OUT OF THE BLUE
One of the things we were looking forward to during our time in the BVIs was getting to sail on our charter boat. Since there were twelve of us in our group, we needed a boat with a lot of space – the only reasonable solution is a large catamaran, and we opted for a Lagoon 50. OUT OF THE BLUE is a 2019 version of the boat that had only been delivered to the charter company 5 or 6 weeks previously, so it was very nearly brand new when we took it over.
Chris flying the drone from the sky bridge
Not only was OUT OF THE BLUE a long boat at 50′, it also sports a 28′ beam. With almost all of the deck space usable, that means that the boat offered an astounding 1400 square feet of living space on the main level. A large lounge area forward included seating for six to 8 folks, and the aft deck was comfortable for all 12 of us at a time in the evenings.
Swimming and paddle boarding off the aft deck
The steering station was located on the roof of the main salon, keeping the wheel, sheets and halyards from getting in the way of relaxing in the sun. There was room for four or more on a large bench seat behind the wheel, and four or 6 more could enjoy reclining lounge chairs on the roof behind the steering station.
Having some fun in the roomy cockpit
With six double cabins (plus a small forepeak cabin intended for crew), four heads (each with a separate shower) air conditioning throughout, and a watermaker, OUT OF THE BLUE was a fantastic lounging and living vehicle.
Ice delivery and garbage pick up from a skiff for a small fee
What was not so great, however, was the sailing feel and performance of the boat. Catamarans generally can’t sail as close to the wind as monohulls, and the Lagoon 50 is no different there. Madrone is stellar windward performer, but she sails upwind like a raceboat compared to the big cat.
Chris volunteered to climb up onto the boom to straighten out the sail once we were anchored. The boat was much more ship shape after he tidied up
One of the best parts of sailing a monohull is being connected to the wind and the waves. The force on the rudder changes with the waves, wind strength, and amount of heel of the boat, and that force is transmitted back through the wheel to the helmsperson – the boat feels alive and joined together with the sea.
Because catamarans don’t heel with the wind, one piece of feedback disappears; as the wind strength and waves build, the movement of the boat doesn’t really change much. This sense of disconnection from the water was exacerbated by OUT OF THE BLUE’s hydraulic rudder system – there was exactly zero feedback from the rudders to the wheel. The feel of the wheel was identical if the rudders were centered or turned to maximum steering angle, and as a result it was difficult to steer the boat in a straight line without overcorrecting. This was true whether sailing or motoring, and the problem was even worse when motoring as Lagoon somehow decided to put the rudders forward of the propellors.
Soaking up the sun in White Bay
Our conclusion after the week was over is that a large cat like the Lagoon 50 is the perfect boat for what we were doing. With unbelievable living space aboard, the boat exceeded our expectations for how comfortable a 50′ vessel could be with twelve people on board. And while we’d undoubtedly become better at sailing a large cat with a bit more time at the helm and more practice at trimming the enormous main and small jib, it turns out that sailing performance on a weeklong charter isn’t the most important thing – spending time in comfort with our friends is.
