40 Cabo Flybridge (42ft.) 2010

Source: Power & Motoryacht Magazine

Cabo has never been known for doing anything halfway. They have a success story on their hands with the Cabo 40 Express, but that didn’t stop them from improving on the model. The next step was to make a new model by adding a flybridge. Not surprisingly, it was another hit. But still not willing to sit on their laurels, Cabo correctly surmised that the convertible market is not entirely dominated by fishermen alone. Time and again, these boats are being bought by Baby Boomers wanting to use them as both hard-core fishing machines and utilitarian cruising platforms, largely due to the breed’s outstanding capacity to handle blue water so well. This led Cabo to redecorate the interior of the 40 Flybridge (which wasn’t too shabby to begin with) and add a more elegant, yacht-like decor that will only help close the deal both with you-know-who, as well as the angler.

If you agree that a bad day of fishing beats a good day at work, you should take a close look at the Cabo 40 Flybridge. Designed for the serious offshore angler, the 40 Flybridge combines an efficient cockpit with light-but-rugged construction and a smooth-riding modified-V bottom. Powered by twin diesels up to 800 hp each, the 40 will speed you out and back, leaving more time to drag baits and boat fish. Zeus pod drives are available with twin CMD 600-hp diesels. At the end of the day, a nicely appointed salon will provide a comfortable place to unwind. In short, the Cabo 40 Flybridge is all the fishboat most of us will ever need. Find out why…

The Back Story

Cabo Yachts was started in 1988 when Henry Mohrschladt and Michael Howarth either saw the light, or went over to the dark side – which one is correct depends on who you ask – and sold their sailboat company, Pacific Seacraft. Pacific Seacraft was to sailors what Rolls-Royce is to car nuts – they were boats one aspired to. The partners brought the same obsession with cutting-edge design and tugboat-tough construction to Cabo; it took them three years to design, engineer and build their first boat, a 35 Flybridge. Almost immediately, Cabo became one of the top three or four go-to boatbuilders for serious sportfishermen.

The 1991 10% luxury tax was the coup de grace for many traditional builders of 40′ convertibles, companies like Post, Jersey, Blackfin, Trojan and others, but then along came Cabo to fill demand when fishermen started buying new boats again in the mid 1990s.

Ideal for Apres-Fish

The 40 Flybridge is based on Cabo’s earlier 40 Express; the two boats share a hull, but the Flybridge version adds a comfortable saloon in place of the open bridge deck on the Express. Which set-up is better for fishing is an argument we won’t get into, but there’s no question the Flybridge will be more comfortable for après-fish activities.

The galley, dinette and L-shaped settee are all basically on one level (the galley is a step lower), with cabin-side windows to provide natural light; the cockpit is only steps away, so folks can hang out in the air conditioning waiting for a strike. Below decks, there are berths for four in two staterooms, and two heads as well. Everything is appointed and finished with standard Cabo joinerwork quality, something that is virtually identical in every model in its line.

The Heart of a Fishboat

The true heart of any sportfishing boat is the cockpit, and the 40 Flybridge has one that’s roomy, easy to work and fully equipped. Naturally, there’s a bait-prep center with a sink and rigging board, and a three-drawer tackle locker, too. Two insulated in-deck fishboxes run fore and aft; the Cabo folks say this arrangement, rather than athwartships, prevents damage to fish on the run back to the marina.

One of the boxes can be fitted with chill plates as an option. The 48-gallon livewell at the transom is filled by 16 water inlets to maintain circulation and keep the bait alive; it’s also lighted. When the last mullet is on the hook, a dump valve will empty the well in a couple of minutes. The transom door and top gate hang on heavy-duty custom hinges that should last a lifetime – or at least until it’s time to trade up to a bigger Cabo.

Power Options

The most popular power option for the Cabo 40 Flybridge has been twin 800-hp MAN R6-800CRM diesels, but many dealers think that will change, now that the boat’s available with 600-hp Cummins QSC 8.3s linked to Zeus drives. We haven’t tested this boat yet, but folks who should know say the Zeus package will produce the same performance as the big MANs, but with improved fuel economy, along with all the other advantages Zeus brings to the party. Buyers who want to stick with conventional power can still opt for the MANs, or choose a pair of 715-hp Caterpillar C12 ACERTs or 720-hp Yanmar 6SY-STPs.

What’s the bottom line?

Our local dealer has a Cabo 40 Flybridge at the dock, ready to go. Well-equipped, with the Zeus drives, the boat lists for $1,020,000, without electronics. That price is up there with the top sportfishing boats on the market, but why not? Cabo is one of them, and this kind of quality, and Zeus pod drives with joystick, don’t come cheap.

Boat Specifications: 40 Cabo Flybridge (42ft.) 2010

Length Overall            42′ 10”
Dry Weight                 32,000 lbs.
Beam                           15′ 9”
Fuel Cap                      550 gal.
Draft                           3′ 5”
Water Cap                   95 gal.
Deadrise/Transom       16.5 deg.

Bridge Clearance        N/A

Max Headroom           6′ 3”