Leopard Catamarans are born to thrive on the open sea. But they first touch water in an indoor pool.
Built by Robertson and Caine
Leopards are built by Robertson and Caine (R&C), one of the largest catamaran builders in the world. At their Cape Town, South Africa facility, you’ll find a dozen catamarans under construction at any moment. During its 33-year history, R&C has built, tested and launched nearly 3,000 boats. A key part of their quality assurance test process occurs in a huge indoor pool.
Quality Assurance Through Pool Testing
Before a Leopard leaves the factory, Robertson and Caine put the boat into this dedicated pool for rigorous testing from stem to stern.
Insights from Factory Manager Johan von Backström
To learn more about how Robertson and Caine test their boats, we spoke with R&C Factory Manager Johan von Backström. He joined R&C seven years ago and has a manufacturing management and mechanical engineering background.
“We’re building the world’s most loved catamarans,” Johan tells us, “and if we don’t deliver a product that meets the customer’s needs and works for a very long time, we’re not living by Leopard’s values or our own values.”
Building to the Highest Standards
Building a catamaran is a complex process. R&C, a prestige boat builder with thousands of employees and around 200 catamarans launched yearly, holds its products to the highest safety, construction, and structural integrity standards. Every Leopard R&C build meets or exceeds standards and regulations for yacht build quality established by such groups as the American Boating and Yachting Council (ABYC), the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and the International Marine Certification Institute (IMCI).
Continuous Improvement in Quality
“We’re always striving to be better,” Backström says. “So we’ve got the pool, and we can ensure the nuts and bolts are tightened to spec, and everything works properly.”
Rigorous Testing in the Pool
The pool testing process covers everything on board, from window seals and bolt torques on the chainplates to air conditioning systems and engine run temperatures. Specially designed showers douse boats to simulate rain and high seas, testing the ports and hatches. Techs with pressure and temperature gauges run the engines to ensure proper cooling and water flow. Others check and re-check every hose clamp, through-hull fitting, tank, and seal to ensure water stays where it belongs.
Testing Third-Party Systems and Components
R&C’s pool process also tests every system, including systems and components like engines, air conditioners and refrigeration manufactured by third-party sources. There’s always a slight chance a system might arrive at the factory with a defect. Exhaustive testing catches human errors and original equipment problems before the boat leaves the pool.
“With all manufacturing processes, there can be problems,” says Johan. “We might receive a defective pump, or maybe a part worked on the manufacturer’s test bench but was damaged in shipping. This is why we fully test everything in the pool before we put the boat into the ocean.”
Structural Safety Checks
Beyond running systems and checking them against specifications, the boat structure undergoes many safety checks and rechecks during the pool test. Once the boat is afloat, technicians verify the load-bearing structures for proper load force distribution and move through an exhaustive checklist of test points and quality checks. Independent testers may double or triple-check the most critical tests before sign-off.
Continuous Improvement Benefits All Owners
Such a comprehensive test process benefits more than a single Leopard; it improves the builder.
“Throughout the years, we’ve improved our design and build considerably,” Backström says. We’ve learned better ways to make the installation process easier and the boats easier for owners to maintain.” Not only does this make the build process more efficient, but it also helps the builder remedy issues uncovered in earlier builds.”
Commitment to a Trouble-Free Customer Experience
Leopard’s goal is to provide every owner with a trouble-free boat that provides an unsurpassed customer experience. R&C’s testing process is critical in our endless pursuit of that objective.
Always Striving for Excellence
“We’re really trying to live to our values, trying to set the benchmark in ocean cruising catamarans,” Backström concludes. “We’re always striving to be a little better.”
We could not have said it better.
