Voyage North With Tropicbird

by Jon Godsall

Following the exhibition of the good ship Tropicbird in the Sanctuary Cove Boat show we (Bill Col and Jon and Rosemary Godsall) finally took delivery on the 28th May at Hope Island marina, squeezed in 580 litres of fuel, filled the water tanks to the brim, loaded up with the mountain of provisions required for a long trip and made ready to set forth on the morrow. Little did we know what the morrow had in store for us. It really was a repeat of the previous four days, when anything that could go wrong, did!

We departed at 0600 hrs on the morning of the 29th, hoping to make Mooloolaba that afternoon. After a good run through the Broadwater, where we found Tropicbirds performance had been unaffected by the weight we had added, we started to run across Moreton Bay, a nasty stretch of water. We had planned to run up to Tangalooma, and then proceed up channel to Caloundra and then on to our destination. By the time we reached Tangalooma, the weather was looking far from fair, and we decided to call it a day, and anchored up opposite the resort. Just as we set the anchor, we were hit by a severe squall with winds gusting 50kts; it proved the ground tackle was up to the task and that we had set it properly.

It eventuated that we were to spend five long days and nights in pouring rain and strong winds, playing cards, reading and praying for the weather to break. Finally, the gods looked kindly on us, and we set off for our almost forgotten destination, Mooloolaba, on the morning of the 3rd June at 0630 hrs. Moreton Bay was up to its normal tricks with the four metre swell.

breaking on the shallow banks, and giving us an interesting ride. Once out into the coastal waters, the swell was on our starboard quar ter, and with 15-20kts of SE, we were zooming along. Tropicbird handled the conditions well, and we were at the mouth of the river at 1200 hrs.

The entry into the river was somewhat hairy, as the flood had created a sandbar at the mouth, on which the swell was breaking. So it was a question of waiting for a break in the sets, and then sallying forth at great speed. All was going well until we noticed a surfer on his board attempting to catch a wave at the mouth, and in a direct line with our course! He did get out of the way, in some haste!

We refuelled, reprovisioned, and received some excellent service at the local Raymarine dealer who resolved some problems we were having with the communication between the auto pilot and plotter. We enjoyed a good night out with old friends, and the next morning were off to Double Island Point for an overnight prior to crossing the Wide Bay bar the next day. Sea conditions had moderated considerably, and we had a very comfortable run up the coast, at around 16kts and the boat behaving impeccably.

We crossed the Bar at 0900 hrs and had a wonderful run up the Great Sandy Strait and across Hervey Bayy to Bundaberg, in glassy conditions, so we decided to test her legs. This demonstrated one of the great attributes of the displacement hull form with no change in attitude or fuss as we ran at 20kts. The ride was excellent, and we were soon in the marina having a long hot shower.

Off the next morning at sparrow, with our destination being Gladstone. Once again, the conditions were perfect and we were tootling along at 16kts until we hit fog at Bustard Head, which slowed us down for about half an hour. Once clear, we pushed on, arriving at about 1500 hrs, picking up more fuel before enjoying the delights of Gladstone.

Despite a light fog in the area, we were away next morning, 6th June, around 0900 hrs, timed to get us through the Narrows, with the idea of overnighting in the Shoalwater Bay region, a lovely area, with beautiful island groups just begging for visitors (but not too many!).The Narrows is a short cut on the inside of Curtis Island. The passage can only be worked at a tide depth (Gladstone) of 1.5 m plus draft.This was where Tropicbird with her shallow draft and protected propellors excelled, and we sailed through with a few open mouths gazing at us! You know what we mean!

As we transited Great Keppel Island the South East Trades started to make their presence felt, and by the time we were abeam Port Clinton, the wind had built from calm to 15-20kts and building, so we decided to make for a beautiful little bay known as Pearl Bay. It really is a pearl, giving shelter from east through to north, and with magnificent pine and eucalypt forest coming down to the water’s edge. We were hoping that the trades would ease off the next day, but we were to be disappointed yet again, and we ended up staying for four nights. It was, however, a more preferable location thanTangalooma, with a lovely beach to walk on, turtles to save from disaster, and a wonderful couple who were sailing up to Magnetic Island in their Wharham catamaran.

The next stage of our trip proved to be the most taxing in terms of the weather. Because of the delays in starting the trip, and the further delays because of the weather, our original plan of spending time in the Shoalwater Bay area had to be abandoned, and we proposed to go to the Whitsunday Islands in two stages. Both stages were to be 10–12 hrs duration, and they were predicated on good weather- winds in the 10-15kts range and seas 1- 1.5m. We must have been dreaming; we ended up with 15-20kts, and 2-2.5m seas. Departing at 0630 hrs on the 10th June, the conditions were to test the boat to the full. With the seas astern, we opted to hand steer a zig zag course, which from the comfort of the helm station with its excellent visibility was a pleasant alternative to the auto pilot. After five hours, we decided to call it a day and to shelter behind Hexham Island, an excellent anchorage with natural breakwaters extending down both sides of the bay. A group of hardy fishermen was in the process of setting up camp on the island and roaring off in their boats to acquire some dinner, with little luck (or so they told us). A pair of ospreys and their offspring kept us amused with their attempts to satisfy the chick’s hunger.The next day, our friends in the Wharham cat arrived, and once they had squared away, came across with some lovely fresh garfish, which we had great pleasure in consuming with gusto that night. In the meantime, the fishermen had broken camp and headed off for the mainland, but ran out of fuel some three miles before their destination. The radio was good listening!

The next day the wind had dropped to10-15kts, but the seas were still in the 2m range. We decided to head off for St. Bees and Keswick Islands, and left around 0630 hrs.The pangs of hunger got to us about three hours later, so we hauled off and anchored up in the lee of Digby Island to feed the inner men and woman. Once satisfied, we set off for our destination, arriving around 1500 hrs. Once again the decision was made to hand steer in the following sea and the boat performed well.

Following a restful night, we were off early for Hamilton Island, where we intended to leave the boat as we were all running out of time to reach Cairns before other commitments arose. Conditions were much the same as the previous two days, and again we hand steered the course.

Hamilton Island marina staff were excellent. They went out of their way to find us a berth when the marina was preparing for an influx of outrigger canoe contestants, to be closely followed by the Race Week sailors. And the boat was well looked after.

he resumption of the trip was delayed for a month whist the weather sorted itself out; strong wind warnings, rain and general unpleasantness! However on the 17th July, the forecast was good for three days, and we (Bill and Jon) jumped on a plane for Hamilton Island, arriving at 0900 hrs. We bought some minor provisions, payed our dues, and off at 1000 hrs. Our overnight was to be in the lee of Cape Upstart, and our arrival at around 1500 hrs brought the locals out to have a stickybeak at this flash new boat. It is fair to say that they were amazed at the economy.

The next day was to be a long haul, 130 nm, to Cardwell where we proposed to refuel and overnight. So, yet again, it was early away in magnificent conditions, SE at 5-10kts and seas <0.5m.We arrived at the southern end of the Hinchinbrook channel around 1300 hrs and at Cardwell around 1500 hrs, averaging 16kts.The channel into the marina at Pt. Hinchinbrook is badly silted, and we arrived on the afternoon of the spring low tide, 0.1 above LAT. The locals were all signing to us that there was no water, and could not believe it when we proceeded in with about 0.6m of water under us. After refuelling, we set course for Goold Island for a very peaceful night.

The final day was to be a 120 nm run in almost calm conditions, and we ran at an average of 18kts, after allowing time to gaze at seven pods of humpback whales frolicking on their way south.We tied up at 1330 hrs at the Half Moon Bay marina, well satisfied with our purchase and the performance of the boat.

While we did not carry out any definitive fuel economy tests on the voyage, depending on whether we ran at around 14-15kts or 18-19kts, consumption was between 1.25 and 1.5litres per nautical mile, under the prevailing conditions, which we consider to be extremely good.

Brava Revolution

story and photos by Barry Tyler

Prolific catamaran designer and manufacturer Peter Brady knows there are currently no boundaries to the design parameters of the catamaran configuration. He is the first to concede a lot more needs to be known but with each new evolutionary model he produces he feels he is getting that much closer to fully understanding the rich tapestry that is the catamaran multihull. His latest Brava 45 Sports Cruiser expands on the Brady promise of economy, performance, durability and now more than ever - styling.

The Brava catamaran as we know it today evolved from an earlier and extremely successful design that in effect was Brady’s first impetus into fully moulded ‘production’ catamarans, since his Scimitar days. Prior to that they were one-off designs, but the Leopard variations of which 13 were produced, were the models that paved the way for genuine mass production. But just as quickly as the Leopard name became a market force, so it was to disappear. Just when things were starting to really fall into place his then business partner fell victim to a debilitating epoxy- related and as such was left with no alternative but to sell his share of the thriving business.

A definite blow to the plans and ambitions of both parties, it was however to be only a temporary speed bump for a resolute Peter Brady. A solution arrived in the form of a friend who had owned a Brady power catamaran for 11 years. Learning of Brady’s plight and with an enormous belief in the potential of the Leopard design, he wasted no time in re- establishing the contact. The rest as they say is history for the two parties met, discussed, prophesised, negotiated and finally pooled their resources. A new joint venture company was formed, Brava Marine, which purchased the rights to what at the time was the 12.5m Leopard catamaran.

 Ever one for progressing the technology of the catamaran concept, this new-found freedom and security offered Brady the opportunity to at long last fully develop many of his ideas that had been floating around in his head for a number of years. Having developed the PACT process for constructing one-off vessels, his next area of interest was the forward area of the tunnel and wing-deck and its relationship to ride quality. Having forged a strong working relationship with design partner Trevor Loney, the two were keen to explore the intricacies of this single- most contentious area of a catamaran hull.

While they had come a long way with the design of the actual hulls the two knew only too well what happened within the confines of this wing-deck were still somewhat of a mystery. Many theories abound and all are absolutely spot-on depending on whom you are speaking to at the time, but Brady is sure his latest development CVD or Controlled Vapour Dampening (Patent Pending) is a genuine step in the right direction.

The Brava 45, undeniably designer Peter Brady's most efficient design yet. The CVD system provides a new level of comfort and peace of mind.

Interestingly, he talks of the monohull design development as being at the cutting edge now, and there is not too much that designers don’t know about the dynamics of the multitude of variables of that particular configuration. The catamaran concept however, he claims is still very much in its infancy. As such he has devoted a veritable lifetime in search of the perfect shape but he feels that while he has arguably come up with more answers than most, an experience two years ago emphatically reminded him there were still a few idiosyncrasies that remain unanswered.

 A ride in one of his early cat designs, up in the bow and peering through a glass hatch that had been fitted to the inside of the hull of this particular boat, led to the discovery of a new phenomenon. Without giving too much away, quite by chance he discovered the cause of the bashing and crashing so readily attributed to the actual wing-deck slapping down on the water. In the rough and traditionally tunnel-bashing conditions Brady was able to see first hand exactly what the water was doing as the hulls cut through it. For Brady and Loney it was back to the drawing board and more ‘research and development’, to counteract this new- found phenomenon.

Controlled Vapour Dampening

Their response to this new and vital revelation culminated in the design characteristic Brady has patented and named CVD or Controlled Vapour Dampening. It would be tempting to dismiss this as merely an industry ‘buzz- word’, however because Brady was able to test this before and after his mods and therefore establish increases in fuel economy and performance, and significant decreases in wing-deck slamming – he was able to prove beyond doubt he was definitely heading down the right track.

This series of V-pods or nacelles fitted to the underside of the wind-deck were not the only addition made, for Brady and Loney also experimented with bulbs at the bow to further improve balance and efficiency. Latterly a length addition has seen the hull extended from 12.8m (42-feet) out to 13.7m (45-feet) to cater for their clients requirements for more fishing area aft plus greater again cruising range and therefore more fuel and load carrying capacity.

Available space up on the flybridge level was sublime – despite the fact a davit and tender live up on this level also.
Access from boarding level to cockpit was well thought out and equally well presented.

There are three options available in the Brava range the, ‘Brava Sports’ fly bridge, the single-level ‘Brava Classic’ with its walk-around decks, and the very ‘open-minded’ ‘Brava Commercial’. To that you then personalise it by drawing upon a multitude of different interior layout options, making it arguably one of the most adaptable cruisers on the market, monohull or catamaran,

Demonstrating just how adaptable the design is, was boat number 11 the Peter Finglas, a recently launched 45 for the Queensland Department of Primary Industries. A ‘Classic’ version of the Brava 45, she will serve life as a fishery patrol boat in the Cairns area of the Great Barrier Reef. At sea for around a week at a time she is fitted with a hydraulic cradle at the rear that serves as a slipway for the 800kg 5.5m high speed pursuit RIB, this is probably the ultimate compliment this most adaptable hull could receive. There is surely no where to hide out there, so the vessel has to handle all manner of conditions - with a crew of between three to five fisheries officers.

The Peter Finglas features walk- around side decks, accommodation for five in single berths, and a huge saloon that is in effect a nerve centre with its vast array of electronics built around a very powerful Furuno radar system. Other special features such as water ballast to counter-balance the weight of the RIB when it is not on board offer insight into the adaptability and capability of the design platform. Powered by the larger capacity yet still meagre LPA series 315hp 6-cylinder Yanmars and fully laden with supplies, the real feature of this ‘displaning’ hull is its ability to still return impressive fuel usage figures at the ‘long-range’ cruise speed of a mammoth 17-18kts.

Our test version, again powered by the twin 4.163-litre LPA series 315hp 6- cylinder Yanmars running through ZK 630 boxes to Henley 4-blade 23” x 24” propellers, returned a very credible 26kts at the maximum 3,800rpm. More importantly from a cruising perspective, the cruise speed as above offers the vessel a huge range at that most respectable speed. And yes folks, the ride was all Mr Brady had rather eloquently described during the course of my early communications with him – smooth, quite and uneventful. It just did everything efficiently well, in all manner of seas! 

Two, Three or Four Cabin

The standard design features athwartships queen-sized berth in the master and guest cabins up for’ard and a fore and aft double berth aft in the starboard hull. Depending on your particular preferences though, the third and indeed the fourth aft cabin that in this instance was merely a storage facility, can also be laid out in a twin-bunk or single bed configuration. Or, yet another option is to transform this ‘fourth’ area into a downstairs bathroom, for the only head on board is the large bathroom to port as you enter the saloon.

Construction is all vinylester infused composites including the bulkheads. Beneath the chine lines the core is currently end-grain balsa with the topsides, wing-deck and deck structure foam. Keels chines and transom corners are all solid fibreglass with all vessels built to the USL commercial standards for a high resale value and owner’s piece of mind. Interior components are a mixture of moulded composite panel and custom woodwork.

We were lucky enough to have two boats available for perusal during our test, both sport models. One Sports version had the standard flybridge layout. The other, an unashamedly very serious game-fishing version featured an equally serious fully enclosed glass, stainless steel and GRP flybridge level. With may I add an electronics package to match. Needless to say this version bloated the price tag somewhat, but again it graphically elucidated the adaptability and versatility of the design.

One of the first points you note about the Brava is the ‘balance’ of the boat. Nothing appears to be at the expense of anything else, although one could certainly argue that point when first stepping aboard however. There is a most convenient (substantial) boarding platform each side, at a lower level to the central wing-deck, that leads you beckoningly up onto what could only be described as an expansive cockpit.

Cockpit space was to overkill proportions – pleny of room here for a cockpit table.

Some would argue too large, but for the cruising folk amongst us this uncluttered open space, fully enveloped by the overhead flybridge overhang which completely protects guests from rain or sunshine – was just the right size. The transom upright came complete with a myriad of storage opportunities, along with a forward-facing leather look-alike lounge. Add what I would venture to suggest would be a mandatory cockpit table and you would then have the perfect setting for those hot summer days and balmy summer evenings. Perhaps a break with tradition, the floor was covered with the Marinedeck 2000 cork alternative to teak, but I hasten to add not only it was the owner’s choice, but more importantly it certainly never cheapened or detracted from the presentation of this aspect of the Brava.

Purposefully set up for long range cruising, this particular version was fitted with a substantial refrigerator or freezer unit against the starboard aft saloon bulkhead. In any other cockpit this would be a rather imposing feature but in the context of this layout it was hardly even noticed. The same applied to the brilliant feature opposite this, a set of moulded steps that led you up onto the flybridge level. Again utilising space sensibly, a combo washing machine/dryer was recessed into the base of these steps.

Accessed either from hatches in the cockpit floor or inside the saloon, the engines were surprisingly well forward in the Brava cats, so as to provide a more level propeller angle. Which of course equates to more storage provision aft of this - provision for instance for items such as a water heater, tankage, Lombardini 6kVA Genset, the Little Wonder watermaker the 2000/120 Victron inverter/charger, and in separated lockers just above the engines, the four 200Ah batteries (3xhouse, 1xengine). Aft of the actual engine bulkheads is another fully sealed wet locker each side that would ideally serve as a dive compressor room on one side, and dive-bottle storage on the other.

Moulded steps on a 45 footer – brilliant access to the flybridge level. 

Accent on Safety

I had already noted the ‘attention to safety’ aspect when I ventured up onto the large and surprisingly level foredeck area. Its wide walkways, the grab handles prudently positioned and the sensible height bow rail that fully encapsulated each side and indeed the ‘play’ area up front – were nothing more in fact than what you would expect on a serious cruising vessel. I was happy therefore to observe that this flybridge entry was also treated with the same degree of respect, again from this all-important safety perspective.

The steps were sufficiently wide and deep and were of course covered with a non-skid surface. Grab handles were to the side and at the top, so even in big seas there was always something secure to hang on to, so as to ensure a safe and smooth transition between the two levels. Even when you got up onto this flybridge level, there were heaps of well-positioned overhead and side rails, along with an entry (hatch) door that dropped down to seal the area off from below, thereby preventing an errant step backwards and an unsolicited fast decent to the lower level.

Another very pleasant surprise awaited me on this flybridge level, for very seldom have I found an enclosed area of such dimension – and certainly never on a 45-footer – it was huge! There was the traditional helm station that featured a Furuno electronics package, Morse K4 remotes and Seastar hydraulic steering to an in-house engineering steering system below. Ahead of this helm module there was a full width wrap-around lounge and I was particularly impressed by the neat table arrangement that was moulded into the front of the actual helm module. It added that extra touch of class, as of course did the two skipper-style helm chairs and the wet-bar module.

As noted earlier, we enjoyed the luxury of observing two different flybridge layouts, one fully enclosed and with two bar modules, and this one that had three sides enclosed and the aft remainder of each side and across the rear, protected by a set of clears. In reality I prefer the latter option for although the ‘opening’ side windows and hatches up front and overhead all provided plenty of ventilation, there is nothing quite like the fresh air provided by this open-plan configuration.

I mentioned the size of this level, and while you had this traditional helm and lounge layout up front, aft of it was this stupendous open-air level that was fully protected overhead by the flybridge roof. Great again for those balmy evenings on the sea! As the infomercial goes though, “But wait, there is more”, for aft of that again the remainder of the flybridge floor area was sufficient enough in size to accommodate the ADC (Australian Davit Company) davit and a 3.2m RIB tender. Talk about maximising space!

Spacious Theme Prevails

All this afore-mentioned space allocation in theory seemingly had to be at the expense of interior space, but yet again the Brady bunch had been able to cleverly plan things around a more than adequate provision for inside living, albeit well outside the parameters of traditional catamaran thinking. The head as stated was to port as you entered the saloon, with sensibly an exterior access door also. No need to traipse through the saloon with wet gear on. Again a larger than average room in dimension, a shower curtain partitioned the shower off from the vanity and the Tecma vacuum- flush head.

What we had found thus far was a boarding facility, cockpit, steps, head and flybridge level, all of which could be described as entirely practical, user- friendly, appropriately spec’d and certainly very well presented. But you certainly would never describe it as luxurious. The saloon on the other hand was a definite and pre-determined effort at presenting an aura of elegance, bordering on luxury.

Considering it was a ‘production’ vessel there was a surprising amount of ‘deep’ lacquer coated Queensland Maple or Pencil Cedar woodwork. This was delightfully complemented by vinyl wall panelling, Cantalupi lighting, an L- shaped leather settee, a huge six-person (more if you added chairs on the walkway side) feature dining table, beautifully crafted front windscreen pillars or mullions, and concertina privacy blinds. For ventilation purposes, cross-drafts developed courtesy of hatches over the front windscreen, the rear door and the slide-opening side windows. Or, if you preferred your air man-made, the 24,000btu (2 x 12,000btu) air- conditioning system will service by way of clever ducting and re-direction, the three levels of flybridge, saloon and accommodation.

The other most obvious feature in the saloon was of course the port-side galley that again could only be described as generous in proportion as well as specification. Traditionally a 4-burner gas stove and oven is fitted but in this instance the owner preferred the 2-burner electric option, along with a convection microwave oven. Traditionally also there is a 135-litre refrigerator and a freezer side by side under the bench, but in this instance the owner opted for two refrigerators with the 240lt freezer on the aft deck.

The opulent theme prevails below decks also; the island berth adds a new dimension.
Eloquently presented, the dining setting genuinely catered for six adults.

A dishwasher and compactor are other options that in this instance were not fitted. While it was generous in size, most appealing for the ‘cook’ was the amount of actual usable bench space, along with the deep and sensible-seized twin sinks. Again, sensibly set up for the long-range cruising situation.

When it comes to the accommodation provision in each of the hulls, to be brutally honest this particular layout option was perhaps more appropriate for a two-couple situation. Up front in fact, the ‘duplicated’ accommodation was very spacious, practical and well presented, without being ‘flashy’ or over the top. The queen-size island berths were athwartships, which again will appeal to the poor person who ends up with the bed-making chores.

In both these for’ard cabins you were able to sit up in bed (with head-room to spare), the room was well lit and certainly well ventilated with overhead and port- hole hatches, and there was heaps of storage provision in the base of the bed and in hanging lockers recessed into the wall. Bedside cupboards and wall lamps were tastefully complemented by the plushly-padded wall panels and generous sprinklings of Queensland Maple.

The two aft cabins, well one in this particular instance (the other is a storage facility) were definitely double size only and were full width in what was as in virtually every other catamaran instance, a room rather tight for space. In saying that though, you could still certainly stand up at the foot of the bed, to change, and you still enjoyed all the other features of the above-mentioned for’ard accommodation options.

The galley was purposefully designed to suit a long-range cruising situation.

Conclusion

As a pure unadulterated long-range cruising boat, the Brava 45 Sport Cruiser has few peers. It enjoyed good performance from what were decidedly meagre and economical powerplants (when compared against a like-sized monohull for instance), it cruised at a very generous clip thanks to what was obviously a most efficient underhull shape, and it had good stability at rest and underway. The ride was most predictable and certainly devoid of any noticeable hull banging/slapping. Priced at $992,000 with the standard 240hp Yanmar’s the price is up there for a 45-footer. Compare apples with apples however, consider the features and benefits traditionally associated with a much larger vessel, and all of a sudden this boat equates to damned good value for money. For me the plus side was the performance capabilities, the substantial cockpit, plenty of storage provision and of course the flybridge access. The downside - I had to think long and hard and the worst ‘negative’ I could remonstrate over was the lack of a downstairs head and that was the owners choice!

 Petite Performer - Lagoon 40 

Families looking for an entry-level catamaran that can sleep up to six, yet not break the bank of Monte Carlo could do well to check out the Lagoon 40, reports KEVIN GREEN.

Entry- level models have a big responsibility, as they get buyers in and perhaps one day those same buyers will move up the range, and given Lagoon currently has 12 sailing catamarans, there’s plenty to choose from. The 40, like all of these VPLP French boats, is designed from the inside out, to maximise space while having a hull robust enough to enjoy coastal cruising.

For this model, that launched in 2018, performance has been given more emphasis so the rig has been upgraded with the mast located further aft (thus giving a more even coverage of sail across the hull). This also creates a larger self-tacking jib for better windward abilities. Having spent some time living on these smaller Lagoons, I found several key parts of note. The spacious saloon protected by GRP lip minimises the Pacific sun and in terms of the hull, a manageable overall size for those tricky marina manoeuvres. The elevated steering console gives good vision and all sail controls are here as well, so the kids can safely enjoy the fun in the large aft cockpit. Water access is the other plus of many catamarans and the Lagoon 40 is no exception with steps on each hull and davits for the dinghy in between.

Vertical saloon bulkheads and flat decks with flush hatches allow safe passage forward on the Lagoon 40. Photo Kevin Green
A larger foretriangle is created by the rig. Photo Joe Fox TMG

Cosy cockpit

Local dealer The Multihull Group (TMG) had experienced a positive response to this first boat Australian boat (hull #87) from visitors to the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show, so afterwards I jumped aboard for a sail around the Gold Coast. The inland waterways, including the Broadwater are ideal catamaran cruising grounds, so a good place to experience the Lagoon 40. Another big plus is the excellent facilities at the Boat Works yard, where I joined the yacht along with my colleague Wendy from Multihull World magazine.

The most obvious place to begin looking at any catamaran is its aft cockpit, given this area dominates most modern designs. Cockpits on cruising catamarans are heavily used places, so smart ergonomics here can make or break the deal for buyers. Acres of open space is not desirable at sea, unlike in port where catamarans are the party platforms of cruising fleets. So the modest Lagoon 40 cockpit is nicely in proportion and the dining part is sheltered below the fibreglass saloon overhang. Our review boat came with teak underfoot and the upgraded Elegance Pack for furnishings but the standard layout was fine. The transom bench added greatly to the dinette seating to create a convivial area, suitable for most weathers. Other notable points included under-bench storage and the single helm nearby.

My colleague, Wendy, demonstrates the good handrails going forward, while Joe from TMG at the helm is near the rig;
all good features of the Lagoon 40. Photo Kevin Green

Stepping inside the saloon, via single sliding door reveals a fairly busy area, which is understandable given there is a lot to fit in. Having the rig further back requires the compression post to be near the door which is no bad thing as it’s a good hand-hold. Around the compression post is the galley to port and lounge area on the starboard quarter, which is nicely shaded thanks to those signature upright bulkheads that are softened externally by a fibreglass lip. These upright bulkheads give sun protection and add volume. Critics say the downside is windage, so at anchor you may tend to dodge around, but the benefits are plain to see when you consider the near 2.0m plus headroom throughout.

Other amenities on the Lagoon 40 include the dinette which can seat a large family easily around its rectangular table. Regular collaborator Nauta Design has created a saloon with plenty locker space, soft close drawers and overhead cupboards. The navigation station uses the forward portside corner well, giving the skipper a large angled bulkhead for electronics, above a small chart table. The house switchboard is below, along with a slot for the VHF, and of course with clear views all round to help the navigator. Two opening forward windows, which are also suitably large, ensure good ventilation as well.

The galley has a deep sink, two fridge/freezers and a cooker plus microwave cupboard; and ample cupboards
so an ideal cruising arrangement. Photo Kevin Green

Behind, the U-shaped galley’s amenities include a single deep stainless sink, sunk into the composite worktops – which have tall, effective fiddles but spoiled by sharp corners that will bruise crew. Cooking is well taken care of, thanks to a three burner stove-oven with microwave slot above. Perishables go into a deep chest fridge and drawer one. Food can be conveniently served through the sliding window to the cockpit diners. The dark Alpi Walnut woodwork is smart but perhaps lends less light than the blonde version while the CNC machine finishing is smooth, with no gaps spotted during my walk-through. Solid metal fixings on doors and gas struts on cabinetry impressed me – something I feel earlier Lagoons were lacking.

Four cabins

Our review boat came with the 4+2 layout, which meant four cabins with two spacious heads; an ideal family arrangement. Alternatively, for those with chartering in mind, a 4+4 model gives four heads which is incredible for a 40 footer. As for couples, the owner’s version uses the entire port hull for a suite with two cabins in the starboard one. Cabin access is down stairs on each side of the nacelle and these stairs are removable for quick access to the escape hatches – an essential feature on seaworthy sailing catamarans.

In the four cabin layout, both aft cabins are the same, as are the two in the bows. More volume aft makes these cabins the largest, with the double bed given a slot to allow movement alongside it. Ample storage is available in the tall wardrobe with even a cubby space with about 1.85m headroom. This cabin is full of natural light and there’s good ventilation from skylights, portlights and an aft opening one. Other good features included slatted mattresses with memory-style foam but protruding cupboard handles can hurt occupants on their way to bed. The bow cabins use the entire hull width to maximise the mattress area and again ventilation is good along with a man-size escape hatch into the forepeak – which could also aid airflow. Cabin locker space includes a tall wardrobe and under-bed drawer; while the long rectangular portlight gives occupants panoramic views to ward off claustrophobia.

The ablutions benefit from being in the deepest part of each hull so come with a spacious separate shower cubicle and large sink-vanity between the head. Again ample ventilation and the only negative is the sharp edges on some bulkheads. Access to plumbing and seacocks is generally good throughout with hatches in various places; which reflects the fact that Lagoon has been building interiors for a long time, so there’s generally few surprises or quirks.

Simple sail plan

The redesigned rig has put the mast on the coachroof and created a larger fore-triangle allowing bigger headsails and our review boat came with a cutter rig – self-tacking jib and large screecher on the bowsprit. The alloy rig is a sturdy arrangement with chunky outboard chain plates on the wire shrouds and sails are all controlled from the flybridge, apart from the screecher’s sheets that run to deck winches. The raised steering console dictates that the sail plan must be well above head height so fairly high on the hull but easily accessible by stepping up from the steering console, allowing tidying of the fully battened square-top mainsail in the lazyjacks. Alternatively, there’s a ladder at the front of the saloon. Furthest aft is the wide main track which is effectively controlled by jammers and a Harken winch, making the sail plan suitable for short-handed sailing. Similarly, the mainsheet runs to this Harken as well with another one on the starboardside of the console for the halyards. Halyards benefit from a short run out of the cabin stepped mast to the banks of jammers within arm’s length of the wheel and all lines fall neatly into a large rope back. Large diameter lines, oversized winches and jammers all are welcome, especially in heavy weather. Console controls include B&G plotter with depth sounder and the essential autopilot while the twin throttles are outboard and very prominent, so could be snagged by crew or errant lines. Ankle height engine gauges are also not ideally placed.

The aft guest cabin is unadorned but spacious and those large portlights avoid feelings of confinement.
The Lagoon 40 owner's version (not tested) uses most of the port hull so is spacious and airy. Photos Lagoon

Sturdy hull

The tall and wide hulls create lots of volume which is intended to retain buoyancy and waterline as you increase the load. Construction is infused polyester with balsa core above the water and below the water – the latter a weight-saving change from solid GRP on previous models. This still makes for a fairly heavy boat compared to say a Fountaine Pajot Lucia 40, however the factory argue that Lagoon include items such as mooring gear and other essentials in their light displacement figure (10,880kg) while their rivals do not.  At the transom, the stepped bulkheads ensure easy water access, and the davits ensure the dinghy is hoisted clear of the water when offshore. Beneath the davits is a slot for an eight man liferaft which can be quickly deployed even when inverted.

The smart design continues as you walk along the flat decks and flush hatches (with indented handrails on the coachroof for support) to the bow. The foredeck has trampolines each side of the nacelle bulkhead spine which has an indented track for the rode, however it is exposed to careless feet or loose lines so I’d prefer a hinged lid as I’ve used on other catamarans. The rode is ably controlled by a sizeable Quick capstan-windless and a second (rather small) roller is nearby as well with matching cleat. Large lockers here offer good storage as well as housing tanks and a generator plus forepeak lockers for lighter gear such as the cruising chute or fenders. Our review boat came with upgraded twin 45 HP saildrive Yanmars which are accessed via the aft deck hatches. Given the wide hulls, ample space is around them for servicing the gearbox oil, filters and impeller. The optional folding propellers were welcome on our review boat, given the drag created by this large vessel.

Good galley access to the outside diners and the door plus large windows forward create good airflow on the Lagoon 40. Photo Lagoon

Gold Coast sail

Our host of the day Joe Fox from TMG, guided us out of the tight marina at the Boat Works with deft touches fore and aft of the twin throttles before we motored down the winding river to the Broadwater estuary. Taking over the wheel and glancing at the plotter revealed the myriad of channels and hidden sandbanks ahead but many were revealed to the naked eye because of the elevated steering position of the Lagoon 40. Once clear, I pushed the throttles down to watch the numbers rise as the Yanmars topped-out at 9.3kts but more importantly cruised quietly at 7.0kts while spinning at 1600rpm. Motoring beyond the Gold Coast Seaway and pointing into the light breeze the main was hoisted. A major plus of the redesigned sailplan was the nearness to it from the helm, so hoisting the main was easily done, aided by the electric Harkens and lazyjacks guiding the mainsail aloft. With the big top mainsail pulling I steered us off the breeze as Joe pulled out the screecher sheet on the deck to unfurl it, and we were on our way towards the glinting towers of Surfers Paradise. Mainsail trim was easily done as there was no bimini at the helm obscuring its luff, something that would be required generally in Australia’s hot climate. The numbers on the B&G plotter screen showed boatspeed at 5.8kts and windspeed 10.1kts on a broad reach, confirming the benefit of the Incidence screecher. But when the southerly buster kicks in and you’re punching into it, the self-tacking headsail is ideal, so we unfurled it before furling the screecher, and watched how the Lagoon 40 reacted. If anything the boat preferred this angle of sail, showing 5.9 SOG in the growing 12.4kt breeze at an angle of 50 degrees, albeit in fairly flat conditions. Tacking proved fairly drama free, just requiring a half turn of the light wheel to set us on our new course. In fact this Lagoon 40 is firmly on the right course, I’d say, as a user-friendly family catamaran.

Outremer 4X - Light Wind Assassin

In 2018 the Outremer 4X became the first production catamaran to race in the famous singlehanded Route du Rhum from France to Guadeloupe in the Caribbean and it placed a very respectable fifth, just behind the world famous multihull racer Loick Pyeron who in fact helped develop the 4X.

However you would be mistaken to think that the 4X is designed as an out-and-out race boat ... afterall how many race boats have two heads, three cabins, luxurious fitout and large lounging and entertaining spaces. No the 4X is not a high performance race boat, it’s a high performance cruising boat that just happens to impress on the race course.

But why bother going to all the trouble and expense to make a cruising boat high performance? What’s the hurry anyway? Afterall going cruising wasn’t meant to be in a rush right?

We catch up with new 4X owner, Doug Hibberd, who just took delivery of his new boat that recently arrived in Australia who intends to go cruising around Australia and the South Pacific with his family on board the Outremer 4X Puffin to ask these very questions and understand why he ended up with a 4X.

Cockpit and helm positions.

“I really love sailing in light winds,” explains Doug as we cast off the lines on Puffin for a sail outside of Newcastle Harbour, “It’s just easier on the crew and boat when the conditions and sea state is light”.

We are heading out for Puffin’s first sail since it arrived in Australia after being shipped from Genoa in Italy, after a couple of months sailing around the Med on its shake down cruise. Doug previously owned an Outremer 5X (60ft) that he sailed throughout the Med and before that a Catana 471 which he and his young family sailed from Australia extensively through Asia. Doug was injured in a motorcycle accident during their preparations to cross the Atlantic on his 5X which took him out of action for six months and closed his window to sail back to Australia and meet work and school obligations for his kids, so he readjusted and downsized to a 4X to eventually sail with his wife Robin from Australia. With his crew mates now in high school and uni, a big boat like the 5X was overkill but the 4X was perfectly sized for he and Robin.

“Any boat will sail in 20kts, but I’m more interested in sailing in 10kts,” Doug says passionately, “I’m doing wind speed in 8kts of breeze ... it’s magic, and I’m sailing when many other boats have to run their engines”.

Consider what the sea state is like in 8-10kts of breeze ... it’s comfortable. Compared to 20+kts which is when it gets lumpy, bumpy and uncomfortable for everyone onboard. When you have a family onboard to keep happy, comfort is a very important factor to the overall enjoyment of the experience. This seems to be a repeating theme with Outremer owners who are out there crossing oceans and sailing the world. This was best put by Outremer 5X owner Urs Rthcr in on an online post recently, “One reason I have an Outremer is to avoid serious bad weather.”

Electric winch for furler with remote heel pedal and winches at helm with main halyard, genoa and reef sheets. 

So how do you achieve efficient sailing in light winds with a comfortable cruising platform? It comes down to a combination of keeping displacement at a minimum and a good sail wardrobe combined with an efficient hull.

The Outremer 4X has a light ship displacement of 8.2 tonnes which at 48ft is considerably less than other similar sized cruising cats which commonly approach 20 tonnes. The light displacement is achieved by using carbon fibre through the bulkheads, saloon roof, and a carbon mast amongst other weight savings here and there. With Outremer’s sister company Gunboat just across the road, they borrowed some GB technology and even installed thermo-formed foam sandwich construction which in effect, removes excess resin from an already optimised resin infused layup process. This is not a standard inclusion on the 4X but the Route Du Rhum boat experimented with this process and with a weight saving of approximately 400kgs, Doug didn’t hesitate to opt for this.

Spacious interior with galley near cockpit.                  Galley – functional and accessible.                       Comfortable queen beds in each stern. 

Lithium batteries consisting of 2 x 180 Ah (5,000W) in combination with a solar panel package made up of 3 x 118W walk on panels on the roof and also 4 x 150W on the davits totalling 954 Watts and two 115 amp alternators, eliminates the need for a generator.

Puffin has a beautiful set of North 3Di moulded sails onboard. A 68sqm square top mainsail with three reef points, plus a 55sqm furling genoa. Taking full advantage of the standard carbon compression beam that extends to a bowsprit, the boat also features a self tacking 26sqm stay sail and a 12sqm storm sail. For reaching there is a Code D furling gennaker and downwind a 120sqm symmetrical spinnaker with a sock.

On deck the main helm with wheel is located on the port side with an electric winch for the main halyard, main sheet and a secondary manual winch to trim the genoa and add reefs all from the helm. Further to this there is a third winch which is also electric with a neat foot pedal remote control to furl in the genoa, essentially making the boat singled handed to operate. This same winch also helps with trimming the spinnaker or Code D, plus raises the daggerboards which help with upwind pointing and can be raised to reduce downwind drag.

Beyond the primary helm which will soon have an ‘Aussie’ shade cover, you have the twin tiller helms that Outremer are famous for, allowing you to sit in comfort with full visibility and enjoy the pure thrill of sailing as you get the boat in the groove.

This level of performance optimisation really appeals to sailors who have spent their life looking for that extra knot of boat speed and feel at ease when they can turn the motors off. If you are a motor cruiser there are plenty of other options out there for you.

But to reiterate an earlier point, this is not all about performance. The boat has a very stylish European designed fitout, several very comfortable beds, nice galley and plenty of seating both in the saloon and cockpit for both cruising and entertaining. Plus with all the benefits that a cat offers with stability and low draft. But unlike other high performance cats on the market, this boat is a true production cat, with factory warranty and backup via an international network of dealers, high resale value and a 35 year heritage of building boats.

Solar panels on davits.

The Outremer 4X without the performance enhancements is known as the Outremer 45 as featured on the famous Sailing La Vagabonde YouTube channel, which is also a very respectable performance cruising catamaran in its own right.

For further information on Doug’s Outremer 4X, be sure to follow his online blog at www.sailpuffin.com

For further information including pricing contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.multihullcentral.com/outremer or call
1300 852 620.