Best Cruising Multi - mid 40's - $450,000

[Sundowner Porto]

Serious question, and not a troll.

For the cruising comfort, living space, sea worthiness and price is there a better Cat in the mid 40 foot range that comes anywhere close to offering what the Lagoon 440 has achieved?

This is a genuine question, we have looked and looked and cannot find another boat that offers all that the Lagoon 440 has to offer.

The wife loves the space on offer and whilst not the fastest multi they are not slouches.

There are things I do not like such as sail drives and height of boom, neither of which is a show stopper, and owners seem to have very positive reports.

So are there other cats that we should be seriously considering, for me as long as it has sails I will be happy, but the Mrs wants creature comforts.

Thanks

[MNLandLoc]

Hi Sundowner -- there are lots of threads on this board that discuss the pros and cons of various mid-40's cats. While I have not sailed one yet, the Fountaine Helia 44 is on my short list after seeing it at the boat show">Miami boat show. Personally, I will be chartering several different cats next Spring and making my decision after I sail them.

[Sundowner Porto]

Originally Posted by MNLandLoc

the Fountaine Helia 44 is on my short list

Stunning boat and I think FP make better use of the fly bridge than the Lagoon 440 and 450 by making it a social space, but keeping the helm in a better position.

But our budget does not get close to a Helia or a 450 for that matter.

I have sailed the Helia, the 450 and the 440.

My interest was in comparable £$ boats to the 440.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Sundowner Porto

Serious question, and not a troll.

For the cruising comfort, living space, sea worthiness and price is there a better Cat in the mid 40 foot range that comes anywhere close to offering what the Lagoon 440 has achieved?

(...)

cruising comfort, living space

FP, Privilege, ...

sea worthiness

I would take a Catana or Outremer.

and price

FP
Then there are very many AUS and RSA things that I watch but hardly ever sail (except Schionning, Leopard and Dean).

Cheers,
b.

[Kiwikat]

We love our FP Bahia 46 Maestro version. Roomy, comfortable and seaworthy IMO.

I do not like the new fly-bridge cats that are on offer these days. They just do not seem sensible for short-handed extended cruising but that is again just a personal opinion.

Happy hunting.
Cheers
Lisa

[Lucky Larry]

Originally Posted by Sundowner Porto

For the cruising comfort, living space, sea worthiness and price is there a better Cat in the mid 40 foot range that comes anywhere close to offering what the Lagoon 440 has achieved?

IMO, the answer is NO.

Everybody has their own preferences and I can see why some would offer alternatives. The Lagoon 440 really found a sweet spot where the comfort, space, sea worthiness, sailing ability, and price all intersect. That's why Lagoon sold over 400 of them.


Lucky Larry

[monte]

I would look at a new Lagoon 400. Similar volume and payload capacity to the 440, probably a similar price and you can have all the new bells n whistles and no maintenance issues for a few years. No bridgedeck though, depends on your sailing plans what suits.

[Therapy]

Voyage 450?

[FLLCatsailor]

Originally Posted by Therapy

Voyage 450?

These are great boats in terms of easy of maintenance, but they are a little dated in their design...

[2Wind]

Just home after 5 day sail up the Queensland coast to the Whitsunday's, stopping at Lady Musgrave Lagoon (southern end of the Great Barrier Reef) and at The Percy's. 640NM, average SOG 6.9kts with nothing over 18kts of wind the entire trip. I don't think we used the STBD winches the whole trip. Great food and wine, great company, and comfort. Like most who own them, I find the flybridge helm a main attraction and not a fault. For the price....my answer to the question is "no".

[Sundowner Porto]

Thanks for all your thoughts.

Leaning heavily in the direction of the 440

[D&D]

Originally Posted by Sundowner Porto

I think FP make better use of the fly bridge than the Lagoon 440 and 450 by making it a social space, but keeping the helm in a better position.

Each to their own, of course, but we disagree. The 440 flybridge is indeed a social space, seating 7 comfortably (or ideal for stretching out and lying down to look at the stars on night watch!)...and the helm is exactly where it should be, smack in the middle for optimal visibility and with all sheets and reefing lines within easy distance.

We echo 2wind's view of the flybridge as a real plus. Quoting a seriously experienced (several hundred thousand sea miles) sailor friend who started a cruise with us skeptical (like Kiwikat here) about the flybridge, at the end of the cruise he said "I can't understand why all cats don't use this setup". In fact we chuckle reflecting on our experience when we were looking for our vessel...a particular dealer (FP rep) made quite a point of suggesting the flybridge was a seriously flawed design...and we now wonder how he copes with selling them!

Sundowner Porto, we join with others in answering your OP in the negative! You will be happy -- The 440 is a great sailing vessel -- and you both will love the comforts.

[FLLCatsailor]

It's really hard to beat the lagoon 440 in terms of value for dollar. Although some of ex charter boats have not faired well. But you can say the same thing about a lot of other charter cats.

[krafthaus]

I've sailed the Lagoon 420 on a 10 day charter. For just me and Mrs I like the helm near the saloon and I was pleased with the layout, roominess and sailing performance. Yacht world listing tending near $100,000 less than the L440's also.

[Charter Cat]

I don't there is a "Best Boat" but there certainly is a "Best Boat for You". Every boat is a compromize, and the challenge buying a boat is understanding your priorities. Then finding the "Best Boat for You" is much easier.

To further elaborate, your priorities might change before you purchase and after you stared to use it. When that happens to large extent is when the owener bought a "bad boat for him" which is not the same as "a bad boat".

Example. I once had a sedan trawler. Great flybridge and a great cockpit behind the salon. Before the purchase I knew I was going to like to sit up on the flybridge and I thought the rest of my family would too. As it turned out, they much preferred to sit in the aft cockpit me ending up sitting alone up on the flybridge when driving. If they would have liked to sit up there as much as I did it would have been a great boat, but as they didn't it turned out to be a bad boat .... for me (us).

The Lagoon 440 is a "Breat Boat for many, hence its market success. The challange for you is to understand if its going to be a great bot for You, before and after the purchase. Only You can figure that thing out.

Fortunately most get it right. That's why there are many happy boat owers out there enjoying there boats. But again, the challengo is to understand if their priorities and the way they are using the boat is going to be the same as yours.