Despite those small numbers, the sailing press received the 45 with unusual warmth. In March 1998, Sailing Magazine wrote that she is “one of those rare boats that can make you fall in love with sailing all over again.” Blue Water Sailing called her “an elegant bluewater cruiser that offers comfort, performance and style in a proven design”. Cruising World summed her up as a boat that will take you anywhere in safety and comfort.
Design and Construction
Crealock drew the 45 with lines clearly descended from the Cabo Rico 38, including a full keel with a cutaway forefoot and a gradual upward shearline. The forefoot treatment isn’t merely cosmetic: it enhances stability and tracking while retaining the reassuring manners of a traditional long-keel hull.
The keel’s bottom is quasi-bulbous and bears some resemblance to a Scheel keel applied to a full-keel form. The builder claimed that Crealock sought permission from Henry Scheel’s estate to develop his own version, which appears beneath the Cabo Rico 45.
The hull is solid fiberglass without a structural core, although some coring is added for insulation. The decks are cored. Cabo Rico described the ballast as internally cast, with the bulb formed into the original hull mold and shaped lead inserts glassed into place. Further ballast sits in the central keel cavity, secured with a resin-and-sand slurry and capped by a heavy fiberglass lay-up.
Cabo Rico’s semi-custom approach gave owners some scope for personalization. The interior woodwork is both beautiful and durable, adding warmth without the gloom found in lesser heavily wooded cabins.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Cabo Rico 45 is a heavy-displacement cutter with a 13-foot-4 beam and a displacement of 35,600 pounds. The full keel and cutaway forefoot provide steady tracking, while pitching and rolling are well damped. That damping comes from the boat’s displacement and keel form rather than an added system.
The boat can also carry a heavy cruising load with hardly any effect on performance. The trade-off is that her moderate to heavy displacement reduces speed and agility in light winds.
Most sail handling takes place from the cockpit. Electric primary winches aren’t required, but they make handling a larger headsail far less demanding. On one reviewed boat, a Schaefer in-boom furling system made an electric cabintop winch almost a necessity.
Accommodations
Below, the 45 has a spacious, elegant interior. Because Cabo Rico built the boat on a semi-custom basis, layouts can differ between sister ships.
One inspected aft-cockpit example had a centerline companionway, with the galley to port and a quarter berth and navigation station to starboard. The midship saloon was arranged around a folding centerline table. Farther forward were an island berth and two heads.
Above-average headroom and adequate ambient light keep the heavily wooded interior from feeling like a dungeon. The woodwork is striking, and on one boat inspected after twenty years, it remained in remarkable condition.
Machinery and Known Issues
The Yanmar engine is installed amidships beneath the saloon floor. This placement keeps its mass low and centered, improves weight distribution, and frees space for a larger quarter berth and aft lockers.
The trade-off is a long shaft run from the engine to the shaft exit. That arrangement requires a jackshaft and thrust bearing, which can introduce noise, vibration, and maintenance issues.
The decks are cored, and a teak overlay is what typically precedes any broad core breakdown. Spare parts and service are limited, particularly outside Costa Rica, because of the boat’s low production numbers and the builder’s bankruptcy.
The Cabo Rico 45 also carried a historically high price, both new and used, relative to comparable boats.
The Verdict
The Cabo Rico 45 is a rare, heavily built Crealock cutter that combines traditional full-keel seakeeping with a refined, semi-custom interior. Its midship-engine layout serves liveaboard cruising well by improving weight distribution and opening useful cabin and locker space.
She isn’t a light-air sprinter, and the long drivetrain demands respect. But for an offshore-minded buyer who values craftsmanship over volume, few production cruisers of this size feel as carefully considered.
Pros
- Full keel with cutaway forefoot enhances stability and tracking
- Midship engine improves weight distribution and cabin space
- Well-damped motion and performance that tolerates heavy cruising loads
- Durable, elegant woodwork with good light and headroom
- Strong press reception as a bluewater cruiser
Cons
- Long shaft run can introduce noise, vibration, and maintenance issues
- Limited spare parts and service, especially outside Costa Rica
- Heavy displacement slows the boat in light air
- High acquisition cost relative to similar boats
