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BOAT TEST

Cabo has an enviable reputation among serious offshore anglers and skippers.

It provides engineering which, from my experience, comes close to being unparalleled in a production boat anywhere, and a low-maintenance finish that’s hard to fault.

But it’s not until you charge off into the fray at 28kt, chomping through a solid sea with cresting waves that you really begin to appreciate Cabo’s 48.

The Cabo 48 turned what I thought were marginal fishing conditions into a pleasant day at sea.

Though priced as a premium product, there are clearly more and more local gameboat buyers prepared to pay for a top-shelf flybridge boat of this calibre.

But, as it stands now, made-for-the-ocean production gameboats of this calibre aren't made locally.

You would need to go to a custom yard like Assegai Marine or Norman Wrights and Sons to get engineering of this kind, and then wait for your custom gameboat to be built.

Warmly received Down Under, Cabo’s boats in the country include 43 and 48 flybridge models, and 40 and 32 Express

R E V I E W : D A V I D L O C K W O O D . P H O T O G R A P H Y : J O H N F O R D

boats. There are three owners of the 48s already. The other two 48s have twin Caterpillar 1000hp C18 motors, whereas this boat’s owner, Broken Bay Game Fishing Club member Bert Townsend, went for the smaller 800hp C12 models, reasoning that a 32.7kt top speed and a cruise anywhere from 24 to 28kt is fast enough.

A keen angler, Townsend and his wife Jan are very much an experienced live-aboard cruising couple. They have spent plenty of time at the Great Barrier Reef fishing, diving and simply relaxing in the tropical paradise.

Their Cabo 48 reflects this passion, teaming the best in

fishing features with long-term live-aboard comforts. While it is very much a serious fishing boat, they went to

some effort to integrate the fishing features in a ‘covert’ way. No rods on the saloon roof. Instead, they are tucked away in lockers on custom racks. And when the heavy-tackle Release game chair isn’t bolted in place, they fit the light-tackle rocket launcher or maybe the timber lunch table when their extended family is aboard.

There’s also a small boarding platform, but Cabo guarantees it’s not going anywhere. A convertible, yes, but of a different calibre to what we’re accustomed to.

CruisingCabo

David Lockwood has nothing but praise for the engineering standards of the Cabo 48.

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BOAT TEST

ENGINEERED FOR THE OCEANWhat I looked forward to most was finding out if the offshore ride lived up to the occasionally rapturous reports I had read by colleagues.

But as with any boat, if the performance really is that good then it will be rooted in the engineering, hull design, and construction method.

Cabo goes to great lengths to produce a stiff one-piece boat. Like all Cabos, the 48 featured solid glass below the waterline, composite vacuum-bagged sides, foam and balsa-cored decks, and a fully glassed in saloon floor/engine-room liner that reduces noise and makes for a completely one-piece hull.

On the downside, if you need to replace a motor then you have to dismantle it and rebuild a new one in the engine room since the floor doesn’t come out. But the everyday benefits, the amazingly quiet ride and engine-room finish, far outweigh the rare occasion of a motor replacement.

To further enhance the long-range fishability of the Cabo 48, Townsend did two things: he had some factory-fitted options installed and engaged Broken Bay Game Fishing Club identity and professional skipper Steve Haygarth to help with some aftermarket additions.

Factory options included a stainless steel bait and drinks fridge under the portside ladder to the bridge, the removal of the standard-issue dishwasher, an upgraded 17kva Onan generator that can run the whole boat instead of the standard 12.5kva Westerbeke, a desalinator, 240V wiring, an extra 1000lt fuel tank (4000lt in total) with change-over pump, Release rocket launcher, heavy-tackle game chair and table, teak and holly saloon floor with lift-out carpet, closed-circuit television with cameras in the engineroom and cockpit, and Navnet linked to the television in the saloon and main bedroom so you can check the chartplotter indoors while cruising.

The optional hardtop over the flybridge was fitted by Cabo, with an aftermarket forward hatch added for ventilation when travelling with the clears buttoned down.

The clears were the latest super thick, glass-like panes that hold their shape in the corners of the pillar-less hardtop. But the owners had the front panel replaced with a soft clear material so they could crack the zip for ventilation.

With the thick original pane you travel with the clear either fully open or fully closed, with no incremental settings available.

Haygarth, a shipwright among other things, also added bobbin holders, knife holders and needles, and a custom tackle locker near the bait-rigging station, extra rod storage with racks for two 37kg and four 24kg outfits under the

saloon lounge, clips for two 15kg outfits under the starboard bunk, and clips for two 8/10kg rods in the side storage lockers beside the beds in the bow.

Cabo recommended the flybridge-mounted outriggers, which don’t impede the access around the side decks.

All the boat’s hardware, meanwhile, was made by Cabo, and all the deck hatches lift on gas struts.

ENGINEROOMDue to the extra large generator, the ladder to the engine room was relocated and the rake changed so that you needed to stoop on the way inside.

The engineroom is a key a selling point for Cabo. It’s also great to see the water and fuel tanks glassed into the hull.

The fully moulded ceiling and floor liners in the engine room are more than just eye candy. You can spot leaks at a glance and the thick-cored composite ceiling liner gives amazing sound insulation.

The engines have a venting system that includes washable filter elements to rid the air of salt.

There was an impressive main electrical breaker panel forward, a coded wiring bus box on the centreline inside a protected cabinet, a survey-like heavy-duty fuel manifold system, redundant double Racor fuel filters per motor, Reverso oil-change system, all double hose clips and labelled sea cocks, Cablemaster, and more.

The uncomplicated layout lets you easily access the air-conditioning, fridge units, and the desalinator and climb around all sides of the C12 straight-six Caterpillar engines.

Strangely, however, there were no sea-strainers for the motors. Cabo told me the external grates built into the hull served that purpose, but there is a seacock and strainer on the raw-water cooling system on the starboard motor that lets you drain a flooded engine room in an emergency.

Access to the back of the upgraded Onan generator was tight, but most importantly the Cabo had watertight engineroom bulkheads like all good sea boats.

CREW PLEASERWhile the captain will be pleased with the serviceability of the engineroom, the crew should love Cabo for its cockpit.

The 48’s generous cockpit was traced by padded coamings that, while quite low, offered thigh support. Best of all, you could remove the hooks and swim a billfish with its head still in the water. But for the protruding legs on the swim ladder in the centre of the marlin board, this would be a great boat from which to trace a fish. Flush-mounted deck gear such as the rod holders and hawsepipes leading to concealed cleats

reduce the chance of fouling lines.The small marlin door has an outward opening, and I

noted a simple scupper system.The boat was manoeuvrable. We took plenty of water over

the transom, some through the door, and some in through the scuppers, fairly flooding the cockpit when reversing heavily. The underfloor, foam-insulated fish boxes, each capable of taking a 60kg yellowfin, can be optioned with an ice-shaver.

Possible storage space, fuel taps and labelled sea-strainers for the livebait tank pickup and raw-water deck wash are all located in the lazarette. Above decks, there were also a couple of side pockets, a tackle drawer, four clear-away rod holders, a rocket launcher behind the bridge, the aforementioned bait and drinks fridge and the improved bait-prep area.

All the stainless steel hardware looked ready to handle a trophy fish.

With moulded toe rails, a handrail and diamond-pattern non-skid surface, access to the foredeck was pretty good for an American boat.

The big anchor chain locker was split in two by local tradespeople so one side could be used to stow anchor rope for deploying a reef pick when the coral trout are biting.

You can’t access the chain locker externally, however, so you might need to send someone into the forward cabin to open the mirror-backed hatch to make sure the chain is stacking

“YOU HAVE TO EXPERIENCE THE CABO AT SEA TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FUSS IS ABOUT.”

From top: Rocket launcher and plenty of space for light tackle gamefishing; There’s room for a skipper or crew to unfurl a mattress and sleep on the floor ahead of the helm console; The optional hardtop over the flybridge was fitted by Cabo; The vertical ladder is reassuringly accessible while at sea.

Above: The uncomplicated engineroom layout lets you climb around all sides of the C12 straight-six Caterpillar engines.Below: The style of the saloon is timeless, traditional, and low maintenance.

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BOAT TEST

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SPEC CHECK

CABO 48

PRICE AS TESTED: $1.6 million w/ Caterpillar electronic C12 electronic diesel motors and options

OPTIONS FITTED: Bait and drinks fridge, omitted dishwasher, upgraded generator, desalinator, 240V wiring, extra 1000lt fuel tank, Release rocket launcher/fighting chair/table, bridge hardtop, teak and holly saloon floor, custom rod storage, electronics and more

PRICED FROM: About $1.4 million.

GENERALMaterial: GRP fibreglass with cored decks, superstructure and hull sidesType: Hard chine warped-plane hull Length overall: 15.17mHull length: 14.27mBeam: 4.70mDraft: 1.20m (max)Deadrise: 11.5 degrees at transomWeight: About 20,413kg (light w/standard engine)

CAPACITIESBerths: 6+1Fuel capacity: 4000ltWater capacity: 450lt plus desalinator.ENGINEMake/model: Caterpillar C12s Type: Inline six-cylinder diesel electronic engine with turbocharging and aftercooling.Rated HP: 715(US)hp (800bhp) @ 2300rpmDisplacement: 12ltWeight: about 1174kgGearboxes (Make/ratio): ZFProps: Michigan four-blade bronze props

SUPPLIED BY AND ALL INQUIRIES TO:Cabo Australasia, John Briggs, tel 0411 190 111, see www.caboyachtsaustralasia.com

evenly if you’re deep-water anchoring.

RIDGY-DIDGE BRIDGEThough there wasn’t a tower, the flybridge on the 48 was a long way off the water and affords a great view of the lure or bait spread.

The moulded hardtop was a lovely bit of work, with integrated spotlights, an overhead radio box and a red night-driving light. The thick-gauge stainless steel framework supporting it was a veritable work of art.

Most of the view is through clears rather than support posts, providing a great aft view.

As a passenger, I thought the vertical ladder with convex teak tread steps was reassuringly accessible while at sea and just about everywhere I reached in the bridge was a grab rail.

There was storage under the two lounges. One of the lounges was big enough to double as a daybed and there was room for a skipper or crew to unfurl a portable mattress and sleep on the floor ahead of the helm console.

The optional helm pod improved the fishability of the Cabo 48, putting the single lever shifts and the wheel farther out.

The dash, featuring stainless steel inserts, had twin electronic Cat panels, a control panel with synchro, go-slow and troll modes, and Furuno 12-inch screen with Navnet. There was also a Sidepower bowthruster, Simrad pilot, water and fuel tank gauge with transfer pump, and more. The inherently smooth-riding hull aided comfort levels.

HIGH NOON IN THE SALOONTwo large moulded steps lead to the saloon and, though we put plenty of water in the boat, it would be almost impossible to put water inside the house.

The style was timeless, traditional, and low-maintenance, with satin-finished teak joinery, teak and holly flooring, lift-out cream carpet, gold pelmets and roller blinds.

The accommodating portside L-shaped lounge/daybed for two, with custom rod storage inside, can seat a number of anglers who could enjoy the views out of the tinted picture windows.

The aft window was cut low so you could watch the lure spread in air-conditioned comfort.

Townsend and wife Jan decided to open the interior by removing some of the big privacy panels and reducing the size of the AC/DC panel.

The result is a more open-plan interior. The sensible boating details include a grab rail on the ceiling, almost two metres of headroom, and a logical AC/DC control panel with water tank gauge, fridge control panels and more.

There is a wet bar with icemaker, grog locker and servery nearby. The coffee table to port and the starboard dinette were fashioned from stunning burl timber. The television is a 100cm flat-screen model linked to the Bose entertainment system.

Having the portside U-shaped galley on the same level as the saloon, traced by a big Corian servery with fiddle rails provides a social atmosphere.

The twin sets of pullout under-counter fridge and freezer drawers are fantastic.

Elsewhere, I found a recessed electric cooktop, incinerator and deep sink with sprayer, and plenty of storage space including pullout pantry drawers.

There are also sub-floor storage holds for long-term provisions.

CABO CABINSThe Cabo 48 has three cabins and two heads, which is a preferred base layout for live-aboard fishing.

A shiplike companionway lined with wipe-clean textured vinyl wallpaper descends from the saloon to the guest’s cabin to starboard. The lower of the two bunks appeared to have a generous berth. A hanging locker and a washer/dryer was

nearby. The guest’s cabin in the bow has an offset double bed that lifts on struts to reveal a huge storage compartment. There were side lockers, hanging lockers, a dresser chair, fitted bedding, an ensuite/dayhead, and separate entertainment and air-conditioning controls.

Little wonder Cabo is a hit with families: The Cabo bathrooms, with XOS showers, Vacuflush loos, extractor fans and vents, big mirrors and plenty of dressing space, are beauties.

The owners’ portside cabin had a double bed with a foam mattress. Storage ranged from under the bed, to side lockers, to a big hanging locker.

The cabin, however, felt a little enclosed without large ports or a big hatch.

As a private boat, the triple cabin, double ensuite layout would be great for getting away from it all.

CRUISING BEAUTYYou have to experience the Cabo at sea to understand what the fuss is about.

I was impressed by the bridge, holding on to the ladder in the cockpit and standing in the saloon as we charged into

lumpy conditions at 24 to 27kt. There was little vibration, no creaks or thumps. Just a quiet,

purposeful roar from the engineroom.With a warped-plane hull, the Cabo has full topside above

the waterline but a fine entry below. The boat also felt heavy, displacing more than 20,000kg dry, and was loathe to leave the water.

It rode flat and brushed aside the sea, with great stability derived from all the serious engineering being down low on the centreline. Though it displaced plenty of water, I didn’t find too much coming back aboard.

Haygarth showed the boat’s willingness to reverse, with seven knots maintained at times. But without a keel, it does drift a little offline. You will need to be aware of this and correct the bias, dropping one motor back to neutral at times.

Spinning four-blade Michigan propellers, which were to be replaced by locally made props for an expected one-to-two knot improvement and to prevent cavitation on their tips, the Cabo 48 hit 32.7kt at 2330rpm.

Low-speed planing was clocked at 14.7kt at 1495rpm, an inefficient speed where both motors consumed 126lt/h. Seventeen knots came in at 1610rpm for 146lt/h in total.

But you need to advance the throttles to 1920rpm and 23.7kt to have the Cats purring and the Cabo 48 riding sweetly.

At this cruise speed, the motors consumed 204lt/h in total.Leaving 10 per cent of the 4000lt fuel supply in reserve,

your range is about 420 nautical miles. For just an extra 36lt/h, you can run the boat at 2100rpm, where it will cruise at 28kt, consuming 240lt/h.

The Cabo 48 is an impressive boat that feels at home on the deep blue sea.

The owners intend to cruise back to the Great Barrier Reef to fish the heavy-tackle season and live aboard for many more months.

Then they will endeavour to head to Papua New Guinea. A boat like this is bound to open up new fishing frontiers.

Top to bottom: The owners’ portside cabin has a double bed, storage lockers, and a big hanging locker; The portside L-shaped lounge has custom rod storage inside; The galley is positioned on the same level as the saloon, providing a social atmosphere; The guest’s cabin in the bow has an offset double bed that lifts on struts to reveal a large storage compartment.

“AS A PRIVATE BOAT, THE TRIPLE CABIN, DOUBLE ENSUITE LAYOUT WOULD BE GREAT FOR GETTING AWAY FROM IT ALL.”