Lagoon 52, think twice before purchasing it

[Frank A]

I am the owner of a new Lagoon 52 and which was the dream of my life, this dream is turning to a nightmare. At first, when i purchased the boat in Annapolis boatshow 2014 all the team, including my canadian broker were very friendly and explained to me that in case of issues with Lagoon boats, they have a lot of representatives all around the world and my first journey being in Med, they insisted, in Mediteranean sea, they had more representatives than anywhere else… I got the delivery of the boat in La Rochelle and there a lot of problems started with the options i had chosen, most of employees who were supposed to install these options were not working more than 2 hours a day or did not come when they were supposed to, the worst of all being the software company who works there ( POCHON ) they are just thieves and offers no service but charge the high price to instal things without taking care it works. At the end i started with a fortnight delay on my departure date and was charged full price by the marina to have wait for Lagoon service that most of time did not come.
After 6 months across med from la Rochelle to Portugal ( where the Lagoon broker is really very serious and involves in his job to try to get you out of the problems from a very poor quality building)
, i met almost all of the Lagoon brokers on my road, most of time i wasted a week to wait for parts that never arrived or not the good ones or … and of course had to pay for very expensive marinas in some places i had nothing to do but wait for some parts. From La rochelle i noticed a leak of oil on the transmission box on starboard, on the first maintenance, this leak was supposed to be fix by Lagoon employees. In fact not only hey did not fix anything but since a leak appeared on the port transmission box while the starboard started to swallow some sea water. Today, once again stuck sine a week in Mayorca to wait for a screen and the auto pilot that failed, i requested a survey from an acredited agent by Lloyds and what he discovered rally upsets me. After 3 pages of major defaults he noticed, he stopped his survey. I was supposed to participate to ARC + 2015, but the boat is in such a state, that i will most probaly have to cancel this participation. All my team mates will lose their flight tickets for the way back and i wonder how i will gat my boat in the caribs in a month or so when all the defaults will ( i hope ) have been fixed. The boat is still under warranty, but my broker says " lagoon does not answer to me " , my wife is so upset with all those troubles since the beginig that she considers leaving me on the boat to get back home in Montreal and i wonder myself what i am going to become stuck on this boat where a lot of things are dangerous and the finish was called by the expert a " friday afternoon boat"… If you consider purchasing a boat you will use only 2 weeks a year doing some circles in the BVI waters, this might be a good boat for you, but if you consider sailing for real with your lagoon, prepare for no sleep nights until you can sell it .

[garrobito]

Wooww!!! I honestly believe Lagoon stand behind they products.. Now... commissioned a boat take time, patience and knowledge. I hope Lagoon fix it all and reimburse you all the money paid and time and vacation lost...
A 52' it's an expensive boat and deserve the most highest quality....

[JPA Cate]

Frank,

Take a step back, and a deep breath. What you have been experiencing is not uncommon with brand new boats. Stuff does not work right. Service providers do not come when they say they will or complete jobs when they said they will. This --while entirely frustrating-- is the way of the world when it comes to yachts. The search for reliable providers is forever ongoing. It is not specific to Lagoons. Everybody has difficulties with providers, even if they're "nice" people, they're still not prompt. This is the world you bought into with your Lagoon. Now you guys have to figure out how to cope with it. Maybe offer bonuses for early completion to your satisfaction?

Ann

[smj]

I respect your opinion Ann, but to offer a bonus to make right on something that shouldn't have gone wrong on a new luxury yacht to me shouldn't be something you should have to do. Lagoon should take care of any maintenance issues in a timely manner, or it should expect a loss of business brought on by threads like this.

[arsenelupiga]

i purchased 1.5 year old boat, paid less money, and has nearly zero issues as first owner fixed it all.

I know it is seaworthy as it did 15,000 NM and nearly no sign of wear.

I am actually impressed by quality & intelligence of build although hear differently all around me.

Maybe take step back and relax, have beer and calm down. things may look differently. Every one wants money from you so dont believe everything you hear.

[Factor]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Frank,

Take a step back, and a deep breath. What you have been experiencing is not uncommon with brand new boats. Stuff does not work right. Service providers do not come when they say they will or complete jobs when they said they will. This --while entirely frustrating-- is the way of the world when it comes to yachts. The search for reliable providers is forever ongoing. It is not specific to Lagoons. Everybody has difficulties with providers, even if they're "nice" people, they're still not prompt. This is the world you bought into with your Lagoon. Now you guys have to figure out how to cope with it. Maybe offer bonuses for early completion to your satisfaction?

Ann

Dunno who you have been dealing with, but its not the companies I know.

[Tellie]

Oh, I absolutely agree with smj. Ann, with all due respect that is a really bad idea. I work in this environment every day. I can just see the bidding wars going on between the owners and the contractors. This would be running a fine line of being considered pay offs and bribes. The builders need to be held to their contracts to complete the repair and warranty work for the cost they quoted originally. But you are right, this is becoming more often than not a common problem and the outside contractors used are often not as reliable as they should be with their schedules either. I'm watching here in S.Florida two of the biggest suppliers of warranty work to these boats self destruct and trashing their good reputations. There's just not enough good companies around that can handle all the work that's coming in during the last two years. In desperation I have been approached by most of the major Cat dealers to take on this work as well and I have been avoiding it like the plague. Most contractors don't want to take on warranty work. It's too much a mish mosh of repair work and it pays poorly. The competition to sell boats is stiff and the prices of these boats reflect it. Show me a new production boat that just sold for $800,000 and I'll show you a boat that probably should have sold for $900,000. Tight margins are just that and where it reflects best is in warranty work.


Halden Marine Services | Marine Watermakers, Solar Panels, Wind Generators

[JPA Cate]

I agree one shouldn't have to do it. And we've never tried it, because Jim does most of our work, so the situations are extremely different.

Who we've dealt with: one sail maker who's a nice guy but delivered a new sail 2 wks late. Also dealt with one who made a real nice mainsail for us and who delivered on time: Steve Walker, in Tasmania.

Who we talk to--mostly other cruising yachties--report many horror stories.

But while the providers should provide Frank with prompt and reliable service, they have not, according to him. If offering a bonus is a bad idea--and I'm not attached to the notion, no offense taken at all--what would be good ideas for encouraging better (prompt and reliable) service for Frank in his situation?

Ann

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

what would be good ideas for encouraging better (prompt and reliable) service for Frank in his situation?

Ann

One would think publicizing Lagoon's atrocious build quality and factory support problems would do so, but thread after thread on many forums for many years seems to prove this approach doesn't work.

The one consistent thing I have heard from new Lagoon owners is to forget ever getting a response from Lagoon again after the boat leaves the dock.

I understand that the situation is the dealer network is tasked with support, but this seems to be a very hit and miss thing - you better pick your dealer correctly and hope the boat delivered doesn't have intrinsic structural issues.

Some people seem to have had very good dealers and others nightmare dealers.

Mark

[Jim Cate]

Mark, stories like Frank's and comments like yours make me smile when I read posts by folks who are set upon buying a brand new boat so that they won't have to worry about things being wrong with their purchase.

One of the best bits of advice ever posted here on CF was that anyone buying a new boat should have it surveyed very critically by a hard nosed surveyor before accepting delivery. Advice, by the way, that is seldom heeded... consider how much better off Frank would have been if he had done so!

Jim

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Mark, stories like Frank's and comments like yours make me smile when I read posts by folks who are set upon buying a brand new boat so that they won't have to worry about things being wrong with their purchase.

One of the best bits of advice ever posted here on CF was that anyone buying a new boat should have it surveyed very critically by a hard nosed surveyor before accepting delivery. Advice, by the way, that is seldom heeded... consider how much better off Frank would have been if he had done so!

Jim

Advice I wholeheartedly agree with and yes very seldom taken. I always go a step further. I truly believe that it is well worth the money to hire a professional marine electrician, marine diesel mechanic, rigger, and marine electronics person along with a surveyor on a boat one is seriously considering, especially in the 50'+ Cat price range. It is good advice for anyone spending serious money, to them, on a boat. It may seem a bit excessive but there are the hidden uncounted for expenses such as an extra three weeks you'll spend in a local hotel while the boat is on the hard, car rentals, eating out, time spent not cruising especially if you are still working for a living and not retired. These are real expenses that can well exceed bringing the right people aboard in the first place.

Halden Marine Services | Marine Watermakers, Solar Panels, Wind Generators

[donradcliffe]

This issue is not just a Lagoon issue, its a new boat issue. I remember one fall being in North Carolina tied up next to a shiny new Outbound 44. While I headed off to the Caribbean for a winter in the sun, the Outbound owner sadly realized that he could not leave due to outstanding warranty issues. The problem wasn't that the builder/dealer/installer wasn't going to resolve the issues, it was that there was no way they could be fixed down island under warranty.

[GoingWalkabout]

Originally Posted by colemj

One would think publicizing Lagoon's atrocious build quality and factory support problems would do so, but thread after thread on many forums for many years seems to prove this approach doesn't work.

The one consistent thing I have heard from new Lagoon owners is to forget ever getting a response from Lagoon again after the boat leaves the dock.

I understand that the situation is the dealer network is tasked with support, but this seems to be a very hit and miss thing - you better pick your dealer correctly and hope the boat delivered doesn't have intrinsic structural issues.

Some people seem to have had very good dealers and others nightmare dealers.

Mark

I'm very sorry to hear of this situation. I like Lagoon. Their design and layout. But this is not the first time that I have hear horror stories concerning their improper behavior.

I think it is worth starting to take their dealers to court. In most countries they have what is called a small claims court. Start with one fault and sue them to fix it. Then say to them I will sue you over and over again until the dam thing is fixed. Since the dealer is acting as an agent for Lagoon you have a right to sue the dealer and then watch the dealer scream at Lagoon. It wouldn't take many such actions before Lagoon France started to have serious problems with their sales network. This is what courts are for. Use them. IMHO

[casablanca]

I endorse what Jim Cate says. I bought a new boat (not a Lagoon) in the mistaken expectation of no problems. Not so. But it's not an uncommon complaint. The first owner ends up sorting out all the problems.

After that I bought a 3 year old Lagoon and have had no problems at all. I'm resolved never to buy a new boat or car ever again.


Bob
CASABLANCA L420 #86

[Dulcesuenos]

You buy a new car and the starter or stereo craps out and the dealer still takes care of you as they get support from the manufacturer, even though they didn't make the actual part that failed. Too bad most boat manufacturers don't do the same unless it's the actual hull that failed. Fp and lagoon Have terrible after purchase support. I have sent several easy to answer emails and never had an answer. When we had a leopard I could call or email and they would bend over backwards to provide info etc on a 12 year old boat like they just sold it to me.

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