Gozzard vs Cabo Rico

[Sailing4Jesus]

Both are excellent boats, however, since I once owned a Cabo Rico I must say they are almost unsinkable and easy to sail.

Senior Chief USN RETIRED

[Tortuga's Lie]

I personally like the Chuck Paine Cabo Rico 42 more so than the Gozzard because of the layout but that's just me. Another boat along these lines, is the Baba 40, although very heavy the Baba will take a pounding and you would be surprised at her speed. Too many boats out there....have fun!

[AiniA]

Originally Posted by nortonscove

I started by looking at the heavier boats with more substantial keels and ended up in the Beneteau. Saw all of the wood as beautiful until the work started. Also not partial to the heavy boats and the wallowing inherent to them. Worked on tugs for a bit and came to realize I'd prefer the quicker motion. When it comes to the numbers and motion it truly is a preference thing. Also you have to decide how much you really like to sail.

This is just not true. Our Bristol 45.5 cruised at about 40,000 pounds and never, ever wallowed. It has a lot to do with hull shape and power of the rig. I think we have to be careful about blanket judgements about boat types whether it be heavy displacement, fin keels, you name it. To the OP, I forgot to mention Amels. Very well thought-out boats and widely cruised. On deck wood is certainly a love/hate thing. A rainforest died to provide the wood on deck of our Bristol. Similar for Cabo Rico and Gozzard.

[mountaindweller]

Originally Posted by AiniA

This is just not true. Our Bristol 45.5 cruised at about 40,000 pounds and never, ever wallowed. It has a lot to do with hull shape and power of the rig. I think we have to be careful about blanket judgements about boat types whether it be heavy displacement, fin keels, you name it. To the OP, I forgot to mention Amels. Very well thought-out boats and widely cruised. On deck wood is certainly a love/hate thing. A rainforest died to provide the wood on deck of our Bristol. Similar for Cabo Rico and Gozzard.

Thanks AiniA. Very familiar with Amel. A 54 or (mostly dreaming- a 55) is our likely retirement boat when we can cruise full time in 5-7 years time. Lost our Beneteau in Dorian-long story- but yes insured, so pondering options to bridge the gap. Inquired on a Bristol 45.5 today. No teak on the decks Cheers

[zboss]

Originally Posted by Whosails

I looked at the Cabo Rico but, it was awhile ago. I planned to go offshore. I thought that the Cabo Rico looked wonderful but was extremely lacking in storage space. If you are planning to go offshore storage space is important especially if you are also taking extra crew.

That is SO incorrect. We had tons and tons of storage space. It's very deceptive. We could easily carry 8 months of provisions and spare parts for everything.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by mountaindweller

Hi all,
I'm new to the forum and doing a little research for my next boat. Looking at 40 to mid 40 ft.- late 90's early 2000's blue water cruiser for a couple. The Gozzard 41 and Cabo Rico 42 both seem solid and well built.
Any thoughts on these and how they sail and perform? Things to look out for? Also, comparisons to say an Island Packet or Hylas of similar vintage?

Thanks!

I am sort of surprised that you put these four boats together, since one, the Hylas, clearly stands apart from the other three.

Among the traditionals, the Cabo Rico appeals to me out of sheer beauty. One of my best friends owns one and we sometimes cruise together. I know the boat can sail. Several other friends own Island Packets and I am impressed with their build quality and how they make wonderful homes and great cruising yachts.

But the Hylas, Oh my! Particularly love the 46. Two other friends have these, and in that boat German Frers has combined rare beauty and wonderful sailing performance. I admire the lines whenever I walk down the dock past the Hylas 46. But the real difference in these boats is that they offer world class sailing experiences.

Any of these boats will make you proud of them, but if you love sailing, if you sail just for the fun of it sometimes, (and if you enjoy going to weather) the Hylas is in a class of it's own. I was out on one of these a few weeks ago, trying out a new asymmetrical spinnaker and I was again impressed by the solid feel, the beautiful exterior and interior, and how well and easily it sailed.

[Cabo Jim]

For the past 10 years I have owned a 2007 Cabo Rico 42 that is currently for sale. I would like to respond to comments from other forum members. Re: "I thought that the Cabo Rico looked wonderful but was extremely lacking in storage space."
In March I filled a 5ft x10ft x 8ft storage cubical to store all the contents of my Cabo Rico 42. I never thought the boat was lacking in storage space, and after emptying it I was surprised at just how much space there is, but then again there is not enough room to store a PWC.
Re: "If you might take on crew for long passages you might want to look at the number of sea berths. The Gozzard and CR look to only have one". My Cabo has two sea berths, the starboard settee has a lee cloth as well as the aft cabin.
Before I bought my Cabo Rico, the Gozzard was on my short list but I didn't like the layout.
Here is a link to my Cabo Rico 42
https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/200...0YzL-mXIdxmDgo
If you would like some hard to find articles on the Cabo Rico 42 send me a PM and I will email them to you.
Happy Boat hunting
Jim

[ronbo1]

I’ve had a G44BMKII for 18 years. B refers to the interior layout with a forward cabin with centerline berth. MKII refers to the improved hull design - about the year 2000.

We’ve sailed against a Hylas 46 and did quite well. And, as someone suggested, well rested. Prefer our aft cockpit.

Important thing to remember is Gozzard is still in business. Call for advice and if you can get the boat to the Goderich factory they do refurbishing.

Ronbo

[AA3JY]

Originally Posted by Sailing4Jesus

Both are excellent boats, however, since I once owned a Cabo Rico I must say they are almost unsinkable and easy to sail.

Senior Chief USN RETIRED

“ Some general thoughts about Cruising Sailboats

Cabo Rico hull designs are different from most every other boat on the market. Most of what you will see are fin or fin/bulb keel boats so why are CR Marine’s Cabo Rico hulls designed this way?

Almost all “cruising” boats today are based on racing hull designs. The reason
builders do this are as follows:

The boats are spirited to sail in the 5 to 15 knot winds and the 2 to 3 foot chop that most casual sailors go out in.

The small deep fin keels improve pointing ability some and allow faster tacking in evening and weekend club races.

The designs are wide and relatively flat to gain initial stability and speed in lighter air. This gives the marketing benefit of larger looking interiors.

These designs are much cheaper to mold and build due to their simple rounded shape and cast external keels that simply bolt on.

All this sounds good, so why isn’t it?

Like all racing machines, so called “modern “ keel boat hulls are demanding to
operate and tend towards dangerous if they are not in their ideal conditions.

Try taking a formula one Ferrari out on country roads. If it keeps running, it
won’t meet its performance specifications by a long shot. Or take an America’s Cup 12 meter mono hull yacht out in 25+ knots of wind and 10-12 foot seas. No big deal with the proper design, but those cup boats will have already had to go home.

Whether we intend to or not, we all get caught in less than ideal conditions. You should feel safe, be comfortable and still go fast. Only a Cabo Rico will do that for you, and in style as well.

The “modern” cruising hulls, with their “U” sections forward and flatter sections amidships, will pound to weather. Their plumb bows will allow a great deal of water onboard and their lack of reserve buoyancy will cause their bows to bury into larger waves. This is sometimes known as submarining. Wet, uncomfortable and down right scary, especially if it turns into a broach.

A Cabo Rico doesn’t do that. Her clipper bow is simply the best for any sailing out side all out racing or the “casual” weather window. Waves are sent way out to the side so they doesn’t come onboard, and you will probably never bury the bow due to the large amount of reserve buoyancy up high.


Her slender sections forward mean she doesn’t pound to weather and due to her one piece construction and strong scantlings there is no hull flexing, no hull delamination, and no parting bulkheads in rough conditions, unlike many boats built today. Even our interior doors open and close properly in bad conditions, regardless of the tack you are on.

Those wide hull forms also contribute to rapidly decreasing stability in storm conditions. Note the loss of 2 boats, a Beneteau 38 and a 43, and resultant loss of lives, on the Bay of Biscay a while back. Also of concern are the very wide transoms on many boats today that present too much reserve buoyancy to a following sea, and when combined with the pinched, plumb bows can lead to a life threatening broach.

CR Marine believes you deserve to sail quickly, but in comfort and safety and to be able to also return in good shape.

Cabo Rico models can have excellent performance in those light fluky airs that seem to occur 50% of the time you’re out sailing. Ask a naval architect. He or she will tell you heavier boats go faster in light air. It has to do with the extra sail area they can carry as well as momentum. While a light boat may start up faster it also stops faster. But with a Cabo Rico you don’t slow down quickly and the tracking ability of our longer keel designs means you are still on the right heading when the next puff comes along and with that momentum, you are also still moving.

A Cabo Rico hull is very expensive to build because it includes the keel and is built in one piece, not 2 halves taped seamed together at the center line. The whole hull mold must be rotated side to side with each layer of laminate. That’s time consuming. Having to laminate down through the long keel portion is not easy. It costs more. But at CR Marine, we feel that the end result is worth the effort, and so are our customers.

Integral to hull and keel design is the rudder. Boats designed for racing and “cruising” fin keel boats have their rudders hung far astern to achieve the most leverage and turning force for fast tacking around the marks. This has the disadvantage of the rudder getting air and loosing steerage, particularly downwind in rougher conditions, and the helmsman loosing control of the vessel. This is why the racing versions of these hull need two rudders, so one is always more deeply immersed in the water being on the down wind side.

These rudders are only attached where they enter the hull and at their top most point. They are therefore very vulnerable to damage and total loss of steerage should the boat hit a submerged object or run aground. Some brands help to support the rudder with a skeg having a bearing part way down the rudder stock. This support helps, but the added risk is damage to these thin skegs, thus jamming them against the rudder making it inoperable. Why anyone would want to venture out of range of Coast Guard assistance with an exposed rudder that can so easily render you helpless if you hit anything, is imprudent at best and foolhardy at worst.

At Cabo Rico we believe in attaching the rudder to the aft end of the keel, making it almost impossible to damage the rudder in a way as to loose steerage. They don’t get bent, jammed up or fall off. Indeed Cabo Rico has never lost a rudder at sea in our near 50 year history!

It is amazing the other short cuts that almost all builders use to save costs and increase profits, and of which their customers are completely unaware. For example, most do not glass the main structural bulkhead to the deck anymore. To save time and money they use a full deck liner bedded in epoxy putty to the underside of the deck. The bulkheads then land in a notch in the liner, and they bed that in epoxy putty as well. In light use, this is fine but in rough conditions, with higher stresses and pounding, their lightly constructed hulls start to flex pushing the center of the deck up and sometimes rent the bulkhead right out.

Another of many compromises are the very large cockpits that are poorly supported below, creating a problem if a large wave comes down on you; in some cases actually pushing the sole right through the deck. Add to that wide cockpits that allow you to fall about, main sheet tackles that pass through it threatening limb or life, low backed seats that leave you aching after a while, and you will soon appreciate the many sea-going capabilities of your Cabo Rico.

“....an ultimate Bluewater Boat”
SAIL Magazine“
=======================================
...after 20 years of ownership of our vessel..we’re finding stuff from the previous owner in spaces we though didn’t exist..��

[ronbo1]

Is Cabo Rico still in business?

[AA3JY]

Originally Posted by ronbo1

Is Cabo Rico still in business?

I think you know the answer to that..or..ask Frazier Smith , CEO of Cabo Rico,SA if you don’t..

[ronbo1]

I seriously don’t know if they’re in business being out of boat buying for some 20 years.
I know they built 2 beautiful 52 footers some time ago at the beginning of the decline of the market.

[wingssail]

Here we go again, myths, wrong facts, and incorrect conclusions. I like Cabo Ricos but one does not need to perpetuate myths in order to sell them.

Originally Posted by AA3JY

“ Some general thoughts about Cruising Sailboats

Cabo Rico hull designs are different from most every other boat on the market. Most of what you will see are fin or fin/bulb keel boats so why are CR Marine’s Cabo Rico hulls designed this way?

Almost all “cruising” boats today are based on racing hull designs. The reason
builders do this are as follows:

The boats are spirited to sail in the 5 to 15 knot winds and the 2 to 3 foot chop that most casual sailors go out in.

The small deep fin keels improve pointing ability some and allow faster tacking in evening and weekend club races.

The designs are wide and relatively flat to gain initial stability and speed in lighter air. This gives the marketing benefit of larger looking interiors.

These designs are much cheaper to mold and build due to their simple rounded shape and cast external keels that simply bolt on.

All this sounds good, so why isn’t it?

Like all racing machines, so called “modern “ keel boat hulls are demanding to operate and tend towards dangerous if they are not in their ideal conditions. Wrong, a boat which responds to rudder input is easier to operate (as opposed to struggling with an unbalanced barn door rudder). A boat which sails well with smaller sails is easier to operate. And, tell us how they become dangerous?

Try taking a formula one Ferrari out on country roads. If it keeps running, it
won’t meet its performance specifications by a long shot. Compare a model T Ford to a modern sedan Or take an America’s Cup 12 meter mono hull yacht out in 25+ knots of wind and 10-12 foot seas. No big deal with the proper design, but those cup boats will have already had to go home.Really, those 12 meter boats seemed to do perfectly well in Perth in 1987 in exactly those conditions. Or, look at the conditions endured perfectly well with the RORC 600 in the Caribbean

Whether we intend to or not, we all get caught in less than ideal conditions. You should feel safe, be comfortable and still go fast. Only a Cabo Rico will do that for you, and in style as well.

The “modern” cruising hulls, with their “U” sections forward and flatter sections amidships, will pound to weather. Their plumb bows will allow a great deal of water onboard and their lack of reserve buoyancy will cause their bows to bury into larger waves. This is sometimes known as submarining. Wet, uncomfortable and down right scary, especially if it turns into a broach. On the other hand a heavy boat with weight in the ends will plunge deeply into waves rather than riding over them. THAT is submarining. There is nothing wetter than a heavy boat, stopped dead in head on waves, with the bow spirit buried 6 feet deep in the ocean and struggling to make any progress to windward.

A Cabo Rico doesn’t do that. Her clipper bow is simply the best for any sailing out side all out racing or the “casual” weather window. Waves are sent way out to the side so they doesn’t come onboard, and you will probably never bury the bow due to the large amount of reserve buoyancy up high.


Her slender sections forward mean she doesn’t pound to weather and due to her one piece construction and strong scantlings there is no hull flexing, no hull delamination, and no parting bulkheads in rough conditions, unlike many boats built today. Even our interior doors open and close properly in bad conditions, regardless of the tack you are on.

Those wide hull forms also contribute to rapidly decreasing stability in storm conditions. Note the loss of 2 boats, a Beneteau 38 and a 43, and resultant loss of lives, on the Bay of Biscay a while back. Also of concern are the very wide transoms on many boats today that present too much reserve buoyancy to a following sea, and when combined with the pinched, plumb bows can lead to a life threatening broach.

CR Marine believes you deserve to sail quickly, but in comfort and safety and to be able to also return in good shape.

Cabo Rico models can have excellent performance in those light fluky airs that seem to occur 50% of the time you’re out sailing. Ask a naval architect. He or she will tell you heavier boats go faster in light air. It has to do with the extra sail area they can carry as well as momentum. While a light boat may start up faster it also stops faster. But with a Cabo Rico you don’t slow down quickly and the tracking ability of our longer keel designs means you are still on the right heading when the next puff comes along and with that momentum, you are also still moving.

A Cabo Rico hull is very expensive to build because it includes the keel and is built in one piece, not 2 halves taped seamed together at the center line. The whole hull mold must be rotated side to side with each layer of laminate. That’s time consuming. Having to laminate down through the long keel portion is not easy. It costs more. But at CR Marine, we feel that the end result is worth the effort, and so are our customers.

Integral to hull and keel design is the rudder. Boats designed for racing and “cruising” fin keel boats have their rudders hung far astern to achieve the most leverage and turning force for fast tacking around the marks. This has the disadvantage of the rudder getting air and loosing steerage, particularly downwind in rougher conditions, and the helmsman loosing control of the vessel. This is why the racing versions of these hull need two rudders, so one is always more deeply immersed in the water being on the down wind side.

These rudders are only attached where they enter the hull and at their top most point. They are therefore very vulnerable to damage and total loss of steerage should the boat hit a submerged object or run aground. Some brands help to support the rudder with a skeg having a bearing part way down the rudder stock. This support helps, but the added risk is damage to these thin skegs, thus jamming them against the rudder making it inoperable. Why anyone would want to venture out of range of Coast Guard assistance with an exposed rudder that can so easily render you helpless if you hit anything, is imprudent at best and foolhardy at worst.

At Cabo Rico we believe in attaching the rudder to the aft end of the keel, making it almost impossible to damage the rudder in a way as to loose steerage. They don’t get bent, jammed up or fall off. Indeed Cabo Rico has never lost a rudder at sea in our near 50 year history!

It is amazing the other short cuts that almost all builders use to save costs and increase profits, and of which their customers are completely unaware. For example, most do not glass the main structural bulkhead to the deck anymore. To save time and money they use a full deck liner bedded in epoxy putty to the underside of the deck. The bulkheads then land in a notch in the liner, and they bed that in epoxy putty as well. In light use, this is fine but in rough conditions, with higher stresses and pounding, their lightly constructed hulls start to flex pushing the center of the deck up and sometimes rent the bulkhead right out.

Another of many compromises are the very large cockpits that are poorly supported below, creating a problem if a large wave comes down on you; in some cases actually pushing the sole right through the deck. Add to that wide cockpits that allow you to fall about, main sheet tackles that pass through it threatening limb or life, low backed seats that leave you aching after a while, and you will soon appreciate the many sea-going capabilities of your Cabo Rico.

“....an ultimate Bluewater Boat”
SAIL Magazine“
=======================================
...after 20 years of ownership of our vessel..we’re finding stuff from the previous owner in spaces we though didn’t exist..��

[Bill O]

Originally Posted by ronbo1

I seriously don’t know if they’re in business being out of boat buying for some 20 years.
I know they built 2 beautiful 52 footers some time ago at the beginning of the decline of the market.

Actually they were 56' not 52 and last year they released a couple of "new" designs the 56' CC and their 450 MS.

[DeValency]

All the boats in the OP list are fine, well built. Every boat and specific design and layout has pluses and minuses - mostly to the subjective taste of the buyer.

Apart from the important factors of budget, condition etc., my preferred would be the Hylas - maybe as it is the closest in design to my Contest - but again, that's very much my subjective taste.