite inadequate.


The anchor channel is a pain in the arse, ours is 4 times wider and still the chain flogs it, we are considering plastic or timber strips albeit sacrificial.

[gspeak]

Please tell me that the ceiling linings are not foam backed vinyl covered panels. I am having to re-glue all the vinyl back up on my 2004 L380 as the foam disintegrates in the tropics.

Fibreglass mouldings are much more durable & easier to keep clean.

Dave

[Southern Star]

Lagoon4us, I agree about the short track for the jib - it seems that it would only be able to maintain proper sail shape to windward. And yes, the anchoring arrangement is pretty 'Mickey Mouse' - although both the channel and the anchor roller could be (and should be) upgraded. At least it is a better arrangement than the under trampoline release for the anchor that has been fitted to various other cats recently.

You may be right about exterior fuel shut-off valves - something we don't need with diesels in North America. My older Yanmar 3GM30's do have decompression handles to stop the engines so I had assumed that was what they were. If not and, if the problem was not the length of the cables and the wire run to the instrument panel, then it makes the location of the panel even more curious.

I gather this is hull number one, so lets hope that some of these obvious flaws are remedied early in the production run. Lets face it, a longer track for the headsail, a longer wiring run for the engine instrument panel, a proper bow-roller/anchor rode channel and edging to drawers would not involve huge expense in the overall scheme of things. Sadly, if you have a similar arrangement on your 44, I suspect that the anchoring arrangment will remain as is, however.

Brad

[Lagoon4us]

Our's is a 2007 the interior is more 'boat-like' see pic's. I believe things had to change however i've seen some fantastic epoxy painted interiors with quality timber trim that looked stunning.

Our anchoring system goes from a wider trough around 6inches and the chain ducks under the fore-beam to a bow roller beneath, we are adding a plastic or teak trim to the trough's sides and putting a strut to strengthen the roller arrangement.

Agree the headsail is set up for hard on the wind and these boats don't like that as they are full bodied without centreboards, built for a different purpose!

Cheers we watch and wait...Frank

[Southern Star]

I must say, I vastly prefer your interior Lagoon4us! Lining the channel in teak would look great, but I suspect that Starboard would be more durable and less expensive.
Again, at least your anchor is designed to be deployed forward, rather than under the trampoline off the leading edge of the bridgedeck!

Brad

[Lagoon4us]

The bottom of the trough is lined with plastic (pretend Teflon) any non-bleeding wood will be fine just to stop damage when the chain waggles. We are wintering in CROATIA and have a large list of corrections to do to bring the boat to our style.

If Lagoon still did interiors like the early ones we would always be keen to look at a new boat, the corners are user friendly, i understand our tastes aren't modern, BUT a boat is a boat and the new ones look akin to caravans to me.

Cheers glad to share. Frank

[Cotemar]

Originally Posted by Lagoon4us

Our's is a 2007 the interior is more 'boat-like' see pic's. I believe things had to change however i've seen some fantastic epoxy painted interiors with quality timber trim that looked stunning.

Our anchoring system goes from a wider trough around 6inches and the chain ducks under the fore-beam to a bow roller beneath, we are adding a plastic or teak trim to the trough's sides and putting a strut to strengthen the roller arrangement.

Agree the headsail is set up for hard on the wind and these boats don't like that as they are full bodied without centreboards, built for a different purpose!

Cheers we watch and wait...Frank

I am with you. Soft corners are the way to go on any boat

[Southern Star]

I agree totally concerning the corners of joinerwork in the interior of any boat. A couple of other observations:

1. There are no overhead hatches in the main saloon/galley area - the only ventilation in this large area is from the the two, relatively small opening plastic hatches in the forward fixed portlights and at the companioway aft. I cannot imagine that this will be adequate in a warm climate. In the main saloon of my boat I have two large (24x24 inch) lewmar hatches forward as well as two medium sized overhead hatches (16X16) and the companionway opening aft; in the galley (open to the main saloon) I have one small (about 15X10) overhead hatch as well as a solar ventilator and an opening portlight; there is also an opening portlight on the port hull landing that is open to the saloon. Even with three fans I consider my set-up adequate, but only just. Additional hatches are not even an option on the 39. Lagoon must be hoping to sell a ton of optional generators/air conditioners!

2. The helm seat seems too high in order for one to rest their feet on the sole and yet the only 'foot rest' (toe rest?) is a virtually useless handhold mounted low, in front of the seat. Or perhaps the handhold is there so that you have something to hold on to while laying down to look at the instrument panels for the diesels!

It is sad that so many important details on this boat have been executed so poorly. I know that cost is critical, but many of these things are design flaws that should have been picked up on by a company with the experience of Lagoon/Beneteau:
the size of the channel for the anchor rode, the lack of an appropriate placement for the instrument panels, the inability to install overhead hatches (due in no small part to the small, self-tacking jib track), the lack of a proper footrest for the helm seat.

The instrument panel/footrest issues could have been dealt with at no additional cost by means of a properly designed helm moulding (with indents for feet and space for the instrument clusters). The anchor rode channel could have been made wider at no additional cost (and coated with sacrifical plastic or wood at little additional cost). The ventilation problem solved by eliminating the ridiculously short coachroof jib traveller (and the curved molding in front of it) and replacing it with a more typical set of fore/aft tracks and cars. At least that would have allowed sufficent space for optional overhead hatches (and permitted better sail trim on reaches and runs). Admittedly, they would have had to pay more for twin jib sheets, tracks and cars, but come on!

If those issues had been addressed and the boat made available with an optional cutter (or Solent) rig, I think it would have had the potential of being a very exciting cruising cat at a reasonable price. As it stands, it has significant ergonomic issues at the helm, poor ventilation in the main saloon/galley, inadequate control over sail trim/shape for the headsail and it loses one of the most significant advantage for stepping the mast aft - a cutter, or Solent rig with a dedicated staysail/storm jib for heavy weather.


Brad