leopard yachts south africa

• United Kingdom
• European Union
• Photos & Videos

Virtual Tours

Technical specifications.

• Cabins: 3 or 4
• Heads: 3 or 4
• Berths: 8 to 11
• Showers: 4 or 5

LEOPARD 45 NOW WITH A LOUNGE! Awarded Boat of the Year honors in 2017 and founded upon the ethos of continuous innovation and feedback from cruising clients, the Leopard 45 sailing catamaran represents astute value, elegant lines and satisfies blue water passion.

With naval architecture by Simonis & Voogd Yacht Design, and with exterior and interior design by the world-class design team at Robertson and Caine, the Leopard 45 Sailing Catamaran not only builds on the best features of the current Leopard range, but most notably offers new exterior styling and enhanced interior accommodation. 

Since the launch of the Leopard 45 in 2017, the exterior styling has evolved and we are excited to announce that we are now offering the innovative hardtop lounge on the Leopard 45. This lounge feature first launched on the award-winning Leopard 50 !  Like her big sister, the lounge on the Leopard 45 includes a seating area, a sunbed, and a table. Access to the lounge is provided by floating stairs leading up from the aft cockpit, without disrupting the helm station. The helm station remains well protected, and integrated into the cockpit and the rest of the boat.

Available in a 3 or 4 cabin layout, the Leopard 45 offers the perfect entertainment package with increased aft area with new layout, ergonomically designed open plan saloon and galley, larger forward cockpit, and more onboard area. 

She’s sleek and nimble, yet comfortable. She incorporates a heritage of Leopards spanning twenty five years of production expertise.

In summary, the Leopard 45 Sailing Catamaran delivers uncompromised, exceptional build quality throughout, new, sleek styling, a sensible and practical layout, sailing comfort across all sea states, and features innovative technologies and multiple entertainment areas.

• LOA: 45 ft 0 in / 13.72 m
• LWL: 42 ft 11 in / 13.07 m
• Beam: 24 ft 2 in / 7.36 m
• Draft: 4 ft 11 in / 1.5 m
• Mast Height: 70 ft 0 in / 21.34 m
• Bridgedeck Clearance: 2 ft 9 in / 0.83 m
• Engine: 2 x Yanmar Diesel 45HP each
• Propeller Dimensions: 3‐blade 17in x 14in / 432 x 356 mm
• Engine No. Cylinders: 4
• Fuel: 185 gal / 700 L

EXTRA DETAILS

• Bunk Dimensions:  View Leopard Range Bunk Dimensions
• Headroom:  View Leopard Range Headroom Dimensions
• Water: 206 gal / 780 L
• Mainsail Area (Standard): 802 sqft / 74.5 sqm
• Mainsail Area (Square Top): 841 sqft / 78.1 sqm
• Genoa Area: 543 sqft / 50.4 sqm
• Spinnaker Area: 1789 sqft / 166.2 sqm
• Code 0 Area: 735 sqft / 68.3 sqm
• Code D Area: 1136 sqft / 105.5 sqm
• Total Upwind Area (Standard): 1344 sqft / 124.9 sqm
• Polars:  View Leopard 45 Performance Documents
• Displacement : 36156 lbs / 16400 kg
• Load Carrying Capacity : 10141 lbs / 4600 kg
• Holding Tank Capacity : 45 gal / 170 L

Related Boat Reviews

Leopard catamarans feature - passagemaker, canadian yachting reviews the leopard 45.

Make an appointment for a boat show, a sea trial, or simply a phone call to our expert agents.

Other Leopard 45 Buying Options

Check for current availability of used Leopard Catamarans and new Leopard Catamarans in charter programs on our sister sites

• Motorcycles
• Car of the Month
• Destinations
• Men’s Fashion
• Watch Collector
• Art & Collectibles
• Vacation Homes
• Celebrity Homes
• New Construction
• Home Design
• Electronics
• Fine Dining
• Baja Bay Club
• Costa Palmas
• Fairmont Doha
• Four Seasons Private Residences Dominican Republic at Tropicalia
• Reynolds Lake Oconee
• Scott Dunn Travel
• Wilson Audio
• 672 Wine Club
• Sports & Leisure
• Health & Wellness
• Best of the Best
• The Ultimate Gift Guide

This New 40-Foot Power Cat Was Built to Tackle Rough Waters

Leopard's new 40 was designed and built in cape town, south africa, known for its big coastal waters., kevin koenig, kevin koenig's most recent stories.

• Open Space, Eco-Friendly Tech: What a Rising Class of Millennial Superyacht Owners Is Looking For
• ‘People Don’t Want to Be Inside’: How the Outdoors Became Yachtmakers’ Most Coveted Design Element
• Azimut’s New 72-Foot Yacht Has One of the Largest Flybridges in Its Class. We Hopped Onboard.
• Share This Article

Capetown, South Africa, is surrounded by some of the world’s most notorious waters. If a boat builder calls this area home—as Leopard Catamarans does—you can rest assured that its hulls are designed to be seaworthy.

Related Stories

Architects and fashion designers are penning yachts, and it’s changing how they’re made.

• Airliners Are Trying Radical New Wing Designs to Improve Fuel-Efficiency

Taking a Bow: How Yacht Makers Are Rethinking the Rear End

Trim tabs typically don’t work well on catamarans, so Leopard used a computational fluid dynamics algorithm in a virtual test tank to ensure that this model would run level in big seas, with the twin goals of maximizing guest comfort and solidifying lines of sight. Leopard says the process also increases fuel efficiency. The model comes with multiple Yanmar diesels, including twin 250-horsepower, 320-horsepower, and 370-horsepower versions. With the twin 320 powerplants, top speed is 23 knots while cruise is about 16.

The 40’s main deck is flush, leading from the fairly sizable cockpit into a salon that is filled with windows, providing exceptional views from this glass sanctuary. The windshield flips open for ventilation, and the forward door creates a passage to the boat’s broad foredeck.

The lower deck has three staterooms, each with its own head and shower, with the main suite being on the starboard side, running the full length of the pontoon.

The foredeck makes excellent use of the boat’s generous beam. There’s a sun lounge, of course, for enjoying the area. Perhaps more interesting is the stowage beneath the cushions, where a deep, wide locker is designed to hold toys, extra clothing, dive tanks, or whatever other equipment needs to be stowed. Two other lockers forward of this one let you really load the boat for long-distance cruising. Sturdy, thigh-high guardrails encircling the bow providing an element of safety for with family cruises.

Read More On:

More marine.

This New 262-Foot Superyacht Lets You Mix and Match 3 Interior and Exterior Designs

Rossinavi Just Launched a Custom, Full-Aluminum 164-Foot Superyacht

Culinary Masters 2024

MAY 17 - 19 Join us for extraordinary meals from the nation’s brightest culinary minds.

Give the Gift of Luxury

Latest Galleries in Marine

8 Fascinating Facts About ‘Nero,’ a 295-Foot Superyacht Inspired by a 1930s Classic

Palm Beach Vitruvius in Photos

More from our brands, matchless london’s michele malenotti dead, padres remember peter seidler as world series quest continues, nbc news keeps chasing conservatives with controversial talent moves, joan jonas, a performance art pioneer, gets the super-size moma retrospective she deserves, the best yoga blocks to support any practice, according to instructors.

• BOAT OF THE YEAR
• Newsletters
• Sailboat Reviews
• Boating Safety
• Sailing Totem
• Charter Resources
• Destinations
• Galley Recipes
• Living Aboard
• Sails and Rigging
• Maintenance
• Best Marine Electronics & Technology

South African Boat Builders Bringing a Leopard of Different Sorts

• By Mark Pillsbury
• June 6, 2023

A rain-disrupted two-day safari in the usually arid plains and mountains north of Cape Town, cruising across windy Table Bay to view Robben Island from a power cat, and wild World Cup soccer fans filling the streets nightly each provided entertaining sideshows to the main event on a recent trip to South Africa: a media tour of the Robertson and Caine boatbuilding shops, where Leopard catamarans are built. It was an adventure that the builder arranged to coincide with the launch of its newly designed 40-foot power cat, to be marketed as the Leopard 40PC and the Moorings 403PC. 

R&C operates six manufacturing ­facilities in Cape Town, where it builds models that include 42-, 45- and 50-foot sailing catamarans, and 40-, 46- and 53-foot power cats. All models are available to private owners under the Leopard brand, and for charter through Sunsail and The Moorings. The 403PC will be available for on-water vacations this year.

All the R&C facilities that our small troupe of writers visited were bustling, though they were winding down the 2022 production year in anticipation of the plant’s closing to give employees their annual holiday break. The company built 182 boats in 2022 and plans to produce 213 this year, according to Donovan Thomas, R&C’s technical director. 

The three-stateroom 40 PC is being constructed on a new production line, in a building previously used for research and development. Hull No. 1 had just launched, and we saw four more in various stages of build. Construction of the first few boats includes hands-on workforce training; full-on production commenced early this year.

The busiest shop we found was the Bolt facility, where the Leopard 45 sailing cats—the company’s most popular model—are built. There, assembly-line manager Rotenda Randima walked us through the various workstations, from bare hull to finished boat. At each ­station, a swarm of technicians added to the overall sensation that there was, ­indeed, a lot going on. From the plant, she said, a new boat is trucked every four-and-a-half days to the harbor, where it undergoes sea trials before being loaded onto a ship for delivery.

On the 45’s production line, large fans kept the air moving, even on a hot South African morning. Hulls sat in cradles fitted out with wheels that roll along rails in the floor. At each workstation, lists of tasks were posted, along with progress notes and reports on things such as the number of injuries incurred, if any. At the station where the 45’s deck and cabin top are bonded to the hull, workers had gone 204 days without a mishap, I noted as I strolled by.

Throughout its plants, the R&C workforce includes experienced boatbuilders and trainees, the latter easily identifiable, dressed as they are in orange overalls. The company trains 100 to 150 people a year in skills that include carpentry, lamination and mechanical systems, among others. The overall number of employees runs right around 2,000.

R&C is somewhat uncommon in the world of boatbuilding because it has just one customer: Travelopia, the parent company of Leopard Catamarans, The Moorings and Sunsail. 

Franck Bauguil, vice president of yacht ownership and product development, says that besides the Leopard 42 sailing cat, which won CW ’s 2022 Boat of the Year award for Best Cruising Catamaran Under 50 Feet , R&C has introduced three new power cats in the past three years. The company plans to refocus on sail in the coming months, with a couple of new designs in early stages of development. 

• More: catamarans , leopard catamarans , Print April 2023 , Sailboats
• More Sailboats

New to the Fleet: Pegasus Yachts 50

Balance 442 “Lasai” Set to Debut

Sailboat Review: Tartan 455

Meet the Bali 5.8

Cruising the Northwest Passage

A Legendary Sail

10 Best Sailing Movies of All Time

• Digital Edition
• Customer Service
• Privacy Policy
• Email Newsletters
• Cruising World
• Sailing World
• Salt Water Sportsman
• Sport Fishing
• Wakeboarding

• European Union
• South Africa

About Robertson & Caine

The builders behind the boats.

John Robertson and the late Jerry Caine founded Roberston and Caine LTD, South Africa’s largest boat builder, in 1991. With over 30 years of boat building history, they have launched over 1800 boats, and are currently one of the top competitors in the international catamaran market and South Africa’s largest boat-builder manufacturing for the export market.

Originally, the company created custom sailing yachts, ranging from 36ft fiberglass monohulls to 70ft state-of-the-art carbon-fibre racing boats. The latest innovative offerings include the 40ft, the 45ft, the 50ft, and the 58ft sailing catamarans as well as the 43ft and 51ft Powercat. These models are destined for the world’s exotic sailing grounds, including the US East Coast, the Caribbean, the Seychelles, the Mediterranean, Asia and the South Pacific.

As a result of continued innovation and quality, Robertson & Caine remains a serious competitor in the international catamaran market and continues to enjoy a dominant position in the significant North American market. Robertson and Caine’s Leopard Catamarans are currently the #1 Selling brand of catamaran in North America. The company has produced an impressive list of racers and cruisers, including international winners adding remarkable credits to its name over the past decade including Boat of the Year 1995, 1998, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2017, 2019.

Robertson and Caine’s production facility is head quartered in Woodstock, a few kilometers from the Cape Town city centre and the harbour. The company is currently producing and launching approximately three boats a week and there are several new exciting projects currently in the pipeline.

For a look into the factory and this great company, view the Robertson and Caine Corporate Video:

• Center Consoles
• Dual Consoles
• Motoryachts
• Sport Cruisers
• Tenders & Ribs
• U.S. Atlantic
• Engine Buyers Guide
• Electronics

Leopard 40 Powercat: A Comprehensive Review of the Ultimate Cruising Platform

Leopard 40 Powercat: The Ideal Cruiser for Couples and Families

On Deck: Unique Features of the Leopard 40 Powercat

Accommodations: experience the luxury, also read: two sailors, one leopard 43 powercat, performance: speed, efficiency, and control, also read: leopard 46 powercat, the second model in the series, does not disappoint..

Overall Impressions: Why the Leopard 40 Powercat Should Be on Your Shortlist

-by zuzana prochazka.

Recommended

Simple Shrimp Vindaloo Recipe

Sights from the 2017 stuart boat show, don't miss it.

Ranieri International Appoints Madison Bay Holdings the Exclusive Representative Throughout The Americas

New Podcast Episode: Palm Beach International Boat Show Preview

The Race Between Semiconductors, Gold, and Cocoa Heats Up!

Discover The ULTRA Anchor: Stay Secure With Quality Stainless Steel

Sister Semiconductor Surges and Shines!

Celebrate the Water’s Elegance with Hinckley’s 30th Anniversary Picnic Boat

• Privacy Policy

1591 E. Atlantic Blvd, 2nd Floor Pompano Beach, FL 33060 Office: +1 (954) 522-5515 Fax: +1 (954) 522-2260 Contact us: [email protected]

Email address

© 2024 Southern Boating Media

South African Catamarans

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ OUR DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

Last Updated on December 4, 2020 by Amy

We’ve been incredibly happy with our boat, Starry Horizons, a Fountaine Pajot Helia 44 , but it is always fun to get a look at other catamarans. We toured a few of the Australian catamaran manufacturers while we were cruising there, and when we found ourselves in South Africa – the country with the second-highest catamaran production in the world, 30% of all cruising catamarans – we took the opportunity to learn more about some of the amazing cats that are built here.

Aside from Leopard, most of the manufacturers are on a boutique level, building cats that are more customized and rolling out just a handful or two a year.

Table of Contents - Click to Jump

Leopard Catamarans

A majority of the cruising boats coming out of South Africa are under the brand of Leopard Catamarans . Manufacturing Leopards in Cape Town, the Robertson & Caine factory produces nearly 200 boats a year between the four factories.

The boats are launched at Royal Cape Yacht Club and then are moved over to the V&A Waterfront Marina. This is where we saw dozens of Leopards come and go – even though we were there over the holidays. The boats line up, waiting for their new owners or waiting to be delivered across the ocean to the Caribbean. One day there was a mass exodus of Leopards heading out to be loaded onto a transport ship.

David and I seriously considered buying a Leopard. We chartered a 39 in the BVIs in 2011 and a 46 in St Martin in 2013. The 46 is an amazing boat, well designed and her layout is holding up well to modern trends. However, when we were in the market for a brand new boat, the 46 production shifted to either a 44 or a 48 with the forward cockpit.

This factory was the one we were most intrigued to visit during our South Africa tour. The Balance Catamarans are built between two different facilities: Nexus Yachts in St Francis and Two Oceans Marine in Cape Town. Nexus builds the larger models and Two Oceans builds the smaller ones, much like Fountaine Pajot has two factories in La Rochelle.

Balance has three main models for the cruiser: the 442, 482, and 526. The 526 is the more “tried and true” of their models, and the production for the 442 and 482 are just getting started. Their previous model, the 451, is being retired.

When we sailed into St Francis, it was for the sole purpose of visiting the Nexus Factory. It also showed us the complete difference between visiting a high-production catamaran factory and visiting a more boutique operation.

We were met at the St Francis Marina by Jonathan Paarman, the Chief of Production at Nexus Yachts. Jonathan took us to the factory and showed us around the models currently in progress. We had just missed the launch of a Balance 526 named Vingilote , so the hulls we saw were not terribly close to the end of the line.

It was really interesting to talk to Jonathan about the different aspects of each boat, and how they are being customized for and with the owners.

We also got to meet Roger Paarman, the Manager at Nexus Yachts, who stopped by to say hello in the marina, and John, who was just a few slips down from us at the dock on a 620 named Lyra Noa . John kindly gave us a tour of his boat, which is flipping gorgeous and incredibly customized. She was launched in May 2019 and has cruised eastern Africa.

Then, when we were in Cape Town, we were picked up by Mark Delany the Managing Director of Balance Cape Town, who took us to see the Two Ocean Marine factory which is building the 442 and 482 models. There was not much to see of the actual boats themselves – although the models were pretty cool – but Mark showed us the design plans and we discussed some of the interesting features they were incorporating into these models.

Duncan Lethbridge founded St Francis Catamarans in 1988 and originally built 44-foot catamarans. Now, they only build a 50-foot model.

We first encountered a St Francis 50 in Palmetto, Florida while we were outfitting Starry Horizons. Rick and Loraine on Aphrodite were outfitting their boat to go cruising with their family of six.

The old St Francis 44 tooling went to a new company called Knysna Yacht Company in 2002. After a few years, they shifted to making a 50-foot model, and now they are coming out with a 55-foot model.

Our friends aboard Catching Up have been cruising their Knysna since she was launched in August of 2018. It was interesting to see three Knysnas in Seychelles – there aren’t that many of them out there!

While at the work dock in the V&A Waterfront, our neighbor was Skylarks , a Maverick 440. Maverick Yachts produces a 40-foot version and a 44-foot version. Skylarks’ owners gave us a tour of their boat, which has some really cool features (I liked the fold-down bed in the main salon and the cockpit table that lifted to the ceiling).

When Dean Catamarans went out of business, the assets were purchased and rebranded as Xquisite Yachts . The design is pretty distinctive with its huge fibergalss arch in the back.

We’d seen one in Nai Harn Bay, Thailand a few years ago, and there was a new one in the V&A Waterfront Marina when we were there. They manufacture one model, an X5.

I don’t like the interior finish of the boat, nor do I like the head design, but it does have some cool features, including a convertible main salon table (coffee to dining) that looks better executed than the Fountain Pajot table, and a proper navigation desk in the main salon.

What’s your favorite?

Balance Cats come with a hefty price tag, but are much more customized and performance oriented. Leopards have a strong hold in the charter and private sector. The rest – boutique boats designed for solid cruising. Which would you choose?

10 Comments

KNYSNA, easily best Blue Water Catamaran for the Money.

They look amazing!

Hi Amy and David.

Great article! We love the information and perspective you guys cram into each video. The “Things I wish I’d known” videos were spot on!

We are taking delivery of a Leopard 50 in a year, and want to outfit it there in Cape Town before we sail North towards the beach bars and rum drinks. We plan on doing the usual: solar, batteries, Balmar, water maker, etc.

Do you think that it will be easy for us to find tradesman, materials, and a slip to accomplish this?

Bill and Denise Shifting Geres

Hi Bill and Denise,

There are a lot of skilled craftsman in South Africa, especially Cape Town. The marina in V&A helped us find people, and I’m sure Leopard will help you too!

Knysna is our dream boat, now if only we could find one….

It’s a tough boat market right now!

There are three in prevasa (Greece) right now one is about to go on sail I think…

We loved our Balance 526 s/v Galileo! So glad you had an opportunity to visit the build shop in St Francis. We think the world of the Paarman family. Did you know our first CAT (way back in 2001) was a St Francis 44 – “Independence”. I believe she is still out there somewhere.

Old school Leopard! We have a 2005 47 and absolute love it and wouldn’t change a thing. It’s a tank and has safely take us through some pretty crap conditions. I don’t like the new Leopard designs though…I dont know which direction we’d go if we were to look at a new boat. Our boat has a lot of life left in her!

Thats great that you love your L47 so much! Its always fun to do a little “window shopping” though, isn’t it?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Search form

• USED CATAMARANS
• BUYING A LEOPARD
• BUYING GUIDE
• SELL YOUR BOAT

2023 Leopard 53 Powercat "D' Love"

Naples, united states of america (the).

2013 Leopard 48 "Second Star"

Placencia, belize.

2020 Leopard 53 Powercat "Dadalah"

Grand baie, mauritius.

2022 Leopard 46 Powercat "Amatista"

Saint raphael, france.

2020 Leopard 50 "Tranquila"

Egaa, denmark.

2020 Leopard 45 "Still Smilin"

Fort lauderdale, united states of america (the), leopard catamarans brokerage.

Leopard Brokerage is the exclusive site for the purchase and sale of pre-owned Leopard Catamarans. The site is dedicated to serving the pride of Leopard Catamarans and the many private Leopard Catamaran owners around the world. The selected used catamarans for sale on Leopard Brokerage are some of the best equipped catamarans available on the market today. Whether you are looking at one of the luxurious Leopard catamaran listings, an ex-charter boat, or one of the select pre-owned catamarans from other builders featured on the site, you will receive the same exceptional service provided to all Leopard catamaran owners. If you are selling a Leopard catamaran, we can help you reach the international market to find the right buyer.  To learn more, visit our "Why Us?" page .

View Catamarans for Sale ›

Featured Catamarans for Sale

Leopard 46 Powercat

Leopard 53 Powercat

Recently Sold Boats

Leopard 43 Powercat

View more boats.

Looking for a new catamaran, a catamaran in a charter ownership program, or a used charter boat? View new and used catamarans available for purchase from Leopard Catamarans, The Moorings Yacht Ownership, or The Moorings Yacht Brokerage.

Sign up for our newsletter

Our monthly e-List advertises the best deals on the brokerage market each month, as well as new listings and price reductions. Sign up for our eList so you never miss an opportunity to find your boat!

Used Catamaran Buying Guide

Our expert brokers explain the used catamaran purchase process from start to finish. Learn what to expect before you even place a call.

Privacy Policy

Contact Form eList Newsletter Signup Email: [email protected]

More Boats for Sale

New Private Yachts New Charter Yachts Used Charter Yachts

LIKE / FOLLOW

Send us a note.

• Boat Reviews
• Press Releases

Powering Across the Atlantic on a Leopard 46 Powercat

There are thousands of stories out there about crossing oceans under sail. But transiting a long stretch of the ocean under power? That's a different adventure.

Delivering a Leopard 46 Powercat

Leopard agent and delivery captain Guilherme Kodja had a challenge. A new Leopard 46 Powercat needed delivery from the Robertson & Caine yard in South Africa to a buyer in Brazil, and an ocean lay in the way. Captain Kodja started planning and, ten months later, set out for a month-long, 4,453 nautical mile (nm) trek across the South Atlantic with three crew.

Delivering a power yacht has similarities and differences from delivering a sailing vessel. Fuel is the priority. You need a lot, and there's no guarantee you'll get good quality fuel once you leave mainland ports. 

Weather is a concern, but your criteria are a little different. "Sea state is more important than wind direction," says Captain Kodja. "We can travel a more direct route because there's no tacking."

The Route and Plan

This won't be a non-stop trip. At a cruising speed of 6.8 knots, the Leopard 46 used just over two gallons (eight liters) of fuel per hour. With a built-in diesel tankage of over 400 gallons (1,852 liters), the Leopard 46 Power Cat has a standard range of more than 1,500 nautical miles.

Like sailing yachts, wind and current influence a powered delivery, even if the priorities differ. "We headed north for better wind and current," said Kodja. "It's a longer distance, but faster and more comfortable." And the need for more fuel somewhere along the way means he can't easily take a more southern route.

Leg One - Cape Town to Luderitz, Namibia

The first step was a coast-hugging trip up the African coast. This 502-nautical-mile trip took about three days. The goal was to top-up fuel and provisions while waiting for a good weather window. Captain Kodja noted that "a powering boat pitches more than a sailing, so choosing a good window is important." 

Leg Two - Luderitz to St. Helena

Though St. Helena lies north of Itajai, Brazil, their ultimate destination, it's a popular stopping point for yachts crossing the Atlantic. It's not just that the northerly route is more comfortable; there are few places to the south to stop. This 1,338nm leg took eight days of motoring and used 424 gallons (1,926 liters) of fuel. This was the last stop to refuel for the rest of the trip.

Leg Three - St. Helena to Martin Vaz Island and Trinidade

The Martin Vaz and Trinidade islands are the easternmost possessions of Brazil, and the crew made a brief stop there to perform the 500-hour service on the engines. This was another long leg at 8 1/2 days, covering 1,385 miles. It was a welcome return to Brazilian waters after a long time at sea.

Leg Four - Martin Vaz Island/Trinidade to Cabo Frio

Rio de Janeiro was not in the plan. The closest the crew ventured was nearby Cabo Frio. It's there, after four and a half days and 725 nm of motoring from Martin Vaz Island, they had some exciting encounters with busy shipping traffic headed into Rio and a military exercise. They ducked into Cabo Frio to miss some weather and only stayed overnight. 

Leg Five - Cabo Frio to Itajai

The final sprint to the yacht's new home was along the coast of Brazil. This three-day coastal passage covered another 465 nm of water before completing the trip.

Fuel, Engines, and No Problems

Captain Kodja solved the fuel problems by carrying external tanks. It took twenty-eight five-and-a-half gallon (25L) jerry cans and five fifty-five gallon (250L) drums. These were latched to the deck and cockpit where they could fit.

"Refueling wasn't a problem," Kodja said. "We'd look at the weather and find a good window of calm. With an electric pump, it worked easily."

"The engines ran like a Swiss clock," he added. "Quiet and smooth, we usually couldn't hear them from the forward cockpit." 

As far as other problems go, the maiden voyage of this Leopard 46 came off with no significant hitches - a testament to Leopard quality out of the factory. "We had a hose work loose; we had to tighten a few screws," the captain said. "Nothing, really."

Weather, Wildlife, and Warships

In a month at sea, they avoided dramatic weather. By watching the weather and picking good windows, they made out well. And along the way, they saw spectacular wildlife.

"We stayed south, below the humpback whale migration," said Kodja. One thing they did not want to do was hit a whale. But they did see some of those fantastic creatures. Close to Brazil, they spotted dozens of whales at once. Other sightings included rare porpoises and countless sea birds.

Another surprise was sailing into a multinational naval exercise off the coast of Brazil. The crew expected lots of shipping traffic off Rio, but they were surprised to find a naval fleet off Cabo Frio. The captain spent the last twenty miles in VHF contact with U.S. warships talking about positions and maneuvering plans.

Smooth Start for a Happy Owner

The trip is documented in a series of videos , with some stunning sights and marine life. Captain Kodja and his crew made the delivery of a lifetime and put the boat through her paces. And the Leopard 46 showed off her build quality and capability, delivering a flawless performance on a demanding delivery.

"We brought the boat back for the Rio boat show," Kodja said. "Even after the 210nm delivery to the show, it took almost nothing to get this boat looking perfect."

Leopard Catamarans

Subscribe here.