This Leopard 46 was delivered from Opua to Nelson down New Zealand’s west coast.
Leopard 46 Delivery from Opua to Nelson
Leopard Catamaran Skipper
Yachts regularly move along the Opua Nelson route for sales, seasonal relocation and ownership transfers, making it a familiar delivery corridor for our skippers.
This coastal delivery involved relocating a Leopard 46 from Opua in the Bay of Islands to Nelson at the top of the South Island. Rather than following the more frequently used east coast route, this passage continued down New Zealand’s west coast, providing a different set of planning considerations.
The west coast is known for its exposure to Tasman Sea weather systems and generally offers fewer shelter options than the east coast. As a result, departure timing was an important factor in ensuring favourable conditions for the trip south.
The Leopard 46 is a capable cruising catamaran with a strong reputation for offshore and coastal passagemaking. Its combination of comfortable accommodation, practical deck layout and solid sailing performance makes it well suited to longer coastal relocations such as this.
Once clear of Northland, the passage settled into a straightforward routine of watchkeeping, weather monitoring and sail management. Conditions along the west coast can change quickly, so regular forecast updates remained part of daily operations throughout the voyage.
Approaching Nelson, the yacht entered the more protected waters around Tasman Bay, bringing the delivery to a successful conclusion. This Leopard 46 relocation was another example of the varied yacht delivery routes regularly undertaken around New Zealand’s coastline.
