The Lagoon 38 Packs Capability and Comfort Into a Smaller Sized Sailing Catamaran
Last fall, I had the opportunity to get aboard the new Lagoon 38 on the Chesapeake for a comprehensive look at the boat as well as a test drive.
Designed by the renowned French naval architecture firm, VPLP, the Lagoon 38 packs a lot of capability and comfort into a boat considered to be at the small end of the cruising cat spectrum. Mathias Chouraki of United States importer Signature Catamarans provided my tour and gave me a full run-down of her features before we got underway for a quick test run.
At just under 38 feet LOA, there are not many peers her size on the market. However, after venturing around both on deck and below, I was pleasantly surprised at how voluminous the various spaces felt. Our test boat was the “owner’s layout” version which has three staterooms, while the “charter layout” has four.
To port is the owner’s cabin which has a queen size berth forward, a huge head compartment with a large separate shower stall aft, and a spacious desk/office area amidships. A sliding door with bookshelves and other storage allows the cabin to be fully partitioned from the saloon for privacy.
To starboard are two double cabins, each with a queen size berth. There is a shared head with separate shower amidships. All are adequately sized for having guests and/or kids aboard. The main saloon table also drops down for another double berth if your party guests need to sleep over.
All cabins have a surprising amount of storage in hanging lockers and drawers and on shelves. Each cabin also has huge windows mounted in the topsides that provide excellent natural lighting as well as an opening portlight and deck hatch for ventilation. My only concern with the large windows is their ruggedness in challenging conditions offshore, particularly those in the forward staterooms. For anyone looking to transit to the Caribbean or other far-off destination, I’d recommend being prepared with plugging kits just in case. Otherwise, they sure are nice.
Having been recently spoiled sailing offshore aboard some larger cats (Fountaine Pajot 50 and Outremer 55), I thought I would feel cramped on the 38. The only area that seemed small was the saloon and galley area. However, it is well designed and provides ample space for meal prep as well as for moving around between galley appliances, counters, dining table, and aft cockpit doors. You can only fit so much into a 38- by 21-foot platform.
The use of chined hull design makes for a wider hull beam above the waterline and expanded lateral volume in each cabin while maintaining a more efficient underwater hull shape for good performance. This feature has become common in many contemporary cruising multihulls as well as monohulls. Kudos to the bold naval architects who pioneered it!
One of the beauties of catamarans is having the saloon on the same level as the cockpit. With the sliding doors open, the cockpit area becomes part of the saloon, making an open and airy living space. For serving meals, the separate cockpit table easily adjoins the saloon table, providing legitimate seating for eight people.
In the cockpit, there is additional forward-facing sofa seating along the aft edge plus aft-facing couch seating on each side to provide excellent space for entertaining. The option exists to enclose the cockpit with canvas for weatherproofing in inclement conditions.
Once out of the cockpit, wide sidedecks allow plenty of space to walk forward with handrails along the cabin top. Forward, there is an expansive lounging area on the foredeck as well as trampolines port and starboard. On-deck storage is generous with large lockers under each of the cockpit seats plus forward in each hull through deck hatches. The anchor locker and windlass are on the port side just ahead of the cabin house with adequate room for additional ground tackle.
The single helm station is four steps up from the cockpit sole to starboard. Except for spinnaker sheets, all running rigging leads to jammers and a single-powered winch directly adjacent to the helm. A canvas helm station enclosure provides the helmsman some protection in more boisterous conditions. There are dinghy davits off the aft deck with their block and tackle leading to winches mounted outboard near the aft end of the cockpit. These winches are also set up for trimming a code zero or spinnaker.
Our boat was equipped with a square top main and a self-tacking, non-overlapping jib. There is no traveler for the mainsail but instead a dual mainsheet system that provides the necessary lateral adjustment and leech control. While this will take some getting used to for some, I’m of the opinion that its simplicity is ultimately a positive feature, particularly considering the casual cruising mode in which the boat will be operated. Even cats with travelers need to rig a downhaul/preventer when sailing at broad wind angles for optimum sail trim.
Unfortunately, the wind was calm for our sea trial, so I wasn’t able to evaluate her performance under sail. That said, we did raise and lower the main to check the rigging and hardware functionality. The boat comes with Harken gear which appeared properly sized for the application.
With their wide beam, shallow draft, and significant windage, cruising catamarans’ Achilles’s heel is upwind performance; I’m pretty sure the Lagoon 38 will be no different. The boat’s twin Yanmars produce 29 hp apiece, which should provide sufficient power to move the boat upwind in light to moderate conditions. Adding mainsail assist should improve performance somewhat. In heavier upwind conditions, you’ll likely want to choose a more favorable destination or wait until the wind changes.
For fuel conservation while long range cruising, most cats opt to run on just one engine with only a marginal speed loss compared to running both. We dropped down to one engine during our trial and saw a speed drop of approximately 15 percent. The boat managed tight-quarters maneuvers easily under power and can circle in her own length. The motors are easily accessible through large aft-deck hatches, making for easy maintenance and troubleshooting.
Lagoon is part of the Groupe Beneteau companies and has a reputation for building high-quality, mid-market boats. The fit and finish are typical of a mass produced boat and are attractive and functional but not super refined. For sailors looking to move into a nice cruising catamaran at a price point not quite in the stratosphere, the Lagoon 38 is definitely worth considering.
For more information contact SpinSheet supporter Signature Catamarans in Annapolis, MD (929) 207-0001 and Hayes, VA, (948) 223-1540 or signaturecatamarans.com
~By Jahn Tihansky
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