35 Cabo

Source: George L. Petrie, Power & Motoryacht Magazine

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. That’s the way the adage goes, but Henry Mohrschladt and Michael Howarth have added their own twist: If at first you do succeed, try, try again. Ten years ago, after selling Pacific Seacraft Corporation, a sail-boat builder named on Fortune magazine’s list of the 100 best American manufacturers, the duo founded Cat Harbor Boats and earned themselves high acclaim in the mid-30-foot market for sportfishing boats. That venture evolved into Cabo Yachts, offering six models from 31 to 47 feet, including the 35-foot Express and 35-foot Flybridge, of which 307 have been delivered to date, with 63 on order.

Meticulous attention to detail is a key to their success—that, and never resting on their laurels. Not content with producing one of the best 35-foot flying-bridge sportfishermen around, they redesigned her from the keel up, improving the mechanical layout of what was already an exceptionally well-designed machinery space and reengineering the hull for better performance. While the 35 was generally known to be a good sea boat, it had a reputation for being wet and hard-riding in choppy head seas. To remedy that, the new model sports a Lou Codega-designed hull form with a deeper entry and steeper deadrise forward. Farther aft, formerly V-shaped sections are now flared, with moderate concavity, to soften the landing coming off a big wave. Lifting strakes on the bottom were eliminated after model testing showed that they were doing little more than generating spray, while the chines were widened and shaped with a four-inch radius on the underside to divert spray downward.

As for the mechanical layout, coming aboard the Cabo 35 Flybridge on test day, my first order of business was hooking up the fuel-flow measurement gear. The redeeming aspect of this dreadful chore is that it offers a hands-on opportunity to assess engine access, and it is safe to say that the machinery layout of the 35 exceeded my expectations. A large gas-assisted hatch in the saloon’s optional teak and holly sole provides easy entry to the cavernous void between the two Caterpillar 3208TAs. The space along the centerline is so large and uncluttered, in fact, you might be tempted to throw an air mattress and sleeping bags down there, and take along another fishin’ buddy or two.

Inside, the entire engine compartment is lined with smooth, molded gelcoat whose surface rivals that of many a yacht’s exterior. Not only does it look shipshape, but also it makes it easy to discern and clean up any errant leak of diesel fuel or lubricating oil that might otherwise be ignored and left to accumulate in the bilge.

Valves, strainers, and equipment are labeled and placed with the logic and clarity of a surgical operating room. The Cruisair compressor is easily accessible on the port side, and the cooling-water intakes, seacocks, and fuel-water separators are in plain view on either side of the centerline. Other access points on the diesels can be reached through removable panels under the two settees in the saloon or through hinged engine box covers on either side of the cockpit. Having three different routes of access to each engine made easy work of our equipment installation. The 7.6-kW Westerbeke genset, batteries, and power distribution panel are likewise within easy access.

Superior construction and attention to detail are evident throughout the 35. Little things, like dressed screw heads in the teak joinery and cabinet doors with cross-hatched vents to allow air circulation, not to mention more substantial features like the electrical distribution panel alongside the companionway steps, speak volumes about the boat’s quality. Even the back of the electrical panel is a work of art, with neatly bundled wires forming geometric patterns and every circuit numbered to match the schematics in the owner’s manual.

Other features reveal that Cabo’s designers truly understand life at sea. For example, an overhead handrail runs the full length of the saloon, offering a secure grab point when the weather turns ugly. The galley’s Corian countertops have sea rails to keep things from sliding off. The cabinet doors not only latch closed, they latch open as well, so they won’t slam shut in a seaway. And the two steps down to the lower deck are covered with textured rubber material that promises the surest possible footing.

It’s also clear that Cabo understands fishing. The cockpit is clean and uncluttered and encompasses some 130 square feet, so there’s room for four stand-up anglers. I was impressed by its orderly, functional arrangement. Everything is within easy reach, but nothing gets in your way. Gaffs and nets are stowed in cabinets under the port and starboard gunwales, while tackle and rigging can be organized and stashed close at hand in 12 custom-built drawers housed in two locking cabinets above the engine boxes. Two six-cubic-foot fishboxes lay flush with the cockpit sole, and both fresh- and salt-water washdowns are nearby.

The real grabbers, though, are again those little things. Padded bolsters ring the cockpit, providing extra comfort when you’re hauling in a fish. To minimize intrusion into precious cockpit space, the 50-gallon baitwell is built into the aft caprail. And the transom door opens out, latching against the stern, to keep the cockpit clear even when things get rough. The gunwale-style top is independent of the door for added safety when the door is open. And, in typical Cabo style, the door is hung on massive stainless steel hinges secured by no fewer than 28 beefy screws.

Impressed as I was with the yacht’s design and construction, I was interested to see how she performed. Offshore, a stiff afternoon breeze had whipped the sea into an ugly chop, steep waves around two feet high with crest-to-crest wavelengths about equal to the waterline length of the Cabo. At WOT we measured about 36 mph in head seas, but because the wavelengths were nearly the same as the hull length, travelling that fast was a bit like riding on roller skates over a washboard. Lowering the trim tabs smoothed things out nicely and shaved less than a knot off our top speed. Down wind or in cross-seas the ride was comfortable, and the cupped chines were flawless in keeping water off the decks.

One thing that struck me during our sea trial was how solid the boat felt. Digging into her construction details, I soon saw why. The bottom is solid fiberglass with biaxial stitched fabric reinforcement. Stringers and frames are built up over a brawny core of 2 1/2 inches thick, epoxy-laminated fir with a thick steel cap in way of the engine mounts. The hull sides and superstructure are cored to cut topside weight, and the entire thickness of the hull, not just the outer layers of the laminate, is laid up with premium vinylester resin to eliminate blistering.

With fine design, quality construction, and close attention to detail, it’s easy to see why Cabo grabs the eye of sporfishing enthusiasts. This new one’s definitely a keeper.

Boat Specifications: 35 Cabo

LOA: 37’6″ (w/pulpit)

Beam: 13’0″

Draft: 3’0″ Weight: 24,000 lbs.

Fuel capacity: 425 gal.

Water capacity: 100 gal.

Test engines: 2/435-hp Caterpillar 3208TA diesel inboards

Transmissions: ZF 280 A

Ratio: 1.48:1

Props: Michigan 22×25 Dyna jet, 3-blade Nibral

Steering: Hynautic hydraulic

Controls: Hynautic hydraulic

Optional equipment on test boat: 7.6-kW Westerbeke genset; Glendenning engine synchronizer; 32′ Pipewelders outriggers; Pipewelders fiberglass hardtop; 3/4 Strataglass flying bridge enclosure; Furuno FR1761 radar; Northstar 952XD color GPS/plotter; Furuno FCV582L color sounder; teak and holly soles