 |
|
20-07-2021, 03:22
|
#1
|
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Sydney
Boat: Pescott Whitehaven 11.7
Posts: 87
|
Gone with the Wynns' Leopard catamaran
Hi Everyone
I have just watched the third and final episode of Gone with the Wynns trip from Tonga to NZ. On the final leg from Minerva reef, they got hit by a wave on the bridgedeck and it ripped out their liferaft that was stored in there. They were then left with a large hole in the cockpit covered with a very thin fibreglass hatch cover.
I'm interested if this is a design feature of other Leopards and whether other boats have suffered this. While they got in safely, the weather-gods smiled in what could have been a pretty dangerous situation.
|
|
|
20-07-2021, 07:44
|
#2
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 61
|
Re: Gone with the Wynns' Leopard catamaran
Yeah I watched it, and laughed at the comment of only a very thin hatch cover as well. The same very thin hatch cover they had been walking on before, and so have lots of other people on lots of other boats.
But I can definitely say it would be butt puckering to see it go away like that. I wonder why they did not go back and look for the life raft, they float.
Also they could not lock it down with the latches, the force of water would have just ripped out the latches. The mattress was a good idea to "hold" it down
__________________
Scott
& Kathryn if I can convince her.
|
|
|
20-07-2021, 09:43
|
#3
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 78
|
Re: Gone with the Wynns' Leopard catamaran
It happened at night, so I don’t think looking for it was an option.
|
|
|
20-07-2021, 09:46
|
#4
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Everywhere
Boat: Colegate 26
Posts: 1,154
|
Re: Gone with the Wynns' Leopard catamaran
Quote:
Originally Posted by fillintheblank
Yeah I watched it, and laughed at the comment of only a very thin hatch cover as well. The same very thin hatch cover they had been walking on before, and so have lots of other people on lots of other boats.
But I can definitely say it would be butt puckering to see it go away like that. I wonder why they did not go back and look for the life raft, they float.
Also they could not lock it down with the latches, the force of water would have just ripped out the latches. The mattress was a good idea to "hold" it down
|
Have you seen the ocean? The only thing I'd go looking for out there is people.
|
|
|
20-07-2021, 10:15
|
#5
|
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 318
|
Re: Gone with the Wynns' Leopard catamaran
When watching the video, I noticed that there wasn’t any appearance of broken fiberglass or signs of damage (other than a nice clean opening to the water). So, being curious, I pulled up one of their other videos - where they were hauled out and working under the boat. My screen grab was fuzzy, but it appears that the life raft compartment is made to be opened from the bottom as well… as in when the boat is inverted. If my interpretation of what I saw is correct, maybe whatever holds the bottom of the compartment closed was corroded or broken, allowing it to get pulled upon and ejected.
|
|
|
20-07-2021, 10:24
|
#6
|
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2016
Boat: SOLD! 2005 Lagoon, 440, owners version
Posts: 333
|
Re: Gone with the Wynns' Leopard catamaran
https://youtu.be/u_5-F781uQ4
Here’s the link for those who are curious. The Life raft locker failure/breakage starts at about one minute and 10 seconds.
Really makes me curious because I’m unfamiliar with leopards liferaft locker is it designed to open from the other side if the catamaran is upside down? Did latches fail from the other side? If so, was it a failure to inspect those latches on a over 15-year-old boat that led to this?
|
|
|
20-07-2021, 10:28
|
#7
|
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2016
Boat: SOLD! 2005 Lagoon, 440, owners version
Posts: 333
|
Re: Gone with the Wynns' Leopard catamaran
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phyrcooler
When watching the video, I noticed that there wasn’t any appearance of broken fiberglass or signs of damage (other than a nice clean opening to the water). So, being curious, I pulled up one of their other videos - where they were hauled out and working under the boat. My screen grab was fuzzy, but it appears that the life raft compartment is made to be opened from the bottom as well… as in when the boat is inverted. If my interpretation of what I saw is correct, maybe whatever holds the bottom of the compartment closed was corroded or broken, allowing it to get pulled upon and ejected.
|
Exactly what I was thinking. So if you have an one of this era of leopards you should be inspecting the underside of your life raft locker.
|
|
|
20-07-2021, 11:02
|
#8
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Amelia Island FL
Boat: 41' Morgan Out Island Ketch
Posts: 142
|
Re: Gone with the Wynns' Leopard catamaran
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phyrcooler
When watching the video, I noticed that there wasn’t any appearance of broken fiberglass or signs of damage (other than a nice clean opening to the water). So, being curious, I pulled up one of their other videos - where they were hauled out and working under the boat. My screen grab was fuzzy, but it appears that the life raft compartment is made to be opened from the bottom as well… as in when the boat is inverted. If my interpretation of what I saw is correct, maybe whatever holds the bottom of the compartment closed was corroded or broken, allowing it to get pulled upon and ejected.
|
I agree with this assessment and think you are on to something. To me the design is crap and it should be stowed in cubby type arrangement at the stern like many cats have, but i digress. It looked and sounded to me like maybe part of the hatch came loose up front and the wave caught it and pulled it down which would rip it off and redirect the wave up. Seas are bad that time of the year and both the wife and I thought it was foolish to leave Tonga during this time, but it's their lives. Both of us have decided that if we ever get a Cat, it will be for coastal sailing and island hopping only. If we go to the pacific, we will have a monohull at least 50' and preferably a Morgan 51.
|
|
|
20-07-2021, 11:38
|
#9
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 61
|
Re: Gone with the Wynns' Leopard catamaran
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nahbrown
https://youtu.be/u_5-F781uQ4
Here’s the link for those who are curious. The Life raft locker failure/breakage starts at about one minute and 10 seconds.
Really makes me curious because I’m unfamiliar with leopards liferaft locker is it designed to open from the other side if the catamaran is upside down? Did latches fail from the other side? If so, was it a failure to inspect those latches on a over 15-year-old boat that led to this?
|
Yes it is and here is a screen shot showing the bottom of the lift raft trunk. Its blury but it does not look right to me. I would think it would be more stream lined.
__________________
Scott
& Kathryn if I can convince her.
|
|
|
20-07-2021, 16:20
|
#10
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 531
|
Re: Gone with the Wynns' Leopard catamaran
Quote:
Originally Posted by nolakennedys
Both of us have decided that if we ever get a Cat, it will be for coastal sailing and island hopping only. If we go to the pacific, we will have a monohull at least 50' and preferably a Morgan 51. 
|
Meh...it's a hole in the bridgedeck...my last boat didn't have any accommodation on the bridgedeck. 😉
|
|
|
21-07-2021, 11:16
|
#11
|
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Portland Oregon
Boat: Leopard 45
Posts: 333
|
Re: Gone with the Wynns' Leopard catamaran
it seems with later model Leopards the life raft is visible from the rear and a bit more exposed (fitting into a cubby in the rear) than the 15 year old Leopard of the Wynns.
|
|
|
21-07-2021, 11:31
|
#12
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Amelia Island FL
Boat: 41' Morgan Out Island Ketch
Posts: 142
|
Re: Gone with the Wynns' Leopard catamaran
Quote:
Originally Posted by NevilleCat
Meh...it's a hole in the bridgedeck...my last boat didn't have any accommodation on the bridgedeck. 😉
|
 
|
|
|
21-07-2021, 11:39
|
#13
|
Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,541
|
Re: Gone with the Wynns' Leopard catamaran
I've sailed both the 40' and 47' Leopard sailing cats, (part owner of a 47') neither had such a life-raft compartment in the middle of the cockpit floor, just an upside down escape hatch in the saloon. Maybe this is a semi-custom world cruiser version?
My current 47' PowerCat has a raft compartment on the bridge deck built in just behind and part of the cockpit settee structure with no under-deck opening.
|
|
|
21-07-2021, 11:49
|
#14
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Amelia Island FL
Boat: 41' Morgan Out Island Ketch
Posts: 142
|
Re: Gone with the Wynns' Leopard catamaran
Quote:
Originally Posted by jim King
it seems with later model Leopards the life raft is visible from the rear and a bit more exposed (fitting into a cubby in the rear) than the 15 year old Leopard of the Wynns.
|
Makes sense that they would improve that.
|
|
|
21-07-2021, 11:54
|
#15
|
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 78
|
Re: Gone with the Wynns' Leopard catamaran
How much will it cost them to replace that safety item?
|
|
|
 |
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Rate This Thread |
Linear Mode
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
Advertise Here
Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vendor Spotlight |
|
|