Lagoon 37 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Lagoon built the 37 as a serious composite structure from the outset. The hulls and deck feature Baltek end-grain balsa core throughout, sandwiched between triaxial glass fiber hand laid in vinylester resin, and the hull element — both floats and the bridge deck between them — is laid up essentially in one piece as a monocoque. Deck and cabin top follow in a single mold, and the hull-to-deck joinery uses an inward flange bonded chemically with a high-strength two-part urethane adhesive; mechanical fasteners at stanchion bases and deck cleats are not part of that primary bond. The compression post anchors to solid ash glassed into the intersection of three structural bulkheads. Initially constructed in the United States by Tillotson Pearson Inc. Composite — one of the precursors of infusion-based composite building — the 37 later entered charter fleets under the Moorings 3700 name.

Rig and Handling

The steering gear shows real thought. Small tillers off the rudder stocks fix to a continuous tiller bar under the cockpit coaming, and an Edson pedestal at the helm drives a conventional chain to a quadrant at the bar’s end; the rudders themselves are glassed-over welded stainless webs on solid stainless stocks, with patented Jeanneau bearings using large neoprene donuts to absorb side loading. Writing in Cruising World, test sailors found the direct linkage gives good, positive feel and responsiveness under way. The 54-foot spar carries a high-roach mainsail and overlapping roller-furled genoa, with chain plates secured outboard to heavily glassed knees and an aluminum cross beam pinned to brackets at the bows so the hulls can work slightly without torquing the extrusion. Inboard genoa sheeting and long fin keels give good tracking to weather.

Performance

With a Displacement/Length ratio of 143, the 37 sits on the heavy side for a truly performance-optimized multihull, yet the sail plan delivers. Cracked off, acceleration is instant, and at about 120 degrees in moderate air with the chute up the boat is stellar. In the light-air 1993 Marblehead-Halifax race a Lagoon 37 took third in class on corrected time; in really light air she ran best at about 95 degrees off the wind, and in 15 to 25 knots could come off to 120 degrees apparent and fly well over 10 knots. A deep stub keel version drawing 1.24 m beats the 0.93 m shallow draft model for close-winded sailing.

Accommodations

Below, subdued teak trim and white Formica keep the interior bright and easy to maintain. The saloon takes up virtually the entire nacelle space, with an aft-facing U-shaped settee, large cabin-top windows, and two opening overhead hatches. Sleeping is two queen-size forward doubles port and starboard, plus a smaller double aft in the starboard hull; an optional second head can be installed as a walk-through in the starboard hull amidships. The galley has a three-burner LPG stove and oven, over-under freezer/reefer, and twin stainless sinks, while the chart table and galley are partly pushed into the middle of the hulls. The navigation station carries the breaker panel, fold-down chart table, and electronics space.

Equipment and Systems

Two 18-horsepower Perkins M20 freshwater-cooled diesels sit in generous stern compartments — starboard reached through a large hatch under the aft berth, port through a bulkhead opening in the head. Hot and cold pressure water is standard from a 12-gallon heater on one engine’s heat exchanger. Bilge evacuation uses an automatic electric pump and a manual pump in each hull. Four 85-amp-hour deep-cycle batteries, two per hull, are charged by 35-amp alternators, with distribution at the starboard nav panel.

The Verdict

The Lagoon 37 is a thoughtfully engineered small cat that punches above its length through VPLP hulls, a monocoque balsa-core structure, and direct steering. It is heavier than a pure racer but rewards with room, charter-grade systems, and surprising light-air speed.

Pros