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exitstrategy · 21-12-2016, 06:20

Congratulations on your new 450!

Various comments follow. For context we have hull #161, a 2012 450F. We have been full-time cruisers for 4 months in the Atlantic Europe (La Rochelle to Oporto), then put her in charter for 4 years, then took her out of charter and have been full-time for the last 7 months in the Caribbean.

No particular order:
1) Underwater lights - we have a pair of $20 portable 12v lights that we have used about 4 times for about 15 minutes each. Definitely a fun novelty, but people seem to be interested for a short time. If they were permanently mounted maybe we would get more use, more easily? But I like having 1 less hole.

2) Cockpit floor - we have teak and I love it. Very durable, doesn't show wear, and easy to clean. I have been on fiberglass 450s and it feels cheaper and not as nice.

3) Genset - would agree, have Lagoon install it. One point of warranty. We chose not to get AC and have not regretted that decision. Even in the Caribbean summer you do not need it unless you have to be tied up in a marina. So then you can get the smaller 5kW unit.

4) The Lagoon side opening fridges simply suck. The freezer boxes in them are too small to be useful, frost up and then leak across the floor. I wish Lagoon had proper top-opening fridge and freezer options. We have since added a Dometic CF40 ($700) as a freezer and love it, and a Dometic icemaker ($200) bith of which have paid for themselves inside of a few months in provisioning savings.

5) Carpet? I personally think that is a bad idea. Sand will eventually get everywhere, the wood floors make cleaning up sand a snap.

6) Don't forget to ask about the secret place. Took me an embarrassingly long time to discover it and how to access it. I will not describe it online.

7) The sliding doors lock is terrible. Truly terrible. Simply putting your shoulder into it will undo the lock. We added u-bolts and a padlock when we are away. But Lagoon should have a stronger lock as a default.

8) The cushions on the foredeck by the anchor locker are very difficult to keep on the boat. We have lost 3 of them so far. Despite experience and care. Also with the flybridge and the flydeck sitting area, despite having always 5 people on board no one goes to the foredeck and uses those cushions. I would not have bought them if I could do it again.

9) Outboard engine mounts - buy this option. Shouldn't be an option.

10) The Highfield is a good dinghy, we prefer the open tiller version over the console/seat version. Have tried both. As full-time cruisers it is better to have the space for provisioning, friends, SCUBA, etc.

11) We tried the soft canvas Bimini for a year, but it sucks. It provides relatively little shelter and it bangs into your head even for a medium height guy like me: 5'10". We later installed a hard fiberglass bimini and love it.

12) This year, on the hard bimini we installed 500w of solar and a full wrap-around set of clears. AMAZING add-on. Hard for me to over-state but we now have a new berth / cabin on our boat. Going to windward is if anything too comfortable now. Rain is not an issue.

Picture in this post:

13) Solar. After lots of questions. We went for the biggest solar installation we could. I designed a large stainless steel arch for our boat, had it fabricated in Grenada and then added 1500 watts MORE solar, we now have 2000 watts on Ad Astra. Now we very rarely run the generator, in fact I run it once every 7-10 days just to keep it in running shape.

Everything runs off of solar now: 2 Lagoon fridges, 1 dometic CF40 freezer, 1 dometic icemaker, (5)! 85W laptops, Lagoon washing machine, and our Newport 400 Spectra water maker! We are producing about 110 amps in the peak hours, and the batteries are back to full charge by mid-morning. We make our water & ice, and do the laundry in the day. At night it is the just the laptops and refrigeration.

We chose not to do wind as after a survey of about 25 cruisers 90% regretted the $ on wind and wished they had spent more $ on solar.

Next step for us is to go to ~700aH of Lithium.

Cheers,
-Erik

pathlesschosen · 21-12-2016, 11:24

Great post Erik! Thanks.

davedindubai · 28-12-2016, 03:05

Thanks for all the advice Erik and a Merry Christmas to all.

davedindubai · 06-01-2017, 13:43

Happy new year everyone.

Would anyone who has the electrical manual be able to share it on PDF?
I've downloaded the 450 manual but it mentions a separate manual for the electrics which would be really helpful.

I'm also interested in the specs of the inverter supplied by lagoon if anyone has taken that option and is it a good deal?

PaulinOz · 06-01-2017, 15:37

Have only ever seen the user manual as PDF, the electrical manual that came with boat is quiet a bit bigger than the user manual. Would like a PDF version if there is one around as well.

The standard Lagoon Inverter was listed as 2kW, I believe you are better off with a bigger 3 to 6 kW unit fitted after market. The same goes for solar 2 to 3 kW after market is the way to go.

Agree with most everything that Eric has said.

I would have preferred the electric start/tilt 20 hp Honda outboard in retrospect, my partner can not manually start the Honda 20 or lift out of the water when approaching a beach.

The Lagoon 25 kg anchor in my opinion is to small 40 kg is more the mark.
Lagoon original on left.

Do not fall for the smart looking, popular black fender and mooring lines they leave marks on the hull that are a pain to get off, white boat white lines.

Added a 42" LED Samsung TV suspended on 2 x Al 50x50x3mm angle attached to rear of overhead cabinet. As can be seen from picture a 50 inch would easily fit.

We have stored the large composite outdoor table top on land and instead have 2 x 700mm composite square tops that we move inside or out as required. The two can be placed next to each other to make up 1.4 x .7 meter table.

The large double leg wooden table top lives in the roof locker out back and is only used when we have a mob on board for a sit down meal. Also have two small wooden tops 400 x 300 use to be large cheese boards. that are used on both long and short legs as coffee table/drinks tables as required giving a lot more room to move around.

Some would say that there is already plenty of room on a Lagoon 450 but so far we have had a maximum of 28 on board for drinks/nibbles no problem re room to move, in fact we estimate that 35 is about the most we would want to consider for a night. The dinghy parking across the back starts to get a bit tight though.

The smart looking Lagoon stools are OK but to sit on for any length of time are not that comfortable so stored one on land, we have 2 x folding teak dining chairs with backs & cushions that get used at owners desk and Nav station when not required at tables for extra seating.

Congratulations on the new boat, you have a lot of fun times ahead of you.

PaulinOz · 07-01-2017, 13:12

http://www.cata-lagoon.com/site_agen...rop_450_uk.pdf

Thanks to warren460 for coming through with the link to L450 plumbing and electrical pdf.

davedindubai · 07-01-2017, 13:22

Incredible! Thank you

warren460 · 07-01-2017, 14:45

You guys are welcome. I hit upon the link to the electrical diagrams by accident while looking for information on for a lagoon 450 spectra watermaker install. I'm trying to see where others put the major components.

Warren

PaulinOz · 07-01-2017, 15:20

Not a Spectra but kit of parts supplied in Oz by Stella Marine. This is 180 lt/hour 240 volt AC installation.

Major components under floor in owners side. In area aft of bilge pump compartment. With membrane tubes mounted fore / aft under floor, bellow electrical access hatches Ends can be seen in 3rd picture). Plumbed into Starboard water tanks.

Manual valve plumbed from pressurized water system in Port hull to Port tanks to facilitate transfer from Starboard tanks to Port (utilizes house water pump for transfer, takes aprox 10 mins for 350 lt).

No tank removal required for install still have 350 lt each side.

Electrical and pressure controls mounted in cupboard bellow owners side Black water tank. With water test point plumbed to the vanity basin in owners bathroom for water quality testing.

warren460 · 07-01-2017, 16:04

We have a 4 cabin flybridge being delivered to TMM yacht charters in May. While your install is not wholly applicable, it's still helpful.

Thank you.

jbinbi · 07-01-2017, 18:47

Great info. I have the 410 electrical and asked my dealer if he could get me the 380's as that is the model i have. He told me that Lagoon did not produce this, as the model is 13 years old and they didn't do this back then. I don't believe it, someone must be following a diagram to wire it up at the factory. I have only what the manual has, nothing as detailed as this. It is fantastic someone came up with it. If anyone has the 380's, I would love to see it.