Reality of a New Boat || Part 2: 2 Years of Repairs to Our Leopard 45 Sailing Catamaran

Рет қаралды 29,571

Күн бұрын

Reality of a New Boat. 2 Years of Repairs on Our Leopard 45 Sailing Catamaran. Part 2: Chesapeake and our sail down the East Coast. Think that a buying a new boat means no problems? Think again! There's the dream of a new boat and the reality of a new boat. The dream is beautiful anchorages and lovely weather but this is often spoiled by the reality: hours of running down and fixing problems. We detail some of the repairs to our Leopard 45 sailing catamaran during the first two years of boat ownership. In Part 2, we discuss the problems that we found during our time in the Chesapeake and during our second long sail: over 900 miles down the East Coast to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
The problems that we detail here are not meant to be a complaint about any particular boat builder or any particular manufacturer of boat parts. With the thousands of parts that go into a boat - parts which are subject to extreme stresses and marine use - one of the realities of boat ownership is that there will always be something that needs to be fixed. And, after 2 years of owning our Leopard 45 sailing catamaran, we still love our boat and wouldn't trade it in for another.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:35 Chesapeake
03:58 Salon Refrigerator
07:40 Ceiling Panels in Port Berths
09:25 Cockpit Refrigerator
13:33 Second Clutch
15:30 Stanchion
17:40 Winches
19:15 Down the East Coast
20:24 Skylight
22:15 Mainsail Halyard
24:21 Topping Lift
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Пікірлер: 110

@mattclark6482 4 ай бұрын

You're incredibly understanding. Certainly boats always require maintenance and issues with the fridges and such are perfectly reasonable, but issues with the strength of the winch base and autopilot are not minor things. Those could be life threatening if it happen in the middle of the ocean.

@vt96 15 күн бұрын

Late to viewing your content. Timeless and yet super relevant. Thanks

@tonyfromaus7855 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent info. Thanks so much for the detailed sharing. I have a dream of owning a 45 one day. It’s wonderful to see the closeup views of the bits and bobs that make that lovely vessel. Hope you have many more days of fun than work.

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

So glad you enjoyed it Tony and hope you can make your dream of boat ownership a reality. After two years, we've found that most of the kinks have been fixed. Mostly just maintenance and wear issues now.

@jlb9074 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for this series - it’s been helpful on a few levels. I’ve been having the ceiling panel issue on my boat, and I will try your solution. It’s also helpful because I’m in the process of deciding which cat to buy, and what to expect when I take delivery. So this is super helpful. Lastly, please don’t let the envious trolls - who don’t know you, don’t know your story, don’t know the sacrifices you’ve made - get you down by trying to shame you. They’re generally very miserable people and it’s sad that they somehow take pleasure in diminishing the accomplishments of others. Thanks again!

@LabMariner 2 жыл бұрын

So glad you enjoyed it! Hope it helps potential boat owners know what to expect even with a new boat. Good luck choosing the cat for your needs!

@valtracy17 3 жыл бұрын

We are in the process of surveying our boat next week. Ours is a 2005 Fountaine Pagut Lavezzi 40. Watching this makes me a bit Leary of boat purchase. We've never owned a boat before so praying all goes smoothly. We understand a boat is a constant fix job (our home we've had for 3 years has been the same lol). I just pray for no huge expenses the first year if we can get away with it.

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

Keeping my fingers crossed that the survey goes well 😀! Glad you're going in with your eyes wide open that there will likely be things to fix in your future - hopefully nothing big for the first year though.

@finstor3386 Жыл бұрын

This is why I never owned a boat. I'm fairly handy but dont like the work, I just dont have the patience. Im also 6"4 with big hands and getting into these tight place is next to impossible.

@ThoughtfulWander 3 жыл бұрын

Thinking about getting back into sailing after sailing sailboards and a small sailing dingy.. Brought me back to reality watching these videos lol. Thank you for the candid video! Still might but have to think this through and plan it out so got lots of work ahead

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

I learned to sail on small dinghies, sailboards, and small keelboats. Our Leopard 45 is a very different experience - great for longer term cruising. But, with the additional comforts come more things that can go wrong. Definitely something that you have to be ready for and at times it feels like a pretty steep learning curve but it's been a great experience.

@johndone5906 3 жыл бұрын

Great video, you have no idea how lucky you are to have a Stephanie who knows what a bowline is let alone being able to tie one upside down at the top of the mast.

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

So glad you enjoyed it! Fun climbing up the mast though tying a bowline at the top was a challenge🙂. I'm good with the sailing knots though Jim's knot skills are far superior - he's the Eagle scout🙂!

@2watertight 3 жыл бұрын

Great videos of issues experienced thank you and for all the warranty claims with your vessel Leopard appears to have been proactive in rectifying issues, huge commendation to this company.

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching! Yes, Leopard was very proactive in helping us to remedy some of the known warranty issues: providing standard operating procedures for fixes and reimbursing for the costs.

@sandorvegh9847 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing. We just got home from the Annapolis boat show, and this answered loads of questions.

@LabMariner 2 жыл бұрын

So glad it was ;helpful! All new boats have problems and it's good to be prepared. We love our Leopard 45 and wouldn't trade her for another.

@viltur83 2 жыл бұрын

never bin a boat owner but im just baffled how many issues you had with a new boat. it sounds like your talking about an old used boat

@LabMariner 2 жыл бұрын

Similar to new house builds, this seems to be the industry trend with new boats as well. Demand is high so buyers are willing to put up with more problems.

@NatureDogRealms 3 жыл бұрын

Thankyou for sharing! Great videos💖

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching!

@NotOnYourLife 3 жыл бұрын

Nicely done explanation of the issues you have had. Boats are in a constant state of degradation, so staying on top of it is crucial, as you are doing.

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! We've definitely learned a lot!

@kristinamariesailing4559 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing the REAL STORY!

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! Dog hugs to you and Lee from the labmaraners 🐶🐶🐶!

@rontaylor2502 5 күн бұрын

I watch a lot of these posts being a retired Marine Engineer at 79 years. Most of the problems are either poor design and more so a complete lack of manufacturing quality control. Saving on material, labour and selling a vessel that when you leave port its good by Dick, shocking.

@briancochran8356 Жыл бұрын

Stainless steel may not 'rust', but it can corrode. Watch out for these factors: 1: Strong Chlorides Can Cause Pitting Corrosion in Stainless Steel. ... 2: Bimetallic/Galvanic Corrosion from Welding Dissimilar Stainless Steel Alloys. ... 3: Transplanting of Plain Iron or Steel onto Stainless Steels. ... 4: Applying Temperature Extremes to Stainless Steel.

@MANANGKIKAYVLOG 3 жыл бұрын

Wow beautiful boat, love it. A new friend here.

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@chanelthepomspitz4551 3 жыл бұрын

You guys are great 👍🏻

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! Dog hugs to Chanel from the labmaraners 🐶🐶🐶!

@ajsonstegard5729 3 жыл бұрын

Just love how thorough you guys are! Would you have done anything differently during the commissioning process to help reduce the issues you are experiencing now? Do you have any advice for the the someday hopeful owners???

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

While we were doing after-market commissioning, we stayed on the boat for a month. We asked a lot of questions, watched what was being installed, and really tried to learn the boat. We also subscribed to the FB pages for Leopard catamarans and Leopard 45 several years before taking ownership (we had a 2 year wait after making our deposit). While waiting, we read the posts on the FB page from other owners so we had an idea of the problems we could expect and how other owners were dealing with those problems. A lot of the issues didn't surface until our first big sail (900 miles up the East Coast) - the boat was moved from South Africa by a transport ship so this was her first real sail - which was the first time she was put under stress. We were very fortunate to have a captain along during that first long sail who was familiar with the boat and could help us to identify some of the issues.

@brianbuchanan2414 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent information, should help on some stress

@LabMariner 2 жыл бұрын

Hi Brian! Thanks for watching!

@marscan1 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah Stephanie great work on the mast

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

I always enjoy a new experience and going up the mast was definitely a new experience 🙂!

@richardosman6825 2 жыл бұрын

Jim and Stephanie, Thanks for the great info. Just to clarify, were you able to get the winch reinforcement covered by R and C? Thanks.

@LabMariner 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching Richard! R&C did cover the materials and labor associated with reinforcement of the winches. Dog hugs from the labmaraners 🐶🐶🐶!

@tancolvis5240 2 жыл бұрын

Great info of those leopard flaws workmanship sucks

@LabMariner 2 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed the video!

@ioandragulescu6063 2 жыл бұрын

I am not a boat person but ... I wonder if the manufacturer ever thought of building 2 or 3 of these, take them out for extensive see trials and start noting down the problems. I get some of them are boat specific and come from "production line" issues but a lot of them just scream of poor engineering design, no two ways about it. Of course, they can always go for the "customers are our beta testers" bussiness model, which would be kinda'f shitty.

@LabMariner 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! After three years we still love our boat and wouldn't trade it for another.

@ioandragulescu6063 2 жыл бұрын

@@LabMariner warts and all :)

@jackdbur 2 жыл бұрын

Replace standard Velcro with VELCRO Brand with Snap-Lock Technology | Semi-Permanent Mounting, ALFA-LOK Fasteners. For critical masthead lines go for abrasion resistant Aramid/Spectra/Dyneema double braid line. Price point is not your friend.

@LabMariner 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the helpful tips!

@IndieChefster 2 жыл бұрын

They should have flown out with a replacement fridge. This is absurd. I will certainly look for another brand rather than lagoon or leopard, they have not impressed with design or aftersales support.

@LabMariner 2 жыл бұрын

We're very happy with our boat and after 3 years, wouldn't trade her in for another.

@nauy 2 жыл бұрын

Why would Leopard do that? These guys are apparently very happy with the shoddy workmanship and countless preventable screwups from the factory. It’s not just Leopard. Most production boat companies are like this, because the buyers are putting up with it.

@jlb9074 2 жыл бұрын

Would be curious to know which brand you land on. Likely buying in the next year, and I’m a little shocked at what I’m seeing for such an expensive boat.

@ston3kill3r 3 жыл бұрын

Lucky that you haven't got the issues that quite afew Lagoon owners have with their bulkheads separating or not glassed in properly from the factory

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@TheDivegeek 3 жыл бұрын

True, though LabMariner has a Leopard 45, not a Lagoon 450, so there's no reason to assume that a different manufacturer would have the same problem.

@trentspencer7991 3 жыл бұрын

How great are Volcom clothes value for money on the water haha I wear them as well.

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

Yes - Jim is a fan of the Volcom line😀!

@rszkodzi 2 жыл бұрын

You mentioned sealing a bolan knot at the top of your mast. What did you do to "seal" the bolan knot?

@LabMariner 2 жыл бұрын

After cutting the bowline, I dropped the halyard line down and Jim cut the frayed end off and resealed the line (by heating the polyester line). We then hoisted it back up and I retied the bowline.

@mwm1960 Жыл бұрын

Cutting line and knotting is temporary fix. The problem is shackle permitting halyard chafing on the mast top bracket with sharp edges. Replace shackle with long pin thru the 2 bracket ears and rounding bracket edges. The halyard is passed over the pin with no chafing on bracket. Long explanation but looking it's obvious what the rigger should have done.

@kevinbyrne5037 Жыл бұрын

Considering that you would be spending over $1 Million for a new boat it’s truly disheartening that the quality control is so abysmal, why not look at a used boat 2 or 3 years old and save some drams and some cash.

@313barrygmail 3 жыл бұрын

it called a hose clamp

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the information.

@scottkircher2262 2 жыл бұрын

Are your fuel tanks aluminum or plastic?

@LabMariner 2 жыл бұрын

Our fuel tanks are plastic.

@tancolvis5240 2 жыл бұрын

North n south poles are melting faster then what predicted ... sea level might rise above what stated without the waves of counts the highs of waves it be unpredictable

@LabMariner 2 жыл бұрын

Interesting thought.

@2HYPR 10 күн бұрын

"Reality of a new LEOPARD boat" -

@stevesteel6066 2 жыл бұрын

Glad you can afford a new boat. Most of us can’t and just dream of your life, yet you beg on KZfaq with adverts! Stop selling! You are a salesman’s dream!

@LabMariner 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching! FYI: YT places advertisements on all videos now whether the channel is monetized or not. You need to take this complaint up with YT 😀.

@marktaylor484 3 жыл бұрын

Blimey Riley !!

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@Gieza-Brake-Pahl 3 жыл бұрын

So would you recommend someone who has zero engineering ability to avoid buying a boat?

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

I would never discourage someone from buying a boat😀! If you don't have any fix-it skills you'll need to plan ahead to find places that can do the work for you - just in case - and factor those costs into your budget. And, try to watch what they're doing and ask questions if possible so you can learn some of those skills yourself.

@tancolvis5240 2 жыл бұрын

Leopard will hv their reputation discounted the handover n owner check for flaws n after service sucks.

@LabMariner 2 жыл бұрын

After 3 years, we're still very pleased with our Leopard 45 and wouldn't exchange her for another.

@tancolvis5240 2 жыл бұрын

@@LabMariner hv u tried balance catamaran?

@sopark434 3 жыл бұрын

Slap these boat together as fast as they can with no real quality control. Got it.

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@scottgoode9874 3 жыл бұрын

This is really not good. Your new home is very very expensive, I do hope that leopard helped you rectify ALL these issues??

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

Leopard was very supportive in providing information we could give to the boatyards we used to fix most of the problems. And, most of the work was covered under the warranty.

@scottgoode9874 3 жыл бұрын

@@LabMariner thank you for sharing this information. Hope you didn’t think I was being nosey? Just curious and amazed how much you have had to rectify. It’s not a cheap home! It’s a beautiful home! Thanks again.

@enzoamaral9401 3 жыл бұрын

I think you two should be grateful for all these flaws, if it weren't for them, I believe you wouldn't be together. Take the hint

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

We definitely learned a lot over those first two years. As new boat owners, these problems have helped us to better understand our boat and feel more comfortable about tackling any future challenges we may find🙂.

@fritz3388 3 жыл бұрын

Your Vitrifigo refrigeration combo construction faults sounds like a Chinese copycat theft gone wrong, because of too little technical understanding.

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! After we finally got everything in correctly, it worked well. The freezer isn't frost free so we'll always have some complications with frost build up.

@nauy 2 жыл бұрын

Yes, blame the Chinese for swapping out a marine fridge for a cheapo RV fridge at the factory.

@matriximaster 3 жыл бұрын

Any boat owners ever own a house? If you own a house you also need to.maintenance of your cars and your lawn. Everything needs attention including the human body.

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@cpenn458 3 жыл бұрын

Really disappointed in the build quality you are seeing. It almost looks like the bean counters have taken over the production floor at Leopard, not unlike what Lagoon 450 owners are starting to see with their boats starting to lose structural integrity. I am upset, because I can't afford a Privilege or an Antares boat, and it looks like Lagoon and Leopard are racing to the bottom.

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

We still love our boat and after almost three years, we wouldn't buy another. Fortunately, the fixes that we've seen have not been structural - more just inconveniences. Our point wasn't to complain about any particular manufacturer or builder. It was to raise awareness that boat ownership isn't all beautiful anchorages and calm seas - there are going to be challenges and you need to be prepared to address those challenges.

@trentspencer7991 3 жыл бұрын

I'm overseeing two Leopard 45's in the Cape Town marina right now. One I own. They are absolutely nothing like a flexible Lagoon, any and all issues have been fixed so far under warranty as well at no cost to me. Leopard/R&C don't just fix something that was overlooked they upgrade it. The experience isn't far removed from what a custom boat builder offers if you pick up in Cape Town. Every single issue in this video has now been rectified on current hulls thanks to owners like these sharing their experience so I could have a better boat.

@calvinhenshaw2147 3 жыл бұрын

Leopard is starting to show it inners. think they have lost the quality and just about making sales. the older boats are falling apart. its a same after all that money you spent its sad.

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

We still love our boat and after almost three years, we wouldn't buy another. Just trying to raise awareness about what boat ownership is really like - it's not all beautiful anchorages - and it can be a bit of a learning curve for those new to it.

@DB-ot2cr 3 жыл бұрын

I thought this was a sailing channel...but...after 2 years of living your dream life on a brand new yacht, which many people can only dream of and are not as priviledged as you and will never be able to do what you are doing, you're using this platform to shame Leopard Yachts, instead of being thankful for the priviledged life your are living. I'm sure other yacht brands indeed also have issues, even the non production yachts, which the owners choose not to broadcast on youtube, as you do. Instead, they enjoy what 99% of people can not afford to enjoy. Why don't you rather appreciate the priviledged life you have and the priviledge to own such a beautiful yacht. Shame on you!

@LabMariner 3 жыл бұрын

I doubt that providing an honest account of two years of fixes that we made to our boat warrants shaming. But, if shaming us makes you feel better about yourself then we'll take it on the chin. Our point wasn't to complain about any particular manufacturer or builder - which we clearly state in our video. It was to raise awareness that boat ownership isn't all beautiful anchorages and calm seas - there are going to be challenges and you need to be prepared to address those challenges.

@DB-ot2cr 3 жыл бұрын

@@LabMariner As I stated...I thought it's a sailing channel. I know your point was not to complain about any particular brand, but let's face it, you own a Leopard. What you are portrying is that Leopard is a really bad choice of yacht. You are living the LIFE. Why not show that, instead of telling of all the faults you have with your yacht. Gosh be thankful for what you have. And by the way, where did I "shame" you? Rather be thankful of your priviledged life!

@TheDivegeek 3 жыл бұрын

@@DB-ot2cr I don't think they're saying that Leopard is a bad choice, in fact they've made it abundantly clear that they're *not* saying that. Did you watch the first part? What they said is that these boats are made in small numbers, unlike most of the mass-produced things we buy, which means that the manufacturers don't work out all of the kinks, and that buyers must expect problems. In the first video they mentioned that Leopard was quite good about paying for the fixes. After watching these videos, I'm still thinking about buying a Leopard. I don't think I'll buy a Lagoon, though... because the problems that Parlay Revival and others have found with those boats really do make me worried. Serious structural design flaws are very different from the mostly-cosmetic issues LabMariner has found with their Leopard.

@DB-ot2cr 3 жыл бұрын

@@TheDivegeek I hear you mate and yeah, I have watched the first part as well. Personally I think Leopard 45 is a stunning yacht and the 42 really amazed me with the "volume feel" of the 45.

@seanwilson6521 3 жыл бұрын

Wow, that was a sleeper. Thank you for your showing the reality of ownership.