I Have Found My Cat

[Gludy]

I just found out that since ordering my boat two more have been sold with more sales under discussion - next current slot is now well into 2010 so I was lucky in getting in there when I did!

[Southern Star]

Congrats Gludy - truly appreciate your insights and look forward to the videos. I am sure you will love the boat.

Brad

[freetime]

What did you like/dislike with the Leopards? after your testsail with Peter.

[Gludy]

"What did you like/dislike with the Leopards? after your testsail with Peter."

I liked the single level thoughout cockpit saloon with superb all round vision even from the cockpit.

I liked the sociable helm position, the general tuned in design on lots of small points.

I liked the light wind performance - its one of the faster cruising cats.

I liked the price - great value.

I did not like the high Lazy Jack position - I had to strain to handle the sail.

Thats about it - the video now in production will show you more. You will come along on the test sail of the Leopard and the St Francis.

The St Francis was more suited to our needs - bigger - complete custom build inside, great stern deck but it also had things I di not like which we are designing out of it. For us the St Francis was the boat but for many it would be the Leopard.

[freetime]

I understand that a ST Francis is a custombuild catamaran. What kind of layout did you ordered, and what options?

[Gludy]

It is totally customised - even the position of the steps down into the hull is a variable.

I have ordered a U shaped galley up with a smaller saloon seating area and larger nav area. Elevated floors so you can see out easily from nave and galley areas or even when seated in the saloon area.

Starboard hull with video studio at one end owners cabin at the other with the bath option. Lot of individual furniture layouts. Only one heads.

Port hull two heads one of which may be used from the saloon - forward bulkhead large storage area ...... the list goes on and on.

We are extending part of the aft deck area supporting the rib so that it is very easy to walk around plus placing extra steps in various places.

We have redesigned the cockpit table etc etc.

The boat will have two sat dishes one for broadband the other for TV plus a long list of extras such as remote engine control, drop down thrusters etc.

We are further specing the boat at the end of the month in SA.

[freetime]

look forward to follow the whole process here. And please bring your camera with you and report here. And perhaps we can answer some questions. Do you buy the dingy from SA? if not take a look at All about rigid inflatable boats -- for RIB enthusiasts and all rigid inflatable boat users

[Gludy]

I have the current dinghy - The boat is designed to take a big rib with a big engine but at present I cannot see any need for that.

My camera goes anywhere I go and the boat has a video studio on board.

[switchcat]

howdy,

Congrats -=the SF 50 is a pretty sweet boat. I just met a great couple on an SF50 called Aphrodite in Taormina Sicily last week.

they love the boat and they have a dog on board as well. i think their website is www.sv-aprodite.com. they also bought a 5milewifi for it. 5MileWIFI.com allows wifi connections miles and miles away from the hotspot.

best of luck with the new boat...

joe

[Gludy]

Thank you but can you check that link to their web site again please - it does not work

[David_Old_Jersey]

S/V Aphrodite

[RunawayC47]

I sailed the Leopard 46 in St. Lucia last year and found her to be very comfortable but very slow. I don't know what people are used to sailing but it was not a performance boat. It was part of the Moorings fleet so it had fixed props. The max I could get her to sail at was 9.1 knots. Again very comfortable but not built for speed. The previous charter before us had a max speed of 9 knots. I regularly sail in the mid teens on my Conser 47' cat and have had speeds in the low 20s. I will be testing the Outreamer 49 and the Alibi 54 at the Annapolis Show next week. They look very promising.