Bill Regan of Catamaran Central walks a heavily kitted-out owner's-version cat that's ready for the Chesapeake, the Bahamas, or points further south.
Some cruising catamarans get popular because they sail well; others because they live well. The Lagoon 42 has managed both, and that combination — along with systems that a couple can actually manage without a full-time engineer aboard — is what Bill Regan of Catamaran Central highlights at the top of his walkthrough of this 2019 Lagoon 42 Owner’s Version.
The headline gear list is long and genuinely cruising-focused: a large solar array, a lithium-ion battery bank, a Sea Recovery watermaker, an AB dinghy with a 20-horsepower outboard, twin Yanmar 57-horsepower diesels, an upgraded Cummins Onan 13.5 kW generator, folding props, a full suite of cruising sails, a brand-new anchor chain and a regalvanized anchor that, as Regan puts it, has never touched the bottom.
The cockpit and transom
The tour begins at the starboard aft transom, where the wide opening, swim ladder and engine access hatch set the tone. That hatch reaches the starboard Yanmar and the house batteries; its port counterpart opens onto the Sea Recovery watermaker. Regan is particularly complimentary about the davit system on this generation of Lagoon — a robust stainless bar that lifts the dinghy clear of the water with no hand cranking, while still preserving a gunwale seat, so cockpit seating isn’t sacrificed to dinghy stowage.
The cockpit itself is the boat’s social center: a large table, easy access through the sliding salon doors, a lounging spot at the starboard aft quarter and another just behind the helm. A removable barbecue grill lives aft to port — removable, sensibly, for sailing. And tucked into the cockpit is a washer-dryer, which Regan flags as a genuine quality-of-life feature on any cruising boat.
Helm and sail handling
The raised helm carries a full suite of B&G electronics — wind, depth, speed, radar and chart plotter — with the Yanmar engine panels front and center beside the throttles. Less common on a cruising cat, this boat also has a bow thruster: not strictly necessary given how far apart the twin engines sit, but welcome peace of mind in a tight marina or when the wind is pinning you to a dock.
Lagoon separates the sail-handling area slightly from the helm station, so no lines run across the throttles. Two electric winches and the line clutches from the mast sit within a step, along with the mainsheet traveler, making it easy to set the autopilot and move over to trim. A hardtop with a built-in window lets you watch the sails, and the surrounding enclosure gives 360-degree views — a real asset on a night watch or when a squall rolls through.
Up on the coachroof, the large solar array dominates. The boom sits at a manageable height for flaking the main into the bag, which has just been out for service and restitching; the other cruising sails were out for new UV strips at the time of filming. A self-tacking genoa is rigged, and the bowsprit carries a top-down furler for the asymmetric spinnaker. There’s also a Code 65 for the gap between genoa and kite — useful downwind, where these big-fore-triangle Lagoons do well. Side decks are wide with recessed hatches, the trampolines have been replaced, and the gelcoat looks sharp.
Interior: owner’s version, done properly
Inside, headroom is ample and the molded windows flood the salon with light. Four air conditioning units serve the salon, the starboard owner’s suite and each of the two port guest cabins. The U-shaped galley has an oven, three-burner cooktop, ice maker and microwave; the nav desk carries Victron battery management and monitoring plus solar charge controllers. To port there’s an Isotherm fridge, a second drop-in fridge and a large television.
The forward port guest cabin has a good-sized berth with walk-arounds and its own wet head — not everyone’s favorite, though Regan makes the fair argument that it buys more berth, locker and living space, and that tropical cruisers lean on the cockpit shower anyway. The aft port cabin gets a fully separate shower compartment, sink and electric flush head. The starboard owner’s suite is the standout: television, its own air conditioning, a couch, a desk area and a slider for privacy.
Where she sits in the market
Regan describes her as a compelling package for a couple or small family at under $450,000. For context, here’s what the Lagoon 42 market looks like on YachtSite right now.
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Sold, last 24 months | 22 |
| Median sold price | $400,000 |
| Median time to sell | ~155 days |
| Active listings | 16 |
| Asking range | $299,000–$649,000 |
| Median asking | $449,500 |
| Median sold (24 mo) | $400,000 | |||
| Median asking (active) | $449,500 |
Interest is ticking up, too: 18 inquiries on Lagoon 42 listings in the last 30 days versus 14 the prior month.
She lies in Baltimore, Maryland — well placed for a Chesapeake fall before heading south to the Bahamas or the Caribbean as the season opens up.