Looking for a Cabo Rico 34 to buy

[Lauren Ellis]

Hello,

My husband and I joined the forum hoping someone might be knowing of a Cabo Rico 34 for sale. The internet market doesn't seem to produce any listings of CB34 for sale at the moment. So before we start hitting the yards and brokers, i though i would reach out here. We live in Seattle and have decided to buy a boat and move aboard come this June. We have owned other sailboats in the past (Union Cutter 36, Cheoy Lee 30, Falmouth Cutter 22, and few others), and we have always thought CB34 would be a boat we would love owning one day.  After putting together what we were looking for in a boat to live on and some research on the vessel, the CB34 has topped our list. So the search begins. So if anyone has any info on a CB34 for sale, thank you........that brings us to our final question, What are some problem areas to look for before purchasing a CB34.

thank you Lauren & Scottie and we hope to join this forum as proud CB owners someday soon!

[LB Home]

Just out of interest why not consider CR38 also?

Larry

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[cab...@aol.com]

I saw a 38 for $20,000 needed a new mast and standing rigging, and some minor Gelcoat work??

Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE device

[cab...@aol.com]

More 38s available.

[Lauren Ellis]

We believe the 34 will be more managable under high winds we have sailed several 37+ and feel the 34 is better fit for us. Thanks for asking

Lauren & Scottie

[LB Home]

Yea that is down in Texas. Went through the last big blow there. They just don't want to do the work and yards down there are way still backed up.

Could be a great boat if you wanted to take the time.

Larry 

Sent from my iPhone

[Merrill Utley]

 Is there a listing for this CR 38, couldn't find it. This would be Harvey damage?

Merrill 

[LB Home]

It has been a while.may be gone.  I talked to the wife who was very knowledgeable about the needed repairs the expected cost of repair. 

All were external. No water below at all.

I will see if I can find the conversation. 

Larry

I 

Sent from my iPhone

[cab...@aol.com]

I think it was in FL?

[LB Home]

I will look today.  Had 8 14 year olds for granddaughters birthday sleep over last night.  😳

The one I saw and talked to the owner was in Texas.

Larry

Sent from my iPhone

[ldcb...@aol.com]

I do not know if this is still available but I talked to Shelly Blair shellyj...@icloud.com owner.  I did not reach out to see if it is still available.

Larry

[Jarrett & Shelly Blair s/v Morningstar]

Thanks Larry, yes we did sell Morning Star a couple of months ago.  The new owner has had a life changing situation, so he has mentioned selling her, not sure if he will actually do it but might be worth a phone call.  His name is James    (903)926-1607  Currently the boat is on the hard in Rockport, Texas.

She was a wonderful boat and we enjoyed her so much.  Was a sad day to sell her but ultimately it was the right decision at the time for us. 

[Dave Newberg]

Hi Lauren and Scottie,

Although we have never owned a CR38, my wife and I have sailed our CR34 for well over a decade, so I’ll throw in my two cents worth (that may be all it’s worth) regarding the 34 comparing to the 38. Other’s are welcome to chime in supporting or disputing my comments as well.

I won’t bother gushing about the overall beauty and quality since those attributes are obvious and well known, other than my own opinion that the 38 has slightly prettier lines due to it’s narrower transom and longer shear, but that's not a deal breaker, as our 34 gets double-takes and flattering remarks frequently.

We did an all-day sea trial on Larry’s former 38, who has been commenting here, that being our first onboard encounter with CR boats. The 38 is a wonderful, sweet-sailing boat. Being notably heavier and longer on the water line, It cuts through the water a bit more smoothly than our 34, with less perception of motion in comparable seas, above and below decks. The 34 is lighter with a higher sail area/displacement ratio, making it, in my opinion a bit more spritely and responsive, but still a nice smooth ride with an easy tracking full keel.

I think that the 38’s staysail, being notably larger, is probably more usable and easier to trim under light to moderate wind conditions, and may nicely compliment the headsail under the right wind angles. The 34’s staysail is much smaller and therefore less effective in light to moderate winds. We rarely hoist our staysail in winds under 20 knots. 

On both boats, I believe the staysail offers something beneficial for the headsail to slide against, making the crossover easier when tacking. But by not deploying it, we end up walking the headsail across the bow periodically when tacking. I assume the slot between the headsail and the forestay is larger on the 38 as well, perhaps easing the crossover.

If we were planning to cross oceans we would have opted for the 38, due to it’s extra capacity for weight, fuel, etc. and extra speed. We can stock our 34 with supplies for about 30 days if we plan well for food, take our time, taking advantage of wind vs. motoring, etc. We can motor over 80 hours on a tank of fuel.

Giving very high points to the 38, we however chose the 34 for a number of reasons. We felt that the 34 was an easier to manage size, with more maneuverability in our tiny marina, and in the tight spaces and situations we tend to get into while exploring and gunkholing about in our cruising area. The sail-weight is lower, easier to hoist, and it’s easier to manage the sheet loads underway. The deck and exterior space, being smaller, is still quite sufficient, allowing for easily storing a deflated dinghy on the coach roof, and inflating it on the foredeck by hoisting the staysail boom overhead. The cockpit is very comfortable and remarkably dry underway. The back porch, although it looks tiny, is large enough to stand on when grilling or handling lines over the stern. It also allows space to store lots of essentials like a boathook, dinghy oars, shoes, dinghy gas tank, and more, including stacking three fenders behind the helm seat, which forms a perfect backrest (everything on a boat should be multi-purpose). We have a manual windlass, therefore the anchor handling, other than breaking free of the bottom, is done with gloves-on-chain. Would that be feasible for us with the extra ground tackle weight required on the 38, maybe? We don’t hang our dinghy on the stern because we use a Monitor wind vane . . . and we've seen the results of hanging dinghies in serious storm conditions. 

As we seem to run aground more than we care to admit, we believe the 34 to be easier to extricate from mud, sand, rocks, etc. than the the 38.

I am not familiar with all of the interior layout options for the 38s Our 34’s interior layout is great for our purposes. The aft cabin can be used as a junk room on long trips, and most of our short-term guests have no problem with the space, although it can require a bit of acrobatics for some folks to slide in next to a body already in the berth. The dinette table that folds against the forward bulkhead is preferred by us over the alternative layout, and allows for large group seating if desired, and opens lots of space when folded out of the way with ample storage behind. Neither the 34 nor the 38 is so open that moving below is fear-inducing in big seas, as in other more beamy boats we’ve sailed on. Solid hand holds are everywhere.

The 34’s engine, far forward under the galley has good and bad points. It’s relatively easy to access, front back and starboard side, but requires a pillow bearing midway down the long drive shaft, and places added weight forward, something the 34 suffers from. With filled bow water tank, ground tackle forward, etc. it tends to sit slightly bow down, with a slight list to port also due to so much storage on that side, and the typically empty aft cabin to starboard. The more we store in the aft cabin on long trips, the better. The newer CR34/36 with two feet added to the stern, may be a whole new ball game in terms of balance on which I can’t comment. But the only thing you gain there in terms of space is a bigger back porch with a bit more outside under deck locker space. The interior is identical. The thing you lose is money, certainly more $$$.

If we had it to do all over again, we’d choose the same boat, no regrets . . . we truly love our 34. But would we have been happy with a 38? I have absolutely no doubt, so I don’t think you can go wrong either way. There are certainly more 38s available. I am certain to have missed some valuable observations, so there my be some follow up. 

Sheesh, I didn’t start with the intention of writing an essay.

Cheers

Dave

[N C]

Dave,

Great write up and you hit it right on the head, you can’t go wrong with either one.

Nick

“RONIN”

CR38 #190

[Lauren Ellis]

Dave, 

   WOW thank you so much this is very helpful! Love all the details. I believe our biggest concern is the ability to control a 38 foot boat under high winds and large seas. We have owned quiet a few boats however our biggest being a Union Cutter 36 and most recent a Falmouth Cutter 22. Having the maneuverability would be ideal since we would be sailing the Puget Sound and San Juan Islands, however a full keel is something we hold value in. We plan to do a long journey in a few years on which ever boat we buy and possibly come through the Panama Canal. So hopefully our choice is right!

Lauren & Scottie

Ps. I am sure Scottie will have more questions but for now Cheers!

[Thierry Danz]

Lauren,

I don't think that a 38 is more challenging to handle than a 34. Consider that the larger boat also gives you a more stable platform. I have single handed both a CR38, and the CR42 that I have owned now for 15 years. When you sail single or short handed you have to be a little more prudent in you choice of sails, or when you put in a reef. It is more the size of the individual sails than the actual boat size that matters. A cutter rig with a staysail, preferably on a furler, is much more versatile in this respect than a sloop rigged vessel. I also would stay away from large genoas.

Thierry 

CR42 #12 CURLEW 

Baltimore, MD

[gregory Melnechuk]

The only problem with the Cabo Rico 34 is that it is just too slow.  Loaded down it weighed 21,500 pounds and probably close to the same weight as a Cabo 38.  

On Sep 20, 2018, at 11:31 AM, Thierry Danz <tdan...@gmail.com> wroteie

[Richard Joiner]

Lauren,

 

I got the Cabo Rico bug back in 2006 while Robyn (my wife) and I were cruising the Chesapeake Bay in our Cape Dory Intrepid 30. We were clipping along nicely at 4-5 kts in moderate wind when this beautiful 34’ boat with a clipper bow starts to gain on me. Quickly I made a sail change to the big Genoa as I knew there would be no way that heavy cruiser could catch me. Well, as he over took me and started to peel away, I yelled over “what is your beautiful boat” A Cabo Rico 34” was the reply. I told Robyn right then “I want one of those!” And our search started. We looked at a couple of 34’s and several 38’s. Because of the additional stowage room, we ultimately chose the 38. I admit it was intimidating moving from a 30 to a 38. But after owning our CR38 for over 11 years now, we have no regrets. She sails like a dream and is a perfect size for two. When we run into a storm on the Bay or Ocean and the winds build to 35-40+ kts, she makes us feel confident and secure. She is one tough boat! You just wait to you sail one. Look at both the 34’s and 38’s and you will know which one is right for you. As long as it is a Cabo Rico, you made the right choice.

 

Richard and Robyn

CR38 #161

“BUIOCHAS”

 

 

   

 

From: cabo...@googlegroups.com <cabo...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of gregory Melnechuk
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2018 3:18 PM
To: cabo...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [caborico] Looking for a Cabo Rico 34 to buy

 

The only problem with the Cabo Rico 34 is that it is just too slow.  Loaded down it weighed 21,500 pounds and probably close to the same weight as a Cabo 38.  

[Lauren Ellis]

Hello good people,

First and foremost, thank you everyone for the great info and taking the time to chat with us. It's helping! Please keep it coming if you have anything to add. Lauren and I are starting to entertain the possibility of a CB 38. We have decided to look at both vessel. Still leaning and hoping the 34 turns out to be what we hope it will be. We have never be aboard a Cabo Rico. I saw plenty in Florida when we bought one of our boats there. Stunning boats!

Great news, we have found a 34 for sale and have scheduled a visit to get a closer look!!  I'm pretty excited to say the least.  For anyone who has spent a lot of eye-burning hours researching boats, you get a feeling when you see the right one. I got that feeling with CB's!

couple questions below:

Does anyone know the hull speed of the CB 34 and 38?

Is this true that the 34's are consider slow, they carry a decent amount of sail area?

How well do the CB sail in light air 5-8 knots  (lets be true, that's a high percent of the days your sailing)

Also do most couples sleep in the V-berth or the aft cabins on theses boats?

Any blister problems or issues with the bottoms?

Do these boats have issues with the Cap Rails leaking?

Thanks again everyone,

Lauren & Scottie

[N C]

Lauren & Scottie,

 Good luck with your pursuit.  I believe Cabo Rico advertised that the 38’ would sail half the wind speed up to 15 knots. I don’t know if that applied to all of their models though. As you know there are a few variables: sail trim, point of sail, condition of the sails, sail area etc. that will affect the speed.    (The theoretical hull speed can be determined by taking the square root of the water line length and multiplying it by a constant of 1.34. So in the case of the 38’, with a waterline length of 29.5’ it gives a square root of 5.431 x 1.34 = 7.28 knots.) The theoretical hull speed formula gives a pretty good general idea of what to expect. I’m generally in the 6 knot range in heavier winds. In light air the boats are a little sluggish especially accelerating, the trade off is they handle really well in heavy weather and stiffer winds. At around 7-8 knots of wind is when mine begins to sail. They’re long distance cruising boats and they do that exceptionally well. I’d prefer the security of the stout construction and sea friendliness of the Cabo Rico over a “round the buoy racer.” 

Underway I generally sleep in the main salon, at anchor in the V-berth.

Some of the older boats had problems with blistering due to the use of polyester resins, the ones with vinyl-ester resins had fewer issues. I wouldn’t let minor blistering be a deal breaker, it’s not a difficult fix. If it’s extensive with de-lamination I’d have to think twice.

I haven’t had any issues with the cap rail leaking on mine but,  I think some of the older models have. There is some information on the blog about it.

I hope the above helps.

Nick

Sent from my iPad

[Dave Newberg]

Hi L&S,

Theoretical hull speed for our 34 is 6.9 knots. We’ve certainly surfed faster in quartering seas, well over 8 on couple of occasions. Our boat performs admirably using the monitor self steering in those conditions, smooth ride and steering far better than a human or an autopilot, enough to sit back and read a book.

My research tells me the 34s were all built after CR began using vinyl-ester resins, so minimal worry about blisters there.

As Nick states, there are variables, so it’s pretty impossible to apply a solid speed number. My log is 200 miles away so looking up wind speed vs. boat speed isn’t happening. But here’s an example from memory of my most recent outing just last week. 15-20 knots of wind, beam reach, main furled, flying high cut headsail alone, 5-6 knots boat speed, with very comfortable heel angle. Precise memory is a blur for anything else, but she’s sluggish and hard to tack in winds under 5 or 6, so we motor sail often there or just motor. 7-10 knots wind and we shut down the engine. Depending on wind angle, close hauled with a heavy load onboard, we notice a reduction of speed in >3 foot waves (not swells) due to some pitching or hobby-horsing. We work around that as necessary by falling off a bit to a close reach. I don’t have enough experience to legitimately compare the 34 to 38, but as I alluded earlier, on our one day aboard Larry’s boat, I concluded that the 38 seems to slice through the seas we experienced better than our 34. I would assume that there is a wave height/condition at which the 38 will notably slow down as well. We just didn’t get there on sea-trial-day. Maybe I’m wrong, but if I am, that would perhaps mean the 38 would be a wetter boat in the cockpit due to spray. Designs being similar, longer boats always win. There have been days we wish we had a 70 or 80 footer, or more . . .

No cap rail leaks whatsoever here. As for cap rails, my biggest complaint is the varnishing effort I expend keeping all that teak looking beautiful. I think I spend about 5-7 days every year working on one section of the teak at a time.

We both sleep in the forward berth at anchor, and underway, off watch, in either the salon or sometimes fwd berth depending on wind angle. CR34 has an offset double berth forward, not a V.

Cheers

Dave

[Dave Newberg]

One more thing. 

If my math is correct, displacement per foot LWL is about 717 for the 38, vs. 600 for the 34, so one would expect some behavioral differences between them.

Cheers

Dave

[N C]

The 38’ is remarkably dry in the cockpit even in heavier seas, I was surprised.

Nick

[N C]

Dave,

I’d say your math is pretty close, I’m at 21,500 according to the spec. sheet. 

Nick

[John Kenan]

The original brochure (http://www.jordanyachts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/cr-34-fold-out.pdf), in WIB Crealock's own words, describe some of the differences between the 34 and the 38. The 34 has a cutaway keel profile (although still considered a full keel), reducing wetted surface. The 34 carries more beam further aft. These are fairly significant design differences which I would expect affect sailing characteristics (adding to David's comment on the LWL differences). Maybe others can provide better information, but I recall reading somewhere the 34 has better pointing ability than the 38? Not that racing is the objective, or that one is better than the other. Each has somewhat different pros and cons, and both are excellent.

I am beginning a total refit on a CR34. From a budget perspective, a CR38 was out of the question for me based on costs to own, and in my neglected CR34's case (hull #19), costs to replace just about everything that is critical, and time required to do the work (additional feet are exponentially incremental in every way). If it were a project 38 for sale instead of the 34, I probably would not have jumped simply based on my own situation. This, in the end, should be our own individual metric for decision-making. There is no right or wrong here, only what is best for you from an informed perspective.

Best,

John

[gregory Melnechuk]

For some reason the cap rail leaked on my Cabo Rico 34.  It may have been because the 5200 or whatever black goo that was used, didn’t set.  The cracked 2 piece chain plates were another poor design.  Hull #2 was dismasted because of them.  

[cab...@aol.com]

There are more 38s available, not that much differance between them to let anything but price decide.

Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE device

------ Original message------

From: gregory Melnechuk

Date: Fri, Sep 21, 2018 11:15 AM

To: cabo...@googlegroups.com;

Cc:

Subject:Re: [caborico] Looking for a Cabo Rico 34 to buy

[LB Home]

Just my 2 cents. If the wind is less than 7 and forward of abeam,motor unless you  are on the Great Lakes and trolling h for Walley 2 it's works.

Won't when a race turning a point but once settled on in has surprised many of my racing friends.

We did not like the B model with enclose quarter birth. A plan is more open feeling. If you get a 38 A plan I will send you pictures oh how my wife handled the issue.

6 .5 kts is pretty good speed. 

Larry

Sent from my iPhone

[cab...@aol.com]

The CRs are cruising boats. Most cruisers use standard cruising routes, normally the winds are 15 to 25 kts and from behind. The boat will do 7.5 kts easy in these conditions. I try to stay just under 7 kts as I feel more comfortable at that speed. As for low wind speeds that do happen, you need a light air sail. I have an asymmetric now and am looking to go to a code zero as it is easier to handle. The asymmetric need better than 4 its of air to fill and do anything. You should take it down at about 12 kts of wind. I have left it up to 15 kts knowing the winds would die down within the hour. You need to hang on tight with that thing up at 15 kts.

Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE device

[Lauren Ellis]

Fellow Sailors,

Dang, you guys are on top of it, thank for the info!!  I might just use forums for everything in my life, this is great. I'm flying out tomorrow morning to go see this 34' beauty. I'll keep you guys posted how it go's.  Fingers crossed.

That all makes sense, the more I read what everyone writes, it seems the circumstance are the deciding factor between the 34 or the 38 and of course the price.  If i could just ask one more question not to overdo it:

When inspecting the CB what is the number one problem area on these vessel, or any issue area's to give an extra hard look at?  Of course I will hire a surveyor, but i really like to comb through the boat first.

Again, thank you guys. My home town is Seattle, if you make it here, beers on me!  Have a good weekend!

Lauren & Scottie

[Dave Newberg]

Hey Lauren & Scottie,

From where I'm looking, you didn’t get a response to your question about a "number one problem". That’s perhaps because there isn't one. To my knowledge there aren’t really any significant weak aspects of these boats. In the very earliest 34s, there was a metal composition problem in the chain plates which caused at least one failure. Leslie and Clay may know more about that than anyone else. There is always corrosion to worry about, especially of the hidden variety, but your survey should expose those. We had a deck leak that was quite hard to track down, turning out to be the bedding of the mast collar. Old rubber hoses are a concern, i.e. exhaust, scuppers, etc. Teak deck/cockpit-floor issues have cropped up.

But generally the vessels are remarkably sound and unless you are looking at a very neglected or abandoned boat, there’s nothing that jumps out in my mind.

Cheers

Dave

[Tania Puell]

Hey Lauren and Scottie,

Email me at tpu...@gmail.com.

I am considering selling my CB34.

Tania

[CR wannabe]

Jarrett & Shelly,

Kim and I are new to this group.  We have been doing investigative shopping for about a year.   Just in the last week my CR 38  research has rocketed it into the top 3 boats on our wish list.  We would be very interested in your knowledge about Morningstar and her current condition.  We are just a couple of hours from Rockport and I have a power boat in Aransas Pass so, she might be ideal for us if the owner needs to sell.  We have been considering the potential of a "smallish project" boat.   Would you be wiling to share your knowledge of Morningstar?  In the mean time, I will attempt to contact James.

Thanks to the Group!

[Percival W Herman]

I have a well maintained CR38 on Lake Michigan. It is not currently listed nor do I have any plans to list it. On the other hand, given the recent flurry of interest, I could be induced to make an “easy” sell as our situation is not the best fit for us right now. The boat is presently in warm storage for the winter but I will furnish serious inquiries with a recent survey and details. An interested party can email me at edo...@yahoo.com with your contact information.