Leopard 50 fails, Atlantic crossing - part 2

Part 2 of 3 Leopard 50, fails that we experienced during our Atlantic ocean crossing.
The leaking issues .. You can say we experienced that sinking feeling.

[@MrJohnBos]

The drain for the gas grill absolutely blew my mind. WTF were they thinking? I have seen some pretty insane installations in my life but this one wins the #1 stupid award. Unbelievable! The number of leaks in this boat is outrageous and totally unacceptable. Any potential buyer of a Leopard catamaran needs to be very careful.

[@sailing_utopia]

Thanks for your feedback. We agree

[@christinbetween]

This is not a grease trap pipe. It's intended for water egress, not food waste, oils, or grease. Unless your cockpit is equipped with an enclosure, the area where this grill sits is a VERY wet area in foul weather or rough seas, and collects a ton of water. Water that needs to go somewhere. So Leopard, like every manufacturer with a similar grill station setup, built in a mechanism to account for water drainage. In this case, they routed it very well too. A straight shot down (no bends, no traps) and directly to a pump area. This isn't for a grease-trap.

[@randolphrussell1751]

This video clearly demonstrates the incompetence of the builder. This is not only shoddy workmanship but almost criminal engineering. Avoid this manufacturer like the plague.

[@anna-tn2ww]

Yep!

[@sailing_utopia]

Thanks for your comment. We are hoping that they show themselves to be better in some way

[@paulgillard2258]

Basically putting the crew at risk.

[@kevinbyrne5037]

From this information and others, I would never, ever buy a Leopard. There is no excuse for the shockingly poor workmanship putting the crew at risk.

[@sailorpete136]

Looks like Leopard are relying on the quality of the vessels they built 10 years ago for their current sales. Turned me right off them after comparing them to Lagoon over the last 5 years and Leopard coming up trumps every time. As the owner of a 50’ mono and looking to upgrade to a cat in the next few years I found this video very enlightening. Thank you for that.

[@Leosarebetter]

So far I have seen on YT, every major brand of cat manufacturers with horrendous build/quality issue. So disappointing.

[@sailing_utopia]

Hey Pete, thanks for your comment. Stick around, there is a lot of very interesting stuff to come, especially to do with boat fit outs

[@justwayne4785]

@@LeosarebetterHaving issues with quality is one thing, what really disgusts me the the after service they give with someone spending around 1 million plus.

[@rbnhood39]

Come on Leopard you guys can do better than this. Where’s your quality control?

[@smc419]

After watching what you and Travel Sketch has been though with Leopard I would never recommend or buy one of there new boats. Travel Sketch, who bought a new Leopard 45 has been on the hard in Trinidad for over a year fixing warranty issues, that they had to fight to get done.

[@sailing_utopia]

Thanks so much for your comment. Absolutely, Travel Sketch have had it far worse than us. It is shocking, to say the least. Ours is bad enough. I cannot even begin to imagine what Travel Sketch has endured. Your concern and caring is sincerely appreciated. Thank you

[@trentspencer7991]

That BBQ drain is just stupid.

[@sailing_utopia]

We know, right! How would you handle it? . . . . . We’re thinking to mount a catcher underneath? Problem is we think that thin tube will eventually block

[@jasonmcintosh2632]

At least you have the ability to post these issues for everyone to see.

[@sailing_utopia]

Hey Jason, thanks mate. There is a lot more interesting stuff to come. Especially useful information to related to options and fit-outs.

[@jasonmcintosh2632]

@@sailing_utopia People and companies need to be held accountable if they're going to improve anything. That video "United Breaks Guitars" was great... You're making the world better for all of us by holding Leopard to account.

[@biggles6160]

Leppard quality has really fallen. Thank you for your posting clearly Leppard need to properly respond and i look forward to see their solutions and design recomendation recalls..

[@sailing_utopia]

Thank you for your comment and support. We will keep you up dated as we progress with Leopard

[@SailingNahoa]

So disappointing but not surprising. Wish more owners would come out of the closet about these manufacturers. And Action Yachting did a number on Nahoa as well. Still cleaning up from Dave’s contractors that he takes no responsibility for

[@sailing_utopia]

Hey Ben and Ash, absolutely ! . . .a huge percentage of the issues on this boat, including the blatantly shoddy job on the diesel heaters, was Action Yachting ! Specifically Dave's guy Paul. And you are correct: they take ZERO responsibility for their work. All they take is your money. I have no idea why Leopard continue to use them. Everyone has the same problems with Action Yachting. Except that apparently, if one mentions an individuals name in a negative light, they can approach lawyers to apply to have the video taken down, I have absolutely no problem with total transparency. I prefer to call a spade a spade. We hope the four of you are well. Stax of love, Melinda, Jorja and Kevin 🙂

[@MVEudora]

Recently subscribed, Mindblowing the BBQ drain and the number of issues with the bilge pumps returning water into the boat. I do hope they get fixed. Remember proper plumbing is the solution... please do not just add more non-return valves/check valves as it does not solve the problem, and is actually very dangerous to have your boat reverse flood when these non-return valves fail. You should have proper anti-syphon valves installed at the highest point possible to prevent this issue.

[@sailing_utopia]

Thanks so much for your support. With the BBQ drain, we’re thinking to mount a catcher underneath? Problem is we think that thin tube will eventually block. Regarding the bilge pumps, we are thinking bigger loops in the pipe

[@USA4thewin]

wait ,, this was Purchased as a new boat ,,,, Dude ,, am so sorry and thank you for sharing all of this

[@lucastisdale2667]

thank you for posting

[@sailing_utopia]

Thanks for your support Lucas

[@Drucio1]

Lol thanks informative. Just crossed leopard out of my list.

[@sailing_utopia]

Thanks for your support. They are very slow heavy boats, the company is clearly having troubles but the layout concept is great. Hopefully, the company come right one day and also that they start to make their Leopards less for charter and more for sailing, then they will be the best boat on the market, in its category

[@billhanna8838]

WOW a dry boats a good boat . Good luck .

[@sailing_utopia]

Hopefully, we will get there Bill but it would be nicer if it were with Leopards support. Thanks for yours

[@kenurquhart2061]

It would assumed that this Cat was the first one to be built by a bunch of mates who were just having a go at building one. SHOCKING

[@jackwickman2403]

While the grill grease drain probably won't sink the boat, it could be a fire hazard. Since the grease will cool and solidify as it flows down the hose, the hose will quickly clog. Some liquid fat will make it to the end of the hose at first, but I'd expect the clogging to block it after a few uses of the grill and it will be a real pain to try to clear that long S shaped hose. The grease trap collection tank/bottle should be in the cabinet directly below the grill with a straight, vertical pipe running to it. It can then be unclogged by pushing a rod down through the pipe from inside the grill. This really needs to be a short and straight shot to the tank as it will need to be cleaned often. The tank and pipe should be metal in case of a grease fire, not plastic. I see a valve in the hose down in the engine room. If this is normally closed and only opened to drain the grease into a container for disposal, then I'd expect the hose to be clogged by solidified fat and almost nothing to come out when you open the valve. Maybe if you only grill fish and never beef this will be OK, and only drain this after the engine has been running for a few hours so the hose will be nice and warm. That might help. It will be interesting to hear the spin used to explain how this is supposed to work from the grill installer. This install appears totally intentional as there is a printed label marking the valve as "BBQ DRAIN". On the plus side they did use dual hose clamps. The grill is a minor issue compared to those diesel heater exhausts. Having them leaking exhaust gasses into the interior of the boat could kill you. This is especially true in cold weather when you close up all the vents to keep the heat inside. If seawater gets blown backwards into the heater combustion chambers, worst when they are not heating, the burn chambers could rust through and leak exhaust even if the exhaust pipes are intact. Carbon monoxide detectors are a must. A careful study of the heater install is advised. This requires just as much care as the engine exhaust system. Both must work properly and are not trivial engineering challenges. Backward facing scoops over the discharge ports can deflect heavy spray and reduce water backflow, but air pressure can still push small drops up the discharge lines and cause problems. This is most true of ports located in the tunnel between the hulls. In rough seas, as waves pass through the tunnel, a surprisingly high air pressure can blow puffs of wind up the exhaust tubes. Backward facing scoops can reduce but not totally eliminate this. I wish you every success in solving the many problems that you are facing. Despite your difficulties I still want to be you. Onward to victory!

[@GonzoMallorca]

Most boats are finished within the first season of cruising ;-)

[@mwalden3265]

Shocking, the company shouldn't have a licence to operate, putting people's life at risk and profiteering from this shoddy workman.

[@sailing_utopia]

Agree. Hopefully they come around. Thank you so much for your support

[@NoelG-IRE]

It’s almost like this boat left the dock without being properly water tested or surveyed. If I had it surveyed and properly tested and this happened after 3 months, I wouldn’t be asking for a warranty claim. I’d be asking for my money back

[@masonave4543]

Just found your channel, subscribed. Sorry too hear about all the problems you are experiencing. Q. Do you know where in the manufacturing line Utopia was to Liger ( Travel Sketch ) ? Is the "he who must not be named " the common denominator between you and Trent? Sterkte

[@anna-tn2ww]

I was trying to work out the same thing but I think I heard that there's different factories for them?

[@sailing_utopia]

Hey, dankie vir you woorde. Trents boat was delivered 12 months, almost to the day, before ours But they came off two different lines. We think there are 2 Leopard 45 lines and one Leopard 50 line The ‘he who should not be named’ is just one bad cog in the machine. He is just a symptom of the main problem

[@1detroitryder]

Why on earth are the exhaust so low to the waterline. Seems like they should be much higher

[@offpro]

Liked and subscribed. 👍

[@johnhayford5946]

No isolation valves on the outlets/inlets. Mad. Every hole in the hull on my mono below and above the waterline has an isolation valve.

[@trentspencer7991]

The pumps should not have check valves according to their instructions. A loop should be run well above the waterline that waves can't overcome and back down to the electric bilge pump. Manual and electric bilge pumps should have dedicated suction and dump pipes and not run through each other. R&C have been told.

[@danielboughton3624]

I just replaced a pump and it had a valve included with the pump! For sure there must be a loop and with some antisiphon valve. Relying on the valve to keep the sea out is mind boggling.

[@trentspencer7991]

@@danielboughton3624 Depends on the pump, mine specifically states do not use a one way valve. Anti siphon is different.

[@sailing_utopia]

Thanks for your comment. Regarding the bilge pumps, we are thinking exactly that. Put loops in the pipe in the bilges and slightly enlarge the loops in the engine compartments. The water ingress in the engine compartments were not quite as bad as in the bilges

[@paulgilliland2992]

FYI we ditched any worm drive style clamps on our boat and installed all Oetiker stepless fasteners instead. Much better solution than poorly made hose clamps.

[@williambunting803]

Wow, so much shonkey work. You should have a shower type Jabsco pump to suck down to fully dry, and only use centrifugal pumps for high volume flow. I have 3 different bilge systems on my 45’ boat, 2 are 13 lpm chamber type pumps, and the emergency pump is a KPM Marine 200 lpm centrifical pump. All switches for these are at the nav desk. On a boat that size if you take it into cold climates you will have condensation issues and be pumping out condensation on a daily basis. The long and the short of it is through that it is a big boat and these are small problems relatively.

[@sailing_utopia]

Hey William, thanks for your comment. We LOVE the idea about the shower type Jabsco pump to get totally dry bilges. No smell!!. They should definitely install them but are you saying that we can? My email is [e-mail] We would be so grateful for your advice on this

[@William-kl8dp]

Before we bought our used Lagoon 450F we lusted over the Leopard 50 as our dream catamaran. After seeing this...OMG...no.

[@sailing_utopia]

Thank you for your comment. We were originally going to go for a Lagoon over in Australia. How's your Lagoon working out? Hope well? Hope not like our Leopard

[@danielboughton3624]

A catch can there under grill is a geod idea. Maybe that drain is for water that makes its way into the grill more than for grease. I think I'd keep that valve closed or cover the grill well when not in use to keep water out of the pan. A good rain will overflow any bottle you put in there.

[@sailing_utopia]

Thanks for your support and your suggestion . . . . . we’re definitely thinking to mount a catcher underneath, although we think that the thin tube will eventually block. We hadn't thought of water but so far, rain and other water doesn't get in there. See Jack Wickmans comment above. We think he is spot on. Stay tuned Daniel, we will report on how we track 🙂

[@christinbetween]

The BBQ drain is not for oil and food waste. Thats not a grease trap. Thats for water drain. The grill area is subject to lots of water when at sea. Be it from both rain or spray. That drain is to give the water that finds its way inside the BBQ area a place to drain. And Leopard, rightfully directs this runoff to the nearest pump. Which in this case happens to be in the engine compartment. Just the size of the pipe and length of the run alone (not counting the materials the drain hose is made from), combined with the area on the boat it originates from, should give a really good indication what the pipe is intended for. Besides, if you do what you're supposed to do with grills and clean them after each use, you should never have a situation where grease and oil drains through this pipe. I can guarantee you there's another place on this grill designed and made to trap a small amount of food waste (grease, oil, etc) thats intended to be cleaned at least regularly. Every electric grill has something. Your grill waste products are intended to drain into the same area as the water is.

[@jcoghill2]

Cant believe Leopard even gave you the boat. They weren't finished. Become a thorn in their side and want to get rid of you.

[@RichardPhillips10]

With the diesel heater exhaust, you have the tubing and a 'silencer' - you *must* make absolutely sure that this baffle / silencer is appropriate for inside the boat as most that are supplied are designed for fitting underneath vans and they leak CO. People have been killed by these. Remove, fill with water and with a hand over the inlet and outlet see whether it leaks: if it does, you must replace with proper marine grade. The pipe is also not marine grade which makes me think the whole setup might be dangerous. Fit a CO monitor close by as well. This whole video is shocking

[@leos8720]

Jesus... they sold you a sinking boat...they should pay full restoration and psicol.dameges😮... leopard is out of my list

[@richardweil854]

trop c'est trop !!!! courage ( depuis la France)

[@faircompetition1203]

Have the diesel heaters checked by a rep from the maker of the heater. It clearly was not installed by a qualified tech and there may be other issues lurking .

[@seawench555]

Absolutely incompetent workmanship, this is putting people's lives at risk.

[@sailing_utopia]

You are so correct !! Thank you for your support

[@williambunting803]

Pink oily fluid is usually hydraulic oil. Ahh gas strut. They have hydraulic oil. They must be installed with the rod on the lower end. Gas Struts are fairly cheap. The alternators were probably due to charging Lithium Batteries. You must have properly spec’d regulators to protect the alternators from the huge load that Lithium can apply. This on is a big issue.

[@sailing_utopia]

Hi William, I have been stuck on my backside on an office chair for 40 years, so I didn't think of the colour of the fluid 😞 It turns out that the alternators required a 12v feed but the Leopard contractor wired them to full 48v feed, without stepping it down. To be fair, so far the alternator fix is being reasonably well supported by Leopard. We will report back on all Leopards reactions, or lack of reactions, to every issue. It s all well documented. Thanks so much for your support William. Stay tuned . . . . 😐

[@chrisstratton987]

Wow. Just unbelievable.

[@geofferyrobertson6608]

you would have been better off getting a hurricane damaged yacht the same as Colin from Parlay Revival did ... at least you would know it needs fixing and when you fixed it you would known it now to be better than new plus a hell of a lot cheaper than a new one

[@jlb473]

Thanks to let us inform if we can trust Leopard company

[@sailing_utopia]

Hi there, thanks for your comment. Right now, "NO" . . . . . but greater things have been known to change 🙂 Stay tuned. Thank you for your support

[@lazzj4995]

Have u been around and tightened all up a bit as u must get into a cycle of in initial period of ownership? Still some amazing fails by manufacturing party. Wishing u fairer sailing for remainder of crossing

[@faircompetition1203]

With sail drives or a dripless seal and a deck stepped mast the bilge should be dry . For my boat and the previous one if there was any water at all in the bilge there was a leak that needed to be found . I would be driven crazy by a wet bilge boat with a dripping shaft seal or down the mast

[@briancochran8356]

all these through hull fittings should have internal backing plates that are big enough to allow the fitting to be threaded and tightend. Also that woul allow sealant to be used on inside of hull. All hoses need to be double clamped. I orefer the solid bandclamps rather than the perferated ones. Fittings or connectors have to be solid enough not to colllapse when teh clamp is tightened. This appears to be a case of poor desig, and shody or cheap hardware along with careless workmanship.

[@sailing_utopia]

Yes, We hadn't thought of that. Of course they should have backing plates! You are absolutely correct about their being so much shoddy work. Some of it looks like it has been done by five year old's. Those diesel heaters done by Leopards contractor is the prime case.

[@gulfstream-tvstudios9546]

oh my God, what for a nightmare on a brandnew expensive boat ... 😢

[@sailing_utopia]

Thank you for your support. You have no idea exactly what a nightmare these issues made that ocean crossing. When in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, sketchy Starlink and a bad attitude from the Leopard Sales guy. . . . . It made the trip hell !

[@DOUBLEDEFENSE]

You bought leopard don’t be that surprised 😂

[@jackwickman2403]

Which brand would you choose to avoid these unpleasant surprises? Who's a good builder?

[@Leosarebetter]

​@@jackwickman2403 So far I have seen on YT, every major brand of cat manufacturers with horrendous build/quality issue. So disappointing. If I were after a cat nowadays, I would look for a late model second hand cat, then get two independent marine surveyors to do two separate surveys, and look closely for dry glass/fittings/fixtures/hull integrity, electrical etc and then wear the owner down on price from there. At least you wont kill $ on a new cat that turns into a pile of pus.

[@sailing_utopia]

Thanks for your comment. We had no idea that we could possibly have such a bad experience. Stick around, we haven't let on to even a small part of the whole saga yet. They kept us on the dock for 13 months, 3 weeks before the end of warranty, while they dragged out their repairs. Thanks for your support

[@user-gg6om8vp4f]

Did you just hop in and go. Did you buy this cat used

[@danielboughton3624]

They are talking factory and warranty which means new boat

[@user-gg6om8vp4f]

@danielboughton3624 good to know I would never buy one ever.

[@sailing_utopia]

Unfortunately Daniel Boughton is correct. On tope of these from our crossing, there are another 200+ problems on top of these. Leopard kept us in Cape Town for 13 months dragging their heels trying to fix them. We'll be showing them. Stay tuned. Thanks so much for your support

[@w4vp9kf]

Leopard. The Boeing of sailing, along with all the names they use in the South African plant.

[@sailing_utopia]

Oh my gosh! . . . . surely not 😞 Thanks for your comment and support . . . . hopefully one day they can call themselves that.

[@faircompetition1203]

The bilge pump outlet should be up high so as to not go under water anyway .

[@geofferyrobertson6608]

pink/red is normally transmission fluid

[@IvanMidwing]

R&C, what a shitty company....

[@sailing_utopia]

Hey Ivan, thanks for your support mate. It is looking that way ! We hope we are incorrect. Time will tell . . . .

[@justwayne4785]

NEVER trust the opinion of someone who says bilges should have water in them 😂 Can’t believe someone thinks that way.

[@liongod1000]

*_ As I mentioned in the previous vlog.......... The algorithms keep throwing up more and more LEOPARD cat problems.... the Old Gang that used to be the bosses are all gone and it seems like the shareholders are running the biz!! _*

[@turboturtle9083]

Was this a new yacht or a hurricane right off that was cosmetically repaired and sold .....buyer beware ?

[@HannahS-zj3yv]

Says in the bio it was a new one which is outrageous - between this boat and the Leopard 45 on Travel Sketch the builder has some serious quality issues they need to address...

[@sailing_utopia]

Absolutely. Until they change their tune, it really is still a case of buyer beware

[@horsesense6439]

Great design...pity about the quality. Seems the Q&A problem is systemic which is unacceptable.

[@sailing_utopia]

You are totally correct. Q&A, Q&A, Q&A . . . . . it cannot be overstated ! However, it gets back to company attitude and therefore a management issue. Thanks for your support

[@geofferyrobertson6608]

can't believe the bbq episode

[@exkinky]

Yon need a degree in marine repair to sail these days.

[@TrevPulver]

There's a lot of shoddy work on these high price catamarans.

[@sailing_utopia]

Hey Trev, you are totally correct. We are living proof. The worst is yet to come. We were kept in Cape Town for more than 13 months while they dragged out 200+ repairs. We will be going through the full list . Stay tuned. Thanks for your support

[@ericdalli2]

Water coming in to the bilge means the boat is sinking. How fast or how slow it is coming determines how fast the boat will completely sink. Unacceptable.

[@BTCxyz369]

Production Yachts....😂

[@sailing_utopia]

Thanks for your comment. See Travel Sketches recent video (April 24). He really hit the nail on the head when he said that the two biggest lies that they tell you are: [1] We have never had this problem; you are the first [2] This is normal on a production boat

[@arnehaieschild343]

Shocking and abominable attention to the details by the builders/installer's, very boring...hope they make right with yourselves...

[@sailing_utopia]

Thanks so much for your support and concern. We will keep you 100% updated as to how they respond. So far it is not looking good

[@trentspencer7991]

If you can prove a salt leak above the engine, R&C should minimum pay for a warranty engine detail by a Yanmar service center and hope it is just a small leak.

[@feaver859]

Hope you have better ouck than travel sketch with their cat.

[@sailing_utopia]

Oh my gosh. Travel Sketch are having a ten times worse time than us. Ours has been a living hell, we cannot imagine what travel Sketch have had to endure. At least we are at anchor now. They are still stuck on the hard with the boat in an awful state. They have been treated shockingly

[@geofferyrobertson6608]

fancy having to pay over 1 million US to be treated this way

[@Frog13799]

Diesel heaters are not standard on leopards, you should be blaming the aftermarket installer, a self tapping screw secures the rudder cap, who is the idiot using a heat gun on the top delrin rudder bearing? The bilge pump doesnt get the last bit of water, its always wet in the bilge, the manual pump takes out a bit more, you have multiple sensors that tell you if you have water in the bilge.The biggest problem with leopards is owners who don't sea trial vessels, install a ton of unnecessary crap on them and are to cheap to hire an EXPERIENCED delivery skipper to solve the issues ASAP without all the drama.

[@albertofourie3294]

Absolutely, shameful putting owner's/crews lives at risk! However, this is what you get when you buy "Made in South Africa"! How is it that Leopard is still in business?? There should be a class action against them.

[@christinbetween]

For your diesel heaters, why would they install an exhaust with an elbow joint through the hull and not an actual through-hull valve? So close to the waterline? The other through-hulls in this same area are all done properly, except the heater exhausts. Then to only sika one side? The people who installed the heaters are obviously not marine folks. If they were, then they intentionally took advantage of you. They installed this with residential/dry land practices. On dry land, this install would have been sufficient and probably lasted the entire life of the heating system. If they were marine people, and installed this this way anyway... they did so KNOWING this was going to VERY QUICKLY become a problem. Even non-boat guys like me can see this isn't gonna float for very long. AND then the joining hose? Again, this joint they did would work well in dry land. You will never find hoses joined like this in marine environments. The person that did this, has zero experience in the boat market, or they're 3rd world yard workers. This was NOT a Leopard install. Maybe Leopard contracted with the company that did the install, but it most certainly was not Leopard themselves that did it. Leopard would have at least used a plastic seacock or above-waterline through-hull, bedded with sikaflex on both sides. Then they would have at least used semi-proper (if even the cheapest proper) hosing. Neither was done in this diesel heater install. The company that installed these units knew you were in a rush to get off the dock, they knew they didn't have the proper fixings and fittings, and they knew you were not an experienced boat maintainer. So instead of owning their mistakes (if even made in ignorance or unintentional), and ordering the parts needed to do this properly (even at the risk of losing your business), they wanted the business anyway, and they took advantage of all these situations just to get their installation fee hoping it would last long enough to give them plausible deniability after the fact. OR They're of a similar mindset to the majority of the 3rd world and just threw it together with whatever they had on hand in order to make it work and worry about the problems later when they've become a problem.

[@geofferyrobertson6608]

Leapard yachts sound like their really shit workmanship and with no after sales help ... SHAME ON THEM !!

[@steveward287]

what did you expect? you are sailing a Leopard. You should have done your due diligence.

[@jackwickman2403]

Which brand of builder does due diligence lead you to choose? Who builds a good boat?

[@paulbeaver4724]

@@jackwickman2403 Look at Seawind they stand by their clients

[@sailing_utopia]

Hey Steve, perhaps Jack is correct but according to Leopard, Travel Sketch and Utopia are the exception, not the rule. What do you think? 😞

[@chrisiclickyou3947]

Shocking quality control. The bbq drain is disgusting, no serous thought or concern. It’s a very beautiful boat, but put together without real concern.

[@sailing_utopia]

Hey Chris, everything you have said is spot on. Thanks for your support. Let's see if they get serious

[@markblake2699]

Moral of story...don't buy Leopard😢

[@bill2292]

Your videos seem so negative and way over the top, and you omit several facts. Your 50 sat in Cape Town for about a year after handover and had plenty of time for things to go wrong (It's a boat). Much of the upfittment was done by third parties but overseen by Leopard. On my boat, both parties were hesitant to alter the alternators and much of the solar work that is now failing you, so I had mind done in FLA, it works flawlessly. Leopard is eager to help conduct warranty work, you just need to fill out a form. Leopard is way, way ahead of the other production builders in quality, and you leave a very bad impression. So sad you went this way.