Leopard 45 Catamaran Test Sail 2020 (With Candid Management Interview)
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- Опубліковано 27 вер 2024
- We were invited by Leopard Catamarans to come and test sail their new 2020 Leopard 45. We said "Yes" immediately. The Leopard 45 is a boat that we wanted to revisit after we first reviewed it.
We also were given an opportunity to interview the Vice President of Leopard, Marketing manager of Leopard USA and a professional Leopard Delivery skipper to ask important questions from you about the boat, the brand and what make Leopard Catamarans special. Needless to say, you came through with some amazing questions.
For the original review: • Leopard 45 Catamaran R...
If you are considering buying one of these boats, then this video will be a must for you. Enjoy.
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Good to see you get a second look at the Leopard and good on Leopard for giving it to you.
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Roger K. Davis Pretty sure this was done at the Annapolis Boat show, on the Monday, when pretty much anyone can book a test sail on most of the boats. This was most likely shot before the review of the 45 was done/released on UA-cam, don’t think this is reactionary from Leopard, just common practice. Still great vid and info, just think that everyone is reading a lot into this. And I’m banking on Seawind for the new build... just saying.
@@dirkhelmstaedt2072 It was reactionary on Leopard's part from RR's first review of the Leopard 45. I had a small play in making this happen.
My concerns / questions as someone investigating what Caterman to consider is... Do you stand behind everything you put on the boat. If six months after purchase the engine starts leaking oil the refrigerator fails you will being Leopard handle it. You dont push the buyer to the maker of the engine or appliance for example.
I dont mean to be so offtopic but does anyone know a way to log back into an instagram account?
I somehow lost my account password. I would appreciate any tricks you can offer me!
@Lucca Dustin Instablaster :)
Had a comment concerning your handrail comment. One of the nice things about the forward cockpit door is not having to go around the outside in order to go on the foredeck. It can be much safer just going through the front door to go forward.
I absolutely love my 2019 Leopard 40. Well done Leopard!
Cheers
Ted
Have you had any warranty issues with it? I'm looking to potentially buy a 45 later in the year.
Last Feb (2019), I spent a week on a 2012 Leopard 44 in the BVI's. The owner of the boat has been basically a liveaboard for the last several years (he bought the boat used I think in 2015). We sailed all week in 15-20 kts and the boat sailed between 8-9 kts most of the time. That forward cockpit was wonderful, it allowed us to spread out a little more so that we were not on top of each other, and when the aft cockpit was really sunny (late afternoon or sunset) the forward one was in the shade. He did mention that he had replaced the gasket on the door, and we did note that the forward cockpit shed water really quick. It also gives you some different stowage, instead of having a couple of giant lockers in that area he had several good sized lockers (and still had giant lockers between it and the tramp). Also at anchor opening that door provided a breeze through the salon. The older models did have the galley in the aft part of the salon and the breeze would blow out the stove, but they moved the stove and fixed the problem on newer models.
Clearly you two have made a mark in the Catamaran world with these excellent reviews. You don't get top staff of companies to take a sail with you and answer candid questions without having established credibility...and you should be proud of yourselves for the work you've put in to reach this point. I can't imagine being in the market for a Cat and not watching this series.
As you say, Nick..."Well Done"
To bad leopard didn't make them a sweet deal like seawind did,the celebrity approach doesn't work without the sweet deal to go with it
I chartered the 50. Absolutely amazing boat! Leopard / Moorings have really brought the cat designs to a new level. The thoughtfulness put into service and maintainability is amazing. There is access to everything. Other boat builders can learn a lot from Leopard's "lessons learned" from operating and maintaining a large captive fleet for several decades and having to turn a charter boat around in a day. If your evaluation moves on to long term live aboard issues such as life cycle cost and maintenance time the Leopard rises to the top of the list right away.
90% on hook, 10% sailing - seek amenities, that front cockpit is beautiful on a hot evening in the Caribbean and the wind is from the west. It also makes for nice storage of coolers, loose dive gear etc.
I agree...it certainly has immense appeal to me.
I feel like its sacrificing room inside.
It's great to see the industry taking notice and the companies starting to engage. Your high quality work is paying off.
I'm so addicted to these damn sailing videos. I'll never get my wife to be a live on. U2 do an awesome job selling the lifestyle. So jelly!
Aww thanks mate. We can always have a word with your wife 🤣🤣
@@sailingrubyrose Mine too please
mine too please
LOL i am also addicted.
Wife... Sailboat... Wife... Sailboat. That's such a hard choice.... LOL.
Says a lot that they sat down and had some honest answers.
Sailing Sisu just Sailed from Cape town to the Med with forward Lounge on their 45 Leopard and love it. They have an Episode about it!
That forward facing cockpit is wonderful at anchor in the Caribbean with the hot sun beating into the aft cockpit...
I’ll bet!
I really like the forward facing of all seating and the forward cockpit too. I was concern the overhead top of the forward cockpit would create drag and hinder performance, but this video has eliminated that concern. I find the honesty of the people in this video a comfort to the quality of the leopard brand.
WOW, really impressed by how open these guys are. Lovely people you must have had a good day!
Great video. The candor of the Leopard management was great and it's great that you had an experienced skipper there too.
Good thing Leopard had a delivery skipper available, someone who knows how to make the boat go forward in no wind
Massive respect. Faced with unrehearsed questions and to answer honestly. Nicely done. When do you take delivery?
The Leopard 45 is currently under intense scrutiny for egregious quality control and customer service problems. I consider you guys to be among the most diligent reviewers of cruising catamarans but it seems clear this review didn’t uncover any of the many serious issues brought to light by current owners. That should cause ANY buyer to sit up and take notice.
Our biggest take away from this video is that is that if SRR missed all these issues, there’s little hope for the average owner to conduct adequate due diligence and get complete assurance, particularly with a new build. Something amiss here that this level of scrutiny didn’t uncover these issues, not to mention the customer service/warranty horror stories currently being lived by early adopters of the L45. Given the huge discrepancy in this review and the actual experience of owners, this video deserves an update from the Sailing Ruby Rose team in order to acknowledge these serious problems. Companies this size of Leopard/RC are apparently Ill equipped to respond to warranty issues on a large scale. They don’t have the bandwidth, personnel, financial resources or most importantly the will to deal with a large volume of warranty issues all a once.
Watching this whole fiasco unfold has taken a Leopard power cat off our short list of retirement boats. What an epic nightmare those poor owners are experiencing with their 45. Sorry guys but what a nightmare.
Real good job from leopard
Felt like good honest responses
I believe the front cockpit is the bomb!
Rented several times the leopard 444 precisely because it is so nice to sit there while sailing between islands
Relax enjoy the breeze under the shade with some nice music. It’s the best place to be!
Regarding the fwd cockpit and aerodynamic drag. The drag caused by the blunt shape of the back of an object is a larger factor than the blunt shape of the front. This is true for anything operating at subsonic speeds. Pointy in back and blunt in the front has less drag than the other way around. Given the horrible aerodynamic shape of the back of a CAT, the forward cockpit is insignificant in relation. Frontal area and associated drag is something you should worry about, but I wouldn’t worry about drag of the cockpit.
I love the real honesty, no fluff, no bs... good stuff
I don't think it come with electric winches as standard though, check the reaction.
Abb Bee I agree although maybe it does now.
The upgrade to island berths addresses my biggest gripe about the 2019 model. Well done Leopard!
🙌
Fantastic inside chat with the Leopard folks. Really enjoyed this a great companion to your reviews. Be nice if you could do more of these, but I got the feeling that your review days are just about over. Onward to the next EPIC Adventure! Thanks for your dedication to the life. Be happy, be safe.
Leopard has always been my favorite production cat.
I think it says a lot for a manufacturer to be open for a Q&A session. Obviously, Leopard has done a lot of things right if they are a successful company. Very good interview. Thanks for sharing it.
I've always liked the Leopard designs and it does look like they're continuing to improve.
Thanks i've had my eye on leopard for a few years, and love to see a true sailors view point.
It seems the Leopard brain trust wanted to directly confront the issues that the Ruby Rose crew brought up in their review. Nothing wrong with that, and frankly it shows the weight that Nick and Terysa's reviews are having in the industry. Good job to everyone involved.
"Address" the issues. I saw no weapons.
Wow. Seriously? So every confrontation you have involves weapons? Pedanticism has officially reached a new low. Or is it a new height? Either way, I'm sure you'll be the first to let us know.
I am absolutely stoked you come back to take another look at the leopard. #Perfection
No one has ever done what you both do with all these reviews.. Great info we learn so much what not to buy. Seems like less info on motors and electronics but we know you'll get to all that.. carry-on
Sailing off duty has a similar series on cat reviews. Nick and Theresa have totally done a pro job and a huge service to the sailing community. These videos also keep manufacturers on their toes for cost, quality, features. An informed public is good for the industry. Thanks N&T
This company is really great giving you the 5 star treatment. Is this a clue as to what company you are working with?
@mrjohada31 My gut feeling is that you are spot-on mate. If I were to take a guess, I'd say this is most certainly the manufacturer that Ruby Rose is working with in the recently disclosed 'secret project'.
certainly feels like an organic discussion. On the other hand, they said it was a performance cat builder.
Haha! It would be interesting if so, they're backpedaling just a bit here, surrounded as they are by the brand reps, but Nick DESPISED that forward cockpit in the initial review.
I would put my money on Balance or Seawind. As a pure guess, perhaps Seawind is launching something in between the 1260 and 1600? A 1350 or 1400, perhaps?
@@steelcitytbirds I would say my money would be on Seawind, but there recent video was shot in South Africa, so maybe Balance.
Outstanding interview and test sail. Really love the format you guys are using.
This review is a good exemple to follow for "journalist" of boat magazines. Again 10 out of 10. Bravissimi. Thank you
Journalists for boat magazines are usually paid off, so their reviews are usually worthless.
Really great review and well done Leopard for doing this!
Excellent Q&A and thanks to the Leopard staff for their transparency, honesty and personal input. Well done RR
😎🤙
You really set the bench mark in terms of reviews well done captain fantastic
As a big fan of yours, I think there is some room to improve on this format, your normal reviews are great and I wouldn't change a thing. Here, it's about making the owner/builder comfortable enough to talk openly about the choices and compromises they made when designing and building the boat, I think that will reveal the most insight on a consistent basis if you can get to that point. You've opened the door to an excellent addition to the series, I'm looking forward to seeing more!
Cheers mate. It was interesting to hear the difference in response between the VP and the skipper. Frank had some amazing stuff to say, but Calvin was refreshingly honest
My rule in regard to liferaft positioning. One person needs to be able to launch the liferaft with one hand in 15 seconds. Therefore, it must be on the transom or quarter, outside the rail. Liferafts can weight 70kg, so one person can not lift the raft on heaving deck.
Agree mate. My rule is off the boat and in the raft inside of 30 seconds
I actually obtained my asa on the 45 leopard. we had some pretty good winds the last day and I had it up to 18 knots.🎉 captain told me to reef but before I did it go below and WOW you could hear the hull singing! I will say it didn't point well that day but maybe it was just me as I was learning the boat. had a blast that day🎉
Very good interesting video and good to see the vp off a company getting involved big thumbs up
Another excellent review video. Thank You for the thoroughness. : )
This was a great video. I appreciate the time and effort you guys put into your videos. The fact that management accompanied you in a test sail speaks volumes for their brand and shows just how powerful a You Tube review is by you guys. Loved the boat. Not a fan of the forward cockpit.
Until our adventures cross, fair winds and full sails.
Jack and Billie
So what would you favour? Twin wheels on the outboard sides of the main cockpit?
Once you add that payload the sailing performance will be a whole new story.
I’m sure it does.
Andrew Baumgartner That is the question I hoped had more probing on. I wonder if the 6-8 knots average is with the delivery of a relatively empty boat? And what is the incremental decrease in speed fully loaded? If you load it and speed only drops 10% for example, then not so bad a compromise in my opinion. But if drops 30%, eg 2 knots then that gets you into needing to motor levels of speed.
That is (another) reason why the heavier boats make better liveaboard yachts. 3 tonnes of load added to 10-12 tonnes is one thing, but same load on 15-17 tonnes is much forgiving in terms of performance drop.
Interesting interview guys. Too bad the wind on the bay was so light. I'm always skeptical about anything coming from marketing and sales folks but the captain with 22 crossings sounded like a straight shooter. Looking forward to the next one.
Are you going to do one on the cat you leased in Thailand?
Good review and interview - thanks to you and the Leopard team!
My hats off to you two. Love it. 💗
Fantastic videos. I love the catamaran comparison series.
I really like the design and quality of the Leopard cats. The 45L and 50L really add versatility and comfort. It is such a new design that they are not available on the used market as yet. I prefer not to buy new personally.
Cheers Richard!
Re-watch after the end of the catamaran series. I still say at this price point you can't do better than Leopard. Lagoon is a very close second.
I love you two! You are doing great work! I love all of the educational content and can't wait to see you guys out on the water! Peace and love!
The bigger risk is having the life raft stolen from an exterior bracket rather than the additional 20 seconds to deploy being a life or death matter...
Yep not sure how the 30 second standard came about. Cats are so different.
Thatwhit agreed that theft Is a concern. On Ruby Rose we have a sizeable steel bar that’s locks into place and stops the liferaft being stolen. We unlock it when we go sailing and lock it back up in port.
The main problem with where this life raft is , it would be difficult getting it out with the dinghy in the way. You're have to get the dinghy off before you can "grab and toss" the life raft off.
Absolutely loving these reviews. Your really good at asking the questions I would like to know the answers! Kudos to both of you.
Thank you so much for the lovely comment
your reviews are bloody brilliant mate!
Best pointing angle with a clean bottom will be 50 degrees true. On a good day. Calvin's experience has all been on EMPTY delivery trips instead of a cruising boat with 2 or 3 tonnes of payload. We met a Leopard delivery crew in St Helena. One had done a delivery trip from S Africa to Thailand and the big fwd bulkhead window popped out at the top! Huge amounts of flooding but the boat survived. Not impressed with the sharp corners in the interior we saw.
I like the Leopard, Sailing Sisu has one, very interesting posts about the boat after 1 year, from New in Cape Town to Med at moment, some big seas too, handled well. If you are interested in the Leopard 45, nice videos from ordering, options, price at the time to sailing away.
Thanks mate!
Many of their videos have good information, but man do they drag on getting the point in many of them.
You guys are real anal about the life raft and safety features that you cannot judge unless you actually sail on a catamaran. And finally you admit it's a matter of taste about the forward facing cockpit, so thanks. You guys some unreasonable safety concerns imo, you literally make me afraid of the sea...lol anyway congratulations on your series being very popular.
You know it’s not launching a liferaft because of the sea that worries me. It’s launching a liferaft because of things like fire. We know 2 couples personally who lost their boats to fire. In both cases they didn’t have time to launch the liferaft
Almost 100k subs! The family is growing.
Thanks mate. Almost there!
Calvin! Well done brother. Sweet cat! Cheers, Ted
I really like your videos, but Nick you are one stubborn dude. I appreciate your convictions and desire to ensure to always be as safe as possible... but geez... you seem to be fixated on a unique things... anybody watching your channel over time has to appreciate that you speak your mind. But I always cringe when you try to claim that a monohulls is faster than cats therefore you believe they are safer to get away from bad weather (when everybody knows cats are much faster than monos on downwind runs), and in this video you seemed convinced that you are going to capsize a cat. Similarly you were rather self convinced that the forward facing cockpit was a crazy dangerous layout until you actually went a sailed one... again good videos but try to give cats a true chance instead of trying to turn one into a monohull.
You're a fool if you get on a cat convinced it can't capsize. The degree to which one considers it may vary greatly, but it is a simple fact it CAN happen, which means prudent people will at least consider it. They have escape hatches after all, and note the VP didn't say "nonsense, this boat will never flip". If you have a cat and decide for yourself t hat the risk is small enough to warrant not considering it in placement of the life raft, that is a defensible opinion. But it's cringey to think that someone seriously looking at a cat as a home at sea shouldn't consider capsize scenarios.
@@MrJhchrist You apparently missed my post and missed the point. Re-read what I posted. I merely pointed out that Nick continues to apply a lot of mono hull biases towards cats. "Anything" is possible (including flipping a cat). I did not question his concerns for safety... but he was all worried about the cockpit until he actually sailed on that layout. Geez man climb down off your throne and chill out.
Beautiful boat, and great how candid the Leopard crew was to answer all your questions. Still don't know if I like the forward cockpit and exposed helm station. Fair winds and following seas Ruby Rose.
Guys I am very interested in this review your doing I currently own a L-40 2016. I was also concern with the lift raft because the compartment is so deep and to lift up and pull out is not easy. To make it quicker I raised the life raft in the compartment with struts under it. I put pull handles on the raft canister, so the process 1. Open compartment 2. Pull raft out it lands on the deck next to the back of the boat. 3. Pull quick release on the gate. 4. Push raft into water. Naturally I have not tried this but I have practiced it up to putting it into the water. Just some feedback
Nick and Terysa, I have always enjoyed your reviews, but this one added so much more insight, and depth in the review with the Management interview. Leopard has such beautiful boats, but getting to hear from the horses mouth, as it were, about their expectations of their product was great. Again, THANK YOU for sharing this with us. Oh, and I am still not talking to either of you since you won't tell us which Cat you are getting :)
Fantastic review, so excited for you both!
OMG! That was funny - "Cats they don't sink very quickly" and then says the complete opposite a bit later.
All said, it sounds like y'all's allegiance might be with Lagoon which has a strong ARC showing over the years. Additionally, she stated they have been improving their UA-cam presence (hint, hint).
Nice video. Hurry up and build that boat! BUT, give us the specs and everything first. 😎
love the boat, and considering it as well. my only issue with this boat is the placement of the aft cabin deck hatches. I want a great breeze! i would want them on the side decks.
brett harman ive seen complaints on Leopard Owner’s Group regarding water coming off the coach roof drip drip dripping on the aft cabin hatches
Judging by the fact y'all have been smiling ear to ear like a kid on Xmas morning with a mouth shoved full of chocolate, I'm gonna guess it's a Leopard y'all are building. I bet y'all think y'all have hit UA-cam GOLD lol
Haha. Thanks mate.
I really like this boat.
I'm not sure we have seen this congenial side of Nick before If he isn't showing his hand, it is a nice bluff on the editing floor!
Great Job. I would like to see the access to engines and electrical, how to change oil, fuel and water filters, access to fuses and beakers.
Not saying Leopard is bad but this felt like a paid advert.
Not paid at all mate. Just happy to take them up on their offer of a test sail.
Love the boat. Wish they had a lot of solar panels and electric motor that would make it great option for a zero emissions boat
Agree with Nick
As a safety man at sea, that life raft needs to be deployed pronto.. No time for delay especially when time is of the essence .. Only my thoughts thou.. 👍
Glad you agree
My God; I love these episodes! Thank you for making and sharing these insightful videos. Furthermore, I’d like to state that I was a little apprehensive about that forward facing doors on the leopard catamarans because of the obvious leakage problems and now that it’s been confirmed; I don’t think that I’d like to buy a boat in which might spring a leak at 3:00 🕒 am all the while crossing the Atlantic Ocean 🌊 even though one might be able to change it while under way with the spare gasket. My wife would kill me if I bought a boat knowing that this could be a potential problem...
May be I'm wrong, but every mono haul front cabin hatch should have the same problem! It case the gasket is damaged it will leak.
Every opening on every boat is subject to leaking if something fails. I think that was the honest part of the skipper's response, "of course it can leak, duh, it's an opening on a boat".
Well done Leopard
It would have been nice if you gave a walk through
Great interview!!
Thanks mate.
I could almost hear Nick say, “So why CAN’T I get an induction cooktop from the factory?” Their guy, Marcel, seems to have some capability to do ‘aftermarket’ work while still at the factory, though. Also, I didn’t realize the Moorings and Sunsail brands came first and the Leopard brand came later for personal sales. Very informative. Their demand must be high because L45 prices are going up 7% ish year over year. They are pushing into custom cat territory on price. I do hope they still offer an L45 Sport, but a sales rep said the Lounge version will be the only option going forward.
They make 3 per week. So about 150 leapards per year.
Wow! So Leopard cats are built then sailed to the customer AND they'll invite a camera crew for a Sea Trial? That's amazing.
I doubt will see the French fatties doing this any time soon. Doubtful we'll see the inside of the Sunreef or HH factories either.
So Leopards can handle ocean crossings and charters? And they seem to sit in between the beautiful yet sparse Outremer and the Condo Cats... Fantastic stuff.
SHOUT OUT! to including CRAB Sailing boat in frame 1.48. CRAB - Chesapeake Region Accessable Boating; bringing the thrill and freedom of sailing to people w/ disabilities, recovering warriors, and local youths from at-risk neighborhoods! Sailing is for everyone!
It is indeed. Thanks for pointing out the organisation.
⛵ Great video.
Got to smile with the accent saying sheets, its very similar to my russian wife s accent and her russian friends it allways says like a No 2 toilet and i allways warn my wife when it comes to bed covers say bed cover and stay away from that word. Nice vid is normal guys.
Some great infomation. Well done. : ) peace
Thanks 😊
Thanks guys!
Pleasure mate
Perfect
Great stuff. ALL the best.
Cheers mate
Wonderfull review
So cool.
Are there cup holders at the Helm? We can't have drinks spilling all over the place. :)
Leopard Cats seems like a great package but I do not trust the answers in this interview regarding the Forward facing Cockpit because:
1). At 11:55 the Vice President of Leopard (guy in the black jacket) shakes his head in a "no" movement and looks at the Leopard Delivery Captain at the same time (as to indicate that the Leopard Delivery Captain better say "No - drainage is not a problem")
2). At 12:04 when the Leopard Delivery Captain has answered the "drainage question of the forward cockpit" he looks at the Leopard Marketing Manager (Blond woman) and she smiles and nods to the Leopard Delivery Captain as if to say "Good answer - Just as you have been instructed by Marketing to say when people ask about drainage issues of the forward cockpit"......
Maybe I am wrong and its just a natural reaction but with my 30 years experience in Sales & Marketing I know how body language can be your worst enemy :-)
Very astute mate
To me, that eye contact indicated 'we knew this guy was going to ask that question' and talked in advance about what answer to give. But then, Leopard staff did this whole interview specifically bc they heard of the 1st review video that was super negative on forward cockpits, right? So of course they knew that was the #1 question to address.
1. Equipped, what would be price of this boat? 2. Does this size work for you or are you looking larger?
I am wondering how much drag that front cockpit and overhang will effect overall performance? Anybody own a REALLY big wind tunnel who willing to volunteer to test one out? Of course we would want to look at real world 'sailing' wind angles and not an unrealistic from the front directly 'up wind' heading. Would there be be any detrimental drag on a beam reach or dead down wind? Aren't these the conditions in which most cruiser sail?
If the cockpit overhang does catch a lot of wind from the front, isn't catching the breeze at anchor a GOOD thing?
Everyone asks about the front cockpit and you always hear a story or description.... how about an owner or delivery skipper take a video of it in weather. Voila!
I'm betting Leopard is the manufacturer you guys have made the deal with... Hard to beat going out, messing about with the V.P. on board. Bloody well good for you two!
Cheers a mate. He’s a lovely bloke
Thank You.
This design is quite good for warm weather sailing, my plans include more high latitude sailing, and this is not the boat for that.
How many leopards have capsized? Ever? I would think theft many orders of magnitude higher.
Do the boats interior make creaking noises or sounds or sounds from furniture Or other reasons. I like a quiet interior.
I think this is a good question to ask in the future
Solar and wind Power.
I'm looking for a Cat over 40' /12m with solar, wind and battery power for the electrical power and electric motors.
No dependency upon oil n gas for a generator or engine.
I think it's time for all boats to convert ASAP.
Look at the SunReef Cats or the DIY convert by Sailing Uma.
Also,
Watch Sailing Zatara for a video on warranties and how boat manufacturers like Leopard,
and their OEMs (other equipment manufacturers) have left a new owner paying for what should have been warranty work.
Specifically, he interviewed a new Leopard 50 owner with Yanmar engine problem.
Wish I could see the VP answer this problem about honoring warranties involving all new boats, not just Leopard.
It has become increasingly common to hear about manufacturers not honoring warranties or holding the OEMs to account.
If I buy a Leopard, I want to have one person at Leopard to call about any problems that keep me from sailing.
Leopard should resolve it ASAP.
Hope this helps your future sailing vessel reviews.
Love your Channel and especially the questions.
why aren't hull cameras standards (propeller inspection, anchor inspection, mooring ball capture)?
Cost mate. They are so expensive
Have a chat with Frik and Petro from Sailing Sisu about their Leopard 45
So how long is the gasket last long?
Tony & Susan here, Leopard mmmmm we think maybe?