40 Cabo Zeus

Source: Jon Meade, MotorBoating Magazine

In ancient Roman mythology, Zeus was the king of the gods, exercising complete dominance and control over heaven and earth. In today’s boating world, the Zeus name now personifies the pod-propulsion system designed by Cummins, enjoying its recent debut to the big-game fishing arena in the Cabo 40. Aptly named, the control of the Zeus-powered Cabo 40 leaves you breathless.

Performance
Providing the precision performance expected from today’s pod-drive systems, the Cabo 40 spins like a top, can travel sideways through the tightest of spaces and exhibits complete control in any direction via a joystick that our video-game-cultured children can master in seconds. However, it is the boat’s Skyhook feature that allows you to hold the boat’s position while keeping the bow on any compass heading you choose that really floored me. Whether deep-dropping, wreck fishing or even over nighting in the canyons, this feature allows you to hold your position with a simple push of a button. To do this, the GPS constantly communicates with the Zeus system to provide small pulses of power that hold the boat in place. Not only were these adjustments remarkably quiet, they kept the boat glued to one spot without knocking me off balance in a steady three-foot swell.

Running at 2,600 rpm, the Cabo 40 made 29.2 knots while burning a mere 42.4 gph. Cabo says the Zeus drives consistently burn to 10 to 15 gph less than traditional inboards on their hulls. This Cabo 40 hit a top end of 35.8 knots while turning 3,070 rpm.

Cabo sells the Zeus package with twin 600 hp Cummins QSC 8.3 engines, which provide the same speed as the Caterpillar C12s, better maneuverability, Skyhook, greater fuel efficiency and an integrated autopilot all for the same price as the conventional C12s.

Helm Deck
Numerous air-conditioning vents bathe the helm deck in a cooling breeze, staving off the oppressive summertime heat we experienced down in Key West during our trial, and the Stidd helm chair mounted centerline provides unobstructed views in all directions through the massive windshields. Cabo also installs a set of unobtrusive companion chairs alongside the Stidd.

You’ll find plenty of room for mounting electronics at the helm station and a large comfortable L-shaped settee to port. On the starboard side, Cabo includes a large rigging station with plentiful storage. I also loved the massive locking overhead rod locker that holds over a dozen fully assembled rods and reels.

Descending through a sliding door to explore below reveals an abundance of teak cabinetry, veneer and flooring. And Cabo vents each teak cabinet to combat stagnant air. A large leather settee abutting a wooden table provides the perfect spot to enjoy a meal, while the galley’s Corian counters, stainless-steel sink, microwave, two-burner cook-top and side-by-side refrigerators allow you to cook any dish in style.

The enclosed head affords plentiful knee and elbowroom around the VacuFlush toilet, outlets for accessories and a large walk-in shower. The queen-berth stateroom forward boasts twin hanging lockers and plenty of cabinets to stow a couple’s clothes.

Cockpit

Because the Zeus drives free up space below decks, the cockpit comes with dual in-deck fish boxes. Gunwale height and distance to the water line remained unchanged with this power configuration, making wiring and gaffing fish easy propositions.

A bait freezer, drink box, transom door, numerous tackle compartments and a 48-gallon live well further accentuate the Cabo 40’s fishability.

Simply put, the addition of Cummins Zeus propulsion system has made an already great boat even better. Jon Meade

Boat Specifications: 40 Cabo

LOA……42’10”
Beam……15’9″
Draft……3’5″
Weight……28,000 pounds
Fuel……550 gallons
Water……95 gallons
Power……T 600 hp Cummins QSC 8.9  Zeus pod-drive diesels