420: Lagoon 420 Owners & Fans

[planetoftheapes]

Planet of the Apes has delayed his 420 delivery until march 2008. It seems prudent to allow additional time to pass to ensure this system is reliable prior to setting off across the Atlantic.

The breakdown at Annapolis is a cause for concern.

Could everyone who has boarded this boat, anyone that has sailed her, please post any information or impressions you have.

Write a little review. Show us 420ers, that can't get to see her, some love. What did she feel like down below? How fast did she motor under power? Was the owner's head spacious? Sailing? Quality? Helm crowding? Anything!

[Jeannius]

Originally Posted by Intentional Drifter

So, Mike, did you pick up Jeannius in France? How was the sail out of the Bay of Biscay?

ID

Because the timing was so out I had to miss out on the trip out of the bay and joined up with the factory skipper in Porto, Portugal, kept him aboard until the Canaries so he could teach me to sail a cat!

I did make up for missing Biscay in the autumn in my own boat by helping to deliver another 435 from England to Portugal in December two years later. That trip was fine but cold. Basically you just wait for the right forecast that allows you to get out of the shallow water. Once you are in deep water, life gets a lot easier.

[Quiet Riot 420]

ID, The fridge in the cockpit picture has a label that reads WAECO on the door. They have a variety of 12V refrigerators that I found on the web. I found that the handrailing on top of the salon roof to be very handy and well positioned, but the handrailing that leads up to the helm is very flimsy and will probably get broken in the 1st year of charter. We will have to reinforce it some how. I will install 3 more 24 inch grab bars; one on the aft of the starboard hull to help with entering the boat from the water, with the other 2 going under the bimini near the back corners. You are right that there are no extra breakers, and the location of the AC outlets around the boat was not thought out very well. We need to complain about the fact that there is no outlet for a microwave, and the 2 outlets in the galley are located on the end of the cabinet that houses the refrigerator, leaving them right in the doorway for people to hit as they enter or leave the salon. The AC outlets in the cabins are also positioned in a out of the way spot up high on the outside walls. In the picture of the 5 position switch, you will also see a lockout switch between the genset and shore power; I would like another one of these lockout switches so I can pick between shore/gen and inverter power. I have found a rotorary switch here in the States to do the job, but it would be nice to match the switchs for looks. And yes, that was an Air conditioning compressor for the aft starboard berth over the engine in the picture. Most of the A/C units that I have looked at are self contained (with a drain tube), and should not be dripping condensate all over the place. I was more concerned about the + and - battery junctions that are right in your way when working in this area. Should you shield them with something when leaning over into this area? The 2X25 amp 72V to 12V battery chargers are not big enough. 50 amps at 12Volts is only 600 watts, and just one of the Waeco fridges draws that, not leaving room for the other refrigerator, freezer, or AC appliances to run on. All in all I liked the boat alot, and hope that Lagoon can iron out the long list of concerns. I too am very happy that Dave Tether, the founder of Solomon Tech., has joined the project as a consultant. This can only be a positive for the development of the 420's propulsion system. As far as a 420 parts co-op is concerned, I talked to Barney at TMM, and he said that he likes the idea, and he said that he talked to Horizon about a 420 parts co-op and they also liked the idea. I will go into how this co-op could be organized in a later post. Fair Sailing, Douglas MarthaRCharters.com P.S. Does anyone know why I loose all of my paragraphs and spacing when I post a reply on this board?

[Octopus]

I've been advised to make sure our 420 is US spec if planning to base the boat in the Carribean. Anyone know what the difference is between US and European spec? Is it just the electrics? I noticed that on one pricelist a US broker provided a safety pack was included - is that a requirement for boats sold in the US?

[Intentional Drifter]

Mike --

Thank you for the trip report on the Bay of Biscay. Maybe I'm being too much of a worry-wart. Be patient, be calm, wait for the right weather. (I'm practicing this as a new mantra.)

Doug --

Thanks, very much, for the details. I certainly hope that your observations made it on to the list of modifications I understand that the factory people have assembled. I heard someone say it has reached 350-something?

RE: Charger -- my dealer told me that the standard charger was going to be changed to an 80 amp.

RE: A/C and motor compartment -- that just makes me nervous, both for the water issue and the concentration of heat producing equipment all in the same place. Surely there is another place for the A/C. Good catch on the battery junctions -- some sort of shield certainly seems appropriate.

RE: Parts co-op -- great idea. I'm sure the charter boats would make good use of it, it sure would be nice if us private owners could access it, too!

RE: paragraphs/spacing -- Doug, I don't know. I just hit "Enter" twice to do a para and it works.

ID

[cjenkins]

PotA asked about general impression of the interior, including the owner's version. I thought it looked great. We are getting the charter version, so I tried not to focus too much on how nice the owner's cabin was, but the head was very roomy. I'm jealous.

As for handholds, if it's not obvious from the pictures that have been released, the pedestal seats (both the single at the nav station and the "bench" seat, not the L-shaped sofa) in the salon do not have backrests. This is a change from the 440 furnishings. The Lagoon rep said that backrests were omitted to save money but should be available as an aftermarket product. Someone who had sailed on the 440 thought that the bench backrest was a useful handhold for people moving about the salon area. Well, if you want one on your 420 you'll have to pay extra for it.

The bimini top is so tall, and so "clean" (i.e., no expose superstructure) that there are not a lot of handholds in the cockpit area. I was out on a friend's Manta and he had hung a number of short pieces of line with knots in the end from the crossbeams of his hard bimini. They looked somewhat like the hanging straps in a subway car. People who had sailed with him across the Gulf of Mexico swore by these. I'm not sure how, but I'd like to put something similar in the cockpit of our 420, at least for long passages.

Charlie

[Peter Vybiral]

Hi Don,
Not fully sure yet, so far I've been told (unoffically) that we need to leave within three months get our paper work stamped in another country (non EU) and we can return. Although mind you after meeting our kids they might not let us back in the country.
We have been assured that our boat is still on time. Please tell us more about your plans sounds like a c.c of ours.

Regards Peter.

Originally Posted by Don K.

Hi Peter,

we have roughly just the same plans than you - provided we will get the boat in July 07...

Have you already given the VAT-problem a little thought? To my knowledge, if you are not sailing under EU-flag and purchase a new boat you have to leave EU-territories after 6 months (and may then enter again for some 18 months...).

So, see you in Tunesia, Morocco when collecting the stamps...

[ess105]

Originally Posted by Quiet Riot 420

but the handrailing that leads up to the helm is very flimsy and will probably get broken in the 1st year of charter.

I was told that the handrail up to the helm station is one of the items slated to change - hopefully for something more robust.

Have you provided your comments back to your dealer? I understand Lagoon are keen to receive this sort of feedback.

Steve

[Jeannius]

Originally Posted by Peter Vybiral

Hi Don,
Not fully sure yet, so far I've been told (unoffically) that we need to leave within three months get our paper work stamped in another country (non EU) and we can return. Although mind you after meeting our kids they might not let us back in the country.
We have been assured that our boat is still on time. Please tell us more about your plans sounds like a c.c of ours.

Regards Peter.

Peter

I'm pretty certain it is 6 months. Anyway, that's what I was told when I was exporting my new boat from France to the Caribbean. Gibraltar is another place you can go to 'exit' the EU. British Territory but not part of the EU.

To all you 'prospective' 420 owners....

I hope everything works out for you in terms of delivery and reliabilty. It's always a bit of a risk being at the bleeding edge of technology. I had the possibility of being a very early adopter of diesel/electric in a Privilege but I chickened out. Next time maybe... although I'm pretty certain I'd go for two generators... I've got used to the redundancy!

[ess105]

There's a little self-congratulation going on at Lagoon. The 420 seems to have won an innovation award.

http://www.cata-lagoon.com/n_news_uk.php?idnews=70

[Wendi]

Hello,

I am new here, and I am learning a lot. I have a 420 reserved and it was supposed to be ready in July but now I am told there are delays. I will be in France tomorrow, (I am from California) and I am hoping to visit the factory or see the boat while i am there.
I guess the most difficult thing right now is on the delivery problem. My broker says that they will be very behind, and it will be many months later which means i would miss the ARC crossing.
He is trying to get me to buy his demo model that will be delivered to California, but it seems like that is more complicated since i wanted to own the boat in the BVI, not in the USA. It seems to complicate things with duty and taxes and such by taking delivery in the US.
Any help or info on this would be greatly appreciated.

How long are the delays at this time? Does anyone know the best way to get into the factory for a tour in France?

Wendi

[ess105]

Wendi - my own understanding re tax situation concurs with what you have said. You will face taxation and import duty if you take a boat on US soil. By bringing your boat to the BVIs you defer this.

Your dealers boat may be a very early number. I'd check the hull number of your dealers boat and factor this into your decision.

As to getting into the factory - maybe you can try ringing them or just turning up. We've dropped in on other manufacturer's factories and been given a tour at short notice.

Take some pics, please, and post them if you get in.

Steve

[Octopus]

Originally Posted by Wendi

... I will be in France tomorrow, (I am from California) and I am hoping to visit the factory or see the boat while i am there...Wendi

Wendy
If you get to visit the factory, please post any photos you take during your factory visit and share any information.

Thanks

[Wendi]

I will take pictures, and will share them with all of you. Maybe take some videos as well. Should be fun!

Wendi

[lufer]

Hello Folks,

My 420 will be a full owner's version as I intend to spend some months on it. When I saw 420 in La Rochelle last month I was upset with the storage space limitations.
There is one small wardrope for each cabin,and the additional space is limited and used for other equipment ( washer, AC pipe, grey water tank, etc). The available wardrope may be good for a weekend but not for a long term stay of 3 couples. Lagoon says we may buy wood from them and have modifications done by ourselves. I am sending you some pictures focusing on this issue. I hope Lagoon makes an improvement over their desing in the final production.

REgards

Gokcin