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If at first you don’t
succeed, try, try again. That’s the way the adage goes, but Henry
Mohrschladt and Michael Howarth have added their own twist: If at first
you do succeed, try, try again. Ten years ago, after selling Pacific Seacraft
Corporation, a sail-boat builder named on Fortune magazine’s list
of the 100 best American manufacturers, the duo founded Cat Harbor Boats
and earned themselves high acclaim in the mid-30-foot market for sportfishing
boats. That venture evolved into Cabo Yachts, offering six models from
31 to 47 feet, including the 35-foot Express and 35-foot Flybridge, of
which 307 have been delivered to date, with 63 on order.
Meticulous attention to detail is a key to their success—that, and
never resting on their laurels. Not content with producing one of the
best 35-foot flying-bridge sportfishermen around, they redesigned her
from the keel up, improving the mechanical layout of what was already
an exceptionally well-designed machinery space and reengineering the hull
for better performance. While the 35 was generally known to be a good
sea boat, it had a reputation for being wet and hard-riding in choppy
head seas. To remedy that, the new model sports a Lou Codega-designed
hull form with a deeper entry and steeper deadrise forward. Farther aft,
formerly V-shaped sections are now flared, with moderate concavity, to
soften the landing coming off a big wave. Lifting strakes on the bottom
were eliminated after model testing showed that they were doing little
more than generating spray, while the chines were widened and shaped with
a four-inch radius on the underside to divert spray downward.
As for the mechanical layout, coming aboard the Cabo 35 Flybridge on test
day, my first order of business was hooking up the fuel-flow measurement
gear. The redeeming aspect of this dreadful chore is that it offers a
hands-on opportunity to assess engine access, and it is safe to say that
the machinery layout of the 35 exceeded my expectations. A large gas-assisted
hatch in the saloon’s optional teak and holly sole provides easy
entry to the cavernous void between the two Caterpillar 3208TAs. The space
along the centerline is so large and uncluttered, in fact, you might be
tempted to throw an air mattress and sleeping bags down there, and take
along another fishin’ buddy or two.
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