Why Would Cabo Rico's Stern Set Low in Water?

[zboss]

Originally Posted by Guy

What would you consider a problem?

Obviously - taking water over the stern in a following sea, problems tracking, flooding, etc.. These boats have been cruising the world successfully for decades and I have never had the pleasure of speaking to anyone that had anything but a positive experience in the CR's.

Also, if through hulls are unnessarily below the water line. I raised mine.. it was not difficult.

As a side note, these boats do apparently list a degree or two. Since each boat is semi custom it's impossible to say with certainty that your boat is listing but mine does. In mine it lists because the majority of storage is on one side of the boat. This can make it look like its squatting more than it is.

[cabo_sailor]

Zboss is right, my CR 38 #141 also squats in the stern. It only levels out with 200+ ft of chain and 80 gal of water under the v-berth. Mine may have had a slight list to port but that went away when I put two 4-D batteries under starboard quarter berth.

I have an additional 100 gal of water under the main cabin sole. I would wish for a bit more fuel and a bit less water.

The squat doesn't seem to make an appreciable impact on sailing. The boat heels until the rails are about a ft or two above the water and then locks there. It's like she's on tracks. It takes a conscious effort to bury a rail and it just means there is way to much sail up.

We've been quite happy with her.

Rich


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[cabo_sailor]

The OP also mentioned the exhaust being below the waterline. Mine is about 1.5-2 ft above water. If you get the boat that's a simple fix. But it will need to be done.

Shortly after getting mine I also raised the waterline by roughly 5 in.

During a survey pay particular attention to the chain plates. I just replaced the two port side aft chain plates and it was a real PITA and those are the easy ones! To change the others would require major disassembly of the cabin.

A friend of mine crewed for me from Tarpon Springs to Key West. He has also made the trip on another friend's Tartan 37. He later told me the Cabo was much more comfortable in the squalls.

The cutter rig will take some getting used to but I've fallen in love with it, club foot and all. When new headsails were needed, I did get rid of the 130 genny in favor of a high clew Yankee. I don't notice too much loss in performance but it is MUCH easier to tack.

For the light air days in SW Florida I can also recommend an asymmetrical spinnaker with a sock and the ATN Tacker. Mine is from North Sail and a progressive. 1.5 oz around the perimeter and 1 oz for the interior panels.

Boy how I go on. Apologies for trying everyone's patience. One last item, mine is a 1989 model.

Rich


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[DocBrauer]

I have a 1985 Cabo 38 I've singlehanded to Thailand. How did you manage to put 200 ft of chain into the locker? I have 120 feet that as it falls into locker I have to push over the pile several times. If it could drop forward I could get lots more. Did you do a mod or do you have someone below pushing it out of the way.

[cabo_sailor]

Nope,
When I bought the boat a 1989, it came with 250 ft of 5/16 chain. Looks like it had enough room in the locker for maybe 50 ft more with out crowding. I just thought 200 ft enough for where I anchor and probably more than I need.

The only reason I bought 200 ft of chain was to compensate for the squat in the stern.

Rich


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[zboss]

I have 150 feet of 5/8" nylon and 150 feet of 3/8" BBB and I rarely have a problem with them flaking into the chain locker except when the nylon is not cooperating. We plan on switching to 275 feet of 5/16 G70 chain. We regularly use all our chain, even in shallow water, when we have the swing room.

Many CR's have custom chain lockers. So your chain locker may be set up different from others. The key is to set up your windlass so that the chain drops directly into the deepest part of the locker.

We don't have a problem with balance because we can fill our forward tank and that adds 800 pounds-ish to the bow when full.

What can help is taking your boat out in really deep water, deeper than you longest chain length, and letting all your rode out. This causes the chain to de-kink itself. Make sure your rode is attached to the boat

[cabo_sailor]

Originally Posted by zboss

I

What can help is taking your boat out in really deep water, deeper than you longest chain length, and letting all your rode out. This causes the chain to de-kink itself. Make sure your rode is attached to the boat

Kind of hard to do in Gulf of Mexico. I've been 112 mi out, enroute to Dry Tortugas and water depth was only about 160 ft. 😎


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[zboss]

Originally Posted by cabo_sailor

Kind of hard to do in Gulf of Mexico. I've been 112 mi out, enroute to Dry Tortugas and water depth was only about 160 ft. 😎


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Yeah! There is that!

You can also take you chain out when you are on the hard and unroll it by hand. That is what we did the last time.

[DocBrauer]

Well the size of the chain is part of the difference as I have 3/8 BBB. I have about 10 in between windlass and bowsprit where it could be moved forward. Drop board in chain locker is right in front of drain and could be moved back so that chain would sit on drain. These 2 mods would get me more chain. Is either/both of these different then yours? Zboss I've commented about your sink drain thru-hull other thread.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by DocBrauer

Well the size of the chain is part of the difference as I have 3/8 BBB. I have about 10 in between windlass and bowsprit where it could be moved forward. Drop board in chain locker is right in front of drain and could be moved back so that chain would sit on drain. These 2 mods would get me more chain. Is either/both of these different then yours? Zboss I've commented about your sink drain thru-hull other thread.

Doesn't sound like it... our boat is on its third or fourth windlass and the hole has been moved at least twice. I moved it further back so that the chain drops more directly into the deepest part but not so far back that when it stacks it rolls over the retaining board. I'm going to add an additional piece to the retaining board and maybe a cross brace to assist with that potential problem. I like to keep the coolant and oil in the chain locker on the backside.

If I were going to move the board back I would also move the drains up and back towards the stern 6 to 8 inches. IMO allowing the chain to drop on the drains would be a bad idea.