Owners tend to wax enthusiastic about the Cabo Rico 38 cutter, attesting to its quality construction and ability to handle heavy seas during offshore passages. Mike and Linda Nixon of Sharpsburg, Georgia, bought their boat 14 years ago and continue to find enjoyment and satisfaction whenever aboard.

“When my wife and I set out to find our dream boat, we had a vision shaped by our individual priorities,” said Mike Nixon, whose 1996 boat Voyager is Hull No. 77. “For her, maximum safety was a must. My top priority in choosing a boat was finding one that could be sailed singlehandedly. Equally as important was the sailplan itself to take us anywhere. That was my dream,”

Designed by W.I.B. Crealock and built in Costa Rica, the original sales brochure in 1977 described the traditional passagemaker as “a yacht built for far horizons.” That’s precisely what the Nixons had in mind. The search for their dream boat took them to Charleston Bay, where they got aboard for a memorable sail just before a hurricane made landfall. 

“The experience was enlightening—the swells were very large but the boat handled them easily. It was a fun, exciting, yet comfortable ride,” he said. “It was then we knew the Cabo Rico 38 was the right sailboat for us because it was perfect for a couple.”

Crealock, who in 1971 was acclaimed for the Westsail 32 design, adhered to the same school of thought when creating the Cabo Rico 38. He has been quoted as saying seaworthiness in a cruising boat has to be the No. 1 consideration. 

“Just about any boat does well in Southern California. But when it’s blowing hard and rough, that’s when the difference between boats shows up most,” he said. “The boat must be aesthetically pleasing and not too slow.” 

First Impressions

The Cabo Rico 38 looks like the kind of sailboat a kid might draw, with its long, slender sheer, the clipper bow with three-foot sprit, numerous opening portlights along both sides, wooden deck, two dorade vents, towering mast, and externally mounted chainplates. With its low freeboard has a rugged yet elegant appearance. It makes you want to hop aboard and set sail.

Construction

The Cabo Rico 38 was built in San Jose, Costa Rica, by Cabo Rico Custom Yachts. Dennis Garrett worked as production manager for Fibro Technica, S.A., and is often credited with contributing some of the boat’s design features. There were 200 Cabo Rico 38s built from 1977 to the late 1990s. The boat has been the company’s most successful and longest-running design.

Built of hand-laid mat and roving, the deck and portions of the hull are strengthened by a balsa core sandwiched between layers of fiberglass. The balsa used in the hull is above the waterline and acts as a thermal and sound insulator rather than for strength. The full keel with attached rudder hull is stiffened by floors and stringers.

The deck and the wood finish below is made from solid plantation teak, the trees harvested in Costa Rica’s highlands. There is no veneer. The deck and hull are connected by a flange and secured with 3M 5200 adhesive. The seam has a teak caprail. The 50-foot mast is keel-stepped. Internal iron ballast was used on the earlier boats and later changed to lead.

Two layout options known as Plan A and Plan B were offered, with different seating plans in the saloon and other minor variants in the V-berth. 

What to look for

Though the boat’s teak decks are exquisite, they can be subject to leaks. Long-standing water infiltration can lead to deck delamination, a condition that is expensive to rectify. A surveyor should exam the balsa-sandwich deck for moisture. Leaks have been reported around the scuppers, and at the chainplates that are bolted to the outside of the hull. 

A layer of the cockpit sole on the earlier boats is plywood and susceptible to rot. Owners of pre-1990 models have complained of hull blisters. Polyester resin was used on those hulls. Later models benefitted from vinylester resin used on the first four layers to prevent osmotic blistering. 

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Cabo Rico was supplied with poor quality stainless steel. This resulted in weakened rudder posts, bow railings and chainplates. 

The Cabo Rico 38 has plentiful teak above and below deck. The honey-colored wood creates a lovely, nautical environment but requires vigilant maintenance. 

On deck

“The deck is easy to navigate, assisted by chainplates mounted to the exterior of the hull. The cockpit is quite comfortable for four adults and all lines, including reef lines, are accessible. I absolutely love having a staysail available for those windy days where a reef or two in the main is needed. We modified the 120 genoa to a yankee and that has served us much better as a sailing couple,” Mike Nixon said.

The cockpit has a pedestal with compass that provides support for the stainless, 32-inch diameter, destroyer-style steering wheel. The boat has oversize genoa winches.

It has a generous foredeck with a 3-foot bowsprit, though the self-tending club staysail tends to clutter that space. Many owners have removed the staysail and installed a set of tracks. 

The foredeck is large enough to accommodate an inflatable dinghy flipped upside down, handy for cruising sailors who would rather not tow one or deflate and pack it after each anchorage.  

“You can fit a modern, rigid-bottom inflatable on a CR 38. Our ancient dinghy wore out after a few decades. We didn’t want a roll up, for several reasons. After a bit of searching we found an 8-foot Achilles aluminum bottom dinghy that fits under the staysail boom. The bow on this model has a flatter profile than what you normally see on dinghies. No interference when tacking. Super happy with it,” owner Diane Ericsson wrote on the Facebook Cabo Rico Owners Group blog. 

The anchor locker keeps things tidy at the stem, the anchoring process assisted by two bow rollers. The stern’s generous lazarette provides storage space.

Down below

The Cabo Rico 38 sleeps seven in a master cabin, guest cabin, starboard settee, and a large pullout berth. Cedar-lined hanging lockers and a nav station help make the overall living quarters more orderly. The large, U-shaped, airy galley includes a stove, oven, sink, refrigerator and icebox. 

“The layout is comfortable and works well for us. One of the nice things we appreciate is the shower being separate from the head. When we have overnight guests the layout allows access to the head from the saloon and forward berth but with privacy for both parties. For a person over 6 feet tall, the starboard settee is short when made out to a bed but the V-berth, port side and quarter berth work nicely for anyone on the tall side,” Nixon said.

In keeping with the boat’s overall quality craftsmanship, all through-hull fittings are secured with bronze seacocks. Ventilation is assured by a row of  bronze opening portlights on both port and starboard sides, three overhead hatches, and two Dorade vents.

The boat can carry 120 gallons of fresh water. The wastewater tank holds 30 gallons. 

Engine

The freshwater-cooled diesel engine varied from one production to the next, which means the boat may be outfitted with a Westerbeke, Universal, Perkins, or Yanmar. Despite the brand, the engine was typically rated at 50 horsepower, enough to push a boat with 20,000-pound displacement. Hull speed was listed as 7.25 knots. The engine was housed beneath the companionway steps. Accessibility for maintenance was hampered by the lack of removable side panels, making it difficult to reach the engine’s aft end. This situation was improved aboard later models after an access panel was added. The engine bed is solid fiberglass to ward off deterioration. The fuel tank holds 80 gallons.

Underway

Owners report the long keel improves stability and helps keep the boat on course. 

“It was when we transited the Gulf from Punta Gorda, Florida to Alabama we realized what a solid, seagoing vessel she is,” Nixon said. “We found ourselves, on our last 36 hours, faced with a winter storm with 25- to 30-knot winds, rain, and 8- to 10-foot seas. For us, this was a new experience. The waves were fortunately spaced at seven seconds apart and from the quarter, the wind from the same direction. She handled it like she was made for it, and she obviously was. The modified full keel kept her steady and on track. It was an exhilarating run to the entrance of
Pensacola Bay.”

Nixon’s wife, Linda, laughingly remembered that trip a bit differently. 

“The truth is, I thought I would die in that storm and Mike was at the helm having a blast. I knew after that trip Voyager could survive anything,” she said.

Conclusion

The handsome Cabo Rico 38 is a traditionally-designed, strongly built cutter, well suited for offshore cruising or gunk-holing with family and friends.