Lagoon 400 - Any Other Cat with Similar Headroom ?

[Sail IC]

My wife and I will do an open ended cruise. Given family situation our purchase is roughly 5 years out, the cruise starting a couple of years later, but it doesn't stop us from the pleasure of planning and dreaming today.

I always pictured a monohull until a your ago when we by accident stepped on a Lagoon 400. Big eye opener, and since then we know that a cat is the deal.

Given the time of the purchase, currrent thinking is to buy an aproximately 5 year old cat five years from now, so looking at different alternatives, the boat we will buy must be in production today. Used Lagoon 400 fits what our budget will be, so 5 years from now there will just be more to chose from.

Now to the big snagg. I'm 6'7" (2 meter) tall. We previously did a 3 months cruise on a trawler around the Bahamans where the headroom was about 2" less my hight. Towards the end I started to develop backpain, so on a much longer journey, I have to be able to stand up straight in the main aerea of the boat.

The Lagoon 400 excels in headroom. It felt good when I was on it a year ago, and the specification reads 7' feet (2.13m) in the saloon. Last week I was at a boatshow where they had the Lagoon 450 on display. This boat is out of our budget, but interestingly I could just about stand in the saloon, and the specification reads 6'9" (2.05m) in the saloon. I was surprised it despite being bigger actually has less headroom than the L400. The Lagoon 420 has less headroom than both the L400 and L450.

So my questions is. Is there another cat being produced today with a similar headroom as the Lagoon 400 and around the same price, or is it our only available choice.

Thanks for any inputs.

[Sand crab]

Maine Cat says they have 6'8" throughout. And they get really good reviews.
Grand Slam Yacht Sales (Cortez, FL)&

BOB

[Sail IC]

I have looked at the Maine Cat 41 (on the web), and its a very intresting concept and the big open bridgedeck has advantages.

My wife really like to cook nice (and I like to eat it), and she sees cooking as a very social activíty. The galley down layout is big disadvantage for the Maine cat.
The perhaps biggest attributes of a cat vs. mono is the one level living space. To send you wife down to "cellar" as in a mono to cook is not a good thing. I also like to cook or even better do it together with my wife.

I'm from Sweden but lived most of my profesional life abroad (UK, Germany, US). We're now back in Sweden and our kids think we're insane as we moved from sunny California where they are born to freezing cold Sweden, and they are right.

So the planned cruise has two purposes. First is to explore the world where the climate is nice and warm and the people are friendly (Its really hard to be nice when its freezing cold). Secondly is to find a place where to retire. I invision that when we find a place that seems nice, we would stay there for a while whilst living on the boat. In so I think a more classical layout would work the best.

I really like the Lagoon 400 and I could see ourselves being happy with it, but it would be good to have some choices.

[Sand crab]

Good older threads here although most "tall" people are shorter than you.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...le-2900-2.html
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ans-51702.html
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...all-43650.html
Good Luck BOB

[Sand crab]

More...... Antares 44 discussed here. I went to the website and couldn't find headroom specs but saloon looks huge.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...e-18903-2.html BOB

[fbchristo]

Welcome fellow 6'7" sailor!

I too face that "challenge" and have sailed the Main Cat 41 extensively ant they do have plenty of headroom throughout but are pricey and i don't know if Dick is still making the 41 but I know where at least one used one is one the market.

The L 400 will have plenty of headroom as will the 420 (now 421) and of course the 440/450. My wife and I are in the market for a 420 with plans to start cruising full time in 619 days (not that i am counting). I have also sailed the L 380 and found about 50% with full head room and another 25% passable. However, the L 410 will not work as the berths are arranged side ways and on the one my wife and I sailed I slept in the semi-fetal position for 18 days. Ok for short term but not for the next 10 years.

FP's newer cats the 41 Lipiri(sp?) and 44 Orana both offer good head room for those of us vertically blessed but I have yet to find either on the used market at a price-point that matches my wallet. The Anteres 44i is great throughout but at pushing 900k I will need to win the lotto first.


Hope this helps-

Fred

[Sail IC]

Thank for all the information.

Fred,
The last time I was counting days was before going on sabatical. Three months cruise from San Francisco to Mexico.

Cheers, Johan

[multihullsailor6]

Have a look at the Admiral 40 as well as the Spirited 380, both have abundant headroom for you.

[Canibul]

What do you do in the Maine Cats when riding out a storm? Is there some kind of flip down rigid plexiglass window you could put down to block the wind and rain? that would really test your caffeine addiction to have to cross that open bridgdeck to get to the galley while anchored in a gale. I guess if you were caught out in the open during a storm you could wear a diving plate at the helm.

I suppose if there were just the two of us on board, we could drop the hook and move into the port hull for the duration. Because other than that rare need for some real shelter, I like that boat a lot for a cruising couple.

[cchesley]

Just couldn't resist commenting on the perceived disadvantages of the MC 41. First, with regard to the galley down. On the Mainecat, it is down but still light and airy and really doesn't have the isolation that many associate with a galley down arrangement. The access to the hull is large and opens directly into the bridgedeck/cockpit area. Conversation can be heard and participated in very easily with those in the cockpit. Remember, most cats isolate the cockpit from the bridgedeck cabin and in that case the galley down is even further isolated from the guests. Not so in a Mainecat.

As for the roll up windows and storm conditions. They are not the disadvantage that so many believe. #1, my Mainecat rode to weather at 17 knots and into 30 plus headwinds (over 50 mile an hour winds) while being delivered to the PNW (as deck cargo, of course). I left the 'windows' in for this delivery with no damage, etc. Unlike most cats, you 'could' remove those windows to minimize wind resistance during a heavy gale to reduce the odds of dragging while at anchor. Think about this for a minute. How many days will this be the case throughout your time of ownership over, say, 10 years? I'd gladly take this possible inconvenience for 5-7 days and enjoy the advantages the other 3643 days of ownership. In other words, this isn't a problem!

Btw, how would not having them in place be any different from a standard monohull with a dodger (presumably removed for a hurricane)? You'll end up getting a bit wet during anchor watches in either case.... just sayin'.

[Sand crab]

Originally Posted by Canibul

What do you do in the Maine Cats when riding out a storm? Is there some kind of flip down rigid plexiglass window you could put down to block the wind and rain? that would really test your caffeine addiction to have to cross that open bridgdeck to get to the galley while anchored in a gale. I guess if you were caught out in the open during a storm you could wear a diving plate at the helm.

I suppose if there were just the two of us on board, we could drop the hook and move into the port hull for the duration. Because other than that rare need for some real shelter, I like that boat a lot for a cruising couple.

To answer your question, I don't know. I've thought about it too. On the older models I suspect the strataglass enclosure could be in poor shape and replacement would not be cheap so retrofitting some sort of removable plexi panels so you can keep the open bridgedeck but also have shelter from the storm might be a viable option. I'm not sure it is a true bluewater cruiser but it is exceptional nonetheless. Catty on the forum here has one and loves it and is supposed to be circumnavigating..CATTY are you there?

[Sid at SailAway]

We just received a Matrix 450 at our docks. First time I've been aboard one. Wow, the salon is huge and lots of galley space. It may be worthwhile to look at one, especially if you're looking to buy down five years down the road. The price will be a lot nicer then! Smooth seas..Sid

[fbchristo]

I have ben on Maine Cat 41 in 25-30Kt wind right on the nose and with the exception of the strata glass fogging up (solved with fans) she just motored into it with no issues, even when a wave decided to roll over her stem to stern.

in an early interview it was suggested that if it got bad enough you could roll-up the windows and let the water drain out the scuppers. I wonder about that approach with all the electronics there at the helm.

There are many reason I am not looking at the MC 41 but its performance in a storm aren't one of them.

[downunder]

Looked over a lagoon 400 and FP salina at Airlie beach boat show last weekend.

Am only 6ft 3inch but hit my head hard in hulls (cabin bulkheads - and I wasn't trying) of both vessels.

Am looking at the new FF46 under construction at Gold Coast and it is so far ahead in headroom its a non contest.

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