Reviews
& Articles 35 Express
A Tale of Two Boatbuilders
Robb Report
By Chris Caswell
It's one of those situations that harried businessmen
daydream about. First, you're in the sailboat business, which means that
you get to wear Hawaiian shirts, live in a temperate climate, and fool
around with boats all over the world. Then your boatbuilding company
is picked by Fortune magazine as one of the 100 best manufacturers in
America, and in 1988, a conglomerate comes along with a suitcase full
of cash and offers to buy you.
So there you are: happily out of the business and without a care in the
world.
But wait a minute. You've always liked boats, but because of a non-compete
clause, you can't get back into building sailboats. What do you do? If
you're partners Henry Mohrschladt and Mike Howarth, you look around the
sportfishing market, decide you have a better idea, and set out to build
the best sportfishing boat in the world.
As step one, you ask the top saltwater fishermen to put together their
list of good points and bad points for all the boats available. Then,
you gather a team of skilled builders, and the next thing you know, your
new company, Cat Harbor Boats, is building the Cabo 35 sportfisher and
reaping the kind of editorial acclaim that your sailboats once achieved.
For Mohrschladt and Howarth, none of that was a dream. Since it was launched
in 1991, the Cabo 35 has been called "extraordinary" by Sportfishing
magazine and "one damn fine sportfishing machine" by Power
and Motoryacht. Boating says it combines "clever thinking and incredible
detailing," while Powerboat Reports rates it as superior to the
respected Blackfin 33. Not a bad start for a fledgling powerboat builder,
but consistent with Mohrschladt and Howarth's goal: build a quality product
from excellent tooling and allow no compromises.
Like all good stories, however, there's more to the tale. Even such a
mundane task as finding a location for their plant demonstrates the duo's
approach to problem-solving. Since they had spent a decade wrangling
with the Los Angeles Air Quality Management District over the use of
common boatbuilding chemicals in their sailboat factory, the duo decided
they wanted to avoid any chance of such conflict with their new company.
So they drew a line to mark the jurisdiction of the AQMD and then simply
picked the nearest town outside the line and set up business there. It
happened to be Adelanto, a tiny burg in California's high desert.
As I pointed out in the "1995 Boating Preview" (Robb Report,
March '95), express cruisers are the hottest boats in the marine market.
Most are aimed at the family audience with amenities such as lounge seating
and ice makers in their cockpits, but the Cat Harbor boys have created
an express cruiser that should help redefine the sportfishing market.
If you think that fish only respond to names such as Rybovich, Striker,
and Hatteras, then take a stroll through the Cabo Express.
 The hull, a modified V-bottom that is identical for both the original
Cabo 35 and the new Express, comes from well-known naval architect W.I.B. "Bill" Crealock,
who has introduced several innovative touches. The modified V-bottom
has the expected planning strakes, but it also has a wide, flat section
below the waterline at each chine with an "end-plate" ridge
running its length. This flat width not only provides additional surface
for planning speeds, but it also improves stability when trolling or
lying beam-on, or sideways, to the seas.
A second set of chines is just above the waterline, but since it only
comes into play when immersed, it doesn't add drag while the boat is
running at speed (and it doesn't slap water at rest, either). A 16-foot-long,
7-inch-deep keel ends five feet forward of the stern, which aids tracking
as well as reducing roll. All in all, the lines of Cabo are a clever
solution to the V-bottom's natural tendency to roll, while still retaining
all the sea-softening characteristics.
Unlike most designers, Mohrshladt's vision started with the cockpit,
since that is the critical area for fishermen. No surprise then that
the Cabo ended up with everything you'd expect to find on a 50-foot sportfisher.
The big fish boxes are insulated, gasketed, and securely latched against
rattles, and the lip drains are hidden under the deck so there are no
ankle-twisting canals across the cockpit. Full-length piano hinges are
used on the hatches, and they're not just screwed in, but are through-bolted.
The same sturdy construction applies to the fish door in the stern, which
has massive through-bolted hinges that won't pop even with a cockpit
full of water.
A cockpit console to port holds the bait prep station, and rods stow
neatly underneath in a dry and safe locker. The console to starboard
can either be used as the standard ice chest and storage area or, as
an option, be converted into a freezer.
The lower cockpit has more than 85 square feet of open space in which
to fight fish, while the upper level is comfortably civilized with a
curved sofa to port and a counter with a sink and a refrigerator to starboard.
The skipper's seat is raised to provide good visibility, and before him
is a neatly arrayed dashboard with plenty of space for flush-mounted
electronics.
The Cabo 35 Express sportfisher has three cabin configurations: one with
a diagonal double-berth forward, another with a convertible dinette forward
and an aft stateroom, and a third with a centerline island berth forward.
In each case, the finish is flawless, with burnished teak trim, teak
and holly flooring, and the quality of joinery that earned the team kudos
from so many magazines.
In addition to ample storage space, the galley has a refrigerator, a
hidden cooktop, a microwave, and Corian countertops. There is a dinette
opposite. An enclosed head compartment includes a shower, so the Cabo
35 Express is suitable as a weekend floating apartment.
Twin Caterpillar 3208T diesels of 320 hp are standard, although you can
opt for up to 435-hp Cats for more speed. Engine access is superb, and
the entire bridge deck lifts on hydraulic rams to expose both engines
for easy servicing.
The hull construction on the Cabo is impressive--but no surprise, since
that is where the two men had excelled with their previous company. The
hull is built using 100 percent vinylester resins (a rarity in production
boats) to eliminate blistering, and stitched bi-directional fiberglass
cloth is used for reinforcement. Below the waterline, the hull is solid
fiberglass. A vacuum-bagged Airex core stiffens and lightens the topsides,
and the deck is backed with end-grain balsa core to provide stiffness
without added weight. Unlike most powerboat builders (who simply bolt
on underwater fittings with no regard to drag), the Cabo has flush through-hull
fittings, and all the struts and shafts are faired into the hull to reduce
resistance, which shows up on the speed curves.
Push the throttles forward on the twin Cats, and the Cabo proves to be
a very quick boat. With the 425-hp diesels, she tops out at 39.5 mph
and cruises easily on 430 gallons of fuel at about 27 mph. Range depends
on speed, of course, but you can expect well over 325 miles with an ample
reserve.
The base price on the well-equipped Cabo 35 Express is $249,200 with
the 320-hp Cats, or $279,800 with the 435-hp diesels. Add bait to that
price, and you're ready for some saltwater action. And don't forget you
heard it here first: You can look forward to a little sister for the
Cabo 35 Express in the near future. Cat Harbor currently has a 31-foot
Express sportfisher under construction, with a choice of either Crusader
gas V-8s or Cat diesels, and all the quality you've seen on the 35. I've
seen the line drawings, and it is a very pretty boat.
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CABO 35 Express