Sailing catamarans paved the way for the overall acceptance of multihulls as boaters first experienced the benefits of these models via charter. The large open spaces, exceptional comfort, good stability and significant fuel efficiency made sense. Soon, private owners were looking to purchase power cats as well. As demand for these platforms grew, builders like Lagoon pounced on the opportunity to fill the need. In the process, they focused on developing larger boats with greater luxury. The latest high-end power cat to launch is the new Lagoon 630, an enormous vessel that is turning heads.

Naval architects Van Peteghem and Lauriot Prévost (VPLP) joined forces to create the palatial Lagoon 620 sailing cat of which over 50 hulls have been built. They then leveraged that design, and with numerous tweaks, transformed it into a power cat that is getting a lot of attention. 

Modifications had to be made. You can’t just take the mast out of a sailing cat and call it done. The aft 20 percent of the underbody was optimized to allow higher speeds and manage the greater forces experienced by a powerboat. Now, two feet longer with reinforced compartments to hold larger engines, this cat cruises at 9-10 knots and there are very few places on Earth you can’t take her.

Impeccable Interior

There are so many options on the Lagoon 630 that makes it more of a semi-custom, rather than a production, boat. One example is the interior, which has a choice of five different layouts offering four to six cabins and an equal amount of ensuite heads. Owners with specific needs have many choices including deciding on the location of the galley – up in the saloon or down in the port hull.

The “galley up” version has the sink and stove outboard and a long island with lots of countertop space toward the center of the saloon. This island allows multiple cooks to work simultaneously, provides a place for extra stowage and refrigeration drawers, and helps to serve as a bracing point for the chef to work even when it’s bumpy on passage.

The lateral “galley down” configuration takes up the aft end of the port hull and has its own exit to the deck. If this vessel is professionally managed, the crew can prepare meals out of sight and serve guests inside or on deck with minimal intrusion. In this layout, the entire inside main deck becomes the saloon with large sofas facing inboard and low tables on both sides.

At a time when cruising cats are doing away with anything but a hint of a navigation desk, the Lagoon 630 dedicates a fair amount of space to the captain’s business. A forward-facing steering station has a good view of what is ahead and plenty of room for engine controls and electronics like a Simrad multifunction display (MFD). (This is the third steering station aboard – the other two are on the flybridge). There is no wheel inside so you steer with a joystick in air-conditioned comfort.

The Lagoon 630 may be ordered with up to six cabins, three in each hull. But if the owner version is specified, that sumptuous stateroom takes up half the starboard hull. A large bed lies athwartships, half-way back from the bow where motion is minimized. Aft is an enormous bath with twin sinks, a head inboard and a stand-up, clear glass-wall shower opposite. This cabin may be accessed from the saloon or directly from the aft deck.

Other staterooms include three to four doubles and the option of one over/under cabin on the port side, which will be perfect for crew or kids.

Nauta Design is responsible for the contemporary but comfortable interior. Heavy emphasis is placed on elegance. Gone are the all-white composite surfaces cats have been known for. A more upscale feel has been created with Alpi wood in oak or teak, paired with dark veneer flooring and acres of fabric overlays on the walls. Light pours in via the many hatches and the vertical saloon windows that cover up with electric blinds for privacy. Headroom is exceptional at 6’ 9”.

The Great Outdoors

Although the saloon may be spec’d with two side-by-side dining tables, this model is really designed to have everyone dine in the cockpit where a large table to starboard seats eight. There is a lounge just outboard of the dining settee and a wet bar may be installed in the long counter to port.

Nothing is difficult to negotiate on this cat. It’s easy to board the aft hulls from a dinghy or dock and ascend four steps to the main deck. From here, you can move forward on one level all the way to the sunpads on the foredeck. There are handholds on the cabintop and a high stainless steel railing around the perimeter of the deck so moving around feels safe.

The entire transom is one long settee with two integrated liferaft storage cubbies below and engine access via deck hatches on either side. With the engines nearly 30 feet apart, it’s easy to maneuver this big boat in close quarters but Lagoon did spec a bow thruster in the starboard hull for even better control. The standard engines are 260 HP Volvo Penta D4 diesels (upgradeable to 300 HP) with V-drives and four-bladed fixed props.

At six knots, the maximum range with the standard engines is just over 2,900 nautical miles.  A faster cruise of 9 knots and an optional fuel tank that holds nearly 500 additional gallons, make this cat an ocean-crosser.

Sky High Living

There is a full staircase (not a ladder) from the cockpit to the flybridge. The steps are easy on the knees and there are plenty of handholds along the way. The Lagoon 630 doesn’t chop up the flybridge but rather gives it a nice flow between leisure and working areas. An L-shaped settee to starboard allows guests to be separate from the crew working at the twin steering stations. The helm pods, each with instruments and an MFD, resemble command centers on a superyacht adding to the overall luxe feel of the boat.

A hardtop with an optional retractable sunroof protects the flybridge from the elements. For those wishing to work on their tan on the forward sunpad, a canvas shade slides back so that lounging on the upper deck feels like riding in a convertible.

Getting Noticed

The Lagoon 630 is a big cat. The aft deck alone is nearly 250 square feet and the interior is nearly 900 square feet. The yacht can easily accommodate eight to twelve people for extended cruising. But it’s not just her size that makes her noteworthy in an anchorage. This cat is clearly powerful and long-legged, with a nod to superyacht styling and elegance that will get her noticed wherever she prowls.

Lagoon 630 Specifications:

Overall length  63’ 11”

Beam 32’ 10”

Draft 5’ 1”

Height w/ radar mast  21’ 4”

Displacement  (dry)  74,750 lbs

Engines  2x 260 hp

Fresh water capacity   254 gallons

Fuel capacity  793 gallons