A TRUE ON WATER MARVEL
The New Leech 33 (1025) Semi Displacement Power Catamaran incorporates the latest thinking from designer Dan Leech.
Recently, on a slightly overcast, but warm late February day I was invited aboard “Allez”, the new Leech Designed 33’ – 1025 power catamaran owned by Paul Spence, an ‘old sea dog’ and ex-Air New Zealand pilot. Having possessed twelve different boats, of all sizes and types (barring a sailboat) during his long boating lifetime, Paul certainly knew what he wanted when he commissioned Dan Leech to design him “Allez” – which, depending on what translation from French to English you feel is most appropriate, means: ‘Come on!’, ‘Go!’, ‘Hurry up!’, or the one that I thought was most applicable to Paul and his boat, after being out on it for the morning, was ‘You’ve got this!’. And indeed, Paul has!
When I asked Paul, why this boat at this time of his life, his answer was simple. Just that – he wanted simplicity. I liked that, having always been a proponent of the ‘K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) Theory’ during my rather lengthy career in the marine industry. And, although my experience on larger power catamarans has been limited, I have sailed on many a sailing catamaran. That large, vertical stick aside on the latter; what is common to all catamarans is their roominess and stability. “Allez” is no exception. A lot more on this later.
“Allez” was built for Paul in Nelson by Allspec Marine, with this new Leech design offering an incredibly soft ride while exhibiting excellent fuel efficiency and sea keeping. In part, the good sea keeping is achieved by means of the, not too narrow, semi-displacement hull form. Reasonable volume in the hulls equates to good accommodation within the hulls.
Dan is a naval architect graduate from the Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology, and a qualified boat builder, who has succeeded as a naval architect for over 20 years. Having had experience in computer 3D modelling, drawing, and creating detailed CNC cut files for a long list of boats, from high performance composite race yachts and power boats to pleasure yachts and launches as well as commercial work boats ranging in materials from composite, aluminium, steel and plywood, Dan believes that the practical experience of hands-on boat building has provided him a very good grounding for good design practice. It is, therefore, not surprising that Paul Spence chose the Leech 33 (1025) as, if not his ultimate boat, perhaps his penultimate one?
Built from full composites and with a very highquality level of construction using e glass (epoxy resin) laminates and epoxy resin skins on either side of a foam core, it is a very stiff and strong structure, but lightweight, enhancing the boat’s performance. Using a foam core also makes it a very quiet and well insulated boat.
But before reporting on our actual ‘boat test’ it will be useful to keep the following in mind as this article progresses. Firstly, this craft combines innovative design with practical features, such as full standing headroom throughout the boat. Both a queen-size berth and a separate head/shower are situated forward, along with quarter berths in both the port and starboard hulls. A large galley, just inside the entrance from the cockpit, is positioned along the port side of the saloon opposite the starboard side large U-shaped settee and hydraulically adjustable pedestal table that can form an additional double berth, when required for those extra guests (grandchildren?) who are staying onboard for the weekend. A clever feature of this settee is the backrest at the bow end, which can be ‘flipped’ forward or aft, providing back support to the helmsperson while underway, or a backrest for a diner at mealtime.
Getting back to the galley for a moment, one is immediately impressed with the simple (hmm, that word keeps coming up), orderly design and layout. The long galley bench contains everything you need, with nothing extraneous. Fridge at the aft end of the galley unit, a hard wearing, laminate bench top with a gas hob (which can be covered when not in use, thus providing more countertop workspace), a S/S sink and drainboard for washing up dishes and a removable wooden chopping board over the sink. There are convenient ‘open’ lockers behind and above the countertop for dishes, mugs, storage containers, washing up and cleaning items, etc. Below the counter are numerous, wood faced storage cupboards and drawers with push button open/close latches, ensuring they stay closed at sea and don’t protrude, thereby preventing you or your clothing from getting snagged while moving about the cabin. Importantly, the aft cabin bulkhead has a gas strut supported opening window which, along with the large opening port side window above the bench and a sliding cabin door, allows the saloon to open to the cockpit, giving great indoor/outdoor air flow. Essential when cooking. The hardtop roof extends aft over the wide cockpit for sun and rain protection as well as protecting the cabin interior when the door is open.
The massive cockpit has an aft side door on the port hull for easy access from the marina berth, a considerable aft boarding platform, fishing rod locker, massive under-floor storage, saltwater wash down hose, built-in seating and the list goes on. However, I was most impressed with the cockpit side door. Keeping it simple again. Just unlatch and swing open the solid door and step on board. How good is that? When under way, the door securely latches shut and is hardly noticeable as you scan your eyes along the smooth lines of the hull.
Entering the cockpit, you cannot help but notice the easily accessible and expansive aft boarding platform located between the twin Honda 115 Four Stroke outboards. Just swing open the dual stainless-steel gates and, hey presto, ample room as a swim platform, a place to stand and fish (rod holders abound along the cockpit topsides and there are two bait boards at the stern of the cockpit). A stainless-steel ‘rocket launcher’, mounted atop the stern edge of the cabin, provides for seven more fishing rod holders. And, as a long-time diver, I was mightily impressed with the great exit/entry area for SCUBA diving. The boarding ladder slides snugly below an integrated hatch lid, which is barely noticeable at first glance. Simple!
Powered by twin Honda 115hp 4 stroke outboards, (an optional foil is available for added performance).
The lightweight structure and efficient hull design allow small engines to be used and provide low fuel consumption.
Access to the port forward cabins is via three steps leading down on the left side, forward of the galley bench. As with all catamarans one is always impressed with the amount of room on board compared to whatever the external dimensions of the craft may be. The Leech 33 (1025) is no exception being approximately 33.1 feet (10.1 metres) in length and with a beam of approximately 12.5 feet (3.8 metres). Not a huge boat in other words, but when you go below the space seems absolutely cavernous! At the base of the three well-lit (courtesy of a strategically positioned opening portlight) deck tread covered non-slip stairs, you will find immediately to your left as you look towards the stern, the first single berth cabin tucked under the galley. Comfortable and snug but long enough for a normal height adult, it is ideal for children. Turning back around and stepping forward towards the bow, one opens a cabin door to discover a very large step-up queen-sized bed which, while somewhat filling this private master cabin, at the same time leaves the space feeling airy and light, due in no small part, to a large opening privacy tinted see through deck hatch. And, at nighttime, several, well-positioned LED reading lights provide all the light you should need. There is ample headroom above the bed and, as mentioned previously, full head room when standing up and getting undressed and ready for bed. A convenient storage shelf is situated along the wall above the length of the bed and a clothing locker is built into the forward bulkhead, left of the bed with a storage drawer under the step up to the bed.
Climbing back up the three steps and exiting the port hull, as you wander over towards the helm station, one thing immediately stands out. There is an unexpected narrow passageway between the helm station and the forward windscreen area. Makes perfect sense once you notice it, but not the norm to say the least. However, I like it. It’s clever and simple. This passage allows you access to the starboard hull cabin and head/shower area via, once again, three well-lit, (did I mention the discreetly recessed down lights on the face of each step?) deck tread protected steps. As with the port access passage, there are strategically located grab handles conveniently mounted ensuring there is little chance you’ll be knocked off your feet in a heavy sea – providing you hang on as you go below.
Once down these three steps you will see, to your right, a second single berth cabin tucked fore and aft under the helm station. Directly opposite this cabin is the roomy head/shower. Once again, simple and functional comes to mind. Everything you need is there in the well laid out design. Toilet forward and facing aft with a reading light and permanent air vent above it. There is also a small opening Maxwell hatch on the cabin top. A vanity sink/cupboard unit, mirror and shower are on the port side just past the entrance door and a storage (wet weather gear?) locker is situated behind the toilet. All surfaces are finished in smooth, white fibreglass making for easy cleaning and maintenance. A glance of the vessel schematic below will quickly reveal how all this is integrated.
Now that I’ve mentioned it, I realise that the entire boat gives off a feeling of being easy to clean and maintain. Simplicity once again. Which leads us to the all-important helm station.
I have to say, I don’t recall a more well thought out and functional helm station. It is as though you say to yourself; “Where’s the throttle control?”, and there it is – exactly where it ergonomically should be – at the correct height just to the right and above the steering wheel, as you stand or sit at the helm. Navigation instrumentation? The 4060mm/16” Simrad NSS16 Evo3 MFD Screen is bang above the steering wheel exactly where it should be for you to easily glance down and read information as you need it, while keeping your eyes on the sea and land masses ahead of you. Need to file a trip report or make an emergency call? Instinctively reach out and to your right and there’s the Simrad RS20 VHF radio and mike. All engine control and information instrumentation and the BEP 24-way DC circuit breaker/isolator panel appear to be naturally where they should be. Good layout design isn’t that hard if you keep it simple. Besides all the things you’d expect to be in or around the helm station, there are also little things which make a big difference. Such as lots of USB type phone and tablet charging points, Fusion RA210 stereo system controls, 120/240 AC ports, convenient grab handles and the list goes on. One thing I particularly liked, in this day and age of electronic navigation, was the purposefully placed Plastimo compass. Directly in front of the helm person but mounted on the windscreen shelf across the narrow passageway in front of the helm station, where it is easy to see and read. Nice little extra touch: two charging ports sit to the port side of the compass. All in all, an extremely well thought out and constructed helm station. However, and please appreciate I am not being nitpicky about this, I felt the placement of the windscreen wiper at the base of the centre screen of the three separate windscreen panels was not ideal. When I asked Paul about this, he agreed, saying that they really wanted the wiper mounted at the base of the starboard windscreen panel, but space constraints made this difficult, so it ended up under the middle windscreen panel. One negative out of otherwise 100% positives ‘isn’t bad.
Wanting to investigate the anchor set up, I edged forward along the starboard side deck of the boat to the bow, the numerous grab rails and handles along the way imparting a sense of confidence that unless you were to do something totally stupid, you were unlikely to go overboard.
The uncluttered bow deck area, as you would expect by this stage, was simply and practically laid out. The Maxwell RC8 rope/chain anchor winch is partially offset to starboard, but in direct line to the substantial bow roller, allowing for a secondary “day anchor” bow roller, with convenient rope mooring cleat directly aft. Mirror image bow lockers – chain locker to starboard and storage locker to port, provide more than ample room for plenty of rope/chain rode and capacity for fenders, etc. respectively. As anchoring is controlled primarily from the helm station, Paul elected to have only an ‘up’ winch footswitch on the bow. The large, low-profile Maxwell main forward cabin opening hatch is positioned centrally, aft of the winch. More than adequate, high stainless-steel rails surround the bow providing a real, as well as psychological, feeling of safety when working up forward.
Standing at the bow and looking aft you will see the centre windscreen wiper I mentioned earlier, as well as noticing that Paul utilises the cabin top deck space to store his inflatable dinghy and SUP board. Aft of these craft are large solar panels which, as Paul explained, are ample for enabling the fridge to be run full time, without utilising the house batteries.
LAYOUT
PERFORMANCE
This may sound like a cop out, but you know, when it comes to power catamarans and reasonably calm seas, you kind of expect that such a craft is going to perform well. While Paul tried his hardest to fire us through selfgenerated wake waves, execute tight circles and S-type turns, you just knew that “Allez” was going to go, ‘Oh-hum, here we go again” and effortlessly drive us through the water. And so she did. Having had a thoroughly enjoyable morning out on the Leech 33 (1025), I would love to have the opportunity to be out on her on a ‘messy’ sea, just to see how she’d handle it. But seriously? I think that you kind of know the answer, don’t you? In summary, the Leech 1025 promised an incredibly soft ride, fuel efficiency, and excellent sea keeping. It lived up to its promise on all counts – a true marvel on the water!
SPECIFICATIONS
- Length: (including bow sprit) 10.25m
- Length: (excluding bow sprit) 10.10m
- Length: engines tilted up (including bow sprit) 10.475m
- Waterline Length: 8.85m
- Beam: 3.800m
- Draft: (engines tilted up) 0.460m
- Displacement: 4250 kg
- Construction: Epoxy / E glass (epoxy resin) laminates and PVC Foam Core
- Fuel: 2 x 300L petrol
- Fresh Water: 2 x 200L
- Price when launched: NZD $700,000.00 (approximately)
FUEL & PERFORMANCE DATA | ||||
Leech 1025 | ||||
Power: twin 115 hp Honda outboards | ||||
Fuel capacity: 780 litres | ||||
RPM | KNOTS | L/h | L/NM | Range (N/M) |
750 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 630 |
100 | 3 | 3.6 | 1.2 | 580 |
1500 | 5 | 7.4 | 1.5 | 460 |
2000 | 5.8 | 10 | 1.8 | 390 |
2500 | 7.5 | 14.4 | 2 | 350 |
3000 | 10.9 | 21.6 | 2 | 350 |
3500 | 14.5 | 28.2 | 2 | 350 |
4000 | 17.3 | 35.6 | 2.1 | 330 |
4500 | 20 | 51.6 | 2.6 | 270 |
5000 | 22.2 | 72 | 3.3 | 210 |
5200 | 23 | 80 | 3.5 | 200 |
NOTE: Range is calculated using 90% of the stated fuel capacity
