Fountaine Pajot launched the Lucia 40 on the boatyard’s 40th anniversary—a nice birthday present to itself as well as to sailors seeking a manageable cruising cat perfect for cruising the BVI.
The design team of Berret-Racoupeau was tasked with bringing big-boat allure to a smaller footprint, and the result is a sleek cruiser that has plenty of beam and deck space without looking boxy or awkwardly tall. The hulls have a fine entry for better performance, the fixed keels eliminate the need for daggerboards and the coachroof angles down as it swoops forward, adding shade over the windows. The Fountaine Pajot Lucia 40 is actually bigger than the Lipari 41 she replaced, featuring a more spacious cockpit, more interior volume and more oversized windows all around.
Boarding via the aft transom platforms is made easier with well-placed handholds. From here, it’s only one step up to the cockpit, which as mentioned, is very spacious. In fact, it is almost the size of the cockpit of the popular Helia 44. The portside L-shaped dinette can accommodate up to eight, and there is additional seating along the transom and on the starboard side. The entire cockpit is protected by a composite bimini, which also serves as the base for the large mainsheet traveller, keeping the running rigging out of the cockpit.
Nauti Dog has an elevated helm position with seating for two, with excellent visibility of the sail plan and for manoeuvering. Her twin 30 HP engines make her a breeze to pick up a mooring or to come alongside. An electric winch hoists her fully battened mainsail, and a furling jib is set in a matter of seconds. The mainsail stack pack, also known as a lazy bag, makes dropping and flaking the sail extremely easy. The Lucia 40 is responsive to sail, easy to tack, and can be handled easily by two sailors. With a full suite of electronics, including two chart plotters and an autopilot, she is a joy to cruise aboard. Stored on her davits is a 10ft Rigid Inflatable Dinghy with a 15hp Yamaha outboard. Quickly launched and retrieved, the dinghy will get on the plane with 2 or 3 aboard and carry up to 6 persons comfortably to your favourite snorkel spots.
The well-appointed saloon is accessed via a large sliding double door. The galley has a gas oven and a capacious 130-litre fridge.
This Fountaine Pajot Lucia 40 is the owner’s version – the three-cabin “Maestro” with three electric heads and showers. A generator can run air conditioning throughout the yacht, although with hatch breeze boosters aboard, most of the year in the BVI you can relax in the comfort of the tradewinds. The entire starboard hull is dedicated to a master suite, with an en-suite head and shower. The walk-around island Queen double aft is easy to get into, and there is a desk amidships if you need some space to work “off the grid”. The starboard hull has two equally spacious double cabins, each with its own head and shower.
With solar panels to keep your batteries topped up and a water maker to keep your water tanks topped off, Nauti Dog is a brilliant cat to explore the islands and cays of the BVI.
Equipment On Board
All of our British Virgin Island yachts have the following charter yacht equipment
included on board:
VHF Radio
Chart plotter
10ft – 12ft RIB Dinghy and 15hp outboard motor
Charts and Virgin Islands Cruising Guide
Flashlight
Adult Lifejackets
BBQ Grill
Fire Extinguishers
Through-hull Plugs
Deck brush
Cockpit table
Bimini
Linens and towels
Beach towels
Clothes pegs
Speedo and depth-sounder
Wind indicator
Electric windlass
Refrigerator
Cellular Boatphone
First Aid Kit
Flare Kit
Binoculars
Tool Kit
Boat Hook
Signal Horn
Duct Tape
Bucket with Lanyard
Cockpit cushions
Cooler or deck cooler
All galley and cooking utensils
Pillows
12V Outlet
110 Volt Inverter to charge laptops etc
Autopilot in all yachts
Roller furling main or fully battened main with lazy jacks
CD Player with saloon and cockpit speakers
Roller furling genoa
Hull Damage Waiver Insurance is compulsory for $60.00 (max $600) per day for Monohulls and $70.00 (max $700) per day for Catamarans. Security deposit is $2000 for monohulls and cats 41ft and under, and $5000 for cats 42ft plus.
Cruising Permit $4 pp/pd
National Parks Permit From $25 per week
VISAR (Optional) $2 per person
5 nights minimum and 7 nights min between Dec 18 and Jan 4.
For Instructor, choose bareboat.
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