BVI - Trip in April - Sunsail Lagoon 42

Hi all;

Well it looks like I will be sailing in the BVIs again this April after a three year Hiatus (last there in June 2017). I will be taking some crew down to experience the sailing grounds and get comfortable so they can charter on their own.

I see that Sunsail has a lagoon 42 as an option instead of only Leopards now. I was wondering how they are to charter and sail? I have never sailed a lagoon but they seem to get really good feedback from those who have.

The first thing I have to get my head around is the helm on the Port side, just seems odd as all the cats I have been on they are on the starboard side. I guess it doesn't really make a difference but

Anybody have first hand experience with this boat or similar?

Thanks!

https://www.sunsail.com/yachts/catamarans/sunsail-424

Used a Lagoon 38 about 10 years ago and had no particular issues. If the hull is clean, should be good for 10K plus.

Sailed a Lagoon 42 out of TMM twice this year. No problem with the helm on the port side. Needed to get used to the self-tacking jib. Liked it enough that I am doing another Lagoon 42 in January.

DEL:

Just curious, which 42 did you charter from TMM?

TMM manages our boat, Ocean Song, also a Lagoon 42.

We live in Hillsborough, NC.

Did Orion both times. Booked Windsong for next month. Live on Lake Norman in Cornelius.

I’m curious why wind song vs ocean song. Was there a reason?

Anyone here know Windsong at TMM? Friends of mine are chartering first 10 days or so of January. I realise it is pretty much brand new so maybe not much knowledge as yet.

My wife likes the newest boat.

Del

In Charter companies where the owners really are involved in their own boats, over time, many add equipment/amenities such as underwater lights, aft shades, better anchors, watermakers, etc.

That, coupled with top notch charter companies such as TMM, doing continuous quality maintenance, yields boats that offer premium charter experience.

I haven't been aboard WindSong, But Ocean Song is top notch with many amenities added by an experienced sailor who will be taking her cruising full time at some point.

That said, the 42 is one of the most popular cruising cats of all time and I am sure you will enjoy WindSong.

(And to OP, I will be down on Sea Tiger Jan 18th if our dates overlap, we may meet in person).

Very interesting that TMM now have quite a few 3 cabin cats. When I was speccing my boat, admittedly nearly 18 years ago now (can't believe it's been that long!), Barney said not to get the 3 cabin owners version because it wouldn't charter as well. Times have certainly changed.

Its a different kind of charter as well. You typically get more families who treat the boat with more care, on average, than 4 older couples.

Our boat, Ocean Song, is a 3-cabin Lagoon 42 and we've been happy with the number of charters we've booked. We knew we would have a lower income than with a 4-cabin version, but we wanted an owners version because we plan to live on the boat for a couple of years after she comes out of TMM's charter fleet. As windward2c pointed out, we have mostly families charter Ocean Song and we feel they treat the boat with more care. Barney (at TMM) did not try to talk us into a 4-cabin version, he said the 3- cabin models charter very well, just produce slightly less income. It's a trade off we're happy with.