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Old 18-05-2007, 08:34   #1
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Question Living Space

In a 38 foot Catamaran (I don' care if it is a Lagoon or PDQ, just an average)what is the living space in square footage? 300sqft ? 800sqft ?
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Old 18-05-2007, 09:39   #2
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Are you looking to count the deck space also?
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Old 18-05-2007, 10:28   #3
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Approximately 384 square feet in my Privilege 37. But, how I measure this may be different than how you measure.
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Old 18-05-2007, 20:27   #4
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An admiral 38 would have probably 50% more room than my PDQ 36 because of her beam and larger settee area. You also can't really compare it to a house in anyway for trying to guestimate comfort. My galley is far small in terms of sq footage than any house, but I have 10 ft of counterspace and tons of storage and have a far more functional kitchen than many condominiums with 1000+ sq ft. Strygaldwir though sounds about right for a spacious 37 ft design.
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Old 19-05-2007, 05:45   #5
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Even in a house, not all square footage is equal. Due to limited space aboard it is even truer for boats. I have been on some very large boats with poor space usage and some smaller boats that seem comfortable because the space is so well thought out and useable.

Our 1994 38’ Prout is not as beamy as many other 38’s. She doesn’t have as much free board and the hulls are narrower, yet we find long periods aboard most pleasant. She was not built for charter so is not crowded with heads and beds. She has three cabins and one head. Does every cabin need its own head? Really? Our single head is roomy and comfortable even has a bath tub (now there is an example of wasted space). We use the tub for storage. Some Prouts have a locker in that space. The forward cabin is used for storage on long voyages but can be converted back if we are lucky enough to get grandkids for a few weeks.

Our galley is down but since we have lower deck height, it is open to the main saloon so the cook is not isolated from the socializing. This allows the entire deck house area to be available for a spacious settee. It will seat 6 comfortably and 8 cozily.

Some of the more modern cats of similar length have a lot more space but do funny things with it like the need to pass through one cabin to get to another. They have so much freeboard they are sometimes referred to as condomarans.

The large cockpits on many cats are also a result of the charter mentality. If your main goal is to party, great. They are perfect for that. If it is to sail, then the smaller cockpit is easier for the short handed crew.

Go to the boat shows and don’t just look at open space. If you want to duplicate a house on the water, buy a house boat. Look at livability, storage, tankage, etc. Can you carry and/or make enough water to be aboard for long periods? Even hard core sailors motor more than they would like to admit. Do you have decent fuel capacity/range for motoring? Are the batteries and charging systems adequate for the conveniences you desire?

How well built is the boat? Do your own research. I would not want to do a major passage on some of the more popular cats, but they all have their own proponents and I don’t want to get into a pissing match with anyone.

If by living aboard, you mean at a dock in a marina then some of this is not needed. If however, it is cruising you want, there are a lot more important things to consider than just “living space.”
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Old 19-05-2007, 18:15   #6
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I have a Lagoon 380 and it seems to be very roomy versus other 38 footers I've been on.
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Old 24-05-2007, 23:30   #7
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The FP Lavezzi 40 brochure claims 540sf of internal space. The Lavezzi is a 40 footer but it 'feels' no larger than the Lagoon 380. And a quick look seems to confirm the Lavezzi has more hull fore & aft of the bridgedeck. Not as optimal for interior space but perhaps a little more seakindly - its all a compromise!

Personally though, I think space measurements can be misleading. Smaller & cleverly designed is preferable to larger & badly designed. "Form follows function" and all that. The only way to really evaluate the space is to step aboard.

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