Design and Construction
The hull is a solid fiberglass shell, hand laid with mat and roving. Its relatively thick laminate exceeded construction standards when the boat was introduced. Above the waterline, balsa core inside the hull provides thermal and sound insulation rather than structural strength. U-channel fiberglass beams, floors, and stringers stiffen the hull.
The deck also has an end-grain balsa core. In areas where hardware is mounted, the core was removed and stainless plates were set into the laminate, allowing one person to bolt fittings in place from above. The deck and hull meet at a raised bulwark. The joint is bedded with 3M 5200, through-bolted on six-inch centers, and capped with a teak rail.
Early boats carried iron ballast in the molded keel cavity. For the final 60 or so hulls, the builder switched to lead. The ballast consists of seven separate castings glassed over inside the keel.
The deck and much of the interior woodwork are solid plantation teak from Costa Rica’s highlands, with no veneer used below. Bronze seacocks on every through-hull, the substantial hull-to-deck flange, and a fiberglass engine bed that resists deterioration all reflect a boat built for distance rather than the showroom.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The cutter rig has a keel-stepped 50-foot mast and a self-tending club staysail. Genoa winches are oversized, and some boats were fitted with self-tending jib booms.
A cutaway forefoot reduces wetted surface and improves handling while retaining the traditional full keel and attached, keel-hung rudder. The long keel provides good directional stability and helps the boat hold her course, though it limits pointing ability compared with fin-keel rivals.
Practical Sailor’s test sailors found the Cabo Rico 38 well mannered, with few vices. Its 20,000-pound displacement and 7,800 pounds of ballast help keep the hull upright in punchy seas and strong winds. Owners report that the rudder doesn’t stall into uncontrolled round-ups, while the cutter rig makes shortening sail straightforward. Most agree that the boat is average to sluggish in light air but fast once the wind builds.
Accommodations and Storage
Cabo Rico offered two saloon arrangements, Plan A and Plan B, along with minor V-berth variations. Later, the Offshore model omitted the aft berth in favor of a massive storage bay under the starboard cockpit seat, where cruisers could install watermakers and gensets.
Headroom is at least six feet two and a half inches, and berths are generally six feet six inches long. The airy U-shaped galley includes a stove, oven, sink, refrigerator, and icebox. Cedar-lined hanging lockers and a navigation station support extended cruising, while the cozy, dry cockpit seats four.
Toward the end of the production run, buyers could customize the interior. One late layout extended the aft double berth behind the companionway after the engine was moved forward beneath the galley.
Known Issues
The teak decks are attractive, but they can leak. Long-standing water infiltration may lead to deck delamination, and owners have also reported leaks around the scuppers. On earlier boats, the cockpit sole contains a plywood layer that can rot if water gets in.
Pre-1990 hulls were built with polyester resin, and owners of those boats have complained of hull blisters. Later hulls gained vinylester resin in the first four layers to prevent osmotic blistering.
Cabo Rico also received poor-quality stainless steel during the late 1980s and early 1990s. This material weakened rudder posts, bow railings, and chainplates.
Engine access was poor on early boats because they lacked side access panels. Later models improved access by adding a panel.
Refits and Ownership
Many boats have had their original Perkins 4:108 replaced with a Yanmar or another diesel. On late boats, moving the engine forward under the galley made servicing easier.
Because the Cabo Rico 38 was semi-custom, interiors vary. Wood species include teak, mahogany, maple, ash, and cherry, so buyers should assess the condition of each boat’s joinery individually.
The monocoque interior uses plywood tabbed directly to the hull rather than a molded pan, avoiding pan-related failures. However, the bulkhead tabbing deserves close inspection: one owner reported insecure tabs in 1980.
The Verdict
The Cabo Rico 38 is a handsome, heavily built passagemaker with genuine go-anywhere character, strong seakeeping, and a customizable cruising interior. It rewards an owner who is willing to stay ahead of teak-deck leaks and corrosion in period stainless steel.
Pros
- Full-keel cutter with excellent directional stability and a rudder that resists stalling
- Insulated, balsa-cored hull above the waterline and a balsa-cored deck, with a solid, thick fiberglass hull shell
- Semi-custom interior with practical offshore storage and livable headroom
Cons
- Teak decks and scuppers can leak, potentially leading to deck delamination
- Pre-1990 hulls are subject to blistering, and some stainless steel from the period is suspect
- Early engine access is hampered by the lack of side access panels
