Lagoon 380 Owners Perspective

Indigo Moon has been ours for six and a half years now. As you might imagine in response to the Indigo Moon website, we have fielded hundreds of e-mails and answered thousands of questions about the boat over the years. Of course, the most general inquiry is whether or not we have been satisfied owners. Our answer has always been an unconditional YES! We have loved cruising aboard our Lagoon 380 Owners Version and we are especially keen on the precise generation of boat we wound up with. And there are many other questions such as is the Lagoon 380 fast enough? Is it big enough to be really seaworthy? Should you have bought a bigger boat like a Lagoon 410 or Manta 42 instead? The bigger boat question is usually rooted, at least to some degree, in the outdated, now incorrect rule of thumb of olden days: that a vessel must be at least forty feet long to be truly seaworthy. That old forty foot rule sells a lot of forty-something foot boats, thats for sure. And boat brokers will keenly feed on it if you mention it in passing. But, the truth is that many vessels under forty feet long are extremely seaworthy. To gain an accurate understanding, it is paramount to learn that the old forty foot idea was then based on a vessels size in terms of its load carrying capacity . . . so as to be able to carry enough provisions for very long ocean crossings. The minimum size suggestion at that time did not have anything to do with the strength and seaworthiness vessels. Things have changed. For example, water makers alone have rendered the old forty foot rule inapplicable by dispensing with the need to carry large amounts of fresh water (a very, very heavy product indeed). In todays modern world, many smaller sailing vessels are extremely capable ocean cruisers, and some sailboats as short as thirty-two feet are considered bullet proof blue water ocean boats. The Westsail 32 is a good example of small sailboat that is well under forty feet, yet considered as venerable a blue water boat as any other. One even survived the legendary Perfect Storm off New England. But, the truth is that there are so many opinions and so many loyal and learned sailors in so many unyielding schools of thought that it is very hard, as a buyer in the market for a cruising vessel, to separate real facts from staunch sailing dogma. Who do you listen to? What about the catamaran versus monohull issue? The size vessel; what do you really need? What equipment should it be outfitted with? Its all a labyrinth of inquiry and a tsunami of information coming at you, and everybody is a know-itall, opining facts that are often in direct conflict with many other know-it-alls. It can at times be a battleground of conflicting opinion that leaves one feeling like they might wind up with post traumatic stress syndrome after fighting their way through the conflicting opinions on the way to a new boat.

I am here to tell you that the difficulty of selecting a boat is not lost on me. I was a boat buyer starting from scratch too, just like many of you. I began shopping over ten years ago. It took three years of heavy research, soul searching, and many complete turnarounds in thinking to finally settle on a catamaran instead of a monohull, and then narrow that to the Lagoon 380 Owners Version. Its hard work to buy a boat. It is a daunting task indeed to find that right boat at the right price and feel confident that it will perform and deliver you and your crew to distant shores and be a happy and comfortable home when you get there. In order to help you understand why we chose Indigo Moon, I will explain some of the reasons that, still today, we have found our Lagoon 380 to be a grand-slam winning value in its class and price range. I will also help shed light on why the Lagoon 380 with well over five hundred Lagoon 380s produced to-date is a model that is far and away the most commercially successful offshore-rated cruising catamaran in the world, with not even a distant second.

Bang for the Buck Performance

We have traveled approximately 17,000 miles in five years aboard our Lagoon 380. Thousands of those miles have been out on the ocean in blue water, with just the two of us on board. If our speeds for all those miles are averaged out, our overall speed-to-date is a shade over seven knots while fully-loaded down for long-term cruising, with thousands and thousands of pounds of gear on board. When the boat was light and not loaded for cruising, it hit a speed of over seventeen knots while being delivered across the Atlantic from France. Now that the boat is heavy in cruising-mode, the fastest we have ever seen is a shade over fourteen knots while surfing offshore. As far as the ocean seaworthiness of the vessel, on very rare occasions, heading upwind into particularly nasty, steep seas of six feet and up, there have been only about five days in our five years of cruising when it was truly uncomfortable and we wished we had a larger boat, or better yet, wished we had not been out in those seas on any boat. Oddly enough, two of those ugly days were on the Chesapeake Bay, one was on Lake Pontchartrain at New Orleans, and only two were on the ocean: one when leaving New York City and offshore from New Jersey headed south (we simply turned around and waited until the next day) and once departing Bonaire headed for the Virgin Islands (the seas abated after about ten hours). These very rare occasions involve heading directly into large, unusually steep and closely-spaced seas: a condition that virtually all cruising catamarans of any size struggle with. But in the grand scheme of things, five days of discomfort in five years of cruising means that we were uncomfortable (note: uncomfortable and not un-seaworthy or unsafe) less than one percent of the time we have cruised on the boat.

As such, that is an infinitesimal price to pay, and certainly not worth a hundred thousand dollars or more for the price of a little bit bigger boat that we didnt need anyway. Moreover, a bigger boat is such a relative notion anyway. For example, a Manta 42 or Lagoon 410 would not be nearly big enough to qualify as that truly bigger boat that can offer a comfortable ride upwind in those really tough seas on those five tough days in our cruising history. In fact, when we left Bonaire on that one rough night, we were buddy boating with a Custom 48 catamaran, and they too were picking flying fish out of their teeth, enduring a rough ride, and seeing green water over their decks. In short, it is not until you start buying boats that cost several million, instead of hundreds of thousands, that larger seas are truly tamed to any significant degree. Additionally, there is certainly no safety reason to buy a bigger boat than a Lagoon 380. From a seaworthiness standpoint, the Lagoon 380 is an A Ocean Rated vessel with an eight person capacity. Lagoon 380s routinely cross oceans in-season and along accepted world cruising routes, as did Indigo Moon during her delivery from France across the Atlantic to the U.S.A. and then for years thereafter during our many offshore passages while we owned her. I have never once been the least bit concerned, nor has Melissa, from a safety and seaworthiness standpoint in any of the storms, squalls, or any seas we have encountered. Indigo Moon has been a dependable, surefooted, flawless offshore performer in all conditions we have seen. Moreover, we have never been in distress, never been stranded, never been towed for any reason, never broken or damaged any rigging or equipment, never had any systems failures, and have enjoyed our entire ownership and adventure without ever requiring any assistance whatsoever from anyone else. A vessel that is not up to the task will not perform that well over thousands of miles in the ocean and in the ferocious trade winds of the Caribbean. And more: after buddy boating with Lagoon 410s and Manta 42s for years, I can say that the passage and offshore performance differences are only negligibly better for the Lagoon 410 and there are virtually no differences as to the particular Manta 42s I have sailed with. The Lagoon 380 does a stellar job of holding its own performance-wise in that class. As such, for tens and tens of thousands of dollars less, compared to the price of a Lagoon 410 or Manta 42, we have enjoyed comparable passage performance aboard our 380, all while enjoying an even better layout for our needs. As you know, ninety percent of a cruising boats life is at rest at anchor or in a marina anyway. But, unless you have cruised a long time, its admittedly hard to know what is important, and what is not important, when selecting a boat that is right for you. It is my steadfast opinion that focusing on performance comparisons is a total waste of time unless you are buying a racing yacht.

Any decent, modern, production offshore cruising catamaran will perform plenty good enough in their class, and there are many: Lagoon, Leopard, Fontaine Pajot, Catana, Voyage, Admiral, Manta, Seawind, Prout, St. Francis, and many other great boats. The real issues are not about sailing speeds, polar charts, dagger boards, and sail areas, etc. The important issues become sharply centered around how livable the vessel is on the hook: bunk and cabin sizes, storage space, layout and balance of available space as to living versus storage areas, etc. How good is the ventilation and shade in the tropical sun? Is the layout suited for your needs? Does the vessel have the right equipment to provide necessary comforts to assure a luxurious and therefore happy cruise? Too much luxury equipment, and a boat with the longest list of options, means too much maintenance and being a slave to repairing complex, unnecessary systems while on the move (sometimes in locations that make parts and service an expensive and frustrating nightmare, if not down right impossible). Too little equipment means less safety and being too uncomfortable in the general cruising conditions presented. So where is the equilibrium point? It only comes with years of experience. Many serious issues are not that apparent at first blush, but become paramount once you reach the tropics and start to figure out whats what. Do sloping windows in the salon of certain catamarans let in too much light and have to be covered to avoid a hothouse salon during midday in the tropics? Even with those sloped windows covered, do some of those cats heat up so badly that you cant sit in the salon during the hottest parts of the day? The answer is yes. What about storage space and load carrying capacity? Are the hulls wide enough aft at the transom to carry the additional weight cruisers really need? The narrower the hulls the less the load carrying and storage space inside. And as for stability and seaworthiness, forget overall length for a moment. Instead, ask if the beamto-length ratio (an indicator of stability) is greater than fifty-fifty, and what is the ratio compared to other cats in the class? The Lagoon 380s ratio is very, very good. What about servicing the mechanical systems? Is it easy to service the engines and quickly effect repairs when needed, or must you be Houdini to access and service the engines? There are many questions, and the trouble for new cruisers is that the real answers only come after the cruise is over, not when the boat is initially purchased. That said, right now, after slowly and thoughtfully refining her for years, we now find Indigo Moon to be absolutely perfectfor us on all fronts.

Tradeoffs of Operational Costs Versus Comfort Gained by Longer Overall Vessel Length

Aside from individual concerns about specific interior layouts and the number of cabins you need for your personal application, etc., there is a better question that should be the starting point for selecting a vessel: how big a boat do you really need? Better put still: what is the smallest vessel you can be safe in and truly comfortable on? When we began searching for a catamaran, our focus was not on figuring out how we could afford the biggest, most grandiose boat possible. On the contrary, our focus was centered upon finding the smallest, most affordable vessel we could be truly safe and happy living on, thereby balancing cost and comfort as best we could. From that perspective, we found the Lagoon 380 Owners Version to be a perfect tradeoff: big enough in size for two people to truly call a really nice home, ocean rated, safe and seaworthy, but at the same time it afforded us the opportunity to minimize our investment in a boat, and that freed-up tens and tens of thousands of dollars in funds for the cruising kitty. An extra fifty to one hundred thousand dollars can easily fund anywhere from two to five years of years of luxury cruising. Those funds would not have been available if we had bought a bigger boat. And we surely would not have been able to extend our original two year plan to five years (even in the face of the severe economic downturn of late, I might add). As a cruiser, there is no smarter move than to balance things toward saving money when you reasonably can. But, of course, the trick is to do so without sacrificing things to the point of purchasing the wrong boat that will be too small and not be the comfy home you need to really enjoy the journey. There are, of course, many other general advantages to staying on the small side. A Lagoon 380s mast fits under bridges on the ICW and into smaller travel lifts and hoists for haul outs, etc. A 380 will often fit into a 70 ton travel lift, not to mention that marina fees, maintenance, and many other expenses are always calculated according to the length of the vessel. For example, although Manta 42s are very popular, beautiful boats with a superior fit and finish and many luxurious features not found on a stock Lagoon 380, there is no denying that those vessels have less interior space, significantly less storage space, and are narrower than Lagoon 380s. So, if you own a Manta 42, you pay anywhere from fifty to one hundred thousand more for it than a Lagoon 380 and you also pay slip fees, haulout fees, storage fees, and bottom job fees on the basis of owning a 42 foot vessel that simply does not afford any advantage in general living and storage space when compared to a Lagoon 380. Dont get me wrong. People have different tastes and needs, and there are very loyal Manta owners who have been extremely satisfied with their fine boats. In fact, there was a point in our boat buying search when I was certain we were going to try and buy a Manta, but in the end it was just too far out of our price range anyway. The point is that we found the Lagoon 380 to be the best catamaran weve seen yet in her size and her price range. She was far and away the best value for the money. Of course, if you need more heads or bunks for a larger crew, or a big vessel for charter use, then the 380 may not be sufficient and you will need a Lagoon 410, 400, 421, or 440.

But for us as a cruising couple with only occasional guests, and even irrespective of price concerns, the truly superior layout and amazing storage space of the 380 was the main reason we selected the boat. There are additional, exclusive individual design attributes of the Lagoon 380 that made it even more perfect for us:

1. No Engines Under the Bunks

The 380s engines are located outside the living quarters, and with hatches in the transom steps to access engines, you never walk through the interior of the boat with used oil, filters, greasy parts, or fuel filters, etc. The hatches are located high and are accessible offshore in all conditions as well. The smell and heat of the engines are outside the living quarters in a 380. Plus, in a 380 there is a 2 diameter holes drilled in the aft bulkhead of each aft-cabin. The holes have plastic plugs and are inconspicuously located in the bunk headboards (actually forming the bulkhead between the cabin and engine room). The advantage is that if there is ever an engine room fire, the little plastic plug can be pulled from in the bunk and a fire extinguisher can be discharged through the hole into the engine compartment and smother the fire without opening the engine hatch and feeding the fire oxygen. Its a valuable feature and it is much more comforting than the thought of the possibility of an engine fire inside the boat and under your bed! The engine location issue is important to me for many reasons. My number one specification on buying a cat, whether Lagoon or otherwise, was that I did not want to sleep with the enemy and did not want a hot, smelly diesel engine under my bunk at rest or under me while underway. This became imperative after I went on an old 42 foot Prout catamaran while boat shopping in Ft. Lauderdale back in 2003 and raised the aft bunks to see old, dirty, leaky diesel engines sitting atop bilges full of black oil sloshing around right under the bunks! And one more thing: just think about how utterly inconvenient it is to have engines under your bunks with guests on board. In order to merely check the oil and perform other daily service checks on the engines you have to wait for your guests to wake up, invade your guests cabin, get under their bunk, and deal with oil and other messy engine jobs in the midst of their guest quarters and personal space. It is an undisputed fact that systems are better serviced and better maintained when the access to the equipment is easy and convenient. My routine on Indigo Moon has been to inspect the engines daily when underway, and very often even when we are not underway. I keep the engine and generator lockers spotless and I am always checking all fluid levels and looking for any signs of a problem. If we are on the move, after setting anchor at the end of the day (or before the sun sets offshore) I completely inspect and service the engines before dark. This type of active servicing routine is made

very easy and simple, even when guests are on board. The stellar access to the separate engine compartments on Indigo Moon is a feature that is extremely important.

2. Bunks Aligned Athwartships

We could not live on a boat with bunks aligned athwartships (perpendicular to the hulls). In those boats, you have to climb over each other to get out of the bunk in the middle of the night. On the 380, all the bunks are aligned fore and aft. You can get in and out of bed without disturbing the other persons sleep. Plus, believe it or not, the aft cabins of 380s are significantly larger than the aft cabins on the Lagoon 410 and Manta 42. When it comes to sleeping accommodations, the Lagoon 380 is literally the bigger boat.

3. Amazing Storage Space on the Lagoon 380

There is a huge amount of dry, cool storage space under both aft bunks of the 380 (where there are no engines). The 380s starboard hulls forward locker in the 380 is HUGE and has plenty of room for a stand-up shop and workbench with vise, and room for a BIG water maker. When it comes to storage space, the Lagoon 380 actually is, yet again, the bigger boat.

4. The Small Galley on the Lagoon 380

Without a doubt, the one and only perceived Achilles Heel of the 380 has always been the galley. At first blush, it admittedly looks very small. Most folks focus on it immediately, ruling out the 380 without ever venturing down the companionways to see the incredibly large aft cabins and other commodious accommodations and storage areas. Instead, they step right off the 380 and go aboard other vessels in search of a more conventional-sized galley. In reality, the galley on the 380 has been fine. There is plenty enough room to prepare delicious meals. Also, we have had no trouble so far getting by without a separate freezer, instead using only the freezer section in the standard, large fridge. We find the 380 compensates nicely for its smallish galley by utilizing a much more open design than most other catamarans. When the aft sliding door and sliding window of the 380 are open, a bar flips down between the salon and cockpit and it does a good job of incorporating the cockpit and the salon into one flowing space, but it also retains its ability to sturdily close the vessel and keep water out from a sea safety standpoint. Guests can be anywhere in the salon or the cockpit of the Lagoon 380 and feel like they are in the same space. Weve cooked for and fed sixteen people with no sweat. All that said, the 380 nicely overcomes its perceived galley shortcoming, but you would be surprised at how many cruising couples ignore these details and wind up on a bigger boat for that one reason alone. For many, they really didnt need a bigger boat at all and didnt get enough of an advantage to warrant the tremendous increase in the purchase price.

Of course, the only way you can make a smart choice for you is to carefully compile a list of attributes that are important to you and then go aboard MANY different cats and inspect them thoroughly (look behind panels and into all lockers, dont just stand at the galley and sit at the helm and think you know the boat you are looking at).

5. All the Right Catamaran Questions to Ask

Can you see all four corners of the boat from the helm while docking? You can on the Lagoon 380. Will you have to go forward in offshore seas to raise, douse, or manage sails, or is all sail handling done from the safety of the cockpit? You never have to leave the cockpit on a 380. Are engines outside of the living quarters? They are on the 380. Is the vessel a world-popular model still being produced and in-demand so that it will hold its value? The 380 is the most popular ocean rated catamaran in the world. Is the manufacturer still in business and is factory support going to be available if you have questions? Lagoon is the world leader in cruising catamarans. Is the vessel competitively priced for what you actually get in terms of actual interior space, performance, and accommodations? There is no better value than the Lagoon 380. Can the vessel take advantage of the safety of the Intracoastal Waterway and get under sixty-five foot bridge clearances and avoid notoriously dangerous areas like Cape Hatteras, etc? The 380 can. Are you able to stand watch inside the salon at the navigation station and enjoy perfect forward visibility? You can on a 380. Does the vessel provide adequate storage below decks for fenders, lines, dive tanks and the like, or are lockers and compartments so small that those items all have to be stored on deck in racks and on the lifelines, thereby cluttering the vessels decks and exposing all those items to salt water, rough seas, and constant U.V. damage? The 380 has stellar storage space. Does the vessel have adequate clearance under the bridgedeck (belly) between the hulls to reduce slamming? The 380 does. Is the aft cockpit low to the water, with a walkthrough that invites even modestly following seas on board, or is the cockpit high up and securely protected from following seas? The 380s cockpit is high and protected from following seas. Are the hulls wide at their transoms to allow for additional storage and weight carrying capability needed for cruising, or are the hulls narrow and lacking any storage space in the aft compartments? The 380s design is a world-leader in this category. Is the beam-to-length ratio greater than fifty-fifty so as to provide superior stability offshore? The 380 does. Is the vessel equipped with Yanmar engines, the best and most reliable engines on the market? Indigo Moon is.

Are engine lockers and mechanical areas wide-open and do they allow direct sunlight for working, or are those areas crammed under bunks in dark, tight spaces that make servicing and repairs much more time-consuming and arduous? The 2001 Lagoon 380 and Indigo Moon have excellent engine access (not so on new Lagoon 380's). Are routinely serviced engine components, such as seawater cooling pumps and impellers, fuel and oil filters, and other components immediately accessible for quick servicing and/or replacement? They are on a 380. Are the bow lockers of the vessel free of heavy equipment so as to provide stability and buoyancy and prevent hobby horsing and help the vessel ride over rough seas, or are heavy items like generators and water makers located far forward in the lockers in the bows, thereby reducing the vessels ability to avoid plowing its bows into oncoming waves? The 380s bow lockers forward sections are free of heavy equipment Are all sail handling functions, including raising, trimming, reefing, and dousing/furling sails performed exclusively from the safety of the cockpit, or are you forced to leave the cockpit and go forward at night and/or in heavy seas and severe squalls offshore to deal with lines, winches, sails, or any other reason? You never go forward for sail handling on a 380. Is there a comfortable helm chair at the navigation station, inside the salon, that provides forwardfacing seating for standing watches inside the salon during offshore passages in inclement conditions? The 380 is phenomenally comfortable and capable as to that advantage. Are forward decks cluttered with equipment such as the anchor windlass, cleats or other trip hazards, or is the windless protected in a locker below smooth, safe decks? The 380s decks are safe, totally uncluttered and clean. Are the decks of the vessel relatively wide and flat, and do they provide sufficient non-skid so as to present a stable environment in rough seas, or do the forward deck areas present significantly rounded surfaces and dangerous slippery-sloped areas with no non-skid? The 380s decks are wide, flat, and offer excellent non-skid surfacing. Does the anchor deploy from a roller on the bow at the crossbar and not from under the belly of catamaran? The Lagoon 380s anchoring system is perfect. Is there a wide, flat, rigid, non-skid-surfaced plank to walk upon to safely cross the trampoline and reach the anchor and crossbar when necessary in rough seas? The 380 has one. If you compromise in any of the above categories, you will have some regrets. These are but a few of the important issues that come to the forefront after owning a catamaran and cruising on it for several years. And as the checklist developed, the happier we became. We are very fortunate. As time passed, it became obvious that we were very fortunate that we chose the Lagoon 380 Owners Version for our happy home at sea! Indigo Moon truly has all the right stuff.

Again, in the last five years, I have received a mountain of inquiries from folks situated all over the world, all asking about our satisfaction with Lagoon catamarans and specifically our Lagoon 380 Owners Version. And I have always responded that, dollar for dollar, when comparing production-quality cruising catamarans, I can attest that Lagoon catamarans are a fabulous value and represent exceptional design efforts as to seaworthiness, performance, layout, styling in terms of bang for the buck as to space and livability for the money. Lagoon is touted as the world leader in large catamaran production. Economies of scale, decades of innovative design experience, and vision regarding ingenious design all came together to catch lighting in a bottle and create the amazingly successful Lagoon 380 Owners Version. Of course, there are many fantastic cats made by other smart builders too, but the plain fact is that there is still no equal to date: the Lagoon 380 Owners Version still represents the most successful and wildly-popular cruising catamaran in the world to date. Accordingly, if its size and layout suits your needs, there is simply no better value for the price than a well-kept and pampered Lagoon 380 Owners Version like Indigo Moon. The most valuable endorsement I can give Lagoon is that if I ever decide to go cruising again, I will look for another Lagoon 380 just like Indigo Moon. She has performed beautifully. We have loved every minute of owning her. She has been a wonderful home and trusted friend who has never let us down. Melissa always says about Indigo Moon: shes a good girl and she'll take care of us. And that has indeed been our experience. So, if you are interested in owning a very nice Lagoon 380 Owners Version, and it looks like the right size and model catamaran for you too, then now is the time! As the old saying goes, if you can find a better catamaran than Indigo Moon for the price and for what you actually get for your money, buy it! Of course, a complete delineation of the positive attributes of the entire vessel is beyond the scope of anything that can be presented here. Serious buyers are welcome to visit Fort Lauderdale and see Indigo Moon in person, and spend an entire day inspecting every nut and bolt with me so as to fully understand all the great advantages of the Lagoon 380 and Indigo Moon in particular. Shes one of a kind.

The Search Ends

After trips to the Abacos, BVI, and Australia, trying different boats, we had decided on a catamaran as the best boat for our needs. Seemed that a PDQ 36 LRC was our choice of manufacturer and style. I prefered diesel engines, so the LRC was it. We searched the Internet, we drove to look at many boats, none of them just, felt right.But the best move was to hook up with Phil Berman at Multihulls to be our buyers broker. We had arranged a trip to Annapolis to meet Phil, and look at some more boats. On our first meeting with him, Diane determined she liked and trusted him. She does not give her trust easily. In the process of looking at a PDQ. We had to cross a couple of other boats, and as we were

crossing some boats to get to the PDQ, we both paused and said, This is a nice boat we're crossing it just had the feel everyone had told us we would feel when we found the right one. It was a 1995 Jeanneau-TPI Lagoon 37.