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Originally Posted by edsailing  I delivered 380 from France to Florida - really could not recommend it as an Ocean going boat. There were problems with the build quality on my trip, the bridge deck clearance is poor (so lots of noise), I have heard of other delivery skippers who have had problems on delivery.
Definitely not a performance boat, very slow downwind. But it's a cheap boat aimed at warm climate day sailing and charter markets - you get what you pay for. |
I chartered a Lagoon 380s in Belize -- very nice boat but I agree it's not fast, nor does it point well. Made a lot of leeway on a reach. Top sustained speed we saw was about 9.5 knots on a reach in about 25 knots apparent, in flat protected water behind the barrier reef. That's a charter boat with tanks more than half-full but not loaded down with all the other crap a long-term cruiser would want to have. Clearance seemed OK but we never went outside. A friend charted one in the BVIs and experienced a lot of pounding when motoring to windward in a chop.
As a coastal cruiser it would be a very nice boat. If I were to order one I would make the following changes:
- The roll-back helm seat is uncomfortable for more than a day. Would change it to a flat back
- Would open up the rail to allow the helmsman to enter/exit from the centerline (without need to walk all the way around to the outer port side). Would add a step in the bulkhead to make the climb easy.
- Would make the salt water galley pump electric-- no need to save seawater.
- Keels are open to the bilge. A grounding that damages a keel could flood the whole hull of the stock boat. The bows of the stock boat are open unfinished space with no floor or collision bulkhead. Would consider the following, if going world-cruising: Glass in the bilge above the (hollow) keels with composite panels, with watertight inspection ports. Glass-in composite panels to make floors in the forward part of the hulls, with watertight inspection ports. Close off the bows (including inspection ports). These extra compartments would serve as collision bulkheads and the floors would be above the waterline.
- Would add bilge pumps to the new closed-off spaces. Would add piezo beeper in each circuit to signal if a float switch triggered.