voyage 500 catamaran review

St Vincent & The Grenadines

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Voyage 500 (2001) 'Turquoise Turtle'

Listing pricing is for 3 ensuite queen cabins each with private bath with electric toilet and shower.

BERTH MEASUREMENTS: All berths are 82″ long by 60 wide.

****BABY FRIENDLY BOAT, WE LOVE BABIES***

André and Alison Stroebel are from South Africa and have been married for 37 years. They love the sea and are either on it, in it or under it. They started sailing together even before they were married and raced Hobie Cats as a hobby. Soon they started sailing larger catamarans off the unpredictable east and west coasts of South Africa. In 2011 they left South Africa on the Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro Yacht Race on their catamaran Rat Catcher, crossing the Atlantic and ending second in their class. Since then they have been cruising in the Caribbean and are excited to share their experiences with you. They are both qualified PADI and SSI Open Water Scuba Instructors.

André started his career as a helicopter pilot in the South African Air Force and after 25 years service started flying commercially doing offshore flights to the oil rigs off the Canadian east coast in Newfoundland. He has over 7000 flight hours. He also has over 35 000 sea miles accumulated off the South African coast, Atlantic crossing and sailing the Caribbean and east coast of Florida. He has a South African Sailing Yacht Master Offshore certificate with a Master of Yachts, 200T Commercial license, STCW and First Aid.

Alison started sailing on Optimists in Zimbabwe and then crewed for her Dad on a Flying Dutchman. She knew she had found her true love when she discovered André also loved the sea and sailing. From when they first met they had a shared dream of sailing the world. Alison is a Registered Nurse and specialized in Neonatal premature babies and then in the Operating Room. She is qualified in Basic life Support, CPR and First Aid. She has her offshore Captains license and has over 30 000 sea miles having sailed the South African coast, crossed the Atlantic and sailed extensively in the Caribbean, Bahamas and the Florida coast. She loves being on, in or under the water and especially enjoys sharing her love of snorkeling and diving with new adventurers pointing out the amazing critters under water. Alison has a special affinity to children her best reference is the fact the little ones invariably climb in her lap and go to sleep. With their traveling Alison has incorporated a touch of different cultures in her menu. She loves creating dishes with a strong South African and African traditional food influence with a touch of Mediterranean. In true African tradition you won’t go hungry at this table.

If you are interested in learning to sail a Catamaran André is always keen to show you the “ropes” and give you some sailing instruction.

With André and Alison’s experience of the islands, love for the sea and South African hospitality, they are ready to make your Caribbean charter dream come true.

****WE LOVE BABIES, BABIES WELCOME****

***CREW HAS BEEN FULLY VACCINATED FOR COVID-19***

***BVI GOLD SEAL COVID COMPLIANT YACHT***

A fresh fruit platter, Fruit Juice, Tea and Coffee are served with breakfast every day.

Pancakes with maple syrup and bacon.

Egg, Bacon, Sausages, Mushrooms and Tomato with toast

Blueberry, Cream cheese stuffed French Toast

Breakfast Banana Split

Avocado toast topped with egg.

Salmon and Ham platter with Bagels and cheese selection

Lunch is served with your choice of soft drink, iced tea, beer or your favorite cocktail.

Crustless Spinach Quiche with seasonal salad.

Salmon Burgers with green salad and nachos

Chili Lime Chicken Salad with fresh baked bread

Savory Cheese Muffins with fresh sliced tomato and ham

Fish tacos with Avocado Lime sauce.

Your choice of Wine, Beer or your favorite Cocktail to accompany your dinner.

South African Bobotie (Beef Bake) on savory yellow rice with traditional samble’s.

Garlic Shrimp with Peas and Linguine

Grilled NY Strip Steak, Potatoes au Gratin with Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Coconut crusted Mahi Mahi and Lime Cous-Cous and sautéd Asparagus

Grilled Salmon, Rosemary baked baby potatoes sauté vegetables

Brazilian Moqueca de Peixa (Seafood Stew) with basmati rice

Poached Pears in Red wine

Chocolate Rum cake topped with fresh rum cream

Baked Bananas Caribbean

Lemon Posset

Mango and Mascarpone Pound Cake Stacks.

Berry Chia dessert with fruit.

WATERSPORTS

• 14ft Console Dingy with 50hp outboard. Rated for 8 pax
• Snorkel Gear
• Beach Games
• Fishing Gear (3 trolling rods)
• Underwater camera
• Inflatable water toys
• 4 bean bag loungers
• Inflatable flamingo
• 6 sun beds on Trampoline for relaxing in the sun or sleeping under the stars
• Towable Tube
• Swim platform
• 3 boarding ladders (2 on sugar scoop and 1 on bow)

Diving is available on board. Both crew are PADI Dive Instructors. Emergency Oxygen is aboard the vessel.

Resort Course: Available Full Course : Available (We suggest pool sessions are completed before charter.) Number of divers 4

Guests are to supply their own dive gear or rent gear from a dive shop. Yacht will supply 8 tanks. Additional tanks are not included and would be rented by the guest if required. If divers are sure of sizes, the boat will assist in fetching and returning dive gear.

Boat will supply guests with information regarding the preferred Dive Shop for scuba rental equipment on request.

Please contact yacht for prices for Scuba Diving training courses.

Diving is $50 per dive per diver Boat will supply 8 tanks. Client pays for air fills. Max 1 dive per day with no more than 5 dives per week unless previously discussed with and agreed to by the Captain

Equipment on board includes: 

• An air compressor
• 3 Weight sets

4 Divers. 5 Dives a week

Perfect week on the Turquoise Turtle. A week on the Turquoise Turtle touring the BVI’s was absolutely perfect. Captain Andre and First Mate Alison did not spare any detail from the cozy accommodations to the daily activities. We felt right at home and feel like we made lifelong friends.

Best Vacation ever!! Alison and Andre were the perfect hosts. They navigated our trip expertly and provided a fun and relaxing trip for all of us. Alison is the most amazing chef with draw-dropping meals at every turn. Our dives and snorkeling adventures were amazing. I can’t wait to book again with them!

Exceptional Diving and Sailing experience. This was an excellent trip. We went for seven nights with a group of 6 women. Andre and Alison were amazing hosts. I did this for a living back in the 90’s and they provide exceptional service, food and hospitality. The food was outstanding as was their desire to make sure that we had a well rounded trip that included visiting islands, lazy days sailing, beautiful dives and lovely evenings. You will not regret booking Turquoise Turtle!

Charter Rates

LOCAL FARE: Discount of $75 per person. Includes: 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches & 6 dinners. Requires 2 lunches and 1 dinner ashore at client expense. 2/$16,150   3/$16,825   4/$17,500   5/18,175   6/$18,850

CHRISTMAS/NEW YEARS 2023/2024: 7 night minimum CHRISTMAS:  1-6 guests @ $20,750 – Inquire for dates NEW YEARS:  1-6 guests @ $22,000 – Inquire for dates

HURRICANE SEASON:  Please press client to purchase trip insurance. Please add hurricane clause as well to your contract. Yacht will allow client to rebook unused dates within 6 months of cancellation (excluding holidays). Yacht not responsible for clients shore side expenses if charter cancelled for named storm (this includes meals, hotels, transportation as well as air transport).

When is High/Low Season What is All-Inclusive/Plus Expenses When is Summer/Winter

Yacht Specific Conditions

Other amenities include: 

• Bluetooth stereo system with speakers in Saloon, Cockpit and Mast
• Bluetooth Radio/Music player in each cabin
• Reef Safe Shower Gel, Shampoo, Conditioner available
• Oxygen Tank, Blood Pressure Monitor and Offshore First Aid kit available.
• Various Games
• On-board WiFi. Limited wifi access until further notice
• Purified Drinking Water
• Deck Shower

Luxury Crewed Charter Rates

The Horizon Yacht Charters St Vincent Crewed Charter rates are for 7 nights per vessel and are based on number of guests. Please see individual yacht pages for detailed specifications and charter rates. Horizon Yacht Charters luxury crewed yacht charters comes complete with your own personal Captain & Chef (and in the larger yachts, first mate and hostess).  Your meals aboard are included in the rate and prepared to your groups’ individual preferences and dietary requirements. Beverages are also included but please note special requests for specific brands may be subject to additional charge.  Watersports equipment (such as paddle boards, kayaks etc) are also included and some yachts offer all inclusive diving.

High season rates typically apply from December to April, low season May to November, but please do check the seasonal rates for your yacht.

Each individual crewed yacht may charge for certain additional expenses (e.g. National Park Permit, Cruising permit, different port collections or departures).  Please ask for a full break-down of costs for your chosen yacht.

All yachts come with tenders with outboards and safety equipment. Please review the individual yacht specification on our website for further details of available equipment and details of inclusions and exclusions.

Yacht photographs and specifications act as a guide and are for information purposes only.  Although we endeavor to ensure that images are accurate reflections of the yachts in our fleet, certain aspects may vary slightly.

Please note that our bareboat repeat client discount does not apply to our crewed charter fleet.

C = Cabins, H = Heads, AC = Air Conditioning

Supplements to the published rates may apply during Christmas and New Year periods. Please contact us for confirmation of rates.

Charter Rates shown above are for 7 nights per vessel (Christmas and New Year supplements on selected yachts). Crewed Charters usually start at noon and finish at noon, but please do check times for your particular yacht.

• Additional water-sports  (other than those included on the crewed yacht) are all available at competitive rates.
• Hotel Accommodations  throughout the islands can be arranged. Most major credit cards accepted.  Please check our Accommodations page for more information.

Bookings & Cancellations

Bookings and Cancellations  – We require a 50% deposit to confirm the reservation and the balance due of 50% no later than 45 days prior to charter start date. A smaller deposit and interim fee may be acceptable for bookings made more than 12 months in advance. Cancellation fees apply, and vary from yacht-to-yacht. Please check the specific terms for your yacht at the time of booking.

Trip Cancellation Insurance:  We strongly recommended this as it protects you should anything unforeseen occur before your holiday. Follow this link for more information.

Conditions apply to all charters. Crewed Charter Rates are subject to change without notice.

2008 VOYAGE YACHTS Voyage 500

Used sail catamaran for sale-vessel summary.

BASIC SUMMARY

Dimensions & specifications, hull and deck configuration, engine details.

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Boat Description

The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors to investigate such details as the buyer desired validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice. Photos may not properly reflect the current condition of the actual vessel offered for sale. In some cases stock photographs may have been used.

Mechanical Disclaimer

Engine and generator hours are as of the date of the original listing and are a representation of what the listing broker is told by the owner and/or actual reading of the engine hour meters. The broker cannot guarantee the true hours. It is the responsibility of the purchaser and/or his agent to verify engine hours, warranties implied or otherwise and major overhauls as well as all other representations noted on the listing.

Dinghy Disclaimer

All dinghies are considered separate vessels and should have separate titles and documents. There is no guarantee as to the title of the dinghy on this vessel so Buyer accepts that while he may receive the dinghy included in the transaction, he may not receive the proper title to it.

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Description

Voyage Yachts is a family run business based in Cape Town in South Africa, another multihull specialist from that part of the world. What an ecosystem for building catamarans they have on that coast!

This company has built its business up over the years hand in hand with Voyage Charters who are based in the Caribbean. Their boats are famously sturdy and a key part of the philosophy behind the design is low maintenance. The same group that builds the boat also run a charter fleet of Voyage Yachts, so if there is a problem, the feedback is quick and the design is improved- a very useful feedback loop. This is what a Prout 45 might have looked like if Prout was still around producing cruising cats.

Fast Cruiser They manufacture two sailing models: the 590 and their workhorse: the Voyage 480 which is an evolution of the earlier 450 and 500. This is a seaworthy, comfortable cruising catamaran with an eye on performance. If we were pushed, we’d put it alongside a Nautitech on the performance/comfort graph, with a higher end finish. Read our Lagoon 42 review to make a comparison of the finish level between this manufacturer and other higher volume production boats.

Photos: Voyageyachts.com

Like many of their compatriots, the Voyage team have spent many hours thinking up ways to keep the weight off their boats and maximise the performance for the length and volume. Foam coring is used in the hulls, deck and cockpit bimini, with vacuum-­bag construction techniques. This has allowed them to achieve an impressive  displacement/length ratios of 117, without losing any of the comforts that you would hope to see on a well kitted out cruising cat. And like many of the smaller South African builders, where you really win versus the production cats, is in the quality of the finish.

With all this attention to detail on the weight, the Voyage 480 is no slouch, and with her low slung profile she looks the business. The profile is sporty with her sleek lines and a low boom.

She packs some punch with a generous sail plan. The Sail Area to Displacement ratio (SA/D) on the 480 is around 23. To give you a comparison, the Lagoon 450 sits at around 20. Again, that puts her in a similar bracket as a Nautitech. She won´t compete against a Looping 50 on speed but sits more in the upper middle of the performance/comfort scale.

Well Organised 2 bridles control the mainsail which makes it easy to trim your sails and gybe safely. The helm is on the starboard bulkhead with plenty of room for two and a sliding hatch in the bimini lets you pop your head through it when the sun is out. Slide it shut for the fully protected position.

All of the main lines come back to twin winches on the coachroof by the helm and in general the running rigging is very tidy and organised with tail bags

In a fresh breeze (say 18 knots), you should easily see speeds in the early teens on this boat, especially if you keep the weight off, but that low bridgedeck clearance does mean that this boat is susceptible to slamming going into the weather, although they have improved this with the newer design compared to the 450.

Going upwind, she is a competent performer and will get you off a lee shore. You should see 8-9 knts even at a TWA of 45 degrees in a fresh breeze. Point 5 or 10 degrees lower to reduce your leeway and keep your VMG up.

Living Space

While many of the volume manufacturers are starting to look very similar on the layout front, the Voyage 480 is almost quirky – a breath of fresh air. They have evolved the earlier 450 and increased the length, and widened the hulls, with a higher bridge deck clearance. The finish can seem spartan down below (up top is cosy), but she wears well and cleans easily.

If you can find a Voyage 480 on the second hand market it is likely to have done its time in charter and will probably be the 4 cabin version. These are popular boats: they don´t come up often.

High Quality Finish It’s probably up top where the Voyage 480 stands out against the competition. In the saloon, there is a large horse-shoe sofa set around a dining table with a U/shaped galley to port facing forward with loads of working space.

It’s a cosy feel with a nav station aft and the finish is top end with a double sink, large burner & oven and some great wooden surround touches on the furniture. The Lewmar hatches let in plenty of natural light and help keep the interior well ventilated.

In the aft cockpit, you have a large swimming platform which looks fantastic at anchor, but I would worry about the safety at sea. When you have your tender tied down at the back, it feels more secure. But if you are diving with tanks off the back of the boat, or launching a kite surfer or a SUP,  it doesn´t get much better than this.

You raise and lower your tender with a crane (Boom Stinger) that extends out of the boom, and having the dinghy on the deck means that it is more secure than it would be on davits.

Going Green

Voyage are in the leading charge in the industry when it comes to eco options. They have been working with Finnish company Ocean Volt to provide ways for their customers to achieve low emission or even emission free sailing.

If you are looking for a higher quality finish in a catamaran that is quicker than the average, the Voyage 480 ticks a lot of boxes. She is a solid, seaworthy design that has evolved over the years based on feedback from Voyage Charters.

Technical Specification

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Road Town, VI Catamaran

Hop on this beautiful catamaran and enjoy the british virgin islands, voyage 500 500 (2001).

André and Alison

Description

This is a Voyage 500 Sailing Catamaran offering private charters with 3 ensuite queen cabins. She has a spacious salon and cockpit for dining and entertainment, and two large trampolines forward for lounging in the sun and enjoying the fresh ocean breeze. She offers lot of water toys for young and old at heart. There is also water access from a drop down ladder on the bow.

Our relaxed, friendly atmosphere will set the pace for your dream holiday!

We want you to feel at home as you enjoy crystal clear waters, hearty, fabulous food, and experience local cocktail mixes or your favorite beverage while you relax and watch the sunset. Come make the Turquoise Turtle your Home At Sea!

Ideal for relaxing aboard, snorkeling in Caribbean waters, exploring nearby islands or strolling on long white sandy beaches. ​Come sail with us and experience true South African hospitality!

Price calendar and Availability

• Manufacturer Voyage 500
• Guest Capacity 6
• Single Beds 0
• Double Beds 3
• Bathrooms 3
• Number of engines 2
• Horsepower per engine 50
• Stove / grill
• Stereo AUX input mp3 hookup
• Air conditioning

Navigation & Safety

• Chart plotter
• Tender/Dinghy
• Life jackets
• Fire extinguisher
• First aid kit
• Torch light

Entertainment

• Speakers on deck
• Refrigerator
• Fresh water maker
• Cockpit table
• Outdoor shower

Sports equipment

• Overnight stay

View all photos

Our four days with the Turquoise Turtle around St. John Island were relaxing, exciting, and pampering at the same time.

Mr. Andree and Mrs. Alison are fantastic. They planned this trip for us and made sure there was something special for everyone. Sailing crash-course for dad, sleeping under the stars for mom, trip in the dingy to the mooring platform for the little one and an extra snorkeling tips for our teenager.

“Michelin star chef” Alison was somehow able to present an exceptional culinary experience in each meal. We had meals originated in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Germany with authentic spices and all paired with a complementing vine. We also stopped on a floating Tiki bar and had some authentic Virgin Island tacos. Captain Mixologist Andree can fix any Virgin Island’s drink and more. Disclaimer: Low caliber drinkers (like me) - stay away from the “Painkiller” because later in the evening, the dots on a Domino block will be difficult to count.

Snorkeling was the main activity for us during this trip. We tried to snorkel as much as we could. We saw just about all marine life we could see in the Virgin Islands - rays, turtles, squid, octopus, crabs, lobsters, corals, eels and millions of fish. Dive master Alison led us to her favorite spots and pointed out the camouflaged creatures. We learned about the octopus’s garden as well as that dolphin can fart. This was an existential intel for our little one. Also, we have acquired Alison’s secret recipe for a mask “spit”. The hot outdoor shower after each dive was a bliss. We are already planning our next scuba diving trip with this five star “crew”  Thank you Andree and Alison.

Member since July 2020

We are BVI based.

We do all inclusive charters minimum days 5 nights no maximum.

We love the sea and love sharing it with you.

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Location and Destination Guide

Us virgin islands yacht charters for amazing sailing vacations, destination guide.

Usually this boat operates around Road Town, VI .

Looking for a yacht charter in the USVI ? Dream sailing destinations don’t come much dreamier than the US Virgin Islands. A Caribbean hang out with an American vibe, sailing in the US Virgin Islands, or USVI, is even easier with a Sailo yacht charter.

The US Virgin Islands archipelago consists of three main islands, St John, St Croix and St Thomas.

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Your Yacht. Ultimate Sailing Experience.

Voyage 590 best charter boat, luxury sailing catamaran.

The ultimate, luxury sailing catamaran with all the comforts of home surrounded by panoramic views of paradise...

A modern design that offers exceptional accommodations integrated in beautiful hulls beneath a perfect sail plan. This charter yacht will leave you wanting to come back again and again...

Dine in  paradise

Providing spacious accommodations.

The VOYAGE 590 offers beautiful, modern deluxe accommodations, all with en-suite showers, walk-around queen beds, and heads for up to 14 guests.

Bareboat Charter

• 14 Passengers
• 0 King Beds
• 6 Queen Beds
• 0 Double Beds
• 2 Single Beds

Yacht & Captain

• 13 Passengers
• 1 Single Bed

All Inclusive Crewed

• 12 Passengers
• 0 Single Beds

Exceptional Service

Your seaside office.

Choose to work or play onboard this magnificent yacht that allows you the space to easily transition. Thoughtful areas for comfort & leisure, which can also inspire a productive day’s work. Scenic areas for fine or casual dining as well as shaded lounges and sun-tanning beds ... everything you need.

Panoramic vision

If you love open plan living, plush appointments, ambient lighting a modern gourmet galley blended with oceans and beaches this yacht is for you!

Fresh air beyond compare

Sliding cockpit windows allow you to dine al fresco. Savor a simple meal in the comfortable, forward cockpit or relax in the warm sun on the upper deck, fly-bridge lounge. Large, forward opening windows allow the fresh, cool breeze to flow through this yacht, forward to aft breathing fresh air through the living space. Close everything up to enjoy crisp air conditioning, or even just for a quick squall!

Disconnect. Unwind. Recharge.

Modern. stylish. luxurious..

Enjoy deluxe queen walk around beds with pull out drawers and under-bed storage. These beautiful staterooms also provide soft plush headboards, ambient side and celling lighting and cool air-conditioning. Other features include, in-cabin basin & vanity plus double, inside lit hanging lockers. Towel rails are supplied below the large portholes that offer stunning views of the Virgin Islands. For extra comfort, each cabin offers black out shades and an en-suite shower with dry head.

Unwind. Recharge.

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Lagoon 500 Review with John of S/V Wicked

• Post author By Diane Selkirk
• Post date February 18, 2021
• No Comments on Lagoon 500 Review with John of S/V Wicked

John and his family are aboard a 2009 Lagoon 500 called S/V Wicked. He and his four kids and assorted pets and spouse have lived aboard boats for quite a few years from monohulls to a power catamarans. We’re going to learn a little bit about the Lagoon 500.

Key Takeaways of Lagoon 500

• Enormous salon with multiple places to sit. Galley that four people can stand in. A pantry. Many small cabin spaces for many people.
• Was the flagship of the Lagoon fleet in her day, so they invested all their resources as a company to show off what they could do.
• Built 150 hulls of the Lagoon 500 so there is good availability on the used market and many have crossed oceans or circumnavigated. Likely find one anywhere in the world.
• She will do seven and a half knots sipping fuel at 1800 rpm all day long. She carries a thousand liters of diesel, so she has a thousand nautical mile range under power alone.
• The flybridge helm is great – dry, has excellent visibility and has seating for 6 people.
• Cockpit is large and nicely enclosed with only one exit, so that is great for smaller children and having the cockpit be more secure.
• The 500 came in a three cabin model which has a dedicated owner hull, a four cabin version which has a large owner cabin, and a five cabin which had a small master and bunk beds.

Challenges of the Lagoon 500

• Requires help to dock. Came with backup cameras as you cannot see the stern ends of the boat when backing up from flybridge helm.
• Eats lines because the sail drives are mounted aft of the rudders. They are exposed to lines when going backwards, and there are often lines in the water at docks that get wrapped around the propellers.
• The boom is very high and it is difficult to get to in order to for example zip up the sail bag. They put a hardtop bimini and fly the kids up on a halyard to help address this. They also less often zip up the mailsail bag.
• Sails at 5 knots in 10 knots of breeze 45 to 60 degrees off the wind. John usually motor sails.
• Hard to tack in light winds.
• Transoms are old style than newer designs and lack the beach type platform which would be nice to have.

Tell us a bit about yourself

We’ve been around boats for almost 20 years. The first time my kids went sailing (my oldest is 20) was when she was four months old.

We’ve had a boat ever since then. We started with monohulls and then we migrated to catamarans. We went to catamarans because with four kids we needed room.

Back in 2012 I sold my business, and we decided to take a year sabbatical. We found a 43-foot Lagoon power catamaran, and we went cruising the Caribbean. Three years later we outgrew that boat and really understood what we wanted and specifically looked for a Lagoon 500.

Back in 2017 we purchased our Lagoon 500 and migrated from one boat to the other. We’ve been on her since.

Can you tell me what it was about the Lagoon 500?

The more we spent time on boats and different boats and before we had purchased any catamaran we had chartered six different models over the previous six or seven years. While we owned the monohull when we go on charter on vacations somewhere, we usually looked to charter a catamaran.

We used it as a way to learn about what we wanted, so we’ve tried the Leopards, the Fountain Pajots, the Lagoons, Catanas and an Endeavour catamaran. We tried an Endeavour for a while for one of our cruises.

And there were attributes of each boat that we liked. Having lived on board a boat, it was very different than the four weeks we had spent chartering which was the maximum amount of time.

We learned that we wanted a boat with lots of individual rooms or places to be. So with four kids on board I still kind of run a business out of our home in this case the boat and homeschooling and everything else we knew we wanted bigger.

Our 43 was too small. We wanted a saloon where people could actually sit in multiple places. We wanted a kitchen where three or four people could stand in it. We wanted a pantry which is kind of weird right, but we realized that we wanted a place where you could store stuff. We didn’t want to keep going into the bilges to pull stuff in and out on daily use.

The more we looked around in different boats the 500 series of the Lagoons which we first saw 10 years ago was always out of our price range, and they had just gotten to the point now or three years ago where they became somewhat affordable for us.

We loved how big she felt, and then there’s a lot of other attributes of the 500 but specifically when we were looking for a boat we were thinking 45 to 60 footer. We wanted to find the biggest smallest boat if that makes sense that we could get to, and the 500 was excellent at almost 29 feet of beam and 50 feet long.

She has a gorgeously large salon area. That was our core attraction to her.

Tell me about sailing her. How about getting in and out of marinas? Do you need every kid on deck to give you a hand?

That’s a great question. Whatever boat we purchased, we knew that we wanted to be able to be short-handed, so what’s nice about the 500 was she’s full electric meaning all the winches are electric. She was Lagoon’s flagship where Lagoon had designed and spent most of their effort, “this is what we can do with a boat.” That was back then.

When that boat came out she was right at the top of their range, and she was the first of the large next generation boats that they had.

You asked about maneuvering. I can sail the boat on my own. The only caveat I would say is docking and line handling right. Unless the weather is perfect I need someone to toss a line and grab a line.

But maneuvering in and out is really easy. She’s got her sail drives aft of the rudders to protect the sail drives when you’re underway, but that also means that she steers backwards quite nicely.

Now the downside to that is that she also likes to eat lines from the rear. You’re going to chew a line backing up if you don’t pay attention. It took me about three or four entrances before I kind of went all right you know we have to make sure there’s nothing in the water and never our lines to be fair was never our lines but someone’s lines were always there.

The 500 is very easy. It’s a flybridge boat which we love the idea of. She handles very well under power. Because we spent the last two summers in the med and the med has very fluctuating winds. She will do seven and a half knots at sipping fuel at 1800 rpm all day long. She carries a thousand liters of diesel, so she’s got a thousand nautical mile range under power alone.

Tell me about her under sail. Have you been in rough weather?

We have not crossed any oceans with S/V Wicked. When we purchased Wicked, she was in Turkey. We’ve been as far as Gibraltar, so we’ve done the entire Med, and then we’re heading back towards Turkey.

We will stay in the Med for a little bit longer. We wanted an ocean crossing boat, and the reason that the 500 was always on our list is there are 150 of them made and there are dozens that have crossed. So our boat was originally purchased by an Australian. They sailed it to Australia from France. From Australia it sailed back to the Med. Was owned by a Spaniard. The he sold it to an Egyptian, and then we’re the fourth owner if you will. So our boat’s been around the world already.

Many 500s have been, so that was the kind of important thing. I didn’t want to buy something that nobody’s ever crossed on. I wanted the ability to do it.

What kind of weather systems have you been in with her? How does she handle strong winds because I know you do get those in the Med?

We’ve been in some significant blows. The biggest difference that you would find in coastal or near coastal which is what we’ve been doing is that you don’t get the giant rollers. You’ll get steep seas which is probably harder on you and the boat than the big ocean or swells

We don’t have a lot of experience with ocean swells which is not that big of an issue, but we do have a lot of experience in 35 to 40 knots of wind when a Meltemi blows through or a strong gust comes off the mountains in Europe. She handles perfectly. She loves 15 knots to 20 knots of wind speed. We reef the first point at 20 knots. Honestly if we know that it’s going to pick up we’ll reef at about 18 knots, and then she’ll comfortably sail all day long.

She doesn’t slap, and everything we’ve seen we like. She’s got a fly bridge, so it’s rare to get any spray up there even when we’re pounding into the waves, and it gives really good visibility.

Are you up there when you come in to dock?

Absolutely. In our previous boat, a Lagoon 43 power cat. The power cat has a flybridge steering, and an inside steering. What we quickly realized is we love this fly bridge routine. It’s beautiful visibility on the 500.

It’s got a big seating area, so all six of us can seat up on the fly bridge. We did an upgrade and put a full bimini on it because our experience in the Caribbean was that we like being outside, but we don’t want to be sun drenched the whole time. Our solid bimini covers the whole area up top.

Your visibility is perfect. I can’t see the rear corners when we back in. So that’s actually one of the limitations on this boat and on many others. You can’t see the rears, so it came with cameras.

I removed them because we never use them, and usually it’s all about line handling. If i’m backing into a marina by myself, that’s not going to happen because I can’t do the line handling, so there’s always someone on board or if there isn’t and i’m not going to do that maneuver.

I will side tie somewhere and wait for someone to help us.

What’s nice about being up on the fly bridge, you can jump to either side. I can literally take one stride to the left look down one side and see the end of the boat one stride to the right look down the other side to see the boat. So it’s not as limiting as you would think, but when you’re sitting there steering you can’t see the aft corner.

So the Lagoon 500 is very easy to sail by yourself?

Her beam makes her very stable. She has decent enough clearance underneath. We don’t slap even in the short waves. We pound like anybody pushing into two meter chop. It is horrible. Usually it’s like turn around we’re going the other direction for a while.

The only negative is how high the boom is. If you’re standing, the boom is above. The 500 is weird because when you’re standing on the deck the boom is about chest height. Then you’re stepping into the fly steering area and that puts the boom overhead. So you can’t get to the sail bag.

I wish I had spoken to more 500 owners before we got on board and that would have made our discovery much easier. In our previous boat after absolutely every day of sailing, we would zip up the the bag and then the next day zip it open. Now with the 500 our approach is if we’re sailing for the week and we’re moving every day at night, we don’t zip the bag.

Also our solid bimini has walking areas, so we immobilize the boom with two straps on the back, so the boom’s held in place. You climb up the bimini. You can walk along it and at that point you’re sitting over top of it.

So you find ways around it, but we upgraded our bimini to alleviate the problem. You still have to climb on top of the roof to get to it, but at that point I have full access and now because I have so many kids usually they all want to do something, so we usually end up putting one in a bosun’s chair and setting them up. They have a good time, and they unzip the bag and you know if we’re stationary for a couple of days. We’ll pull the halyard off, tie it to the side, so we don’t hear the banging and then zip the bag up right.

Everything drops into the sail bag anyways, so the real challenge ends up being to zip open and close the sail bag.

Tell me about her in light wind because big heavy boat. What do you need to move her?

My first boat was a Swan, so she was a nice deep keeled very responsive boat.

Our next boat was a charter 43 monohull which didn’t point very well, but still moved and it felt like a sailboat. It was great.

Our next boat was a power cat, and I’m like this looks awesome. All i do is set the throttles and don’t have to worry anything about it?

We went to the 500 because we wanted ocean crossing range, and we wanted a bigger boat and 500 motors great and sails significantly well.

I’ll put my caveat there which means usually I didn’t go sailing if the wind was under 10 to 12 knots because I didn’t want to do three or four knots.

What we found and then we met some cruising friends who happened to be a sail maker and he was on a on a Fountaine Pajot 46, and he’s like, “John, you should sail that thing. It should have great sailing ability.” I’m like yeah if it’s 50 knots we’ll go seven and a half. He’s like, “no you should do it in ten.” I’m like I’m not sailing in ten, we’re gonna do four. He goes,”well you can get five.”

We sailed from the coast of Spain to Mallorca. He and I did, and in somewhere between 8 to 10 knots of wind, we were pointing 60 degrees to 45 degrees. She was handling well. She was easily doing five knots, so i think if you want to go sailing she sails remarkably well in the lighter stuff.

She’s hard to tack like most catamarans are especially in the light winds, but we were comfortably doing 50 percent half the speed of the wind.

Tell me about the inside.

I believe the 500 was the last of the liveaboard designs that Lagoon put together. I’ll make that claim. I don’t know if that’s true or not. There are features on the 500 that make her not great for charter, and those features that don’t make her great for charter make her excellent for living aboard.

In the 440s which is kind of the 500s kind of little sister it’s like 70% of a 500 is very similar right.

What we like in the 500 as far as the features is the salon is much bigger than you would expect for a 50-foot boat. We’ve been on Privileges 585 which is the other boat we considered or a Privilege 615 and our salon is bigger than theirs.

It has a step down kitchen. The kitchen is actually offset only by about six inches. One step lower. You can be sitting in the kitchen and be kind of eye level looking out the boat nicely. You can be talking to the people who are sitting in the salon.

Our salon table seats ate comfortably. We’ve had 14 people for dinner inside the boat. Four people cooking at the same time.

The boat came with four refrigerators from the factory, a dedicated freezer and two fridges and then a bar fridge outside. This is all standard kind of from the design

There’s i think probably three characteristics that make the 500 unique and i haven’t found another boat that’s very similar to it. We like the asymmetric cockpit outside. Unlike most charter cats where you want to be able to get out and into the water back and forth easily we only have one way in and out, so we are captive. It’s an asymmetric design, so it’s very enclosed which makes our cockpit area very safe.

There’s kind of like a door to get out and then when the screens are down we have a separate room with a nice table with big u-shaped seating that can seat eight people on the outside. We liked that an awful lot. You can have six or seven people sitting for dinner outside and people still coming and going not being interrupted.

Most of the modern catamarans they’re much more kind of walk through the back to get to the outside. I know that wasn’t a popular thing in the charter market for the 440s and the 500s, but for us that is a great.

We immediately get into our cockpit, take our life jackets off because you can’t fall out you can’t fall out back. It feels very safe and secure which i think makes it important for crossing. It makes it important with smaller kids. Ours are a little older now, but she would have been a perfect boat with toddlers because there’s no way out.

So we love the cockpit.

The other thing we really liked is this boat had a pantry. You step down into the hull on the port side hall there is a good 10 foot room. The hallway right between the front and the back. In that 10 foot room is our built-in two refrigerators and our laundry facilities and a big counter that’s six feet long where you can stack all your stuff on top of and there’s cabinets on the inside and there’s cabinets underneath.

We also like the fact that most boats when they say they have a master’s cabin they’re talking about an owner’s hull. They dedicate the entire hull of the boat to the owner. The 500 in the four cabin layout has a very large owner’s cabin, so it’s kind of like a regular cabin plus what would have been the pantry area dedicated to the owner. In our master we actually have a full sitting desk which is great to work on most of them have sofas.

You have an owner’s cabin version with a dedicated large area for the owner without giving up that fourth cabin. Do the kids have the space they need?

The 500 came in a three cabin model which has a dedicated owner hull, a four cabin version which is what we ended up with, and a five cabin which had a smaller master, and they added bunk beds.

We wanted the four cabin because we wanted the big master, so we have a four cabin model. Two of my kids share. One of them is at university. Only two kids are on board now. They have dedicated cabins, and a guest cabin it’ll be the sleepover boat.

Do you have any other critiques of the Lagoon 500?

Maybe her transoms are dated. There are the older style transoms that don’t have a big beach in the back or a big landing area.

What I do particularly like about that boat seems to have decent bones. You see lots of people. It’s an active community especially on the 440 because there’s so many more of those doing modifications and adding to the boats and modifying their transoms and re-putting different stuff inside.

The boat wasn’t built as a kind of throwaway. The second we could see more and more of that, we’re like okay this is perfect. So this boat has a community associated with it. People are investing money to keep it so you talk to many of the 500 or 440 owners rather than buying a new 450 or a new 52.

They would put money into their existing boat to upgrade it competitively or comparably to the new 52s, probably a little bit better.

Are there any projects that you see yourself doing on your Lagoon 500?

We upgraded all of the electrical systems to lithium, so we have a full lithium battery system on board now. We got rid of all the propane so we’re a single fuel boat. We only run diesel. All our cooking is electric. We have solar panels.

Our big upgrade since buying the boat was the lithium battery system and all the electric cooking that went along with it and then our large bimini which really increased our quality of life.

I would like to kind of make some changes to carry a larger dinghy in the back. We’re a very active family, and we like being the boat where everybody gets to so that was the home we grew up with.

All the kids were always at us, so on our boat we carry dive equipment for six people. All my daughters are are certified. We have a dive compressor on board. We carry two sailing dinghy, so we have two 12-foot sailing dinghy with us. When we’re at anchor, we splash the sailing dinghies and the paddle boards and everything else. The 500 just swallows all of that stuff up.

I can sail it as effectively as I could the Catana 47 that I was on for many years. I love that boat, but I would never give up my 500 for it.

If you would swap her for any other boat is there anything else out there that you’d swap her for?

People always keep looking for the next boat, so I keep going through that. I really like the Garcia Explocat 52s. I wonder if they could build a 500 version in aluminum, so you could go to the south pole and check out all the icebergs and stuff.

I don’t know that i would ever sail in those areas i just like the idea of it.

My next upgrade would be more than likely just comfort of living. We want to change out its refrigeration. Put modern fridges in it. We’re still in the original 10 year old fridges that are in there which are fine, and we will probably switch to very high efficient home units that are built today. They’re more efficient than what we have.

We’re fully air conditioned and heated. There’s very little that’s missing on our boat. I don’t have boat envy which is rare.

That’s awesome. That seems like a really great place to wrap up, and I really appreciate hearing about your Lagoon 500.

• Tags Catamaran Interviews , Catamaran Reviews

By Diane Selkirk

I love to travel and have spent the past seven years sailing with my family aboard our 40 Woods Meander catamaran - traveling from B.C.'s north coast, to the west coast of the US, Mexico, the South Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia, across the Indian Ocean to South Africa and on to St Helena, South America, the Caribbean and Central America.

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• BOAT OF THE YEAR
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• By Mark Pillsbury
• Updated: July 7, 2016

As I stepped aboard the new Voyage 480 catamaran last fall, I thought, “My, it would be easy to keep this baby looking good.” The boat had just sailed across the Atlantic to make its North American debut at the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland, and to be honest, she didn’t look a bit worse for wear.

A little pre-show washdown had left the exterior gelcoat and stainless-steel hardware gleaming. Inside, composite paneling, acrylic counters, a rugged vinyl sole, and a distinct lack of woodwork to ding up blended into a Spartan but pleasant look that would be a breeze to keep spiffy.

That’s no coincidence, as it turns out. The same ­company that builds Voyage catamarans in Cape Town, South Africa, manages them for owners and services them for charterers in Soper’s Hole, Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands. By design, Voyage’s cats — four models ranging from the 480 to a 60-footer — feature practical layouts and easily handled sail plans. They come packed with creature comforts and gear that make them luxurious to vacation upon — but with as little downtime as possible, so they can earn their keep.

Voyage Yachts is a family-owned company that’s been building boats since 1994 to supply Voyage Charters, which opened two years later. About 40 percent of its boats are put to work carrying vacationers, and the remainder have been sold to private owners.

Boat of the Year judge Tim Murphy began his discussion of the 480 with a few of the things he liked, including the fact that the builders “did some nice things to keep weight out of the boat,” like using cored furniture and doors.

Murphy also praised the textured gelcoat panels used in the saloon and guest cabins, as well as the mainsheet handling system, which we’ll get to in a moment.

With catamarans, there’s a direct link between weight and performance. By using foam coring in the hulls, deck and cockpit bimini, and vacuum-­bag construction to control the flow of resin, the builder managed to produce one of the lightest boats we looked at — a displacement/length ratio of 116, the lowest of any of the cats, and less even than the performance cruisers we test-sailed. And they did it ­without eliminating amenities like built-in dive-tank ­storage; a front-opening fridge and top-opening freezer, stove, oven, microwave, and ice maker in the galley; indoor and cockpit tables; and a hardtop bimini over the cockpit that incorporates a composite ­traveler arch.

On that arch are ­attachment points on both sides to anchor two bridles that control the mainsail. By toying with the sheets, you can dial in sail shape no matter the conditions, as well as control the boom when jibing.

The 480’s helm station is built into the starboard side of the aft bulkhead and includes a two-person helm seat. Overhead, a sliding hatch in the bimini lets you stand and see over it or view the mainsail when seated; depending on your height, you may have to try a few alternatives for a clean sightline forward. That and the camber of the side decks would take some getting used to, I think.

What would feel quite like home are the comfortable indoor living spaces. King-size berths are featured in the four-cabin, four-head-and-shower layout (a three-cabin ­owner’s version is also offered). Aft ­cabins have in-line bunks; athwartship beds are located just forward of the mast, and there’s a single bunk perfectly sized for kids in each forepeak.

All up, the charter version of the 480 is $770,000, while the base price for a private owner’s boat is $572,000; the difference in cost is attributable to the long list of options available. Bottom line, if you’re looking to either own a cat of your own or put one in charter to pay the bills, the builder can work with you to make sure you have the right Voyage for your voyage.

Mark Pillsbury is CW’s editor.

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