CABO 41

Cabo 41

If you have the faintest impression that the new CABO 41 is not a 100 percent, purebred sportfishing machine, let me enlighten you.

Start by stepping aboard through the extra-wide transom door and walk across the spacious cockpit, but do not, I repeat, do not look left or right at the fishboxes in the sole, the bait prep station, the drawers for lures, the shaded mezzanine seating for watching your lines, or the big bait tank in the transom. Do not look up at the gorgeous PipeWelders tower skimming the clouds on the Cabo 41. Do not look at the seamanlike helm with its Palm Beach-style throttles/shifters on each side of the wheel so you can back down on a big one while facing aft.

Step into the surprisingly roomy cabin and no matter how tired you are, do not sprawl on that inviting settee. Don’t linger at the large galley, either, even if you’re hungry. Make an immediate left past the large-screen TV and walk into the enclosed head. No need to slow down and splash your face or do any of the usual head duties.

Continue into the enclosed shower stall, and you’ll see how serious the CABO 41 is about fishing—the aft bulkhead has stand-up racks for four big fishing poles, complete with the meanest Penn reels. You give up a bit of shower space for this clever storage (I’d make sure the hooks were well-protected), but it underlines the serious fishing DNA of this new 41-footer. No, you don’t have to take the rods out before you shower; there’s plenty of
room (30 by 40 inches) for big guys, the fresh water is good for the reels and a little shampoo isn’t going to faze these large guns. If you don’t want them watching you, turn around.

Where, oh where can I find rod storage. On the CABO 41, almost anywhere you look.

California Roots

The CABO 41 comes from a long line of superbly built yachts starting, surprisingly, with the CABO sailboats originally built in California. When smog in the Los Angeles basin got so bad that air quality management bureaucrats forbade opening acetone cans (and building largish fiberglass boats), the company moved to California’s high desert
and shifted its sights to building extraordinarily good sportfishing yachts.

Hatteras Yachts, seeing it first as a serious competitor and then as a smart acquisition, bought CABO and moved it to the high-tech Hatteras facility in New Bern, North Carolina.
The one thing Hatteras was careful to bring along was the high quality that has always marked CABO—if you’re a CABO aficionado, you’d be hard-pressed to tell if this CABO
41 was built in a dusty desert town or by a bunch of good ’ol boys in the Carolinas.

Having seen boats from both, I can say that you won’t be disappointed with the Hatteras iteration of CABO. Seams and fiberglass joints are so tight that they don’t need the usual
gallons of silicone to make them look good, and you could eat out of the bilge. Quite frankly, everything is just right. Here’s how right: This is the only all gelcoat-finished boat built by Hatteras—the others are painted.

Back Onboard

Let’s retrace our steps through the big transom door (with humongous hinges that look like they came off a bulldozer cab). Centered in the transom is a 48-gallon, double-lid bait tank, and on each side of the sole are two huge insulated fishboxes with macerators. From their size, it’s clear that CABO is expecting you to land some serious game fish. Raw-water wash downs get rid of anything icky, and the middle of the cockpit has a molded-in aluminum reinforcing plate ready for something like the gorgeous varnished teak leaning post on our review yacht.

Up a step is a wide mezzanine bench seat that overlooks the cockpit action with room underneath for an optional bait freezer or Eskimo 500-pound-per-day ice maker. Our boat also had the optional bait prep station which, quite frankly, is a no-brainer on this war wagon. It has enough drawers for lures and rigs you’ve only dreamed about, plus a fridge and reels for rigging your own lines.

Ample seating and a well-appointed dash await.

Helm? Oh, yeah, really sweet! Single or double pedestal seats (our boat had Pompanettes so inviting you involuntarily sat in one) are positioned in front of a stainless steel wheel with a brodie knob. There’s also an L-shaped lounge for onlookers and kibitzers. Our test boat had a pair of monitors for the Garmin electronics package with all the usual bells and whistles. Plus, there is a monitor dedicated to the engines and onboard systems.

Interior Space

Since you were in a rush to get to the shower earlier, take a leisurely look around the cabin. Notice that there’s no raw fiberglass. The cabin is a warm European
walnut with a satin finish. The settee really is as comfy as you thought, and it faces the big-screen TV on the aft bulkhead. The galley has a surprising amount of counter space for laying out sandwich makings (for the true gourmet) plus niceties that include a ceramic cooktop, under-counter fridge, oven, and microwave.

There’s plenty of galley space and natural light down below.

You’ve already been through the head, although you might not have noticed that the head is a Jabsco electric model. Or that there’s a civilized sink for trimming off a two-day growth. A raised berth in the bow cabin falls somewhere between queen and king at the pillow end and tapered at the feet to provide walkaround space. Two hanging lockers plus
cavernous pull-out drawers under the berth should keep you in clothes for long weekends and yes, there’s also rod storage here, but thankfully, you don’t have to sleep with them.

A dinette table and the entrance to the head.

Speaking of rod stowage, you might have been admiring the cabin settee when you should have looked above it to see there’s dedicated stowage for four more fishing rigs. What looked at first like a hanging locker by the cabin entry is… wait for it…stowage for maybe a half-dozen more rods.

Up Above and Down Below

Another no-brainer, depending on what fish you’re chasing, is the full PipeWelder tower with electronic mounts, outrigger controls and a full steering station protected from the sun by a fiberglass hardtop.

The CABO 41 is available with several power options, depending on your preferences. Our test boat had the Cummins QSM 715-hp diesels with straight shafts. However, if you’re a Volvo aficionado, there are D11 diesels from 625-725 horsepower. With our 715s, we topped out at about 40 knots (the same as with the biggest Volvos). But here’s the zinger: We were only sucking down 65-70 gph of fuel with the hammers down. Drop back to 30 knots, and you cut your consumption to under 50 gph running at 2,100 rpm, so your engines will last forever.

The spacious engine room was a welcome surprise. You won’t want several guys in there, but all the access points are readily within reach. And, here’s a thoughtful touch: The CABO 41 has room for a Seakeeper gyrostabilizer.

Having known CABO back in the day, I was delighted to see that Hatteras has maintained the quality standards set in the high desert. If you’re an angler (or even a family heading
for Bimini), the CABO 41 is not to be missed—just make sure the hooks are turned away in the shower.

Specifications

LOA: 40′ 10″
Beam: 15′ 9″
Draft: 3′ 5″
Displacement: 31,000 lbs.
Power: 2x Volvo D11
Cruise/Max speed: 30/40
knots
Range: 304 nm @ 30 knots
Fuel/Water: 550/95 gals.
Price: Inquire

Contact

CABO Yachts
110 North Glenburnie Rd.
New Bern, NC 28560
(252) 633-3101
caboyachts.com

By Chris Caswell, Southern Boating July 2019

Hatteras’ new entry-level launch injects the brand with new life—and new possibilities.

Let me be honest right from the start—I sea trialed the new Hatteras 45 Express Cruiser (45 EX) soon after it was launched, and I was also fortunate enough to view it from another boat as she ran at speed in the ocean. I studied the layout of the helm and cockpit, and, of course, I put my paws all over the interior—opened doors and drawers, and peered into nooks and crannies. My verdict? Hatteras has created a fun, easy to operate, great handling boat with the 45 EX.

Cruise with the family, drop a fishing line with the guys or gals, or just lie at anchor with your favorite book/movie/sunset view (you fill in the blank)—the 45 EX delivers and adapts. The large cockpit, for example, is a great place for the kids to play, accommodates a few lounge chairs for sunning, or suitably fits cocktail party guests with foldout side bench seating topped with padded coaming. Mezzanine seating adds a vantage point for watching the kids play in the water or spotting the next fish on. With armrests and cup holders, you may never move.

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The built-in transom baitwell keeps the live ones swimming. Use it, instead, as a cooler filled with ice and bevvies or let the kids use it to store their day’s treasures—thanks to the well’s window they’ll have a field day watching the crabs or snappers they caught meandering about. Under the hardtop, the helm deck’s forward and side windows become part of the structure, with clear panels closing off the aft opening. Side vent windows and an overhead hatch let the breeze in, or opt for climate control with your air conditioning or heating system and boat all year round.

Hatteras designed the 45 EX with optimum visibility, which includes the single pane forward windshield. That’s right, it’s one piece of glass—a panoramic view with no mullions to get in the way—a much preferable setup to split windows. Expect the crowd to hang here, as there’s a large L-shaped settee along the aft side and to port, and has a lounger backrest. As witnessed by my portly frame taking a load off, the cushions are well padded and a very comfortable spot from which to enjoy a meal or cocktails on the double-posted table. A molded-in cabinet on the starboard side serves multiple functions. The forward end has a helm companion seat mounted on top—a high perch to see it all—while in the cabinet below is a fridge and freezer and air conditioning/heat vent. Further aft is a flip-up cover where the electric grill is located.

Standing at the elevated helm, there’s perfect vision fore and aft courtesy of the downslope of the forward deck and minimal bow rise during acceleration. Functionally, Hatteras worked the console and dash where they are not overbearing in size. With a pod-style helm, destroyer steering and Palm Beach single-lever shift controls, there’s room forward for the bank of switches to be housed in a plate, with names etched into the metal. CAT engine displays are installed here for easy viewing. Twin Garmin plotter/radar displays are mounted in the console, one directly in front and the other off to the left. Stereo, VHF, autopilot, and engine sync are mounted off to the left but easily within arm’s reach.

It’s easy to see the demographics that Hatteras is targeting with the 45 EX—an entry-level boat for newbies, couples and families inclusive, or doubles as a tender for large yachts. It also keeps Hatteras lovers in the brand as they downsize from larger sportfishers and motoryachts. The 45 EX is based on the former CABO 44 EX—a brand owned by Hatteras—and was produced side-by-side with the Hatteras yachts at their facility in New Bern, North Carolina. When the CABO line ceased production, Hatteras pulled the molds over and “Hatterized” the 44 EX by enhancing the model and injecting it with the Hatteras level of quality and support.

The 45 EX is powered by CAT C18s—good-sized engines sporting 1,150 horsepower each, which easily handled the chop as we took off from Port Everglades, Florida, for the high seas. (Offshore they were only really about two-footers). A burn rate of about 50 gallons an hour (combined total) at 1,500 RPM produced over 22 knots, but when we pushed the throttles up to 2100 RPM the 45 EX zoomed up to 37.5 knots drinking 95 gallons per hour. It’s good to know that if you need a little more go, there’s more to get. We pushed her to wide open and a speed of 40.7 knots. It’s an exhilaration that gets the blood flowing but with the confidence that the resin-infused solid fiberglass hull knows how to handle the rush. Back at the dock I checked out the engine room and although the access size of the entrance was fine—via a floor hatch just behind the helm seat—it was a bit cumbersome getting in and out around the seat. Thanks in part to owner feedback, I’m told they will be changing the location of the entrance, likely through the cockpit mezzanine.

Suitable for a day trip, weekend getaway or extended cruise, the 45 EX has full amenities below deck for comfortable living. Galley features include wood flooring, four Jenn-Air fridge/freezer drawers, Kenyon two-burner cooktop, KitchenAid microwave, Blanco sink and faucet, and quartz countertops. There’s storage under the dinette seating, and a large wood table. Forward is a stateroom with center berth, private head access and 32″ TV. An optional second stateroom can be fitted at the forward area of the dinette.

To entice the fishermen to this model, Hatteras has made the 45 Express Sportfish fitted with tuna tower, outriggers, cockpit fighting chair or leaning post, tackle center, and fish boxes. Built on the same hull configuration and engine packages, it will deliver the same results while maintaining the Hatteras quality.

It must have been a good decision by Hatteras to create the niche size, as they have sold a number of them since its debut, which is understandable. The size is right, the handling works, the accommodations are suitable, and it’s the kind of boat that keeps boating fun. Hatterasexpress.com

By Tom Serio, Southern Boating March 2015

Tag: Cabo