Lagoon 570 Reviews Owners Version

[Kenomac]

A recent thread by a different CF participant got us wondering about a Lagoon 570. Here's a few questions we have after discovering that it might be financially feasible to move straight across from our Oyster 53. Over the next 6-8 years, we plan to stay in the Med, so the larger Catamaran platform would make sense.

1. Is the Lagoon 570 too much boat for two sixty year olds to handle and is it possible to single hand for 100-200 mile passages? We do just fine on the Oyster 53 and it seems like the sail area would be about the same.

2. How difficult is it to come up to a fuel dock? It appears like it might be difficult to see the opposite corner from the helm. Does it take two or three people to dock the boat? Sometimes I need to do this alone.

3. Are there many "owners version" boats available ? How much of a premium price do sellers ask for that option?

4. Any particular build issues with the 570?

5. Sail handling. Is it difficult for one or two people to raise the mainsail? I know most catamarans use the large sail pack on the boom. Is it difficult to unzip and raise the sail or repack the pack?

6. Did Lagoon make a powercat in the 50 foot range ten years ago? My wife really likes the idea of a powercat. 50-55ft powercat would be just about right.

Any helpful advice will be much appreciated.

Thanks

Ken

[ranchero76]

Hi Ken,
#3. There are owners version 570 on the market out there, I guess, as usual, charter version more common. But there's at least one for sale right now, so hopefully should be not too difficult to find one for sale in the future if needed.
Lagoon 570 - Owners Version, EUR 470.000,- to sell | boat24.com/en
One thing I've noticed, though, interior on newer ones ('07-'08) looks much nicer than same model from '03-'04. May be, it's applied to other brands and models too, as technology and design are evolving.

[boom23]

I sail on a Lagoon 450 with my wife. Read below for my comments on your questions.

Good luck on your research!

Originally Posted by Kenomac

A recent thread by a different CF participant got us wondering about a Lagoon 570. Here's a few questions we have after discovering that it might be financially feasible to move straight across from our Oyster 53. Over the next 6-8 years, we plan to stay in the Med, so the larger Catamaran platform would make sense.

1. Is the Lagoon 570 too much boat for two sixty year olds to handle and is it possible to single hand for 100-200 mile passages? We do just fine on the Oyster 53 and it seems like the sail area would be about the same.

The Lagoon 570 is HUGE compared to a 53ft monohull. Our 45ft Lagoon has more room than your Oyster 53. In my opinion, the 570 is way too much of a boat for two people (living space wise). You should be able to handle it in the open ocean as it is a more stable platform. Just pay attention to the weather and reef early.

2. How difficult is it to come up to a fuel dock? It appears like it might be difficult to see the opposite corner from the helm. Does it take two or three people to dock the boat? Sometimes I need to do this alone.

Catamarans are fairly easy to dock due to the two engines. Two experienced people should be enough. Things can get interesting in bad weather. The 570 has lots of windage and weight.

3. Are there many "owners version" boats available ? How much of a premium price do sellers ask for that option?

4. Any particular build issues with the 570?

5. Sail handling. Is it difficult for one or two people to raise the mainsail? I know most catamarans use the large sail pack on the boom. Is it difficult to unzip and raise the sail or repack the pack?

I would hope the 570 has electric winches. It would be a major pain to raise the mainsail manually on our 450. I am not sure about the boom height.

6. Did Lagoon make a powercat in the 50 foot range ten years ago? My wife really likes the idea of a powercat. 50-55ft powercat would be just about right.

I believe they still make powercats.

Any helpful advice will be much appreciated.

Thanks

Ken

[SaltyMonkey]

Why don't you get the Seventy? You can buy it from a Frenchman that wears a red scarf, or another Frenchman that never washes or combs his hair. And they make nice notebooks and wave their clean hands in the air thus (demonstrating) while talking art speak aesthetics.

Lagoon Seventy

[Barra]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

A recent thread by a different CF participant got us wondering about a Lagoon 570. Here's a few questions we have after discovering that it might be financially feasible to move straight across from our Oyster 53. Over the next 6-8 years, we plan to stay in the Med, so the larger Catamaran platform would make sense.

1. Is the Lagoon 570 too much boat for two sixty year olds to handle and is it possible to single hand for 100-200 mile passages? We do just fine on the Oyster 53 and it seems like the sail area would be about the same.

2. How difficult is it to come up to a fuel dock? It appears like it might be difficult to see the opposite corner from the helm. Does it take two or three people to dock the boat? Sometimes I need to do this alone.

3. Are there many "owners version" boats available ? How much of a premium price do sellers ask for that option?

4. Any particular build issues with the 570?

5. Sail handling. Is it difficult for one or two people to raise the mainsail? I know most catamarans use the large sail pack on the boom. Is it difficult to unzip and raise the sail or repack the pack?

6. Did Lagoon make a powercat in the 50 foot range ten years ago? My wife really likes the idea of a powercat. 50-55ft powercat would be just about right.

Any helpful advice will be much appreciated.

Thanks

Ken

Its funny but on the bolded comment I think just the opposite - a large cat in the med makes the least sense mainly due to port access.

Theres a couple that does skippered charters on a L52 in the med we have come across. They are mid 40s and very experienced but from what i saw when they pulled up along side us in Simi is that its quite a handful for them to med moor that boat even with help from the paying punters. Lots of windage.

I reckon you would be adding stress levels on top of that with the 570. Docking solo? Wouldnt be easy and I reckon as an older couple you would come to dread needing to go to port. Thats if theres room for you in the first place.

Ie lots of hassels and for what? its way more boat than any couple sans servants could possibly need...

[arsenelupiga]

lagoon did 43 ft motor one. I liked the design.

I think motor cat makes sense for med as anything is close so lesser range is not an issue.

Listen your wife. She is basically sick of monos, and slow moving.

It is great moving at 20 kn when there is no storm.

[robert sailor]

20 knots??

[jbinbi]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

Why don't you get the Seventy? You can buy it from a Frenchman that wears a red scarf, or another Frenchman that never washes or combs his hair. And they make nice notebooks and wave their clean hands in the air thus (demonstrating) while talking art speak aesthetics.

Lagoon Seventy

What does this mean? Is this sarcasm? Is it a dis on the French? Am I missing some hidden meaning? Pretty good question by the OP, not sure why this response.

[GoingWalkabout]

Originally Posted by jbinbi

What does this mean? Is this sarcasm? Is it a dis on the French? Am I missing some hidden meaning? Pretty good question by the OP, not sure why this response.

jbinbi. Salty Monkey has a banana eating problem. Eating far too many has made him bananas.

[Just_cruizen]

I too looked at Lagoon and all the other large cats. I've owned Beneteau and Jenneau yachts for the past 15 year. The quality of Lagoon falls into the same price quality range , Namely built for a price. I instead opted for a Sunreef 60. We take delivery in a few months. The 60 is a semi custom boat, they are far more accommodating then the French builders. The quality is also far better.
If you'd like an Intro please contact me.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

A recent thread by a different CF participant got us wondering about a Lagoon 570. Here's a few questions we have after discovering that it might be financially feasible to move straight across from our Oyster 53. Over the next 6-8 years, we plan to stay in the Med, so the larger Catamaran platform would make sense.

1. Is the Lagoon 570 too much boat for two sixty year olds to handle and is it possible to single hand for 100-200 mile passages? We do just fine on the Oyster 53 and it seems like the sail area would be about the same.

Yes.. to much.. its enormous.. and ugly

2. How difficult is it to come up to a fuel dock? It appears like it might be difficult to see the opposite corner from the helm. Does it take two or three people to dock the boat? Sometimes I need to do this alone.

The one I saw in Almerimar had 5 crew

3. Are there many "owners version" boats available ? How much of a premium price do sellers ask for that option?

????????????

4. Any particular build issues with the 570?

5. Sail handling. Is it difficult for one or two people to raise the mainsail? I know most catamarans use the large sail pack on the boom. Is it difficult to unzip and raise the sail or repack the pack?

Invest in a non skid stepladder or get inmast/boom reefing

6. Did Lagoon make a powercat in the 50 foot range ten years ago? My wife really likes the idea of a powercat. 50-55ft powercat would be just about right.

Any helpful advice will be much appreciated.

Thanks

Ken

Stick to the Oyster or something 10ft smaller than the Lagoon..
My 0.0000005cents

[ranchero76]

I'm watching the market for some time, so here's my vision.
Lagoon 570 is older model, so we are talking about used cats here, right? Lagoon 570 for $400-450K is A LOT of boat for the price. Simply unbeatable deal in terms size/quality.
I mean - that's simply unbelievable that some sellers asking more money for vintage boats, 1995-1998-2000... $700000 for boat 20 years old? Is it a joke? Look outside the window- it's 2016 out there!
Let's put it straight. ANY boat over 5 years old will need at least SOME work here and there. But not only that. Even 5 years old boat has outdated electronics, engines with higher hours etc.etc. (unless it's been updated by previous owner, but it's very unlikely that someone will spend $$ before putting boat on the market).
So the point is - unless you can't do ANYTHING yourself, it's worth buying cheap boat in reasonably good shape , and then service it, repair as necessary and upgrade it JUST THE WAY YOU NEED (and that's always unique, right?). And that's where Lagoon shines at its best. These boats are often ex-charter, not customized. So they don't carry any emotional attachments, which (in eyes of sellers) seem to be EASILY half of the boat value. Many of these boats with emotional attachments are sitting on the market 5-7 years and even more.
I personally like Lagoon 570, but even more - newer 560, with flybridge. Price on 2011-2012 L560 is already under $1M, there should be quite few ex-chapter boats on the market soon. They are not perfect boats, but there's no perfect boat anyway.

[Calina]

So... We have a Lagoon 570, and we have had several other catamarans, including a Lagoon 52. My thoughts are...


1. Is the Lagoon 570 too much boat for two sixty year olds to handle and is it possible to single hand for 100-200 mile passages? We do just fine on the Oyster 53 and it seems like the sail area would be about the same.


- this is a fantastic sailing boat for at least two fit and capable sailors. I'm in my forties and my partner in his early sixties. Single-handing is difficult but not impossible. Some jobs really need two people, eg mainsail handling (one of you needs to hold the boat into the wind while the other goes to the foot of the mast to winch the sail up. The electric winches are fantastic and more than man enough for the job so this is not hard work but you do need two). Ditto reefing. Unfurling the genoa is possible by yourself but that winch is manual so you need to be strong to sheet in tight (I find this really hard). Furling the genoa is much easier with two but not completely impossible with one as this winch is electric so as long as you are comfortable handling two lines at once, this is just about ok.


2. How difficult is it to come up to a fuel dock? It appears like it might be difficult to see the opposite corner from the helm. Does it take two or three people to dock the boat? Sometimes I need to do this alone.

- you have two helm positions - one on each quarter - so this is quite easy. Two competent people (skipper and competent, capable rope handler) can do this in most conditions with relative ease. You have to skip about a bit to get her tied up properly but the 570 is easier (and much lighter with less windage than eg the 52 or, as someone suggested the 560 which is enormous by comparison) . Incidentally, not every port in the med can accommodate a boat this size, not least because of her width.

For mooring stern-to in the med, this is fine for two and some help from the dock boys if you don't have a cross wind. If you do, it's really hard work for two. However, having two engines does generally make manoeuvring easier, although the whole boat is higher and will be blown about more than your Oyster.



5. Sail handling. Is it difficult for one or two people to raise the mainsail? I know most catamarans use the large sail pack on the boom. Is it difficult to unzip and raise the sail or repack the pack?

- One of you needs to be at least 6' tall and strong as otherwise some jobs are borderline impossible, eg zipping the sailbag all the way to the mast and to the end of the boom. You can access the boom easily on the coach roof and then on top of the bimini but reaching either end is tricky if, like me, you are only 5'6". It's not difficult to zip or unzip so long as you are tall enough.


I hope some of this helps. If your wife is keen on a powercat, I would humbly suggest she will not enjoy the 570. However, we have heard a lot of really good things about the 450 and that's definitely a boat well suited to couples sailing together and probably is quite easy to handle alone.
Good luck!



Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Kenomac]

Thanks for all the replies.

Ken

[jzk]

Originally Posted by Calina

So... We have a Lagoon 570, and we have had several other catamarans, including a Lagoon 52. My thoughts are...


1. Is the Lagoon 570 too much boat for two sixty year olds to handle and is it possible to single hand for 100-200 mile passages? We do just fine on the Oyster 53 and it seems like the sail area would be about the same.


- this is a fantastic sailing boat for at least two fit and capable sailors. I'm in my forties and my partner in his early sixties. Single-handing is difficult but not impossible. Some jobs really need two people, eg mainsail handling (one of you needs to hold the boat into the wind while the other goes to the foot of the mast to winch the sail up. The electric winches are fantastic and more than man enough for the job so this is not hard work but you do need two). Ditto reefing. Unfurling the genoa is possible by yourself but that winch is manual so you need to be strong to sheet in tight (I find this really hard). Furling the genoa is much easier with two but not completely impossible with one as this winch is electric so as long as you are comfortable handling two lines at once, this is just about ok.


2. How difficult is it to come up to a fuel dock? It appears like it might be difficult to see the opposite corner from the helm. Does it take two or three people to dock the boat? Sometimes I need to do this alone.

- you have two helm positions - one on each quarter - so this is quite easy. Two competent people (skipper and competent, capable rope handler) can do this in most conditions with relative ease. You have to skip about a bit to get her tied up properly but the 570 is easier (and much lighter with less windage than eg the 52 or, as someone suggested the 560 which is enormous by comparison) . Incidentally, not every port in the med can accommodate a boat this size, not least because of her width.

For mooring stern-to in the med, this is fine for two and some help from the dock boys if you don't have a cross wind. If you do, it's really hard work for two. However, having two engines does generally make manoeuvring easier, although the whole boat is higher and will be blown about more than your Oyster.



5. Sail handling. Is it difficult for one or two people to raise the mainsail? I know most catamarans use the large sail pack on the boom. Is it difficult to unzip and raise the sail or repack the pack?

- One of you needs to be at least 6' tall and strong as otherwise some jobs are borderline impossible, eg zipping the sailbag all the way to the mast and to the end of the boom. You can access the boom easily on the coach roof and then on top of the bimini but reaching either end is tricky if, like me, you are only 5'6". It's not difficult to zip or unzip so long as you are tall enough.


I hope some of this helps. If your wife is keen on a powercat, I would humbly suggest she will not enjoy the 570. However, we have heard a lot of really good things about the 450 and that's definitely a boat well suited to couples sailing together and probably is quite easy to handle alone.
Good luck!



Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

We are considering a 570, and I found your post quite informative.

Why not raise the main under autopliot? I have a Beneteau 47.7 that I singlehand regularly. And even when I have people on board, I mostly still single hand it. I just point the boat into the wind, slightly off the wind, put the autopilot on going just a few knots. Then I have all day to raise the main by myself, and I don't even have an electric winch (wish I did though). Lowering the main is the same deal. Feather up in gear, set the pilot and then I slowly lower the main and flake it (Dutchman).