Reviews
& Articles 35 Express
Cat's Meow
Power and Motoryacht
By Chris Caswell
 Here's the situation: you're the owners of a
company that built a sailboat picked by Fortune magazine as the best
in America. You've sold the company and, because of a non-compete clause,
you can't build sailboats, but you've always liked fishing. What do you
do?
If you're partners Henry Mohrschladt and Mike Howarth, you decide to
build the best sportfishing boat in the world. You look at what's available,
bring in top saltwater fishermen as consultants, pull together a skilled
crew of builders, and create the Cabo 35, a boat some companies might
want to study as a model for how a boat ought to be built.
"
We set out to capture a look that said sportfishing," says Mohrschladt
and, as a starting point, naval architect Bill Crealock created a modified
V- bottom with a 17-1/2-degree deadrise at the transom. With that done,
Mohrschladt took a blank sheet of paper to design the rest of the boat. "I
decided that the cockpit was the most important part of a sportfishing
boat" so, unlike some designers who pencil in the cabin arrangements
first, Mohrschladt started with a big, uncluttered cockpit of more than
130 square feet.
But design is just part of a yacht, and the real strength of the Cabo
35 is in the execution and detailing. The cockpit seems crisp and tidy
and, on closer inspection, you realize that the moldwork is exceptional.
All hatches mate perfectly to their frames, the non-slip is aggressive
but not painful to bare feet, and there is an elegance to every edge.
It's obvious that this crew has not just built boats before, but very
good boats.
Fancy Fishboxes
Take the two fishboxes. They're big and flawlessly molded into the cockpit
floor, but that wasn't enough for Cabo. Each has an overboard pump to
clear away melted ice, and a grating to protect the pumps from debris.
Instead of the flimsy hinges found on many boats, Cabo used full-length
piano hinges and even through-bolted them, rather than using screws that
might pull out.
A rubber gasket seals the entire lid, held down by two sturdy latches
to keep from rattling. To finish up, Cabo hid the drains for the fishbox
scuppers under the deck, so there are no ankle-twisting "canals" to
mar the wide cockpit.
Construction is high-quality, but not overly exotic, with stitched bi-axal
fabrics and vinylester resins used to protect the hull against blistering,
and Airex coring vacuum-bagged into place above the waterline. The deck
and house use end-grain balsa cores for strength, and this careful attention
to weight results in an all-up displacement of just 20,000 lbs. with
twin Caterpillar diesels.
Two engine boxes are against the cockpit bulkhead and, on our test boat,
they were capped by optional teak tackle boxes that can be covered by
upholstered backrests. Each engine box slides out easily on synthetic
pads, giving full access to each engine. Our test boat was powered by
375-hp Cat 3208TA diesels, but a wide range of options starts with standard
twin Crusader 454 gasoline V-8s and passes through Cummins, Detroits,
and Volvos, ending with the 425-hp Cat 3208TAs.
A separate generator flat is reached through a hatch near the transom,
and our test boat had an optional 5-K W Northern Lights set that left
plenty of servicing room plus access to the steering gear.
Inside Surprise
The engines are too big to be fully contained by the smallish cockpit
boxes, but Mohrschladt continued my tour by popping off the settee cushions
just inside the cabin. Underneath, separated by heavy sound insulation,
was the front of each engine extending under the bulkhead, with the coolant
expansion tank and dipstick right where you can check them. Not only
does this unique installation reduce the angle of the propshaft and provide
superb access to the motors, it also lowers the center of gravity, the
benefits of which became evident offshore later.
Going forward on deck, there's plenty of space to chase a fish, and the
oversized thigh-high 1-1/4" stainless steel rails provide a non-stop
grip all the way from the cockpit to the impeccably welded pulpit with
toe loop. There's room forward for a bait tank if you want to bow-cast
(a popular method of billfishing in Mexico), and the owner of our test
boat was planning to add a Muir all-chain windlass. The anchor roller,
by the way, is designed so the stock of the Fortress anchor lies flush
with the deck when fully stowed, thoughtfully eliminating another classic
toe-stubber.
The flying bridge on our test boat was equally well arranged, with a
full set of VDO gauges and Hynautic steering on a wide console. Two Pompanette
pedestal seats are behind the console, and a long benchseat is forward,
behind a plexiglass venturi and stainless steel grabrail. There is considerable
stowage under the benchseat, and two big watertight hatches, hidden behind
the seatback, reveal the tidy electrical wiring and provide access to
the underside of the dash.
As you can see in our test results, the Cabo 35 is also quiet, with comfortable
sound levels both at the bridge and in the cockpit. Wind blast on the
bridge is equally low, since Mohrschladt eliminated the "eyebrow" that
disturbs the wind on many sportfishermen.
This may be a yacht designed for the serious fisherman, but the Cabo
crew knew that we all have wives or girlfriends, so the ladies are guaranteed
to love the interior on the Cabo 35. The main salon has an L-shaped settee
aft to port opposite an eight-foot U-shaped sofa, each partially concealing
the engines, and a teak table converts the sofa to a double berth.
Our test boat had the galley-up interior, so a Corian-topped counter
wrapped around to port, with an Origo two-burner cooktop, Quasar microwave
oven, Norcold AC/DC refrigerator/freezer, and such niceties as a polished
stainless double sink, Grohe faucets, and recessed halogen lighting overhead.
All of the cabin windows are screened and fully opening, and the joinerwork
of the varnished teak cabinetry is flawless.
The enclosed head is down two steps to starboard, and is bright and airy,
with overhead light panels and an all-white finish that will be easy
to keep clean. A stall shower is optional (but you'll lose some sofa
area in the salon), and a galley-down interior is also available.
The forward stateroom has an island berth with teak dressers and some
of the best storage utilization I've ever seen. A huge hanging locker
is backed up by three big under-bunk drawers and a locker, while the
vanity has five more drawers. There's even a captain's rod locker with
enough room for 12 short sticks!
Look Hard
But to really appreciate the Cabo 35, you have to stick your head into
those areas where most builders hope you never look, though you don't
have to be a marine surveyor to see the quality here. The bilge is fully
gelcoated so it's a snap to clean, and each of the three bilge compartments
has an automatic pump. Every wire and hose that passes through a bulkhead
is grommeted for chafe protection. Each of the exhaust hoses has double
T-clamps, which are more expensive but more secure than conventional
hose clamps.
Fuel tanks are of fiberglass for longevity, and the manifolds switch
both the fuel and return lines between the fore and aft tanks. All the
electrical wiring is color-coded, loomed neatly, and easy to trace from
the Paneltronics backlit master panel. If you're into woodworking, take
a look at the louvered teak locker doors and think about the craftsmanship
demanded by such a seemingly minor item.
Okay, so I liked the boat at the deck. But, man-to-man, what's she really
like outside where it can be nasty? First of all, this is one quick boat.
With the 375-hp Cats, tanks two-thirds full of fuel and water, and three
aboard, plus the big Rupp outriggers humming a song of windage, we hit
a solid 35.6 knots (41 mph) on the radar gun with the Cats at 2750 rpm.
Loping along at 24 knots at 2100 rpm, the V-8 diesels were sipping just
20 gph.
At a dead stop, this is a stable boat, and even low speeds in beam seas
didn't produce any of those breakfast-churning lurches. The low center
of gravity mentioned before is particularly evident at trolling speeds,
and the light displacement of the Cabo allows a holeshot from a dead
stop to 35 knots in a very short time.
Best of all, the boat comes up on plane without having the bow climb
for the clouds, and although our test boat had Bennett trim tabs, we
found that they weren't necessary at any speed. Double chines throw the
spray out and away, and even the most critical helmsman will find that
this lady has lovely manners.
You want agile? Slam one of the Kobelt single-lever controls hard into
reverse, shove the other forward, and hang onto your Pompanette as the
Cabo 35 spins under you. Hard backing down brings only a faint trace
of ventilation, and you can plant this hull anywhere you want it easily.
With 1-3/4" stainless shafts, forged rudders of type-316 stainless
steel, and a pair of Federal 22x23 cupped three-bladers, you don't have
to worry about the running gear ever giving up on you.
Base price on the Cabo with twin Crusaders is $189,300; our test boat
with the Cats and generator, outriggers and swim step, forward windows
and full electronics would be about $241,000.
While Mohrschladt and Howarth aren't new to the boat building game, this
is a very impressive first offering in the powerboat market. As I said
before, you can expect to see other builders checking this newcomer out
carefully, and it won't be long before the word is out: the Cabo 35 is
one damn fine sportfishing machine.
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