40 Cabo Flybridge

Source: Rick Gaffney, Boatpoint Magazine

Taking a good boat and making it better is easier said than done, but the new 40 Flybridge is proof that Cabo raises the bar higher than most in the industry. Rick Gaffney reports

It was clear that the 40 Flybridge would be the next incarnation when Cabo Yachts first introduced its dramatically new 40 hull in an express layout.

After testing a new Cabo 40 Express Los Sueños Edition in Costa Rica early last year, I came away gushing about what a superb new vessel the Cabo Yachts team had created. That sea trial also made me very excited about the soon-to-be-released flybridge vessel.

The Cabo 40 hull is now available in three different models: Flybridge, Express Sportfish and the Los Sueños Edition. The difference between the Flybridge model and the other two is obvious: it has a flying bridge, and as a result, a larger main cabin above the cockpit deck level. And more interior space overall.

To quote from my review of the 40 Express a year ago: “The new Cabo 40 really took my breath away. I tested three new Cabos in the course of a few days. The 40 easily stood out as my personal favourite of the three. Why? In a word: manoeuvrability. The Cabo 40 seemed to have every bit of the manoeuvrability of the 37 Merritt I used to run, and in my experience, few production manufacturers have ever approached the litheness of those famed tuna boats.”

DEJA VOODOO
With that experience in the back of my mind I arranged to meet Hawaii resident John Perrell in Ensenada, Mexico to inspect his new Cabo 40 Flybridge and see what an enclosed house and flybridge added to what I already thought to be an exceptional boat.

I literally felt right at home as I walked down the dock and spotted the transom of John’s 40, Malolo, which is the Hawaiian word for flying fish. (John is a pilot who also loves boating and fishing.)

John proved to be a gracious host and let me get up close and personal with a boat he was still breaking in, and at the same time finetuning in preparation for a major fishing tournament in Cabo. Actually, he let me get just a little too close for comfort (I was splashed to the knees) when I was photographing him running toward me on the base of marina breakwater. But all’s well that ends well!

From that sea-level observation point, I quickly noted that the Cabo 40 Flybridge cuts the same flat, tight turn when its wheel is over hard that I’d noted on the 40 Express. John’s 40 Flybridge also virtually flew by me, and backed down well too – traits that its Express-model sister ship also did very well.

Several things contribute to the manoeuvrability of the new Cabo 40 hull: unique hull design, broad beam (15ft 9in), moulded hull pockets, Cabo’s superior engineering of other things like shaft angles, rudder size and so on; not to mention the kick of its 700hp power package (Cat C12s or MANs are the options).

TOPSIDE ROAST
You ascend to the flybridge via a very practical ladder on the port side (John wisely opted for teak treads), and walk forward past the helm console on your right to a large forward-facing bench seat. John cleverly added a pedestal and cushion arrangement, allowing this seat to be easily converted into a large bunk.

The flybridge helm station on the Cabo 40 has a clear view all around. Even with normal bow rise on acceleration, the proper sight lines remained. The console is at the same time functional, ergonomic and attractive, with a helm pod, well-placed controls, easy-to-read gauge/engine read-out panels, accessible switches and accommodating helm and companion seating.

The spacious bright-white console faces offer more than adequate space for a complete array of marine electronics, and John allowed the master, Billy Jahn of CrewWest Electronics, to install all the latest toys. There is plenty of storage topside too, as there is everywhere that Cabo finds an unused nook or cranny.

The Cabo 40 Flybridge is every bit a no-nonsense fishing machine. Among other fishy features, it has a 100sqft cockpit with padded bolsters; oversized scuppers; that famous beefy hardware-mounted transom door; twin in-deck insulated fishboxes with water-tight hatches and macerator-equipped drains; a complete tackle-rigging station; and a transom baitwell.

John proved this to his satisfaction after leaving Ensenada, releasing several billfish, winning a tournament in Puerto Vallarta and catching a 294lb yellowfin for a guest and a 240lb yellowfin on 50 for himself.

INSIDE STORY
The Cabo 40 Flybridge was clearly built to be verrrrry comfortable inside. Enter the saloon to starboard, just a couple of steps up from the cockpit, and the fine joinery, fabric and upholstery welcomes you home.

From the optional teak and holly sole and Cabo’s signature inlaid teak grillwork in the cabinet doors (ensuring good ventilation in the cabinetry) to the practical interior layout, the Cabo 40 Flybridge is both functional and sumptuous.

The saloon is laid out with a triangular raised fine-wood table fronting an aft-facing L-shaped banquette to starboard, and there is another large L-shaped settee to port. John opted to finish both in fine beige leather, perfectly complementing the light, satin-finished teak panelling.

A large flatscreen TV fills part of the forward bulkhead, and the array of AV equipment is housed in an adjacent cabinet. Functional rod storage is located under the settee seat. Cabo’s exquisite electrical service panels are located just inside the cabin door.

The galley is one step down at the forward port side of the saloon. It is a compact, U-shaped, Corian-topped work area with a recessed ceramic cooktop, under-counter fridge/freezer and a voluminous ‘pantry’ under the galley floor.

John added a practical upgrade to his pantry by hanging stout canvas bags from stainless steel hooks just inside the pantry hatch, making regularly used supplies a lot easier to access.

Down a couple more steps amidships are the berthing spaces, with a guest suite to starboard featuring athwartships bunks that include a fixed double below and a pull-out single above. John converted the latter to a tackle-storage area that is chest high, making it easy to access and use. There is also a cedar-lined closet to starboard.

The roomy head separates the guest suite from the master, to starboard, and it includes a fully enclosed shower stall, Vacuflush toilet and nicely moulded Corian surfaces.

Forward through a privacy door is a master stateroom that features a central pedestal queen berth with a very comfortable mattress, cedar-lined hanging lockers, plenty of functional drawers and the co-ordinated fine fabrics and upholstery finishes that Cabo specifies. Voluminous storage is found under the berth, and rod storage cabinets line the walls.

Although the Cabo 40 Flybridge could easily be handled by a couple, the cruising amenities will comfortably accommodate a small family, a bunch of fishing buddies, two couples, or many combinations thereof. With the layout John designed for Malolo, seven or eight adults and several kids could all find a comfortable place to sleep.

POWER PLAY
Cabo never scrimps in the engineering department, from the superb wiring runs and meticulous electrical panel to the layout of the mechanical spaces and the standard features that so many manufacturers consider optional. For instance, there is a Reverso remote oil-change system standard on every Cabo 40.

On the Cabo 40 Flybridge, the easiest access to the engineroom is through a hatch from the cockpit. On Malolo, the pair of MAN engines sat nestled in what is a surprisingly accessible space, despite the Westerbeke 12.6 genset, dinghy outboard on a custom bracket, water heater, compressors, filters and all that stuff that can (and does) clutter up mechanical spaces.

Cabo lays out its mechanical spaces very well. Not only are the plumbing and wiring runs clean, but it is also clear that the space has been thoroughly engineered. Likewise, first-rate equipment has been specified and installed, and all installations are done with a sense of pride by people who make a real effort to do the job right.

The MANs deliver 700hp from a compact, well-engineered and remarkably small motor. They also proved to be a formidable power source that picks the 40 hull up out of the water smoothly, quickly and relatively quietly. Similar-horsepower CAT C12s are the other option.

In test runs on a similarly equipped boat (CAT powered), the Cabo 40 Flybridge topped out at about 35.6kt at 2325rpm. It also ran at over 30kt at 2000rpm. With standard tankage, that speed would carry you more than 625 miles with the tested fuel burn.

FINE PERFORMER
The Cabo 40 hull is very comfortable, no matter what speed it is running, thanks to its modified-vee hull design and a gradual hull entry that seems to flatten swells rather than just trying to knife through them. Trim tabs allow for precise trim-angle adjustments as needed, and although I still haven’t run a Cabo 40 hull in the rough stuff (we’ll do that when John’s boat comes home this March), I think it’ll handle mean water very nicely.

Malolo was after-factory outfitted with a C-Fab hardtop that I believe is the nicest, cleanest, most attractive and most functional hardtop available anywhere in the industry today. The company’s stainless steel work is stunning, easy to maintain, aesthetically pleasing and practical.

What didn’t I like? The bright white gelcoat on the command console that too many manufacturers seem to think is right. Sorry guys, helm consoles should be finished flat-black, in my opinion, to minimise glare into the operator’s eyes.

I was also surprised by the fridge/freezer combo that comes standard, when Sub-Zero drawer types handle this utility so much better and are fast becoming the standard elsewhere in the industry. They’re better quality, too.

Besides that, I liked the Cabo 40 Flybridge even more than I liked the Cabo 40 Express (or the Los Sueños Edition). Why? I’m a sucker for the protection and additional passenger comforts available in a flybridge model. Does anyone spend time below decks in an express boat when the going gets rough?

Cabo has done it again with the Flybridge incarnation of what I think is the best hull the company has built to date. Simply stated, Cabo has taken a great boat and made it even greater.

Boat Specifications: 40 Cabo Flybridge

OPTIONS FITTED Custom hardtop, cockpit controls, underwater lighting, Furuno electronics package, Entertainment package teak and holly flooring, leather upholstery and more

GENERAL

Material: Solid fibreglass bottom & cored fibreglass topsides

Type: Modified vee monohull

Length: 13.05m (42ft 10in)

Beam: 4.80m (15ft 9in)

Draft: 1.00m (3ft 5in)

Deadrise (at transom): 16.5º

Weight: 14,515kg (32,000lb)

CAPACITIES

Berths: Six

Fuel: 2082lt (550 US gal)

Water: 284lt (75 US gal)

ENGINE

Make/Model: MAN D2876LE401

Type: Six-cylinder turbo-diesels

Rated hp (ea): 700

Displacement (ea): 12lt 732cu in

Weight (ea): 1215kg (2679lb)

Gearbox (make/ratio): ZF 325A / 1.485:1

Props: Michigan four-bladers 26in x 32in