Lagoon 37
This charter favorite is also a well-built cruising cat with a proven offshore record
Looking back at those not so faraway days in the early 1990s, it seems logical that wide-bodied catamarans with enough deck space to host a neighborhood block party, and four double cabins below, would become key additions for charter fleets all over the world. And so they have. What seemed less likely is that catamarans would become viable options for cruising sailors. But cats have made significant inroads into the cruising market too. Last year I was surprised to note how many cats were squeezed into the marina in Horta, in the Azores. There were dozens. Fifteen years earlier, a cat crossing the Atlantic was still something of an anomaly. Ten years ago they were a cult, now they’re part of the cruising fraternity. One early production catamaran built with private ownership in mind was the Lagoon 37. Introduced in 1993, this sleek cat was built for Jeanneau’s Lagoon division in a joint venture with TPI composites in Rhode Island.
Designed by Marc Van Peteghem and Vincent Fleury Michon, the 37 is in many ways a scaled down version of their successful Lagoon 42. The 37, however, seems more manageable, and the three-stateroom layout is ideal for a cruising family. Sure, plenty of 37s made their way into charter service, but many didn’t and these are the boats to search out on the second-hand market. While new catamaran prices are steep, to put it gently, a couple of decades of production has finally produced enough inventory for used prices to reach a level where they are comparable to monohulls. With a bit of careful shopping, a mid-1990s Lagoon 37 can be purchased for around $150,000, and when you consider it has the space of a 45-footer or larger monohull, that’s not a bad value.
First impressions The Lagoon 37 does not have the stately shiplike bridge ports that distinguish current Lagoon models. Instead, the sleek cabintrunk is sloped aft with two large forward ports and three to each side. The look, ironically, is more modern than today’s boats, but does not result in as much interior volume or light. The hulls include NACA-shaped stub keels that are not all that stubby. The draft is 4 feet, a bit more than comparable models like the Fountaine Pajot Athena and Prout Snowgoose. And while 4 feet might limit some gunkholing, it does help the 37 track well and the boat is well known for its ability to point. Bridgedeck clearance is around two feet.
The fractional rig has an air draft of just less than 55 feet, which is practical for inland waterway work and still offers plenty of horsepower in moderate breezes. A sail area of 849 square feet, combined with a displacement of nearly 12,000 pounds, translates into a sail area/displacement ratio of 26.1. The Lagoon 37 is no lightweight, the displacement/length ratio is 143, so the boat needs a bit of breeze to find its stride but it won’t be overpowered when the trades get testy. This boat was designed with tradewind sailing in mind.
Construction
Hulls and deck-structure feature Baltek end-grain balsa cores, sandwiched between bi- and tri-axial cloths held together with vinylester resins. Catamarans are subjected to a variety of forces working in different directions, and top-quality material components are as important as good construction techniques. Lagoon didn’t skimp on materials. Each hull includes watertight bulkheads fore and aft. The hulls and bridgedeck are essentially molded together and married to the deck and cabintop on a flange. The joint is laminated, not through-bolted. The fiberglass work is very well done. My daughters and I spent a fair bit of time aboard a Lagoon 37 in Spain last summer. The English family cruising the boat was in the process of finishing up a circumnavigation and I was impressed how good their 12-year-old boat looked.
The forward crossbeam is heavy aluminum, with an upward striker for support. The crossbeam is mounted in brackets on each hull that allow the hulls to work slightly without loading the aluminum, a system that has been proven by the thousands of bluewater miles. Support of the deck-stepped mast is accomplished by means of a stainless compression post that in turn rests on a beefy wooden member supported by the forward structural bulkheads.
What to look for The first thing to look for is the specific model you want. If for some reason the 4-foot draft presents a real problem, a shoal-draft model of 3 feet, 4 inches was offered later in the production run. Also later in the production run, a galley-up option, meaning the galley was in the saloon and not down in the port hull, was also offered, although both of these features are rare. It is important to note that the Lagoon 37 had a second life as a Moorings 37. Although the hulls are the same, the interior is designed for charter work.
In terms of structural issues, Lagoon owners report very few problems. Look for signs of stress around the cross-member brackets. Also check the swage fittings on the beefy shrouds. Our English friends rerigged the boat early in their trip when cracks were detected. If the boat had been chartered there will be all the normal signs of wear and tear, from a worn-out cabin sole to an assortment of nicks and bruises in the gelcoat and teak joinerwork. Ex-charter boats can be good buys, but be prepared for complete refits including sails, running rigging, new trampoline and more. Ex-charter boats will often have a lot of hours on the twin Perkins, and the price of repowering two new engines can be a shock.
On deck The deep, spacious cockpit is at once comfortable and yet still feels secure for offshore sailing. It is clearly one of the 37’s best features. The seats wraparound two fixed tables. You are down low when seated anywhere but the helmsman chair, making it difficult to see forward. This is just a fact of catamaran life you have to get used to. The seatbacks are a bit abrupt and good cushions are essential. The helm chair is supported by a sturdy, double-legged pedestal. Visibility from the helm is adequate, although with a bimini or hardtop it is impossible to see what the mainsail is up to.
Bulkhead-mounted wheels take a bit of getting used to —you can’t steer by putting your legs into it, although I always find myself trying anyway. Access to the molded swim steps on each hull is terrific. Davits mounted on the bridgedeck support a large dinghy between the hulls, although the lifting tackle may need additional purchase. The mainsheet traveler is aft, spanning most of the bridgedeck, and trimming the traveler is always the first option. Tacking is when you realize the beam is just over 20 feet as you scoot across the cockpit to haul in the sheet.
While the side decks are wide there are no handholds on the cabintrunk and you feel a bit exposed until you can clutch the shroud. The forward tramp may need to be replaced if it’s worn or feels spongy. The tramp is a great place to tarry when underway. There are large lazarettees forward and a decent-sized chain locker amidships. There are also two deep lockers in each hull aft. Ironically, the best locker space is found in the end of each hull—the section of the boat that really shouldn’t be overloaded.
Down below Unlike other cruising cats, the Lagoon 37 is nicely finished down below with solid teak trim, teak veneers and white laminates. While two overhead hatches offer adequate ventilation it would be nice to have an opening forward port as well. The plan includes a large saloon with a huge U-shaped settee and a dinette that can seat up to eight. This arrangement consumes the saloon. The galley is in the port hull, although it is still somewhat open to the saloon. The galley is spacious and includes a three-burner cooker, double stainless sinks, and a large refrigerator/freezer.
Both hulls feature queen cabins forward, with good storage provided in cubby-style and hanging lockers. These fore and aft berths are tucked up into the bridgedeck, and are not just part of the hulls, making them genuine queen-sized berths. The starboard side also includes a double cabin aft, and the charter models squeeze a walkthrough head in between. The main head is aft in the port hull, and it is expansive with a full, standup shower and room to move around. The nav station, featuring a fold-down chart table and the electrical panel, are in the starboard hull. This arrangement is cramped and I suspect most chart work will be done on the saloon table.
You will either really like the simplicity and openness of this plan or it will strike you as a waste of space in the saloon. I think it’s an ideal arrangement for a true cruising cat.
Engine The original engines were Perkins MD 20, 18 diesels. Our English friends noted that the engines were reliable but felt the boat was underpowered. Access is excellent, however. The starboard engine is located beneath the aft bunk and the port engine is aft of the head. Both engines are easy to work on and maintain. The fuel capacity of 50 gallons is a bit light, but then again, weight is always an issue with multihulls. These stingy engines each burn about one-half gallon an hour while pushing the boat along at close to 6 knots. When you spot cruising Lagoon 37s at anchor or in a marina they often have plastic fuel cans lining the deck. Twin screws are one of the best features of cruising cats. The Lagoon 37 handles well under power, and you always have a complete set of spare parts aboard.
Underway
The hull and keel shapes make the Lagoon 37 more weatherly than some of its competitors, although it does need a bit of breeze to get going. We concluded that our Kaufman 47 monohull made faster passages overall than the Lagoon 37 our English friends sailed around the world, but this was also due to different sailing philosophies. They sailed with two small children and always depowered the boat in a blow and in the evening. Also, if a cruising cat is overloaded it quickly translates into lost performance, and they had their boat stuffed with gear.
While it is hard to generalize, owners report typical speeds of 7 knots upwind in moderate breezes and sailing inside of 45 degrees apparent. Off the wind, even when loaded, the Lagoon 37 shines, and our friends noted a top speed of 16 knots in the Indian Ocean. The big roachy main can produce a bit of weather helm, and needs to be reefed early to maintain balance with the headsail. The Lagoon 37 has an overlapping genoa, which is effective when reaching in the trades. Downwind sailing is best accomplished with an asymmetrical chute.
Conclusion
The Lagoon 37 is a well-engineered and sturdily constructed cat that has a proven track record as an offshore cruiser. If you are looking for a boat for a year’s sabbatical in the Caribbean, take a hard look at this handsome cat.
