Two problems are documented across used Lagoons: the bulkheads on the Lagoon 450, and the fixed escape hatches fitted to most of the range for twelve years of production. Both are easy to miss on a quick look. The bulkhead sits behind joinery and trim. The hatch looks fine until its glass lets go.
Lagoon 450: the forward bulkhead
Practical Sailor puts Lagoon 450 production at about 1,100 hulls, built from 2010 until the model ended in early 2020. Owners began reporting cracked and deformed bulkheads, and Lagoon told the magazine it had been contacted by 155 owners, with 50 boats repaired or under repair.
The failures Practical Sailor reviewed were in the main bulkhead, the lateral bulkhead near the mast that ties the hulls and saloon together, and in stringers and floors. The magazine saw bulkheads that had pulled away from the hull with no sign of wood failure, which it read as poor bonding, and plywood that looked too light for the loads.
Lagoon's position is different. Its own analysis, reviewed by VPLP, concluded "there is no safety issue" when sailing with a broken or deformed forward bulkhead, because the centre section that carries the mast is solid. Lagoon says the side sections take the twisting loads and buckle on the door side "in a fair number of boats". Lagoon's brand director told Yachting Monthly that fewer than 20% of owners had come forward and that 80% of the boats inspected showed no deformation or only light impact.
Lagoon offers a free inspection of the forward bulkhead at its dealers, a reinforcement kit, and a one year warranty on certified repairs. Support depends on "normal use", and Lagoon lists groundings, sailing with more sail than the manual allows, long periods motoring into wind and sea, a rig tightened beyond the mast maker's figures and poor haul-out as abnormal.
Where to look. The first signs owners noticed were interior joinery that had shifted and rigging that went slack. Practical Sailor's advice is to crawl into every corner, from the engine rooms to the spaces behind lockers and trim panels around the forward bulkheads. Doors that bind and creaking under way are worth noting in the report. A dealer may call them normal; the magazine's reader found structural damage behind them.
What to ask for. The repair certificate if the bulkhead was reinforced, the hull number for Lagoon's records, logbooks and past surveys. Lagoon asks owners for the same papers before it supports a repair, so a seller who has them makes the next owner's claim easier.
Fixed Goiot emergency hatches
Lagoon catamarans built from 2007 to 2019 carry fixed Goiot escape hatches: toughened glass bonded to an aluminium frame screwed to each hull. They are there for the crew to break through after a capsize. A recall has run since 2019 to fit retaining brackets that hold the glass in place if it detaches, so the hatch can't fall out and flood the hull.
Goiot now recommends replacing these hatches every 10 years. Lagoon is explicit that the bracket kit doesn't extend that life: a hatch with the kit fitted still has to be replaced once it reaches 10 years.
Where to look. Inside each hull at the escape hatch: are the retaining brackets there, is the bond between glass and frame intact, and how old is the hatch? On a boat built before the last 10 years, ask for the replacement invoice. If neither the kit nor a replacement is on record, Lagoon asks owners to contact a Lagoon dealer or service centre with the model and hull number.
What to check on a Lagoon
| Area | What to look for | Source of the concern |
|---|---|---|
| Forward bulkhead, both sides of the saloon door | Buckling, cracks, gaps where bulkhead meets hull, signs of a plywood splint repair | Lagoon 450 bulkhead reports |
| Engine rooms and lockers | Cracked stringers and floors, glue lines without tabbing | Practical Sailor's review of failed boats |
| Interior doors and joinery | Doors that bind or no longer line up | First sign reported by owners |
| Rig tension | Slack rigging on a boat that was tuned | First sign reported by owners |
| Escape hatches | Retaining brackets fitted, bond intact, age under 10 years | Goiot recall and replacement advice |
| Papers | Lagoon repair certificate, logbooks, usage history, past surveys | Lagoon's support conditions |
Writing it up
"Forward bulkhead, port side of saloon door: buckled and separated from the hull over about 300 mm, no reinforcement fitted. Refer to Lagoon dealer for inspection under the Lagoon 450 support programme and repair before offshore use." Record what you saw and where, and leave the cause to the repairer.