Cabo Rico 34 Boat Review
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- Are you interested in a 30 to 35 foot cruising sailboat? Looking at buying a Cabo Rico 38 or 34? This week we dive into the Cabo Rico 34. The history of Cabo Rico yachts and the build quality that make them an excellent blue water cruising sailboat. We also compare prices on the Cabo Rico 38 and 34 sailboats on the market today.
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We thought about a CR 38, as our retirement live aboard but it was just too small. We then looked at the CR 42 and fell in love with it. We thought we were set on one but it went under contract. We “settled” on a CR 45, and really glad we found ours.
The commenters about the modern lineup being more comfortable than a Cabo Rico don’t know what they’re talking about. It’s the difference between being in the water and on the water.
A Cabo Rico 38 was featured in only the Pilot Episode of Miami Vice. Afterwards, Crockett's St Vetus Dance was an Endeavor.
What the hell, the audio doesn't match the video.
I own a Cabo Rico 38XL MK 2 the last 38 built, they are great boats.I can tell you that the Cabo Rico 34 has a bigger cockpit then the 38.
Great review of a nice boat! For that kind of money I’d rather have my Mason 44.
Call me old school, but I prefer the longer keel heavy displacement boats to the speedy newer designs. No Orca attacks on the skeg mounted rudders either! The simplicity of the single wheel/rudder boats is also more attractive to me. Slow and stable with a cutter rig is just fine with me. I single hand a lot, so the CR34 would be preferable to me over the CR38.
I singlehanded my fin keel and spade rudder Sundeer 60 all the time. Because unlike a ridiculous full keel heavy displacement sh*tbox it's easy to sail and easy to drive under power. I dock the boat singlehanded without drama or bow thruster.
@@deerfootnz Well, I suppose lots of people would choose the Sundeer 60 if they sold for the same price as the full keel, heavy displacement boats you love to malign. But your boat probably cost near a million, maybe a lot more, so it is hardly an "apple vs apple" choice when your design costs eight or ten times the boats Tim is showing.
@@Morrisfactor the current price for a Sundeer is nowhere near a million. Not even a third of that. There are other smaller boats that have similar ideas. Many Carl Schumacher designs, some Chuck Paine designs, many Adams/Radford designs, many Spencers.... There are many designers who have understood moderate/light displacement, moderate beam and long waterline was the key to good average speeds. Herreshoff himself was not a million miles away except he lacked modern materials.
@@MorrisfactorIf you offer me a million dollars it's yours today, though I would only go out and buy another....
@@deerfootnz There is a 1995 Deerfoot for sale in Mexico for $450K - I'm surprised to find one so cheap. assumed they would be much more - though doing a refit (plus moorage for a 60' slip) would be expensive. Although I think Cabo Ricos are great boats, I would not pay anywhere near what they are asking for this 34 footer. Nor would I call heavy displacement boats "s***boxes...
I went with a Baba 40. The quality and woodwork may even be better than the Hans.
My main mistake was to get one with a low price but it had hardly been used for 10 years. Now I am playing catch-up on upgrades and maintenance. I have made some upgrades while I lived on it last winter, but this hurricane season I am building a hard dodger, a hard bimini, a forklift to raise the dinghy instead of the davits, and replace a rotted bulkhead. I will add even more solar this year and I am investigating an electric pod to supplement the old diesel.
I had two production catamarans (Endeavourcat 36 and Leopard 42) and missed quality construction and woodwork. The Baba line should be around easily another 25 years. Mine will be for sale or give-away when I make it to Panama in a few years. Only my age is catching up to me.
Me two ?
Dyneema (dynamo?!) runners and a carbon fiber whisker pole; sign me up. Overall, this was a good review with lots of helpful construction details.
Miami Vice, Sunny Crockett"s sailboat was an Endeavor . Happy Sailing ⛵
I live on the East side of the Sound and have been looking to upgrade from my Catalina 30. Keep coming back to that very YW advertisement. I’m wary of such an old boat. Plus the overall length is too big for my slip and there is a two year wait list for a slip big enough for that boat. All that being said….i May have to go take a look.
Would not!
Too expensive!!
I need practical full keel for 4-6 people! 20k-25 k range.
I love the Cabo Rico lineup, but since I’m shopping at a price point that requires it to be older and I plan to sail it a long time, boats with fiberglass tanks are kind of a nonstarter for me. I realize that shortens my list considerably, but I do want a boat with aluminum fuel and stainless water tanks that can be replaced.
What class of boat falls between coastal cruiser and Bluewater capable. Looking for a class of boat that is in the middle & less than 40ft but could be singlehanded.
I currently own a Perry 47 CC Ketch, and she's a Taiwan-built beast as well, but these reviews have me wishing I had the extra attention to structure (solid glass beams under deck, mast foot design, etc) that these have. I also coveted a friend's Hans Christian for years, so I never looked at go-fast lightweight sleds with lots of fidget strings.
Hans Christians with the full keel are absolutely beautiful and sail great in the trade winds, provided one is not forced to tack. That is there shortcoming.
Modern is overrated. Safety, Comfort, practicality of maintenance is where it’s at, and that’s old school full or cut away encapsulated keels. How much faster are these bolt on keels going anyways? Not much if significant other on board, they and most people don’t liken spending days, weeks, months living on a 15 degree angle crashing up and down with every wave. Nope, they reduce power anyways. Who is paying 7k-10k to drop and inspect a bolt on keel every time they ground? Nobody. But that is what is supposed to happen.
Do you take passengers? I'll sail on your boat, thanks.
@@davidbrayshaw3529and I wouldn't. Full keels are terrible at sailing. Full keels are 19th century technology. How much faster do properly hydrodynamic fin keels go? Fast enough to save your boat & your life if you have to sail out of trouble to windward.
@@deerfootnz I grew up on both. My dad had a 33' full keeler. I used to race on a couple of fin keel boats as a kid, too, although they were modest fins by today's standards.
The last couple of times that I've raced have been on fin keeled boats, including Kookaburra 2, a fairly renowned Australian 12 metre yacht.
Both keel types have their advantages and disadvantages. There is no disputing that fin keels point higher and are faster, at least in light air. There's also noting that by comparison, finned keels simply aren't as robust as their full keel counterparts and especially when you consider steering gear and prop protection. They're also nowhere near as comfortable in heavier seas. And I don't say this as some keyboard warrior, I have experience with both.
I crewed on a yacht several years ago that was barely saved following a grounding (I wasn't onboard). To top that off, our book keeper at work was crewing a boat in the Melbourne to Devenport race when it ran aground and also did extensive damage to the vessel. I also personally knew someone who watched their boat, a Farr 52, slip beneath the waves of the Pacific Ocean due to rudder failure in the Sydney to Hobart race, some 15 years ago, or so. You might be able to find something online. "Georgia" or "Georgia 2" was the yacht's name, from memory. These are first-hand accounts, to me, not something that "I saw on the internet".
And as for full keels being "terrible at sailing", your experiences must have been very different to mine. No, they don't beat well at all, but I'd rather be under engine going to windward in a full keeler than in a lighter displacement finned keel vessel that's pounding, and they don't suffer enough for speed off the wind in a blow for that to be too much of a consideration for me, but yes, in light air, they are slower by a margin. And they are a handful to get back in the pen. But it's horses for courses, at the end of the day.
You're more comfortable with a fin keel, I'm not. There's nothing wrong with that. The age old debate will continue throughout the ages. And top tip: You might want to avoid the Pat Frankie channel this week.
@@davidbrayshaw3529 I have 206,000 miles of ocean sailing. In 40 years of deliveries, professional sailing and cruising I have sailed all kinds of yachts, including 12m and IACC boats and even Georgia when it was owned by Jim Farmer. Comparing a full carbon nomex race boat like Georgia to a cruising boat is disingenuous at best. I wouldn't touch a full keel yacht. They are seldom more comfortable, and the performance is always appalling. I have a sundeer 60 which I keep in Hobart. It's a fin and spade boat which is fast, safe and comfortable. She is built to take the ground with a 200mm diameter rudder stock, though curiously grounding is an activity I have seemed to avoid. Last year I sailed to Fiji from Hobart, 2550 miles in 12.5 days for an average of 200 miles a day. I often singlehand the boat, including docking with no bow thruster. Full keel boats are for those who wish to punish themselves.
@@deerfootnz You are far more qualified than me to comment, that said, I still have my preference. Was Jim Farmer the owner of Georgia prior to John Williams and Graeme Ainley?
Cabo Rico is great, but I would go for more modern in this price range.
Always liked the 38 Cabo Rico , I had a 1984 Hunter 34 for years great boat no,problems , if I had one choice to purchase a boat it would be a 43 Hans Christian Ketch , but being 75 years old and health problems I can still dream ! Maybe the Island packet 43 ! It’s beautiful and made just a good and new ! LOL your videos are great and always make us think what if ??
At 71, I know exactly where you are! We had an '85 Morgan 32 for coastal cruising out of PC FL. The Cabo Rico 34 or 38 was a big dream of ours for offshore crusing to explore the Bahamas more until life intervened and we had to sell the Morgan. Then we got too old to handle sailing, but I still think "what if."
@@markchodroff250 I totally agree with your HC 43 ketch. Love their looks and the leak prone butterfly!
Another beautiful &aspirational boat, I'm very envious of the huge choice you guys have. Thanks Tim.⚓ _ps: I'd take the 34 every day of the week._
I love the boats you’ve been reviewing over the cheaper plastic fantastics. I might lean toward the Tayana boats over CR.
my wife talked me into buying a vagabond 42 over cabo rico 38…the cabo rico would have better suited us…the extra state room and head were not really needed…
but now that kids are grown im looking at the cabo rico 34….do you know about the 36?…to me , this is the one to have…the layout is better than the 38 and also has the aft deck area with huge storage…
she’s prettier than the 34 too…they are rare and $$….cheers brother!
Still looking for contributing writers?
I would definitely go for the 38 model for obvious reasons... These boats are so well built, well suited to the off shore capability in more comfort, & safety factor for relatively same money. Depends on your use I guess.
Slip neighbors have a Cabo 42 and it’s absolutely gorgeous.
Personally I’d go more modern, I think they’re designed better, more room and convenience, and sailability.
Having grown up doing woodwork with my late dad, I wouldn’t shy away from a boat with so much interior wood. I love it. Definitely more work, but with more character than modern plastic boats.
As beautiful as they are I'm glad we ended up with our Catalina 380
As I remember the Cabo Ricos were built in Costa Rica in part due to the fact that their government would not allow export of their raw teak but required a finished product for use the lumber. Brilliant idea I think.
Me: Give me a Swan, ok maybe a Hallberg Rassey
Love your reviews. Even if you are not on the market, they are fun and informative reviews. If I was buying, you would be an early call!
Thx for the video , Cabo Rico's are beautiful boats , probably even a good used one would last a family a lifetime sailing the great lakes and the 34 is about the right size for today's family's with a couple of kids and later to spend summers on when retired , I looked at them in the late 80's I believe an think base price was 120,000 something , we had a third kid though so I built a larger house instead because of something called The Wife wants a bigger house lol , no regrets though , retired now an the house is so big I can hide for day's at a time an only come out to be fed 🙂
Sweet Sailboat!
Nice boat but if I could pick, my dream is a Hans Christian 33.
We love our CR34. Got her at a good price, when any local 38s were well over $175k. Thank you for the consult at the time, Tim!
Wishing I was young enough now for the Cabo Rico 34 or 38. A CR was our dream boat stepping up from a Morgan 32 for extended cruising. Then life got in the way.
I’m drooling onto the keyboard… yikes what a beauty!
They should call it the Fabo Rico. Because it's fab.
The 38 is one of my favorites.
I own a CR38 and love it
Beautyfull boat.
CR's are typical of 70/80's era heavy displacement cruisers. I would like you to review a Baltic 42 DP or other Baltic and Swan boats. There is nothing wrong w/ sailing in style with descent speed and comfort..
No protected rudder not good for ocean going sailing.I have read about Swan rudder failures that they lost the rudder.They are beautiful boats.I like the Swan 40 with the aft transom that falls out to a swim platform.
@@boblivingston4841 The S&S designed Swans from the 70's tend to be full skeg. 80's era Holland and Frers designs are generally unprotected spade.
Hah first one here! It pays to be on night shift! I might tend to stick with the little sister for maintenance reasons. 4 more feet means twice the hull to scrape and paint. Sometimes the little sis is just sweeter if you know what I mean! 😉
well said...
Twice the hull to paint before you replace those bigger sails, the longer and heavier gauge lines and rigging, the one size up winches, the one size up anchor chain and the two sizes up anchor... and the list goes on. And then you've got to hoist those sails, turn those winches and weigh the anchor. And at the end of the day, you've then got to put it on a mooring or into a pen and then pay for it by the foot. I keep telling my son that yachts are a bit like filling a balloon with money. A lot happens the first few times that you blow into it. The balloon inflates all but exponentially with each breath. Then you come to a point where you exhale just the same amount and you can barely see the difference in size, but boy, are you out of breath. The balloon is pretty full in the 32-35 ft. range, in my opinion.
@@davidbrayshaw3529 I agree with all your points.
@@liamstone3437 The one thing that I forgot: Enjoyment is in no way proportional to the size of the vessel.
Thanks
I assume that is a lead encapsulated keel?
Yes it is.
How would you compare the CR34 to the Pacific Seacraft Crealock 34? and the Island Pacific 35?
YES Please...
They are all heavy, slow throwbacks that sail like bricks?
@@deerfootnz yeah...Safe and comfortable too. You are sailing right? What's to gain short of a catamaran or hydrofoil 1-2 kt's?
@@hypnocracy6102 It's not just about speed it's about safety. Not many full keeled boats can sail off a lee shore in light airs. If your boat is faster then you have more weather windows available and most passages are in better weather, safer and more enjoyable. On my boat I expect to do a 1000 mile passage in 5 days, so I have some idea if the expected weather for the whole trip. Many boats would take ten days for that passage and for the last half of the trip have to rely on luck.
@@deerfootnz They don't sail like bricks.The CR34 and PSC34 sail very nice.The IP35 is a fine boat but not like the CR and PSC boats.
I definitely wouldn't pay $150k for an old boat. For that kind of money modern production boats offer much more comfort at anchor and can do ocean passages just fine.
I agree the price is too high for this, but an ocean crossing on a modern production boat is a hard no for me. Bolt on keels, deck stepped masts, exposed rudders, and sail drives are all cheaper to make, so modern boats use all of them. I'd personally spend half the money on an older boat, with an extensive refit. The modern day production boat is usually made as cheaply as they are allowed to make them. Great for cruising or island hopping, scary in bad weather.
@@severthindakariBut it is possible to find fin keel spade rudder boats that are built properly and are good for extended passages. My sundeer 60 is a joy at sea. A Kaufman 47 or Adams 13m are two other real cruising boats that perform well.
@deerfootnz I'm not doubting their performance or handling at all. I myself own a C&C 35-3 with a spade rudder and large fin keel. But for ocean passages, when on your own, a boat that can take being tossed around, for me is a must. We are currently seeing these exact boats being totaled by orcas. Forget weather, the fin keeled/spade rudders can't even hold up to the local wildlife. Eliminating structural weaknesses would be a priority for me if I were considering a long passage.
@@severthindakari you are seeing a single group of orcas attack in a single location and for you that disqualifies for the whole world? Did you miss taking your meds?
On the contrary, I would feel much better spending that kind of money on one of these older, time and passage proven, boats than a modern plastic fantastic floating condo. Comfort at anchor is all well and good. Comfort and confidence at sea can save your life!