| Specifications | |
| LOA | 44 ft., 7 in. |
| Beam | 16 ft., 6 in. |
| Draft | 3 ft., 7 in. |
| Displacement | |
| Fuel | 800 gals. |
| Water | 100 gals. |
| Engines | Twin MAN R6-800 CRM |
| Base Price | Just under $1 million base |
| Construction | |
| Cabo hulls and superstructures are molded, stitched biaxial fiberglass, gelcoat finished with a solid bottom and foam-cored hull sides that are vacuum bagged. A molded fiberglass inner liner in the engine room keeps the innards isolated from the rest of the boat, is easy to maintain and allows for special contours and spaces that can’t easily be built into the hull. | |
| Standard Equipment | |
| Twin CAT C12 715 hp diesel engines, 11.5 kw Onan diesel generator with sound enclosure, four-blade Nibral propellers, 11-gal. water heater, 50-foot power cord w/Glendinning Cable Master, entertainment center, skylights, cedar-lined lockers in staterooms, lockable storage under berth, Sealand Vacuflush head system, shower stall, anchor pulpit/roller and windlass w/25 feet of chain and 250 feet line, five bilge pumps, electronic trolling valves, engine synchronizer, Stidd helm seat and companion seat, fresh/saltwater washdowns, windshield wipers, aluminum bow rails, recessed trim tabs, aluminum base plate for fighting chair, bait/tackle center, in-deck fishboxes with macerator pumps, transom door with gate and more. | |
| Optional Equipment | |
| Stateroom layouts, anglers room, in-deck freezer, refrigerator/ice-maker, A/C in helm, third helm seat, electric grill in cockpit, hot/cold hand shower in cockpit, 17 kw generator, bow thruster, oil-change system, underwater lights, swim platform and more. See dealer for full list. | |
| Builder | |
| Cabo Yachts, New Bern, N.C. caboyachts.com |
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| West Coast Dealer | |
| Stan Miller Yachts, San Diego; (619) 224-1510; stanmilleryachts.com Stan Miller Yachts, Newport Beach, Calif.; (949) 675-3467; stanmilleryachts.com Stan Miller Yachts, Long Beach, Calif.; (562) 598-9433; stanmilleryachts.com |
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Posted: October 1, 2011 | Boat Type: Sportfisher
It’s all about the fishing
“Good things come to those who wait” is an old adage that applies to the Cabo 44 Hardtop Express (HTX), for a couple of reasons. First, it took a few months for me to get on the new vessel due to scheduling conflicts. And second, this is the platform fishermen have been waiting for.
The 44 HTX incorporates the best practices and lessons learned by Cabo while building the 44’s siblings — a fleet of express and flybridge models from 32 to 52 feet — to make it the next best Cabo out of the shed. Built for the rigors of fishing on any ocean, the 44 HTX won’t disappoint. In fact, our test boat, hull No. 4, was being shipped to a five-time Cabo owner … in Japan. Hull No. 5 went to New England, while No. 6 will ply the waters of the Great Lakes soon.
The focus on fishing is apparent from the moment you glimpse the 44. A smooth gelcoat finish on a hull with ample bow flair and no hull-side windows allows you to tackle the big seas. A sharp modified-V entry supports several strakes that run more than halfway aft and a knockdown rail that tapers into a hard chine, which runs to the 16-degree-deadrise transom, creating good head-sea entry and maximum running speed — just what’s needed to beat it to the fishing grounds and back.
The fish dance begins in the cockpit, where there’s about 100 square feet of pure fish-fighting room. Want a fighting chair? No problem. Cabo even rounded off the step by the mezzanine into an arc, so the mate swinging the chair has continuous foot room and is not tripping over the edges. Twin in-deck fishboxes (56 x 14 x 13 inches), high-density foam gunwale padding along the sides and aft (25 inches off the deck), a built-in transom bait tank (56 gallons), wide gunnels for rod holders, and a through-transom door and gate make this a fishing pleasure. Note that the door and gate are fastened to the transom by 46 screws, and each screw slot is aligned vertically. A minor testament to the quality of the build and the attention to detail.
For the sightseers and line-watchers, there’s aft-facing padded mezzanine seating, which runs from the center to the port side, two steps up from the cockpit. Underfoot are two storage boxes for gear, and under the seat are a large stainless freezer box and access to the engine room. To starboard is a molded-in locker with tackle drawers nestled behind a lockable side door and room for an electric grill under the top hatch.
Features abound in the helm area, three steps up from the cockpit. An L-shaped settee wraps from aft (against the mezzanine seating) along the port side. To starboard is a large molded-in cabinet for storage. Most notable is the hardtop, of course, but there are large windows forward and to the sides. Cabo utilized a “hard” enclosure vs. canvas sides because its designers understand the fishing crowd’s need for unobstructed visibility, security and ease of maintenance. The side windows are power operated and open fully, which allows fresh air in, makes a conversation with a fellow boater easy, and provides access to the side- and foredecks.
There are 32,000 BTUs of frothy air conditioning from vents in the hardtop, including two that point toward the captain’s neck.
I Can See Clearly Now
Visibility is key on the 44 HTX, and Cabo has engineered the vessel well toward that end. The forward windshield contains three large panes, each with wipers. The mullions between the frames are narrow and don’t impede the view. The captain can get a full view of the cockpit looking aft, as the settee’s seatback is sufficiently low but not uncomfortable for anyone sitting there.
Cabo didn’t stop there in the easy-to-see area. Thanks to the integrated hardtop, the tower is mounted to the foredeck with its legs in line with the outer window frames. Support legs and outriggers are affixed to the hardtop, thereby minimizing line-of-sight obstructions.
Another visibility enhancement is the raised helm platform. Just one step up and right in front of the helm, it gives the captain an improved view over the bow either while standing
(no tippy-toes here) or sitting in the Stidd helm chair. Cabo was able to build a large raised console into the helm, which can easily house radios or multiple displays, such as our test boat’s Raymarine E120 17-inch screens, for chartplotters, radar and other electronics.
A second helm seat is to starboard, mounted on top of a molded-in cabinet that can house a refrigerator/freezer. An optional third helm seat can be placed to port. Either of these seats provides great visibility for spotting fish, buoys or pots. If an owner prefers to have the entire deck area raised 8 inches like the helm, Cabo can accommodate that (and it has), resulting in improved viewing for people on the settee.
The helm itself is simple. Single-lever clutch and throttle controls flank a Palm Beach pod-style station with digital engine displays. Waterproof switches for lights, pumps, etc., are mounted in a polished Cabo-branded backing plate with each switch function etched in — nice touch. To the left of the pod is room for ancillary controls such as thrusters, tabs, fuel gauges, wipers, autopilot and trolling/sync controls.
Getting the Cabo 44 HTX on plane is easy, thanks to the twin MAN 6-cylinder 800 hp common-rail powerplants. The boat has minimum inherent bowrise, so you won’t have to toggle the trim tabs too much. Backing down, the 44 HTX does toss water over the transom, but a slightly crowned diamond-style non-skid deck and sufficiently sized scuppers ship out the green water effortlessly.
Belowdecks
The builder offers an “anglers room,” which replaces the starboard double-bunk stateroom. The anglers room is designed to be an open work space for crewmembers to rig, repair, store or do just about anything with the fishing gear and tackle. Instead of having crew work outside redoing lines and such, tasks can be done indoors while the rest of the crowd enjoys the post-fishing storytelling session. The room also lends a level of security, as tackle, tools and rods can be stored in a dedicated indoor space.
The room has horizontal rod-storage racks, an L-shaped workspace counter, cabinets/draws, a cedar-lined hanging locker and dedicated recessed overhead lighting. Our test boat has the one-stateroom/one-head layout with the anglers room, which includes the tackle display case adorned with an optional back-lit glass billfish etching by Bob Derwick of Fine Line Studio Glass. Another nice touch.
Our test ride has the full galley along the aft bulkhead, complete with cabinets and a microwave/convection oven overhead, a drawer-style refrigerator/freezer, a recessed two-burner electric stove with a cover, a stainless steel sink, a garbage disposal and plenty of counter space. Cabo placed the galley aft to maximize its size but also because things tend to slide aft when the boat is underway. This way, everything will stay on the counter.
There’s an L-shaped settee to port (which converts to a double sleeper) with an accompanying teak table for dining. Across from it is a wall-mounted flat-screen TV.
Forward is the stateroom with a center island berth, cedar-lined lockers, more rod storage, a flat-screen TV and a stereo. Flip up the berth to find ample storage, including two recessed lockable storage compartments that blend in with the woodwork.
While patience may be a virtue, the wait is over for a fishing-minded buyer who’s looking for belowdecks comfort, a cockpit built for fighting the big ones and the ability to bash his way to the best fishing spot on any body of water.