Fountaine Pajot Lucia 40 Review: Two Models Replaced, One Winner (2026)

What the Fountaine Pajot Lucia 40 actually is

The ACI marina in Sibenik fills up by Thursday in July. The Lucia 40 won't make that problem worse: at 11.73 m LOA and a 6.63 m beam, it's wide enough for genuine liveaboard comfort and short enough to keep Med marina fees from becoming a monthly crisis. Fountaine Pajot launched it in 2016 as a replacement for both the Lipari 41 and the Lavezzi 40, designed by Berret-Racoupeau Yacht Design and built in La Rochelle. It won the European Yacht of the Year award in 2017 in its category.

Production ran from 2016 to 2019. The Isla 40, announced in July 2020, took its place. Fountaine Pajot doesn't publish production numbers, but hull #234 was confirmed by an owner on Cruisers Forum in June 2020, which gives a rough sense of volume. About 80% of FP's catamarans go to private owners rather than charter fleets, though the Lucia attracted both. Expect to find four-cabin charter versions alongside the three-cabin Maestro owner's layout on the used market.

Construction is PVC foam-core sandwich, vacuum-laminated GRP. Deck and coachroof are produced via RTM (resin transfer moulding) with gelcoat on both sides. The twin fixed mini keels draw just 1.20 m (1.25 m at medium load per the operation manual). According to FP's own documentation, they're designed to absorb grounding impact without hull damage. Standard power is a pair of Volvo Penta D1-20 engines at 20 HP each. Many US-market boats carry the optional D1-30 units at 29–30 HP each.

Layout and living aboard

Deck and cockpit

The cockpit is the headline number: roughly 12 m² (about 130 ft²) of outdoor living space. As one owner put it: "I like the boat very much. Large cockpit especially" (anonymous owner, Cruisers Forum, July 2021). That's where most of your waking hours happen in warm climates, and the Lucia delivers it at a size usually reserved for 42–45 ft competitors.

The trampolines forward are smaller than most rivals in the class. Fountaine Pajot traded net area for usable foredeck and interior volume. Unlike many competitors, the Lucia 40 has no forepeak cabins. Those bow spaces go to storage or a washer-dryer. If you prioritise lounging on the nets underway, measure the area on a sea trial and compare it to alternatives.

Interior: Maestro vs. Quatuor

The three-cabin Maestro (owner's) version puts a full-beam master suite in the starboard hull with two guest cabins to port. Total berths: six. The four-cabin Quatuor, typical of charter boats, sleeps eight. Heads range from two to four depending on specification.

One persistent design quirk: the owner's version has no door between the toilet compartment and the stateroom. Multiple reviewers and owners flag this. Cruising as a couple, it's manageable. Hosting guests who value privacy, it's a notable compromise.

Water capacity is a generous 530 L (2 × 265 L tanks), strong for a 40-footer. Fuel is 300 L (2 × 150 L). Some charter platforms swap these figures. The FP brochure is authoritative. For couples weighing whether a boat of this size suits them or whether something smaller makes more sense, our guide to the best small cruisers for couples (32–36 ft) provides a useful comparison point.

Where she earns her keep

Sailing performance

The rig is a fractional sloop with furling genoa and reefing main, carrying 95 m² of sail area (main 58 m², genoa 37 m²). In Force 3–4 conditions, the Lucia is responsive enough to keep a crew entertained without demanding constant attention. Above Force 5, put the first reef in early. The 8.9 t unladen displacement combined with that sail plan means the boat loads up fast.

Cable steering rather than hydraulic is the factory choice. FP picked it for offshore repairability: you can fix a cable system at sea with basic tools. The trade-off is a stiffer helm with less feedback than hydraulic alternatives, and owners report finding it tiring on longer passages.

Cruising range and ICW clearance

Air draft of 19.3 m (63 ft 4 in) per the FP brochure makes the Lucia 40 one of the few standard production catamarans that clears the 65 ft Intracoastal Waterway bridge limit in the US, without antenna. That's a genuine selling point for East Coast cruisers. The operation manual gives 19.45 m without antenna and 20.0–20.5 m with antenna at medium load. Remove any whip antennas before attempting ICW bridges.

Load carrying capacity is 3,100 kg (6,834 lb), which compares well to many competitors of the same length. This matters for long-range cruising. Provisions, a watermaker, solar panels, and a dinghy with outboard add up fast on a catamaran.

Weak points and what they cost

Bow-heavy trim

When water tanks are full and no generator or air conditioning unit is fitted aft, the Lucia sits down in the bow. One owner confirmed it directly: "My Lucia sits down a bit in the bow" (anonymous owner, Cruisers Forum, September 2019). The cause is the concentration of tank weight and anchor chain forward by design. The fix is weight management: keep forward tanks partially filled during passages and move stores aft. No parts cost, but it requires awareness.

Genset installation quality

Factory generator installations have been reported with salt-water intrusion and poor exhaust and drain routing. Some owners rebuilt enclosures or replaced units entirely. If you're buying a boat with a factory genset, budget for a marine surveyor to inspect the installation specifically. Replacement costs vary widely, but expect €3,000–€8,000+ for a proper re-do, depending on whether the unit itself needs replacing.

Acrylic window crazing

The oversized acrylic salon windows look striking, but they're prone to surface crazing and scratching over time. Replacement is costly given the size of the panels. Inspect every window on any prospective purchase and factor in replacement if crazing is advanced.

Volvo D1-30 engine recall

At least one documented case exists of both D1-30 engines being replaced under a Volvo recall. The 2016 hull 'Refaire' had its engines replaced by the time of its 2026 listing. If the boat you're viewing has D1-30 engines, confirm recall compliance with Volvo before making an offer.

Other items to check

• Cored deck moisture: Vacuum-infused cored sections in the deck and interior panels need periodic inspection at through-deck penetrations to catch delamination or moisture ingress early.
• Boom height with hard dodger: If the optional hard dodger is fitted, the boom sits high enough to make tucking in and reefing the main awkward. Test this on a sea trial.

How it ages

The oldest Lucia 40 hulls are now roughly ten years old (2016 builds). The vacuum-infused construction holds up well structurally. FP's build quality at the hull level is consistent, and the foam-core sandwich with gelcoat on both sides resists osmosis better than solid laminate. The fixed mini keels are simple and robust.

The weak links as the boat ages are the acrylic windows, any through-deck hardware that wasn't bedded properly, and the genset installation if present. Charter boats will show wear in soft furnishings, helm station components, and galley surfaces. Owner-maintained private boats from the same year can be in dramatically better condition. The Maestro vs. Quatuor layout is often a proxy for how hard the boat has been used.

The Volvo D1-20 (standard) and D1-30 (optional) engines are well-supported globally. Parts availability is not a concern. With regular servicing, these small diesels should reach 5,000–8,000+ hours without major issues. Confirm recall status on D1-30 units.

Fountaine Pajot Lucia 40 price: what the market asks

As of August 2026, the original base price (new, ex-VAT) was approximately €294,000. Fully loaded boats reached €400,000–€450,000. The Lucia is no longer in production, so every boat on the market is used.

Roughly 90–100 listings exist across platforms, with significant overlap between them. The spread as of August 2026:

Metric	Value (as of August 2026)
Lowest asking price	~€130,000 (ex-charter 2016, VAT excl.)
Highest asking price	~€415,000 (well-equipped 2019 Maestro)
Estimated 25th percentile	~€210,000
Estimated 75th percentile	~€330,000
YachtWorld listings	27
boats.com listings	37
Boatshop24 listings	23
BoatTrader (US) listings	6

The sub-€200,000 boats are almost exclusively ex-charter four-cabin versions from 2016–2017. A privately owned three-cabin Maestro from 2018–2019 with reasonable equipment typically sits in the €280,000–€380,000 range. US-market boats listed in USD tend to price higher, partly reflecting the D1-30 engine upgrade and additional equipment common on that market.

What moves the needle on price

• Layout: Maestro (3-cabin) versions command a premium over Quatuor (4-cabin) charter layouts.
• Engine hours and recall status: Low-hour D1-30 engines with recall work completed are worth paying for.
• Genset condition: A well-installed, properly functioning generator adds value. A problematic one is a negotiating chip.
• Window condition: Crazed or scratched acrylic windows signal either a discount or a replacement cost to budget.

Who this boat fits and who it doesn't

It fits

A couple or a small family stepping into catamaran cruising for the first time. The Lucia 40 is small enough to handle shorthanded, carries enough water (530 L) and payload (3,100 kg) for extended coastal cruising, and its 1.20 m draft opens up anchorages that deeper-keeled monohulls can't reach. US East Coast sailors who need ICW clearance should put it on the shortlist immediately. Sub-65 ft air draft on a 40-ft cat narrows the field considerably.

It doesn't fit

Serious offshore passage-makers who want to cover distance fast. The standard 20 HP engines are adequate for manoeuvring but not for sustained motoring in calms. The cable steering, while repairable at sea, is fatiguing over a multi-day passage. Anyone who needs a fully private owner's head will find the open-plan toilet layout in the Maestro version a persistent irritation.

Charter operators looking for a fresh revenue-generating boat should look at the Isla 40 successor instead. The Lucia's production ended in 2019, and guests increasingly expect the latest model.

Verdict

The Lucia 40 is a well-built, well-thought-out coastal cruising catamaran that punches above its length in living space and payload capacity. Its weak points are real and known: bow-heavy trim, stiff steering, the open-plan head, window crazing. Most are either manageable through seamanship or fixable with money. None are structural.

The decision is straightforward. A privately owned Maestro from 2018–2019 in the €280,000–€380,000 range, with the D1-30 engines (recall completed), clean windows, and a properly installed genset, is a strong cruising platform for Mediterranean or Caribbean coastal sailing. If you're budget-constrained and willing to accept cosmetic wear, ex-charter boats below €200,000 offer a legitimate entry point. Budget an additional 10–15% of purchase price for refitting soft furnishings and inspecting the genset and windows.