400: Love my Lagoon!

[Scottster]

Wind toys,do what you have to. The key is that your doing something with a goal in mind.
Hope to see you when I push off.
Scott


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[BelizeBound]

Originally Posted by windtoys

Hi, Everyone...
We are just about to put a 450 into charter with Dream Yacht Charters in La Paz, Mexico. We have done charters in many locations and think this is a good way to get lots of weeks on our boat during the years that we still have to keep our Sailboat Shop open in the Summers in Northern California. I know lots of people are against charter boat ownership but this is one way to have it help pay down the loan, and it will be just a $400 dollars plane ride away.
Do we have our head in the clouds?
John

Not as far as I am concerned.... The only downside is if DYC goes belly up & then I don't know what we'll do.... They aren't as experienced as The Moorings but our 1st expierience this month was GREAT......

[gspeak]

Spent the last 4 days buffing & polishing our 2004 L380 in between intermittent showers. You gotta love your Lagoon .... Or else ��


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[windtoys]

Thanks for the note, have you had a lagoon in a charter program? Anyone out there have a boat in charter?

[tuskie]

Not loving my L400 today!

Whilst installing watermaker feed to water tanks I discovered bracket fungus growing on water tank mounting floor. Armed with a screwdriver I prodded the ply floor that the tanks sit on and found that the section between the two tanks in front of the mast compression beam is very soft. Eaten by the fungus! Not good, especially in a 4 year old boat! Ours is hull number 141.

This area is not critically structural. If it totally rotted the two 300 litre tanks would drop to rest on the hull bottom not far below. The retaining brackets would probably break under the increased load due to no support from below.

Replacing this section is going to be a PITA job. Removing tanks and then doing a big cut out, grind back and re glass job inside the front locker is not going to be an enjoyable event.

It reinforces my long held opinion that wood in boats is something to be avoided! Any timber is too much! I know people with whole boats built with the stuff. I feel sorry for them! Pity I couldn't afford to buy a cat the size of a L400 constructed without any wood.

Fellow L400 owners, I suggest that you go screwdriver prodding in the front locker. Pay special attention to the horizontal ply base that the water tanks sit on. If it is sound, rejoice, and protect the area against future water ingress and rot. I suggest a liberal soaking with Everdure or similiar. If you find rot in this area; I send my commiserations!

[rabbi]

My condolences to you. Not a nice experience in a 4 yr old boat.

Why has it rotten? Is there moisture possibly from a dripping tank fitting?
Isn't the plywood used on the 400 said to be water- and rotproof?

[tuskie]

Originally Posted by rabbi

Isn't the plywood used on the 400 said to be water- and rotproof?

The ply definitely isn't rot proof! The rotted section is a flat horizontal section, so any water that lands there will not drain away. The tanks aren't dripping but the worst rot is under the plumbing connections between tanks, isolation valve, etc. so perhaps some leaks in the past. Being inside a locker under stored items things stay damp, warm and dark. Ideal environment for fungus!

The Lagoon minimal flow coat finish does not protect the ply from water ingress but probably slows it drying out.

While I'm shattering some rose coloured glasses I'll give you one more to check out. If you've got access to a moisture meter, use it to check readings around the swim ladder mounts. If not, use spanners to unbolt and see if the balsa core is rotten. Do a proper de-core and re seal before the bottom transom step goes soft! Love those Lagoons!

[rabbi]

I think some 400 owner wrote that statement on waterproof ply as a response to concerns about rot in uncoated plywood bulkheads in the bilges.

When we sold our Lagoon 410 the surveyor found some high moisture readings in the cockpit area. The joy of owning a boat with balsa core. One of the few things i don't like about Lagoons. But that boat was already 13yrs old.

[monte]

There's no such beast as waterproof ply. Marine ply and construction ply generally have waterproof glue, the difference between the two being timber grade/weight. Any ply will rot if left damp so keep the bilges and lockers clean and dry! Thanks for the heads up tuskie.

[cll2]

A few posts back there was a discussion about the sofa that you usually find in the owner's hull in three cabin boats. Here's a picture of the one L440 I saw in almost three years of looking that actually had the optional factory cabinet instead of the sofa. I think it looks great, and more useful, but clearly not popular.

[cll2]

One more looking aft.

[arsenelupiga]

want to make sure I get this right :

this is picture of the bow looking forward.

I assume yellow line presents border between fiberglass only bottom, and balsa core above.

One could see rot if balsa goes dark ?

[arsenelupiga]

and this is picture of the roof from inside looking towards drivers seat. It appears to me roof part is made from fiberglass only and no balsa ?

These holes have not let watwer thru yet.

If this is so, I presume swimming ladder has no balsa as well ?

thanks in advance for comments.

[tuskie]

Originally Posted by arsenelupiga

These holes have not let watwer thru yet.

If this is so, I presume swimming ladder has no balsa as well ?

The bottom step, that the swim ladder is through bolted to is definitely balsa cored. Jump into your engine bay, adopt the yoga position required to check the saiłdrive oil level and then look up to observe the underside of the bottom step/ swim platform. You will see the nuts on the mounting bolts of the ladder and it's plain to see the coring. It's an easy job to remove ladder, decore and push in plenty of thickened epoxy before rebolting.

I don't wish to start another thread on balsa core rot! However, you don't need a leak to get rot. Lots of salt water leaking might sink your boat but it stops timber rotting. A small amount of fresh water will cause rot. Even water vapour is enough. If the cored composite is not 100% air tight the daily heating and cooling of a deck or hull will "breath" air containing water vapour in and out. This is enough to cause a soft timber such as balsa to rot.

Cheers

[Scottster]

18 non sailors onboard tomorrow for a party on the boat.
It's a thank you party my dad wanted to have, of course I got to do all the work to make it happen.
I want to be 90 and still have ideas that appear out of the thin air.
Party on!



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