Leopard 46: Shopping now buying soon

[Lapincherry]

I have about decided on Brand and it's going to be Leopard. The question is size. I want the smallest possible for our purposes simply because it reduces cost both capital and expenses. We will be using it as our winter liveaboard going on the hard in the off season. Right now I am really looking at 40-44 foot. Not thrilled with the forward well on the 44 but I keep looking at 46's longingly. Ignoring budget and thinking about sailing qualities what are your thoughts about these boats?

[LeeV]

Originally Posted by Lapincherry

I have about decided on Brand and it's going to be Leopard. The question is size. I want the smallest possible for our purposes simply because it reduces cost both capital and expenses. We will be using it as our winter liveaboard going on the hard in the off season. Right now I am really looking at 40-44 foot. Not thrilled with the forward well on the 44 but I keep looking at 46's longingly. Ignoring budget and thinking about sailing qualities what are your thoughts about these boats?

I've seen the 45, but never a 46'; is it a used older version?

[Sparx]

I too like the Leopards. I have been on the new 40 and the new 45. The new 45 is a huge boat for a couple. For a family, they look great. For us the 45 was too much boat.

We thought the 40 was a better fit for our cruising needs. The interior design is very thoughtful. The boat feels very livable. Plenty of room for us and our gear. Liked the front porch. Liked the deck layout. Visibility from the helm is ok and better than many we looked at. (We did not consider any boat with a remote elevated helm....not our style)

We have had plenty of owners tell us they are satisfied with the sailing qualities of both the 40 and 45. While I don't have enough personal experience to have formed an opinions I hear from owners that the windward performance is acceptable and a good overall turn of speed can be expected, maybe faster than the Lagoons.

[MikeFergie]

I have Leopard 40 2009 model. I’ve owned her for 3 years now and still enjoy every weekend on her and long sails twice a year

[LeeV]

Originally Posted by MikeFergie

I have Leopard 40 2009 model. I’ve owned her for 3 years now and still enjoy every weekend on her and long sails twice a year

So how long, how far, and how much was offshore, if any? Also how many people have been aboard for a week or weeks at a time?

Thanks!

[MikeFergie]

Hi Lee

Well I bought my boat in the Seychelles [emoji1213] and 4 of us sailed her down to Mozambique. (2100nm). It was the wrong season so we were beating into South Easterlies for 15 days. As you know cats don’t like to beat for long periods but she did well. The port side water tank did break off her mountings which I repaired one home. We sailed from Seychelles to the Comoros (French Mayotte) and then down between Madagascar and mozambique.

https://youtu.be/FFM4E5xdbPk
This is the video of our trip down.

Last year December I sailed up the mozambique coast with 6 on board and we spent 18 days around the islands. There are no marinas here so my boat has not been plugged into shore power since she left the Seychelles 3 years ago.

This December we sailed 4 people. Planned for 5 or 6 but the others pulled out.

https://youtu.be/waUHzS2lhac

This was December’s trip. On routing home we faced a challenge as we rounded the corner heading south we are faced with 4.5 swells and winds building up to 35 knots. This was going to be like this for the next 36 hours and we would be beating into this for the whole time. I spoke to the crew and we chose to run and go north to hide for a day when the weather got better. We turned at 18:00 at sunset here and were sailing with 1/4 jib out on a run, gliding down the backs of swells at 9 to 10 knots with apparent winds of 35-40 knots . This continued until we saw the lighthouse with the piece of island we would hide behind and managed to get behind her at 00:00 that night. I thought she handled the nasty seas well and was happy we turned.

[MikeFergie]

This year was 23 days. Our biggest challenge was fresh salads etc so I had 2 fridges running and the freezer

[LeeV]

Originally Posted by MikeFergie

Hi Lee

Well I bought my boat in the Seychelles [emoji1213] and 4 of us sailed her down to Mozambique. (2100nm). It was the wrong season so we were beating into South Easterlies for 15 days. As you know cats don’t like to beat for long periods but she did well. The port side water tank did break off her mountings which I repaired one home. We sailed from Seychelles to the Comoros (French Mayotte) and then down between Madagascar and mozambique.

https://youtu.be/FFM4E5xdbPk
This is the video of our trip down.

Last year December I sailed up the mozambique coast with 6 on board and we spent 18 days around the islands. There are no marinas here so my boat has not been plugged into shore power since she left the Seychelles 3 years ago.

This December we sailed 4 people. Planned for 5 or 6 but the others pulled out.

https://youtu.be/waUHzS2lhac

This was December’s trip. On routing home we faced a challenge as we rounded the corner heading south we are faced with 4.5 swells and winds building up to 35 knots. This was going to be like this for the next 36 hours and we would be beating into this for the whole time. I spoke to the crew and we chose to run and go north to hide for a day when the weather got better. We turned at 18:00 at sunset here and were sailing with 1/4 jib out on a run, gliding down the backs of swells at 9 to 10 knots with apparent winds of 35-40 knots . This continued until we saw the lighthouse with the piece of island we would hide behind and managed to get behind her at 00:00 that night. I thought she handled the nasty seas well and was happy we turned.

Thanks for that, Mike.
I believe the first video you mentioned has a segment with 27kt winds; can you recall how much sail was up? I can see the Genoa, and it looks a bit furled, but I can’t tell, and the top of the main wasn’t visible.
Another quick question- which compressor are you using? I’ve not seen a portable on a L40, so there’s another problem solved!

Thanks much,
Lee

[MikeFergie]

Hi Lee

There are 2 red tape sections marking off the Genoa. The first is for 20 knots and the second for 25 knots. it’s furled in to just past the second marker. The main is on its second reefing point. Depending on the “pressure” of the wind I pull the main completely down between 27 and 30 knots and roll the jib in til it’s half way between the red lines and completely in. I think I sail a bit conservatively but I’m happy with that [emoji4]. The asymmetrical spinnaker I bought was a blessing and my favorite sail.

For my dive compressor there is only one brand to consider and that is a Bauer from Germany. This will outlast you ! I fitted a shelf to fit the compressor on in the port front Lazzeratte. I run it off a petrol engine. I want to move my life raft out onto the stern railing and that whole back storage locker can be a wet locker for dive gear etc

With wind at 130-150 degrees I fly that asymmetrical spinnaker UP to apparent winds of 18 knots with a SOG of 9 - 9,5 knots. 12 to 16 knots the boat is flying 17-18 gets a bit concerning for me anyhow.

Rgards
MikeF

[LeeV]

Mike,

Thanks for the info. Since we are trying to figure out what size cat and which brand, it’s nice to have valid owners’ input vs sales pitches!

Regards,