Lagoon 42: what the used market demands and which years of build are worth it

Where the boats are lying

VAT in the listing

Anyone who wants to use the boat in the EU and buys it without VAT paid must add 19 to 25 % depending on the country.

Strengths

Handling by two

• Owner experience report: One owner calls the helm station the best in the 42 to 45 ft class. Because all lines lead there, the boat is easy to sail shorthanded.
• Owner's report from a sailing forum: One owner after around 2,000 nm in six weeks: solidly built, very comfortable, sails effortlessly at about half the wind speed.
• Owner's report from a sailing forum: With 57 hp engines and folding propellers, 8–9 kn cruising speed at 2,500 rpm. This helps in calms on passage.
• In the second-hand test (issue 201, 2025) the 42 sails fast for her comfort: around 8 kn under gennaker in 12 kn of wind, direct and well-balanced steering, upwind angle about 42–45 degrees to the apparent wind. Multihulls World
• In the first test of 2016 (Multihulls World no. 148) the 42, with the rig set further aft, sails well even in light airs, with little pitching and hardly any leeway upwind. Helm station and ergonomics are regarded as a major step forward, engine rooms are clearly laid out, the steering system is direct. The test only ran up to 12 kn of wind; strong wind and sea state were not tested. Multihulls World

Construction according to the forums

• Owner's report from a sailing forum: A technician who has repaired many Lagoons sees hardly any major problems with the 42, unlike the 450 with its bulkhead damage. For bulkhead or laminate problems on the 42, the research found no evidence.
• In the same issue the builder's adviser names no serious production defect despite more than 1,100 boats built. That supports the owners' accounts but does not replace the individual findings above. According to the test, the engine compartments are well insulated and accessible via steps. Multihulls World

Living and self-sufficiency at anchor

• Galley up, open saloon, large saloon in relation to length.
• Owner's report from a sailing forum: A family living on board found the storage space in the owner's version better than expected and was self-sufficient with 5 × 330 W solar without a generator.
• Owner's report from a sailing forum: Prepared at the factory for a watermaker in the port engine compartment (laminated-in positions for seacocks).

Maintenance far from the yard and market

• Owner's report from a sailing forum: A widely distributed large-series model: spare parts and practical knowledge are accordingly accessible. Thanks to the modular construction, the layout is, according to a technician, quite inexpensive to change.
• Large supply.

Weak points

Seakeeping

• Seakeeping only moderate: sail area/displacement ratio 23.1 (ratio of sail area to weight), displacement/length 161. The bridgedeck clearance is not supported by a figure anywhere.
• According to the experience report of a sailor who compares it with the Astrea 42, the 42 is clearly under-canvassed and at least 30 % heavier, with wide, heavy bows.
• Owner experience report: Long-term assessment: no fixed barrier between helmsman and water apart from the cockpit tent, realistically under 10 kn when fully loaded, considerable additional costs for bluewater equipment.
• In the 2025 second-hand test (issue 201) the tester describes the 42, with the rig set far aft and a non-overlapping self-tacking jib, as barely controllable under mainsail alone. Below 12 kn of wind a gennaker is practically mandatory. For long-distance cruising, a gennaker or Code 0 including fittings and retrieval gear as well as the reefing system should be part of the equipment. Multihulls World
• According to the 2016 test, sailing performance depends on the Code 0. The tester calls it indispensable but expensive, because it requires a bowsprit and matching winches. He had to pull the mainsail by hand for the first two thirds; ball-bearing slides would help. Multihulls World

Storage, tanks and payload

• According to owner reports, the limited storage space, especially in the cockpit, is the most common criticism; one owner calls it the number one problem for long-distance cruising.
• According to the owner, one water tank (300 l) is not enough despite the watermaker. A retrofitted second tank sits in the anchor locker and costs chain storage space. According to the manual, the diesel tank cannot be used to full capacity because of trim.
• Payload around 3.4 t – for long-distance equipment, provisions and water for two people, that is tight.
• The technical data in the 2016 test state 300 l water and 300 l diesel; the second tank (2 x 300 l) is an option. For long-distance sailing with two people, that is tight. Multihulls World

Serial defects and recalls

• According to owner reports, the mast step on early boats was too flat and not bolted through; after mast losses, a factory measure followed for model years up to 2018.
• Recall of the Goiot escape hatches for Lagoon years of build 2007–2019: the pane can come away from the frame, close to the waterline.
• Owner's report from a community: Galvanic corrosion between the stainless steel anchor roller and the aluminium crossbeam on boats from 2017 and 2021. The crossbeam carries the rig.
• According to a service report and owners' reports, the factory watermaker fails frequently: the seawater intake sits too close below the water surface and draws air.
• According to owner reports, the refrigeration units are poorly ventilated, the standard anchor is too small, and water enters the owner's cabin.
• The yard consultant in issue 201 mentions gelcoat cracks on the decks of very early boats; the yard is said to have fixed this from hull no. 17. A sliding window took longer to become reliable. On early hulls, deck surfaces and sliding windows should be checked. Multihulls World

Living and service

• According to owners' reports in the forum, two owners of the owner's version describe the wave slapping in the aft cabin at anchor at night as very loud.
• Owner's report from a sailing forum: The yard's customer service is considered difficult to reach, warranty runs only through the dealer. Ex-charter engines often no longer have any warranty.
• According to issue 201, the top of the bimini is very slippery. This matters when boarding in wet conditions, for example when furling the sails; an anti-slip coating should be retrofitted if missing. Multihulls World
• In the 2016 test, the chafe protection for the mooring lines is poorly positioned. The instrument console can only be reached with long arms, and there is no saloon hatch in the galley. Multihulls World

At anchor

Good: galley up, open saloon, good all-round visibility, self-sufficient with solar. Deductions for tight cockpit stowage, small water tank and a noisy aft cabin when slamming.

On passage

Usable for the trade-wind route: easy to sail shorthanded, calm on a broad reach, but heavy and under-canvassed, payload tight. Issue 201 (2025) states that below 12 kn of wind the boat is barely manageable without a gennaker or Code 0; light-wind sails belong on board for the trade winds. The 2016 test was conducted only up to 12 kn; it says nothing about strong wind and sea state.