Lagoon 55 Price, Specs and Ownership Guide

Two boats named Lagoon 55, thirty years apart

The name has history. The first Lagoon 55 appeared in 1987, a VPLP design that was Lagoon's first production catamaran, and only about 20 were made. The Lagoon 55 discussed here is a completely different boat, launched in 2021, and it is the one buyers mean today when they search for Lagoon 55 price or Lagoon 55 for sale. If a listing shows a 1980s or early 1990s build year, you are looking at the original, a rare and very different machine.

The modern Lagoon 55 slots between the Lagoon 51 and the semi-custom SIXTY range, and it is built alongside the 51 in Bordeaux. By September 2023 the 51 and 55 together had passed 250 sales. It won a British Yachting Award in its launch year, and it remains in Lagoon's current lineup.

The first decision, couple-operated or crewed

At 54 feet 4 inches overall, 29 feet 6 inches of beam and roughly 61,000 pounds light displacement, the Lagoon 55 sits right at the line where many owners hire a captain. Lagoon designed it to be sailed by a capable couple: three electric winches handle every maneuver, a fourth electric winch drives the traveler, the jib is self-tacking on a coachroof track and the Code 0 sits on an electric furler at the end of a sprit.

That works well at sea. Close quarters are another matter. Testers noted that marina maneuvers demand experience and that helm feedback is light, and one review described the steering as a bit sluggish both under power and sail. On a boat this wide, docking in a crosswind with only two people takes practice, a bow thruster and good communication.

If you plan to employ crew, order or buy a boat with the optional forepeak crew cabin, which has its own head and shower. It keeps the crew out of the guest accommodation and adds measurably to resale value, because most buyers of a boat this size at least consider a captain.

Flybridge, forward cockpit and the outdoor living areas

Lagoon considers a flybridge mandatory on a cat of this size, and the 55's is enormous. The wheel is offset to starboard with a 270-degree view, there is a forward-facing table, an outdoor galley, and sunbathing areas both forward and aft. The mainsheet track lives on the bimini structure, which keeps the cockpit clear of lines.

Below the bridge, the aft cockpit is flush with the saloon and sugarscoop transoms extend well past the topsides. A forward cockpit sits level with the trampolines, giving a quiet place to sit at anchor. Yachting World's critics pointed out two flaws: with the optional rigid bimini the boom is very high for crew work, and getting from the helm to the foredeck is a long walk without a starboard-side flybridge access.

Galley up or galley down, and four to six cabins

Lagoon offers the galley either up in the saloon or down in a hull. The galley-up layout, with an L-shaped galley and a bar unit to starboard, keeps the cook connected to everyone else and suits owners who cook for themselves. The galley-down option frees saloon space for a larger lounge and is more common on crewed boats where a chef works out of sight.

The four cabin owner's version gives about 188 square feet to the master suite, aft in the starboard hull and occupying around two-thirds of that hull. Three guest cabins have en suite heads. Five and six cabin versions serve large families and charter fleets, and berths can reach 16 with crew and convertible spaces.

Nauta Design's interior is a step up in materials compared with the smaller Lagoons. A washer and dryer amidships, extra refrigeration and air conditioning throughout were common options on the first US boats.

• 4 cabins: owner's suite plus three en suite guest cabins
• 5 or 6 cabins: family and charter configurations
• Optional forepeak crew cabin with private head and shower
• Galley up in the saloon or down in a hull

What 61,000 pounds of catamaran does under sail

Lagoon quotes 6 knots of boat speed in 7 knots of true wind and 8 knots in 10, and in the right conditions the boat delivers. In a 15-knot breeze with full main and jib, testers saw 7 to 8 knots, rising to about 9.7 to 10 knots once the 1,658-square-foot Code 0 was unrolled on a beam reach.

Light air is a different story. In under 9 knots of wind off the Catalan coast, Yachting World logged 5.5 to 6.5 knots with the Code 0, about 5.5 knots under the 2,928-square-foot asymmetric spinnaker and 5 knots upwind at 40 degrees apparent. Below about 7 knots of breeze, expect to motor-sail.

Under power, Cruising World's test boat with the 115 hp Nanni engines made about 9 knots at 2,000 rpm. The standard engines are 80 hp Yanmar 4JH80s. On a boat of this weight we would choose the 115s for anyone planning long passages or regular motoring against wind and current.

Tanks, power and systems

Tankage is generous: about 291 gallons of diesel and 254 gallons of fresh water. A watermaker remains standard practice for liveaboards, and a generator is needed for air conditioning and the galley appliances that most owners order. Large lithium banks and solar on the flybridge hardtop are common upgrades that reduce generator hours at anchor.

The systems list on a typical Lagoon 55 reads like a small motor yacht: bow thruster, electric winches, multiple refrigeration units, washer and dryer, watermaker, generator and full electronics. That complexity is the real reason annual budgets climb so steeply above 50 feet.

What a Lagoon 55 costs to run each year

Owner-operated in the US, budget roughly $120,000 per year for insurance, a large slip or end tie, haul-outs, systems service and routine replacement. Add a full-time captain and the figure easily reaches $200,000 to $260,000. At 29 feet 6 inches wide, the boat needs a travel lift and a slip sized for superyachts, which narrows choices in Florida and the Northeast.

Insurance underwriters will look closely at the experience of the owner or captain, especially for hurricane season plans. Factor in the time cost too: a boat of this complexity needs regular attention even when you are not using it.

Buying new or nearly new

New boats typically sail away between about $2.2 million and $3 million depending on layout and options. The used market is still small and young: recent listings show a 2024 boat at about $2 million and 2023 boats around the same level in Europe. Ex-charter boats from managed programs will start to reach the market in larger numbers from 2026 onward, and they should open a lower entry point.

Because the 55 remains in production, a nearly new boat must compete with factory delivery slots and dealer stock. Negotiate on options rather than headline price, and pay close attention to warranty transfer and charter history.