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Morph · 20-07-2021, 02:22

Hi Everyone
I have just watched the third and final episode of Gone with the Wynns trip from Tonga to NZ. On the final leg from Minerva reef, they got hit by a wave on the bridgedeck and it ripped out their liferaft that was stored in there. They were then left with a large hole in the cockpit covered with a very thin fibreglass hatch cover.

I'm interested if this is a design feature of other Leopards and whether other boats have suffered this. While they got in safely, the weather-gods smiled in what could have been a pretty dangerous situation.

fillintheblank · 20-07-2021, 06:44

Yeah I watched it, and laughed at the comment of only a very thin hatch cover as well. The same very thin hatch cover they had been walking on before, and so have lots of other people on lots of other boats.

But I can definitely say it would be butt puckering to see it go away like that. I wonder why they did not go back and look for the life raft, they float.
Also they could not lock it down with the latches, the force of water would have just ripped out the latches. The mattress was a good idea to "hold" it down

SV WELDER · 20-07-2021, 08:43

It happened at night, so I don’t think looking for it was an option.

LoudMusic · 20-07-2021, 08:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by fillintheblank

Yeah I watched it, and laughed at the comment of only a very thin hatch cover as well. The same very thin hatch cover they had been walking on before, and so have lots of other people on lots of other boats.

But I can definitely say it would be butt puckering to see it go away like that. I wonder why they did not go back and look for the life raft, they float.
Also they could not lock it down with the latches, the force of water would have just ripped out the latches. The mattress was a good idea to "hold" it down

Have you seen the ocean? The only thing I'd go looking for out there is people.

Phyrcooler · 20-07-2021, 09:15

When watching the video, I noticed that there wasn’t any appearance of broken fiberglass or signs of damage (other than a nice clean opening to the water). So, being curious, I pulled up one of their other videos - where they were hauled out and working under the boat. My screen grab was fuzzy, but it appears that the life raft compartment is made to be opened from the bottom as well… as in when the boat is inverted. If my interpretation of what I saw is correct, maybe whatever holds the bottom of the compartment closed was corroded or broken, allowing it to get pulled upon and ejected.

Nahbrown · 20-07-2021, 09:24

https://youtu.be/u_5-F781uQ4

Here’s the link for those who are curious. The Life raft locker failure/breakage starts at about one minute and 10 seconds.

Really makes me curious because I’m unfamiliar with leopards liferaft locker is it designed to open from the other side if the catamaran is upside down? Did latches fail from the other side? If so, was it a failure to inspect those latches on a over 15-year-old boat that led to this?

Nahbrown · 20-07-2021, 09:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phyrcooler

When watching the video, I noticed that there wasn’t any appearance of broken fiberglass or signs of damage (other than a nice clean opening to the water). So, being curious, I pulled up one of their other videos - where they were hauled out and working under the boat. My screen grab was fuzzy, but it appears that the life raft compartment is made to be opened from the bottom as well… as in when the boat is inverted. If my interpretation of what I saw is correct, maybe whatever holds the bottom of the compartment closed was corroded or broken, allowing it to get pulled upon and ejected.

Exactly what I was thinking. So if you have an one of this era of leopards you should be inspecting the underside of your life raft locker.

nolakennedys · 20-07-2021, 10:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phyrcooler

When watching the video, I noticed that there wasn’t any appearance of broken fiberglass or signs of damage (other than a nice clean opening to the water). So, being curious, I pulled up one of their other videos - where they were hauled out and working under the boat. My screen grab was fuzzy, but it appears that the life raft compartment is made to be opened from the bottom as well… as in when the boat is inverted. If my interpretation of what I saw is correct, maybe whatever holds the bottom of the compartment closed was corroded or broken, allowing it to get pulled upon and ejected.

I agree with this assessment and think you are on to something. To me the design is crap and it should be stowed in cubby type arrangement at the stern like many cats have, but i digress. It looked and sounded to me like maybe part of the hatch came loose up front and the wave caught it and pulled it down which would rip it off and redirect the wave up. Seas are bad that time of the year and both the wife and I thought it was foolish to leave Tonga during this time, but it's their lives. Both of us have decided that if we ever get a Cat, it will be for coastal sailing and island hopping only. If we go to the pacific, we will have a monohull at least 50' and preferably a Morgan 51.

fillintheblank · 20-07-2021, 10:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nahbrown

https://youtu.be/u_5-F781uQ4

Here’s the link for those who are curious. The Life raft locker failure/breakage starts at about one minute and 10 seconds.

Really makes me curious because I’m unfamiliar with leopards liferaft locker is it designed to open from the other side if the catamaran is upside down? Did latches fail from the other side? If so, was it a failure to inspect those latches on a over 15-year-old boat that led to this?

Yes it is and here is a screen shot showing the bottom of the lift raft trunk. Its blury but it does not look right to me. I would think it would be more stream lined.

NevilleCat · 20-07-2021, 15:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by nolakennedys

Both of us have decided that if we ever get a Cat, it will be for coastal sailing and island hopping only. If we go to the pacific, we will have a monohull at least 50' and preferably a Morgan 51.

Meh...it's a hole in the bridgedeck...my last boat didn't have any accommodation on the bridgedeck. 😉

jim King · 21-07-2021, 10:16

it seems with later model Leopards the life raft is visible from the rear and a bit more exposed (fitting into a cubby in the rear) than the 15 year old Leopard of the Wynns.

nolakennedys · 21-07-2021, 10:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by NevilleCat

Meh...it's a hole in the bridgedeck...my last boat didn't have any accommodation on the bridgedeck. 😉

jmschmidt · 21-07-2021, 10:39

I've sailed both the 40' and 47' Leopard sailing cats, (part owner of a 47') neither had such a life-raft compartment in the middle of the cockpit floor, just an upside down escape hatch in the saloon. Maybe this is a semi-custom world cruiser version?

My current 47' PowerCat has a raft compartment on the bridge deck built in just behind and part of the cockpit settee structure with no under-deck opening.

nolakennedys · 21-07-2021, 10:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim King

it seems with later model Leopards the life raft is visible from the rear and a bit more exposed (fitting into a cubby in the rear) than the 15 year old Leopard of the Wynns.

Makes sense that they would improve that.