If you know a little about Leopard Catamarans, than you know we are proudly build in Cape Town, South Africa at the Robertson and Caine Factory. A very common question among clients and potential clients are questions relating to a Cape Town handover, and which is the right decision? Do you put your new toy on a freighter and send her to Fort Lauderdale, FL, where you know she is in good hands, and shake her down in the Bahamas. Or do you jet over to Cape Town, take a factory tour, and shake down your new yacht in Table Bay?
What does a handover look like in Cape Town?
Cape Town handovers take place at Cape Grace Marina. One thing to keep in mind if you choose to do a Cape Town handover is that you don't have to go back to the United States. What's unique about taking ownership in Cape Town is that it provides you the opportunity to explore the Indian Ocean-- visit the Seychelles, the Comoro Islands and the Maldives! Or head east and discover Namibia, the infamous St. Helena, and spend sometime in South America before heading through the Caribbean.
There are many benefits to taking delivery of your boat in Cape Town, the hub where the boat was born,and it is a great experience. We wish that all of our owners could make the trip to Cape Town!
- Enjoy your time at Cape Grace Marina with views of the famous V&A Waterfront, which is in walking distance, while you prepare your boat for voyage.
- In terms of warranty, Robertson and Caine has a special warranty team looking after the Cape Town handover clients.
- Owners can do a shake- down cruise up the coast and return with all warranty and snags getting fixed.
- Clients can visit the factory where their specific boat was built. This leaves an everlasting memory and insight on how their boat was born.
- All dealers for components like Yanmar engines, generators, etc. are based in Cape Town and all equipment that’s installed on our boats has a dealer in Cape Town.
- Clearing out of Cape Town is simple, no red tape at all. As long as the owner ‘s boat is registered and insured. We supply and assist the legal clearing and export documents to the owners in order to leave South Africa. The owner has 90 days to clear their boat out of Cape Town, in this period the warranties get dealt with and upgrades on aftermarket equipment gets installed.
- Should the owner like Leopard Catamarans in Cape Town to recommend a good delivery skipper or crew to accompany them on their voyage or show them the ropes, we can assist with that as well.
- Discover the beauty of Cape Town when you take ownership in South Africa. It is a great excuse to see one of the most visited cities in the world and to experience great food and wines at very affordable prices. Have a tour of the factory and supply your boat with necessary equipment. In Cape Town you can purchase all linen, crockery and cutlery, as well as boat spares from local stores. You may also take advantage and stock up on local wines.
Is it easy to get aftermarket work done in Cape Town?
In short, yes. The best option (although we may be biased) is to get it done through Leopard Catamarans. There are also people locally who can help and you are, of course, free to shop around.
Leopard Catamarans After Sales division has been in full swing for about seven years, growing each year.
We have agreements in place with 3 or 4 suppliers/contractors to facilitate the aftermarket installs and upgrades for our clients. Leopard owners order and work through the Cape Town office to finalize their aftermarket projects and upgrades. We can supply lithium installations, solar frames, full enclosures for the helm and aft cockpit, shelving in the bilges, dinghies, branding, teak in the heads and many more options. This option is only available for boats handing over in Cape Town. In Cape Town your warranties get sorted while your boat is being upgraded with aftermarket installs.
Is there a benefit to choosing a delivery to Fort Lauderdale?
There are a few perks to having you boat handed over in Fort Lauderdale, the main one being that your sales agent is located there. In addition to that, you get to discover the beauty of the Bahamas or the Florida Keys on your maiden voyage. Fort Lauderdale also boasts the distinction of being the Yachting Capital of the World, so it's safe to say you could find multiple options for aftermarket. Additionally, the original equipment manufactures for your boats equipment under warranty has authorized dealers at the same marina in which your yacht is delivered to, Harbour Towne Marina.
If you plan to handover in Cape Town and sail back to the United States, it is important to consider that this is not always the most cost effective option. Unless you intend to make the voyage on your own accord, once you've factored in flights, captain and crew, provisioning and return flights, you aren't going to be saving a substantial amount. However, if you are doing it merely for the experience then we encourage that!
Taking ownership of your catamaran is a very exciting time, but as a new boat buyer there are always a lot of questions to ask. We are here to make the transition into boat ownership as seamless as possible, no matter where in the world you might be.
