620: Lagoon 620 as a Bluewater Cruiser for Circumnavigation ?

[impi]

Mehmet, a word of advice if I may (and Im sure you know all about warranty issues on jets) - I purchased a lagoon 440 and have had a TORID time getting the warranty work sorted out. The dealer here keeps blaming Lagoon for not comitting etc. etc. - It is TRULY a FANTASTIC vessel and we have rented out our farm and live aboard so we can iron her out prior to our world trip next year - GET THE WARRANTY SORTED OUT IN ADVANCE AND IN WRITING WITH DEADLINE REPAIR DATES COMITTED BY LAGOON. Ours is almost a year old and we still have not succeeded in having even the VERY MINOR repair work done. It truly is a frustrating SLOG. As far as the vessel goes - everyone who has sailed with us has VERY positive comments and the boat is well designed - Huge amount of space ....... Good Luck

[MehmetCan]

Dear impi;

Thank you very much for this very important suggestion. I wish you a very safe and beautiful trip and may you and your family use your new boat in good health. Hoping to meet someday at a secluded island.

Best Regards,
Mehmet

[Garold]

Originally Posted by impi

Mehmet, a word of advice if I may (and Im sure you know all about warranty issues on jets) - I purchased a lagoon 440 and have had a TORID time getting the warranty work sorted out. The dealer here keeps blaming Lagoon for not comitting etc. etc. - It is TRULY a FANTASTIC vessel and we have rented out our farm and live aboard so we can iron her out prior to our world trip next year - GET THE WARRANTY SORTED OUT IN ADVANCE AND IN WRITING WITH DEADLINE REPAIR DATES COMITTED BY LAGOON. Ours is almost a year old and we still have not succeeded in having even the VERY MINOR repair work done. It truly is a frustrating SLOG. As far as the vessel goes - everyone who has sailed with us has VERY positive comments and the boat is well designed - Huge amount of space ....... Good Luck

Impi

Sorry about your warranty problems.

Yes, Lagoon boats are great value for money and tend to be built well enough to withstand even prolonged charter-abuse.

However, I agree that the quality of warranty work/response is hugely dependent upon your supplying dealer.. In the UK we have been quite fortunate because Ancasta (Lagoon UK dealer) have attended to our warranty work fairly promptly and sorted it out. Interestingly, I have spoken to many people who rely on purchase price alone to make their dealer decision. This has never worked for me.

Also, just by the by, there is a point that all dealers/suppliers lose interest and you just have to sort out the final bits on your own. I usually find that I have to keep a small budget to fix my own last few jobs. And often it saves me chasing anyone or fitting in with anyone else's work routines.

I have several other sailing friends and everyone tells me that it takes a whole year to get a new boat fully functional. Whatever the brand.

Just my thoughts.

Cheers

Garold

[impi]

Hi Garold,

Funny enough I just spoke with a friend who recently purchased a Lagoon 440 and had the warranty work done in Malta - said he had FANTASTIC service, so it just goes to show that the agent does make a HUGE difference.
The problem I have had is that repairs have been attempted more than once and in 'patch up style' and thats NOT a good advertisement for Lagoon, especially since after the repair, it looks worse than before.
I'm not sure where exactly the problem lies - but it will have to be fixed to 'as good as new'.
My point in this thread - Guys, if we buy new boats and especially future new boat owners - PAY EXTRA SPECIAL ATTENTION to the warranty aspect of the deal and stipulate turn around times for repairs to be done.
In your message you mention that everyone tells you that it takes a whole year to get a boat fully functional, and that I guesse highlights why it is very impotant to have the warranty aspect covered.
You also mention suppliers loosing interest ...... and a back up budget to repair some of the work yourself ..........
I'M SURE PEOPLE CONSIDERING A NEW PURCHASE WOULD FIND THIS VERY INTERESTING SINCE IT IMPACTS ON THE COST.

All said and done, it appears I may have a 'local problem' but we have emailed the builder directly now, and I must admit the reply by email was immediate .....That impressed us already so perhaps we are on the road to success ----- YES -----ONE YEAR LATER

Cheers

[paulrack]

Whew that must be frustrating having items outstanding so long. I went through my boat a Maverick 400 with a fine toothcomb and got a sailing friend to do the same in case I missed anything. The list I came up with was fully finished and signed off by the builder and me in two weeks. I guess that is one advantage of a smaller builder who is passionate about their product and seriously focussed on making sure the customer is 110% happy.

[Garold]

Mmmmmmmmh. Didn't mean to upset anyone.

I did consider having a surveyor check over my new boat because I do not have the in depth knowledge to spot all the snags beyond the obvious. However, it was good idea that I didn't get round to when the delivery date came. However, I think that for someone more organised than me it may be money well spent.

As for my 'small budget for outstanding warranty bits', after a long period of time, it's just my way of dealing with things. I wasn't suggesting that it is always necessary, or maybe appropriate. And clearly not a solution that everyone would be comfortable with.

But, having fairly busy life, still trying to squeeze the most out of family/work/leisure time, I kind of look at most issues commercially. So I ask myself, is it cheaper and easier for me to sort out some small items myself than fit into the job schedule of the boatyard? And maybe as a matter of principle, one ought not to think like this, but I find myself sometimes willing to spend a small amount of money to get a swift and definite resolution to an issue maybe at my own convenience.

And as for the cost......... I have spent so much on my sailing over the years, that a small extra cost to short cut anything which detracts from my enjoyment, has negligible impact on the overall financial hit.

So Impi sorry if my attitude upset you. Maybe I can be this way because my warranty issues on my last 4 new yachts have all only been minor and in the most part, swiftly attended to by the suppliers (both OEP, dealer, and after-market suppliers).

But it sounds like Malta and the UK are OK for Lagoon warranty work!

Or we all need to follows Paul's advice. Or maybe get Paul to deal with our orders!

Cheers

Garold

[timbenner]

Mehmet,

I've owned a Lagoon sail cat for 5 years, so I've crawled through every nook and cranny of the boat by now and I'm very happy with the quality, fit and finish, support and availability of Lagoon parts. Don't know anything about the Lagoon power cats, but what was said above doesn't apply to the sail cats. Maybe that power cat owner is the root of the problem?

You should take comfort in the long standing good reputation of both Lagoon and Benneteu, not to speak of their superior research & development budget. The lower volume boat manufacturers don't have the R & D money or volume experience.

I agree with the aforementioned 3 crew issue regarding the 62' cat. But then I don't want to be dependent on crew and I loath employees. I go sailing to get away from them! I know you can single hand the 440 and probably the 500's for that matter.

I read an article somewhere a long time ago that stated that the smaller your boat is, the easier it is for you to handle. Made sense to me. I'm stuck with (and love it) a Lagoon 380 because it's the only one that will fit under the bridges along the Inter Coastal Waterway.

What other continent in the world can you transit the entire coast (Key West to New Jersey) popping in and out of the ocean to dodge weather, unlimited anchorages, marinas and restaurants, thanks to the IntraCoastal Waterway (ICW)! I would never give up the ICW for a bigger boat.

[capt_douglas]

If I were looking for a RTW solid cat, I'd be checking out the boats made in OZ, SA, or NZ. I've seen some very impressive and definitely blue water cats come from those countries.

[MehmetCan]

Hey all;

These brand new problems come with the package for sure, after all, it's not -unfortunately- possible to expect a perfect boat unless you're paying a rediculous extra!

All these problems made me think another question. I don't know if you agree or not, but it's possible to buy a used one (1-2 years old) which has already been fixed (hopefully!). And while looking for such boat, I came across with the Sunreef 62, which seems to be superior to Lagoon in terms of build quality and comfort. Which one would you go for guys?

Best Regards,
M.

[mct]

Buying second hand is a great idea.

I did have a look at a 620 - but walked straight off. It's a charter boat - 4 great staterooms. Southahmpton boat show in uk even closed half the boat - "it's just the same as this side" er right...

But for private owner the galley is awkwardly way out (and down) in port hull. I wouldn't have galley down catamaran - it's nicely outa the way for charter market inshore etc. but flippin awful for using offshore, or in private/family mode when life centres around the galley.

Tramontana (80foot catana) is for sale in sw france, huge lump of boat. Or theres a 65 in the same marina?

[MehmetCan]

Well the Sunreef 62 seems to be out of this world, incredible interior and more sailing aimed I believe...

[timbenner]

Beautiful boat! Looks like they've built 13 of them. I think I would rather have hull #14 instead of hull #1. I agree with the galley down comment, I would have it. For live aboard and/or family use, you want the galley centrally located in the salon and hopefully easy access to the helm.

As a single handler, I'm probably going back and forth from the helm to the galley every hour during transit. Even though my wife and young child are on board. With the galley up in the salon, I can keep a vigilant watch whether I'm in the galley or at the helm. Can't do that with galley down.

Regarding buying used, I agree financially, because you obviously pay less used, but you also get a lot of owner installed goodies not only for free, but hassle free (someone else got them installed). Examples could be A/C, generator, water maker, sound system, SSB radio, etc. However, the assumption that the bugs and/or problems with the boat will be remedied? Reminds me of a statement I once heard: "If you ever think for a moment that everything is fixed on your boat, YOU JUST HAVEN'T FOUND WHAT'S BROKEN YET!"

[muskoka]

I looked at a Privilege 50 and it was a very appealing vessel. We had a Sunreef 62 here in Hong Kong recently and I've got to say that I was massively disappointed by it - boxy profile and rather Ikea-like interior.

I thoroughly enjoy my FP but will seriously look at my next boat with a different set of eyes (and a more open cheque-book). As an earlier poster said, you're getting out of mass production territory and that opens up a lot of options. All of them good.

[MehmetCan]

Originally Posted by muskoka

We had a Sunreef 62 here in Hong Kong recently and I've got to say that I was massively disappointed by it - boxy profile and rather Ikea-like interior.

O.k. some Sunreef interiors are extremely modern/cubic but on the other hand, I've seen some versions with really good interiors (cherry veneers, motor yacht quality furniture) as well. Could that be for only a single boat?

[muskoka]

Originally Posted by MehmetCan

O.k. some Sunreef interiors are extremely modern/cubic but on the other hand, I've seen some versions with really good interiors (cherry veneers, motor yacht quality furniture) as well. Could that be for only a single boat?

That's a good point. I'm sure that virtually every boat of that size would have a custom interior. So, no doubt you'll get a bespoke design no matter which builder you choose. But some builders will cater to the bespoke market better than others.

Nonetheless, I found it an inelegantly designed vessel from all outward appearances. From a design perspective, I find that as cats get larger they usually become much more elegant. If you're going for a boat of that size and cost it should be a good looking craft as well!

Have you looked at the Gunboats? They're fast and good looking.

Anyway, it's not a bad problem you have on your hands!!