New Leopard 46 with Hybrid Electric Drive!! In-Depth Review and Full Tour

[@NJ-Cathie]

Good job on the Captain’s license. That is incredible! I have been following from the beginning. You were so nervous at first. Now you are at the helm, checking the controls and enjoying a mug of coffee. You all have come so far in such a short time.

[@sailingsvoliluki6938]

@@NJ-Cathie thank you very much and yes we have learned a lot but I guess when you live and breath something for nearly 5 years straight, you get to know it extremely well. We are coming up on 20,000 nautical miles sailed together as a family. 😊

[@dune_tech]

Thanks so much for the video. This is a proper review with very in depth information. 👍👍👍

[@sailingsvoliluki6938]

@@dune_tech thanks. We were trying to get a clear understanding of the new hybrid electric drive system and wanted to pass it along to others. Glad you enjoyed the video and information covered 👍

[@4GH440]

I have a few questions. Given the highly publicized significant build and structural issues with Previous Leopards and subsequent horrendous warranty claims can you tell me why you did not address this with the salespeople or if you did what was said. Also given very technical electrical drive system I would have thought a good question would have been who and where can you get this stuff serviced. This is a alleged world cruiser - I want to know that I can repair the drives etc anywhere in the world. All I am seeing is a highly techincal boat that will require a professional to fix the most basic of issues.

[@SeaSential]

Own a leopard 50, sailed it direct out of the factory, arriving after 8k miles shakedown didn’t have any issues you speak of. We submitted warranty issues (window paint on a hatch and a mast conduit that came loose months after arriving in usa) I know of one 45 that had a lot of issues. Another 50 owner was not happy with some aftermarket issues outside of that, speaking with other owners not a lot of out of the ordinary typical warranty stuff….

[@sailingsvoliluki6938]

@@4GH440 Our Leopard ownership experience has overall been good. We have had issues and warranty claims but very minor and I still hold true to my belief that Leopard Catamarans are a well built, solid and good sailing / cruising catamaran. Every single manufacturer has issues and no boat not even the mega yachts are perfect out of the gate. Lagoon had a worldwide recall on their 450’s, FP has had a whole host of problems and poor design decisions from a maintenance prospective including an emergency navigation issue if required to use. Without getting into the “highly publicized “ Leopard catamaran issue that I believe you are referring to, everyone should know there are two sides to every story. There’s no denying the highly publicized Leopard Catamaran problem has a whole host of issues however I know for a fact that Leopard and Robertson & Caine have had several proposals to make the situation right. With regard to the new L46 I can tell you that Robertson & Caine under its recent (within the past two years) new ownership has gone through many internal changes and improvements including a real warranty process with a dedicated owner warranty website. They are actively meeting with and speaking to owners such as us about our current experience, new design thoughts and suggestions from a “cruising, full time live aboard “ point of view for current and future models. The quality and commitment to good or even excellent customer service isn’t at the “selling” stage it’s at the end user stage when problems arise as they always do and there and then is the company / brands time to shine with the level of care they provide. Robertson & Caine / Leopard are making a serious effort to improve Leopard ownership experience. Specific to the L46, the Hybrid Electric Drive Propulsion System is “auto communicating” with Robertson & Caine’s technical team so they can not only stay in the loop on each vessel’s performance but in some cases be aware of a problem or potential problem even before the owner is aware. Exquisite Yachts has a similar communication path between vessels on the oceans and their factory techs. I didn’t have a chance to ask about technical support worldwide but I believe they are going towards a service level that will have parts and techs sent to you wherever you are. Other brands offer this level of service which is amazing and of course there’s a cost but well worth it if you’re far from civilization. Thank you for the question. The purpose of this video was to dig deeper to get a better understanding of the vessel’s operational systems and not just the layout, cushion color options etc etc. I will ask R&C about global service and availability and get back to you or incorporate it into our next video(s).

[@gregharding7329]

@@sailingsvoliluki6938 thanks for the in depth reply, it is appreciated. I agree wholeheartedly with your comments that all new boats have their teething issues. I also agree regarding your comment that there are two sides to every story. I do struggle with much of the new technology from a standpoint regarding the difficulty of repairing in remote areas. While reasonably tech and mechanically savvy I will always stick to the old KISS principle. I look forward to your future videos.

[@juergenzenner4219]

@@sailingsvoliluki6938I find your comment a little bit sugar coated. If you look in a couple owners portals, it sounds all a bit different. There are more than only a couple problems with warranty claims. “Travelskatchsailing” is just the tip of the iceberg 😢. And they running now already 3 years behind their claims. They have a quiet good documentation about their problems 😢

[@dwight_klaus2981]

Thanks - beautiful boat! The hybrid technology is getting better every year. I never saw the electric motors... just the Li ion battery packs. Are they under the batteries? Also where is the diesel tank for the generator? Fuel polisher? It wasn't clear to me why the props won't feather. Once the batteries are fully charged and we are under sail, how much speed do you lose with the props spinning free?

[@sailingsvoliluki6938]

@@dwight_klaus2981 thanks for taking the time to watch and all the great questions. I’ll answer what I can now and we’ll be doing a follow up video shortly to answer other questions which we’ve been able to get answers for from Robertson and Caine. So regarding the props….the do not feather or fold as they are an integral part of the hybrid system. The props recharge the batteries through regeneration which can be dialed up or down to generate more or less power. The higher a setting in regeneration creates more power but also creates more drag. The lower the setting in regeneration the less drag. Turn it off and you essentially eliminate prop drag making the system customizable and flexible to your needs. I’ll need to get answers on your other questions.

[@cristerhelin8532]

I am very pleased to read about future looking boat owners as you, who are taking the step to hybrid drive trains, a smart choice, I wish you all the best. Hybrid drivetrains have been around for quite some time now in land based vehicles and it is basically the same components used in boats, maybe except for the battery chemicals as for safety reasons the LiFePo4 variant is used. I have a few comments on the hybrid propulsion system presented in this video. First, battery energy capacity is measured in kWh (thousand Watt hours), not in kW, those are two different entities. I noticed that your question about the possibility to expand the battery capacity was turned down, possibly due to lack of knowledge in this topic. As long as you can find places onboard to put more batteries, the hybrid drive system should be designed to accept this and generally that is not an issue. Also, as I understand, the diesel driven generator is an AC. There is an advantage to use a DC generator instead as the entire back-bone in the system is DC coupled. The only need for AC (household machinery) is served by DC/AC inverters.

[@lifeliver9000]

Before even looking at buying a Leopard view the "travel sketch". KZbin channel. Shows how much they care for their cust and the product they slap together. Leopard from being a front runner is firmly off my next year cat purchase list

[@sailingsvoliluki6938]

@@lifeliver9000 Travel Sketch has had its issues but there’s two sides to every story. Every brand that makes anything has its issues. That’s not really the problem. It’s how the problems are resolved and customers are taken care of. Ford, Tesla, Boeing, Lagoon etc etc all have recalls. Identify the problem and solve the issue(s) equals happy customers. Not always the easiest thing to accomplish but I know for a fact Leopard and Robertson and Caine are putting forth a real effort to improve their customer experience.

[@lifeliver9000]

@ if it was one or a handful of problems understandable as you say cars might have one issue, large boats a few more but constant issues and some so serious they are dangerous. Not just bad craftsmanship , poor knowledge,bad oversight little quality control and inferior products used but something a lot deeper to the top of the company. A no care, get stuffed, your problem that should never ever be present in any company let alone one that makes a product that cares for the lives of the owners, friends and family in the harshest environments in the world. The worst recipe for a pretend boat builder in the world. My life is worth more than their greed.

[@roycampbell3433]

What is the total range at 7.4 knots and full tank of diesel using genset.

[@sailingsvoliluki6938]

@@roycampbell3433 I’m not sure. I submitted your question to Robertson & Caine and will get back to you or incorporate the info into a follow up video on the L46

[@douglasmontgomery6315]

Appreciate the video. As a specialist in electronics and avid solar person. It looked really tacky designing the aft bridle lines going ACROSS the rear solar panel. This will cause shading and diminish output, plus it just looks like a design error. A designed channel UNDER the panel or a channel around (in between the two panels) would have been much better.

[@sailingsvoliluki6938]

@@douglasmontgomery6315 thank you for taking the time to watch and also comment. I believe Leopard is working on a new setup for all the lines / sheets to be in under rooftop channels so they are no longer visible which would esthetically be better and no longer affect solar performance.

[@mikewalker1081]

did they say what price this will be offered for? I realize it will range depending on the options you select, but I need to know how many aluminum cans I need to bring to recycle place LOL! Sweet boat.

[@sailingsvoliluki6938]

@@mikewalker1081 it’s a beautiful boat and the one we filmed, hull #1 was pretty much loaded. The price was $999k so it might take a few extra rounds of cans to the recycling center! 😜

[@paulsinclair3401]

Nice if you want a floating caravan which seems to look like a block of flats! .... I'm sure that it's ideal for families who are not so familiar with sailing, but after nearly 70 years of sailing my own monohulls, I still prefer those! 'Horses for courses' as we say in the UK! But a very well thought out catamaran there. Thank you for sharing this!

[@sailingsvoliluki6938]

@@paulsinclair3401 wow congratulations on so many years of sailing! Fantastic! 👍. There are some, many actually gorgeous monohull sailboats out there but we have always loved the catamaran platform for its comfort and space. Our Leopard 45 sails really well with our sustained speed of 13.5kts which was flying for us. That said, we’re not racing anywhere and enjoy our pace of life at sea. The cruising lifestyle allows us to meet such amazing people we now call friends from other catamaran owners to monohulls and even mega yachts! Safe and enjoyable sailing and travels to you! 👍

[@colleenpope]

Sustained speed of 13.5 kn ? Wow....but in what conditions??

[@sailingsvoliluki6938]

@@colleenpope perfect conditions….we were headed North, had just past Cape Hatteras with sustained winds in the low 20’s, gusting 28kts sailing 1.5 miles offshore from the North Carolina and Virginia Beach coastline. Winds were from the West, sea state was flat as there was no fetch sailing that close to the coast. It’s the only time we’ve sailed that fast but it was amazing!

[@colleenpope]

@@sailingsvoliluki6938 Thank you for your answer ! I asked you about the conditions because someone here posted something similar (not quite!!) ....it reached 21 knots on Elba 45 !!! "Let's Dance Sailing" with a profesional skipper. 21 knots -it's amazing and super fast!! Almost incredible....

[@colleenpope]

Let's Dance Sailing (FP-Elba 45) did 21 knots with a professional skipper!

[@marialuzyung9945]

Price?

[@sailingsvoliluki6938]

@@marialuzyung9945 the boat displayed at the show was $999,000 which of course had the Hybrid Electric Drive System and pretty much all the other comfort options you can order for the boat. If you were to cruise the world with this vessel you’d need to add a water maker as well.

[@steffenfrost]

At 14:50: “27kw system in either side“, he means 27kwh. He doesn’t know the difference between kw and kWh.

[@sailingsvoliluki6938]

@@steffenfrost I’m sure he does as he’s one of the engineers that designed the system. When he first said “it powers your a/c” my head went to air conditioning and not the full house electrical system 😜. Router sounded like Rooter so that’s when I had to listen carefully. Super nice guys that had more information than we had time to film. Hope the video shed light on what makes the L46 w/ hybrid electric propulsion unique at this stage of the game.

[@steffenfrost]

@@sailingsvoliluki6938 He repeaedt that mistake couple times which is baffling as he is the engineering brains behind i the boat. I was curious what the battery voltage was. Also, it seems the engine compartment is somewhat unprotected from getting the swamp from a large swell in high seas. Not specific to hybrids, but to catamarans in general, I guess it’s NOT an issue, but curious as to why.

[@peterasquith6942]

A parking lot boat. I wouldn’t cross an Ocean in a boat that is designed primarily for comfort at anchor. All that loose furniture. Now let’s see the results from a Reputable Independant Progfessional Surveyer include a 100% tap test. Leopard should be open to that if they have corrected known past production errors/faults. That’s one of the ways to recover from their sullied reputation from past sales/ production/ warranty errant behaviours

[@dc1544]

Still a long way to go Leopard. The house system should be 24 or preferred 48v system. Also adding another 27kw battery would not be hard it would be direct to generator and then house bank would feed the 2 other drive battery banks. All this has been designed already so why is Leopard trying to reinvent this?

[@bigjimstream]

What is super concerning to me is that you are reviewing this system standing on the sugar scoop on a nice sunny day at the dock. If you have significant problems in rough seas and rain, how in the world could you work on this system? I would be afraid of falling overboard not to mention the fact you would be getting rain and waves into an area that needs to be kept completely dry. This is not a blue water solution in my view. This seems to be very complicated and the equipment is located in the worst possible spot for maintenance at sea. Not trying to be negative but this is a terrible location for this type of equipment.