Lagoon 42-2 Sailboats for Sale

The design itself — VPLP naval architecture paired with Patrick Le Quement's exterior styling and Nauta Design interiors — aimed at a middle ground between the Lagoon 400 and the larger 450, and it largely succeeds. The injection-molded fiberglass construction keeps displacement light for the platform, the aft-set mast reduces pitching and opens the foretriangle for downwind sail options, and the short-boom, tall-mast configuration rewards owners who invest in a Code 0 or gennaker. The cockpit layout, with a generous dining table to starboard and a lounge to port, flows naturally into the saloon through a three-panel glass door, and the helm station is genuinely well thought out — offset to port with two Harken winches within reach, it can be managed by one person without gymnastics.

Layouts on the Used Market

Two accommodation plans circulate widely. The owner's version dedicates the entire starboard hull to a master stateroom — island berth, en suite head with a large shower, and a midships desk — while the port hull carries two cabins and two heads. The charter four-cabin layout splits both hulls into two staterooms each, typically with the forward cabin in each hull sharing or accessing a head/shower combination. Ex-charter examples are common, and they tend to arrive on the brokerage market with high hours on the engines and generators, worn soft furnishings, and sometimes a more complete electronics and safety inventory than a comparable private boat. Neither layout is better in the abstract; the owner's version offers a noticeably grander master experience, while the four-cabin plan suits buyers who want symmetry between hulls or plan to continue chartering.

The saloon arrangement is largely consistent: the U-shaped galley is split between the two hull access points, with the three-burner stove and sink to starboard and the refrigeration to port. The top-loading fridge sits at the edge of the port stairs, which can be a minor inconvenience when loading provisions. The outboard-facing nav station and its second instrument display are welcome for passage-making watch-keeping.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

The Lagoon 42 consistently arrives on the used market well-equipped relative to its era. Chartplotters, autopilots, and self-tacking jibs on a track forward of the mast are essentially universal — the self-tacker ships from the factory, while electronics packages reflect individual owner priorities. Biminis and cockpit shade structures are nearly always present. Solar panels, inverters, and air conditioning are commonly fitted, reflecting the boat's strong following among liveaboards and long-passage cruisers who cannot rely on marina shorepower. Watermakers appear frequently, particularly on boats that have done blue-water miles or Caribbean seasons. Electric winches are often present, especially on boats where previous owners prioritized shorthanded sailing.

AIS transponders, radar, cockpit showers, freezers, hot water systems, and life raft installations are seen broadly across the fleet. Teak cockpit or deck overlays appear on a meaningful share of listings, though their condition varies considerably with age and maintenance history.

Owner upgrades that appear less universally but are worth noting include lithium battery conversions — a significant investment that meaningfully improves energy storage and generator cycle management — and Starlink or other satellite internet installations, increasingly common as the hardware has become more accessible. Dinghy davits are a typical addition for bluewater cruisers. Downwind sail upgrades — a Code 0, asymmetric spinnaker, or cruising kite — are a frequent owner addition given the boat's favorable foretriangle geometry, and a well-equipped used example with a full sail inventory represents real value. Heating systems appear on northern European and Pacific Northwest boats. Washing machines turn up occasionally on liveaboard-configured examples.

What to Inspect

The Lagoon 42's known issues are specific enough to investigate methodically before committing to purchase.

The most significant safety item involves the Goiot 49.42 escape hatches fitted near the waterline. The acrylic lens in these hatches was found to be prone to popping out due to poor silicone adhesion, leaving a hole in the hull near the waterline — a serious flooding risk. Goiot coordinated with Lagoon and other affected manufacturers to communicate and offer remedies to owners, but not every hull necessarily received the repair. Confirm with documentation that the escape hatches have been inspected and addressed; if paperwork is absent, have a surveyor evaluate the hatch condition and silicone bond before closing.

Tankage is a structural limitation rather than a defect: the standard water capacity is approximately 79 gallons, and fuel capacity as listed by multiple review sources is similarly modest for a boat this size, and owners contemplating offshore passages will find it constraining. Many used examples have addressed this through auxiliary tank installation or improved watermaker capacity, but verify what is actually aboard rather than assuming.

The coachroof edge is finished in smooth fiberglass without nonskid, which becomes slippery underway with wet feet. This is a design characteristic rather than a defect, but inspecting any DIY non-skid additions for their condition and bonding is worthwhile. The absence of handholds on the coachroof itself — replaced by an edge-grip along the underside of the curved cabinhouse — is functional but requires familiarity; assess it with a critical eye if crew safety on passage is a priority.

The compression post in the center of the saloon is structurally necessary and doubles as a handhold, but it is something to move around. Check for any signs of stress or movement at its base and at the mast step above. The air draft of over 67 feet restricts access to bridges and makes the Intracoastal Waterway and similar coastal passages impractical; this is inherent to the tall-mast sailplan and worth factoring into your cruising plans.

On ex-charter boats, pay particular attention to wear on running rigging, standing rigging, windlass components, and the saildrive bellows — these items accumulate hours quickly in rotation and are expensive to address after purchase. Engine hours on charter boats should be cross-referenced against maintenance logs.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The Lagoon 42 is widely available across the Mediterranean — particularly in Greece, Croatia, France, Italy, and Spain, where charter fleets ran large numbers of hulls. Strong inventory is also found in North American markets, especially Florida, the Chesapeake, and the Pacific Northwest, as well as the Caribbean charter grounds of the British Virgin Islands, Bahamas, and the Leeward Islands. The volume of hulls means buyers are not forced to accept the first reasonable example; patience typically yields choice.

The key decisions before beginning your search: owner's layout versus four-cabin, ex-charter versus private ownership, and whether the boat has received the full package of liveaboard additions (lithium, watermaker, downwind sails, satellite comms) or will need them added post-purchase. A well-maintained private boat with documented service history and a complete sail and electronics inventory represents the most straightforward buy; a charter boat may need more budget reserved for refurbishment but can arrive with a thorough safety inventory.

Pre-purchase checklist:

• Confirm Goiot 49.42 escape hatch recall repair with documentation or independent survey
• Verify engine hours and service logs on both Yanmars, and inspect saildrive bellows
• Check standing rigging condition and age — replace before offshore passages if provenance is unclear
• Evaluate tank capacity and installed watermaker output against your intended cruising range
• Inspect coachroof and swim platform nonskid condition; assess the invisible edge-grip underway
• Confirm sail inventory: mainsail, self-tacking jib, and any downwind sails with their ages and condition
• Review electrical system carefully if a lithium conversion has been done — quality of the install varies considerably
• On ex-charter boats, allow for upholstery, soft goods, and cosmetic refreshment in your post-purchase budget