OWNERS’ EXPERIENCES
S/Y OCTOPUS
(2007, Lagoon 420H)
Chris, 60 and Beth, 50, Mowatt bought Octopus new in 2007 and three weeks later headed off on an Atlantic circuit with their six children, aged between six to 12 years, having not sailed for six years and never in anything larger than a 30ft monohull. Octopus is one of the last remaining diesel-electric 420s, most of the others having been converted to conventional diesel propulsion.
‘Octopus proved perfect for the Atlantic circuit and over the year we fell in love with her,’ said Chris. ‘Though she provides similar accommodation to her larger sister, the 450, she has a smaller sail area and her hulls were designed to carry the heavy hybrid propulsion system, hence their reputation for being sluggish. It does also mean, though, that she has a huge carrying capacity. For our sabbatical we took 4.5 tonnes of supplies, a full-sized washing machine, a 300 l/hr water maker, masses of safety equipment and everything else a large family needs.
‘Like most cruising cats she isn’t closewinded but in my experience, unless in light airs, it’s simply a question of setting the genoa correctly. She favours a stiff wind, between 10-30 knots, and in storms she has proven to be very safe and stable. We encountered three full-on gales on passage from St Martin, via Bermuda and the Azores, to Scotland, culminating in a breathtaking Force 8 on the beam all the way up the Irish Sea to our home on the Isle of Arran. Less pleasant was the Force 10 back down again the following year, heading for Portugal, when a depression caught us out. Octopus handled the conditions well, the only emergency occurring when one of the lashings on the RIB worked free.
‘The sheltered helm provides excellent