Bob and Melinda Curtis are counting stars. They’re also counting down the five years until Bob can retire early at the age of 55, when the couple can explore vast blue waters on their Leopard 45. Both he and Melinda have worked for many years for a big-name tech company, and look forward to calling sailing their new career.
For Bob and Melinda, the decision to retire at full-sail came quickly. About six years ago, some friends who had recently purchased a catamaran invited the couple on a trip. Neither Bob nor Melinda had spent much time sailing, but the catamaran experience set their imaginations ablaze.
“We had three conversations about making our retirement look like [the sailing trip]. One was actually on the boat, and the other two were shortly after that,” says Melinda.
The couple quickly put together a plan to make their newfound nautical dream come true.
Planning for a Life Under Sail
They wanted to downsize and learn as much as they could before officially setting sail. Over the next five years, the Seattle-based couple went from a 4,800-square-foot home to a 650-square-foot efficiency apartment, with a couple of other step-downs in between. They wanted life on their Leopard 45 to be as streamlined as possible.
For their education on sailing and, specifically, catamarans, Bob and Melinda began taking courses online, chartering, taking lessons from instructors and doing more sailing with friends. They also followed the advice to get experience aboard different types of catamarans and learn from instructors with different teaching styles.
The two attended a handful of boat shows as well. Perhaps the most meaningful exposure to the sailing community came through Leopard Catamarans owners’ parties, where they were able to talk with current and prospective owners. They also became connected to the Leopard community through Facebook. Bob and Melinda found Leopard owners incredibly supportive and quickly felt connected to the group.
These experiences gave Bob and Melinda the confidence to embark on a two-week, 800-nautical-mile circumnavigation of Vancouver Island on a 48-foot Leopard catamaran with an instructor. They used that trip to earn their offshore certifications.
“We felt like, ‘Yes, this is something we can do.’ At that point, we got in a queue with Leopard to go ahead and make the purchase. Again, we felt like, ‘Yes, we could wait, but we’d be missing out on experiences and opportunities over these next five years,’” says Bob.
Choosing Their Leopard 45
In late 2017, Bob and Melinda decided to become the proud owners of a Leopard 45. In 2019, their dream boat was ready.
There were many reasons Bob and Melinda chose a Leopard. They appreciated the styling, functionality, maintenance accessibility, quality and safety. The established, helpful and genuine community of Leopard owners—both online and in person—was another unique advantage.
Melinda and Bob’s Leopard was moored in Bremerton Marina on Puget Sound, about a 60-minute ferry ride from Seattle. The couple slowly began making their way from that efficiency apartment to living aboard their Leopard full-time.
Where Will the Adventure Lead?
“Spending as much time as we can aboard, and ultimately living full-time on our Leopard, is about becoming familiar with every component. When you’re out at sea in distant locations, you are completely responsible for taking care of the boat. We’re trying to take advantage of this time for even more learning opportunities, so we are prepared for any type of scenario that may happen, whether it’s weather issues or simply the fundamentals of our Leopard. We want to understand the ins-and-outs of every component on it,” says Melinda.
Their impetus to live a life of sailing—besides that first trip with their friends—was really two-fold. First and foremost, the two wanted to have an active lifestyle during their retirement.
“We feel as though the boat and the work on the boat and sailing are going to fulfill that need on pretty much a daily basis,” says Bob.
The other component was Bob and Melinda’s shared desire to travel and learn about new cultures.
“All of our sail plans take exploration into consideration—uncharted territory, experiencing things hands-on, learning and meeting new people. These are things that we can do today in the Pacific Northwest,” says Melinda.
And once retirement rolled around, they would have even more opportunities to do exactly that.
During their post-career years, Bob and Melinda hoped to sail across the Pacific. If that didn’t work out, they had backup plans to sail through the Panama Canal and spend time exploring the Caribbean and the East Coast of the U.S. and Canada.
But in the Pacific Northwest, there was still plenty to see and explore. Bob and Melinda had further plans to head up to Alaska and sail around Vancouver Island again.
For these two, life was good, and the adventure was only beginning.
From the Leopard 45 to the New Leopard 46
When Bob and Melinda chose their Leopard 45, they selected a model that would become an important part of the Leopard sailing range and a favorite among owners looking for a balance of offshore capability, comfortable living spaces and practical features for extended time aboard.
Today, that platform has evolved.
The Leopard 46 is the next generation of the Leopard 45, carrying forward many of the qualities that made its predecessor successful while introducing significant updates for modern cruising. Leopard describes the 46 as a substantial evolution of the 45, with increased flexibility, refined living spaces and new technology designed around the way today’s owners actually use their boats.
One of the most noticeable changes is the relationship between the saloon and aft cockpit. The Leopard 46’s main saloon doors can be completely opened, creating a more seamless indoor-outdoor living area and giving owners greater flexibility in how they use the space at anchor or underway.
Accommodations have also evolved. The Leopard 46 offers several configurations designed around different styles of ownership, including a three-cabin layout with a utility room, a four-cabin arrangement with a large owner’s cabin, and a five-cabin configuration for owners who want additional accommodations for family and guests. Each cabin configuration is designed to make better use of the available interior volume.
The Leopard 46 measures 45 feet, 7 inches overall—or 47 feet, 6 inches with the optional lifting platform—with a 24-foot, 1-inch beam and 1,512 square feet of total sail area. Standard propulsion comes from twin 45-horsepower Yanmar diesel engines, with 57-horsepower engines available as an upgrade.
But perhaps one of the biggest indications of how much the platform has evolved is what owners can now choose beyond traditional diesel propulsion.
The Leopard 46 is available with an optional Hybrid Electric Drive System, combining electric propulsion, high-voltage lithium-ion battery storage, solar generation and a range-extending generator. Additional options such as lithium battery banks, higher-capacity inverters, induction cooking and watermakers allow owners to further configure the boat around extended cruising and time away from the dock.
What hasn’t changed is the philosophy behind the boat. Like the Leopard 45 before it, the Leopard 46 is designed around the realities of cruising: offshore capability, livability, usable storage, easy movement around the boat and spaces that work just as well during a passage as they do once the anchor is down.
And that evolution isn’t only visible on a specification sheet. Experienced Leopard 45 owners have already made the move to the 46 and put the new generation to the test. Royden and Tania du Plooy, for example, spent six years aboard a Leopard 45 before moving to a Leopard 46. They have since logged more than 5,000 nautical miles aboard the 46, including extended cruising through Southeast Asia.
For sailors inspired by stories like Bob and Melinda’s, the Leopard 46 represents the next chapter of the same idea: a catamaran designed not simply for owning a boat, but for building a life around where that boat can take you.
More Stories From Leopard Owners
Bob and Melinda’s story is one of many examples of owners who decided that someday didn’t have to stay someday.
Across the Leopard community, owners have downsized their lives, crossed oceans, raised families aboard, worked remotely from anchorages around the world and turned plans that once seemed distant into everyday life.
Their experiences also offer something a specifications list can’t: a look at what living with a Leopard is actually like. From preparing for a first offshore passage to maintaining a boat thousands of miles from home, choosing cruising grounds, navigating changing weather and simply settling into the rhythms of everyday life aboard, Leopard owners continue to put these catamarans to the test in the real world.
If Bob and Melinda’s journey has you wondering what your own life under sail could look like, explore more Leopard Owner Stories to meet the sailors, couples and families who have made the leap—and discover where their Leopards have taken them.
