Reviews
& Articles 45 Express
Cabo 45 - Setting a New Standard for the Large Express
Marlin
By Peter Frederiksen
 You'd think that writing a review of a new Cabo would be easy. After
all, the talented workmen at Cat Harbor consistently build world-class,
yacht-quality sport-fishing boats. However, having reviewed the already
successful Cabo 35 and 31, I'm running short in the superlatives department.
Performance
Whether at the docks or offshore, you'll immediately notice the Cabo
45's responsive close-quarters handling. Turbo boost develops extremely
quickly on the Cats, so when backing down or spinning on a fish, you
need a delicate touch with the throttles (especially the Mathers MicroCommanders
on our test boat) or you'll end up gunning it beyond what you really
want. In fact, the controls are so responsive that you might want to
use the slow-troll mode or trolling valves that come standard with electronic
Cats until you get used to them.
Though the Cabo is nimble, it's by no means squirrelly. It stays where
you put it. Traveling down the channel, in a 20-mph crosswind, the 45
forged straight ahead, while boats ahead of and behind us were steering
crab angles to compensate for the wind.
After navigating the inlet, our
test boat turned a 10-knot trolling speed at 1,500 rpm. Wide-open throttle
at 2,250 rpm produced 32.5 knots, burning
65 gph with a full load of fuel, water and passengers -- quite economical
compared too many 45-footers. The most efficient cruising speed was
25 knots at 2,000 rpm, using a cumulative 50 gph. (The 45 was still in
the
middle of prop experimentation, and the manufacturer expected improvements
at midrange and top speeds.)
We trolled the reef off the Florida Keys in a very sloppy 4- to 6-
foot beam sea, which translated into a minimum roll. And those who
drift-fish
will appreciate that whether you put the stern or the bow to the seas
at first, you'll end up beam-to in a drift.
It took several minutes'
running time in a quartering or following sea for the boat to start
to wander with hands off the wheel. Then
it started
to slowly creep up into the wind. The Cabo has a very buoyant bow
so that in any following sea, the bow lifts as soon as it reaches the
next wave. Engines didn't lag and speed didn't drop appreciatively
when over
taking large waves.
Down sea, water shears down and out rather than curling up and over
the bow. Make no mistake, though -- you should outfit any express
boat with
an enclosure between the windshield and the hardtop. In a stiff breeze,
you'll take some spray in the face that on convertibles with the
same hull would have fallen unnoticed on the forward salon windshield.
Accommodations
Five-star best describes the accommodations aboard the new Cabo 45.
Everywhere you look the flawless book-matched woods and blemish-free
finishes gleam
in the custom-designed lighting. Standard leather upholstery and
a bodacious Bose sound system take the 45 well beyond the spartan
fishing
machine
category. A fore-and-aft queen-size berth in the forward cabin allows
plenty of room on each side to make-up the berth, as well as to access
the signature Cabo rod storage cabinetry with the crosshatch ventilation
panels.
Children or extra guests can make use of the
extra-large settee on the salon's port side.
The galley and full head with shower are on the starboard side. Both
have Corian countertops, Moen fixtures and loads of dry storage.
There's even a built-in vacuum system to keep clean any fine carpet
you add
(for those who want to cover a beautiful teak and holly cabin sole).
Although, I thought it impossible, the Cabo 45 represents a significant
step up in luxury, quality, appointments, sophistication and technology
from the 35.
Helm Station
As you'd expect on a 45-foot express, the bridgedeck is huge. Harbor
cruises for 15 or 20 will be cake walks. Thankfully, the centerline
helm keeps the driver from feeling distracted in such circumstances,
as the
wheel and chair seem somewhat elevated above the madding crowd.
A broad expanse of wind shield with a giant wiper on each pane
provides
unobstructed
visibility. An electrically controlled vent window on the bottom
section of the center window introduces fresh, cool breezes to
the helmsman
-- a welcome addition since expresses (with enclosures) often swelter
heading
into the wind.
Though an overhead instrument box could certainly be mounted on
the hardtop, the dash panel offers more than enough flush-mounting
room
for most electronics
suites. But perhaps the most intriguing feature of the new 45's
helm station is the Stidd helm seat; it offers more adjustments
than a
chiropractor.
I found but one negative in the control station. While Caterpillar's
new 3196 engines performed brilliantly Caterpillar's electronic
displays have a long way to go to catch up with competition in
information
presented, ease of access and aesthetics. As the displays are impossible
to read
through polarized sunglasses, I'd go for simple aircraft gauges
and leave the electronic displays in the engine room.
Engine Room
Our test boat featured the very first pair of production CAT 3196s,
which start developing 600 hp by the time they hit 1,300 to 1,400
rpm. Each
of the engines retains constant, synchronized rpm levels even when
you make had turns, a welcome change for those used to mechanically
controlled
engines. I also appreciated the 3196's standard synchronizing,
slow-idle and trolling valves, as well as how little smoke these
Cats produced,
especially on cold starts at 3 or 4 in the morning.
A large part of Cat Harbor's reputation stems from how they arrange
their engine rooms. The 45's feels bigger than those of many 65-footers,
and
that's no mean trick considering the extra iron required by the
larger Cat engines. I was able to fit my way out-board of the engines,
all
the way forward and everywhere else you'd need to be for routine
maintenance. Each pipe and wire is run individually and labeled
clearly.
Fishing Appointments
There's no doubt in my mind that thanks to this boat's elegance
and comfort, many of the 45s sold will never be fished. But every
one
of them will
have every fishing amenity a dedicated offshore angler would opt
for -- some of them unique. For example, most boat owners (or crews)
jury-rig
some sort of a tray in the cockpit freezer to lay rigged baits
on while fishing. Cat Harbor built a Lucite tray for that very
purpose.
A large,
in-transom livewell contains a broad, see-through Lucite front
so you can see the bait swimming -- as if in an aquarium.
Alongside the freezer,
tackle storage and a bait-rigging center keep everything handy.
Casting to stripes or whites from the bow can be accomplished in
complete safety and security, as the walkway forward has been designed
to be
wide and unobstructed with well-placed handholds. Once on the bow,
the entire
foredeck is finished in diamond-pattern nonskid rather than the
more customary narrow strip of nonskid around the perimeter.
Besides the substantial rod storage available belowdecks and under
settees on the bridgedeck, the Cabo 45 provides five rod holders
around the cockpit
and six rocket launchers along to back of the hardtop. And you'll
never want for a place to put the fish you catch with very large
fish boxes
(with gas shock-controlled hatches) to port and starboard in the
cockpit sole.
Then, there's the tower. I hate towers. I never feel secure as
I hang on for dear life in a rolling sea while climbing under the
rails.
Towers
always seem to leave numerous bruises on me, and once in the tower
I rarely find the ride comfortable. With that said, the Cabo's
tower (by
Atkinson) is extremely comfortable under way. A tribute to the
success of the Lou Codega-designed hull is the fact that I never
got thrown
around the tower even in the 4- to 6-foot seas.
Construction
With all the attention to detail that goes into designing and outfitting
a Cabo 45, it stands to reason that the construction will be commensurate.
Cat Harbor uses only vinylester resin throughout for greater durability
and biaxial fiberglass for multidirectional strength. The bottom
layup contains solid laminate, while the topsides and decks get
Baltek coring.
The stranger system consists of fiberglass-encapsulated high-density
foam. The hull and deck are joined via two flanges that Cat Harbor
bonds together with 5200 adhesive (perhaps the strongest known
to man). The
inside joint then receives two passes of biaxial fiberglass followed
by the entire joint being through-bolted on 4-inch centers. A cap
then fits over the outside of the hull-to-deck joint and is also
screwed
together.
One rather unusual construction feature can be found in the bridgedeck.
Most boats use structural beams beneath the deck to support the
weight and give rigidity. Cat Harbor's 45 contains a 3-inch core
in lieu
of beams, accomplishing several things. It makes the deck relatively
light-weight,
eliminates the cross-members that always take up valuable engine
room space and give excellent sound insulation. It also allows
the Cabo
to have a lower overall profile since the deck is lower -- as is
everything else.
The Cabo 45 doesn't skimp anywhere. If you check the running gear
of most comparably sized vessels, you'll find they frequently have
2.25-inch
shafts. The Cabo 45 boasts 2.5-inch shafts and shafts and equally
oversized running gear. Another example can be found in the thick
aluminum plates
that get molded into the hull where each tower leg meets the deck,
the better to avoid any compression problems in advance.
One way you can easily see the quality of a Cabo is to simply put
your face against the hull in a bright light. Looking from one
end to the
other, all you'll see is shine. No bumps, dimples or dull spots.
As one who's faired his share of hulls, I know that alone takes
more work
than
some companies put into an entire boat.
You might be led to believe that all this quality would carry a
premium, perhaps even excessive, price. Interestingly, if you compare
all
the other express boats in the 43- to 46-foot range, with all the
basic
factory options, you'll find that Cat Harbor's Cabo 45 sails away
for a very
competitive price.
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