Before Cabo Yachts There Was Pacific Seacraft
To follow Cabo Yachts history, there are two important names in the equation: Mike Howarth and Henry Mohrschladt. The two boaters met while working at Pacific Trawler and Islander Yachts in California sometime back in the 1970s and discovered that they had very compatible boat-building and business skills, Howarth the hands-on builder and Mohrschladt in boat design, marketing, and business acumen.
Their combined maritime passion blossomed into the two co-founding their boat manufacturing company, Pacific Seacraft. Fortune Magazine described the boat company as building one of the top 100 products in the world. Howarth and Mohrschladt gained respect with each sailboat they built, beginning with the Pacific Seacraft 25 until they sold the Pacific Seacraft brand in 1989.
From Sailboats to Sportfishers
But the two had a new mission in mind and that plan came to fruition a year later with the construction of the first Cabo. Cabo Yachts began in 1990 and earned a healthy reputation in the sportfishing world right from the start with the 35-foot Cabo Flybridge Convertible.
This success continued with other sturdy sportfishing boats ranging from 36 to 52 feet in a variety of convertible, flybridge, and express models.
A Brunswick Buyout, And Others
Cabo continued building high-quality, inboard, express-style fishing boats until Howarth and Mohrschladt sold their enterprise to the Brunswick Corporation based in Lake Forest, Illinois, and put Cabo in the hands of Hatteras Yachts’ parent company in 2006.
It was in 2010 that Cabo Yachts production, formerly in Adelanto, California, moved to New Bern, North Carolina where Brunswick consolidated operations for Hatteras Yachts and Cabo Yachts. New Bern has been the home-base for Hatteras since the first boat model was built in 1959 and the company continues to deliver yachts from 60 to 100 feet and sportfishing convertible yachts from 54 to 77 feet.
Eventually, the business equation changed again when Versa Capital Management, a private equity firm in Philadelphia, bought the Hatteras/Cabo sportfishing boat and yacht building companies in 2013.
Production of the Cabo line stopped in 2013 with the five final Cabo hulls designed by Michael Peters Yacht Design of Sarasota, Florida. But another renaissance came with the team of Howarth and his son, Barrett Howarth, who again worked with Michael Peters to create a new venture, Mag Bay boats, in 2014.
Previously owned Cabo Yachts continue to hold value and importance for the serious angler. A resurgence in 2019 saw the first new Cabo model manufactured in six years when the Cabo 41 hit the docks.
Popular Cabo Yachts Models
The Cabo Yachts 52 Express Yacht meets the needs of the sport fisherman who seeks optimum performance. The ride is comfortable with weight aft for a balanced ride. Navigation is smooth with high visibility available from the design of the station and the comfortable helm chair and companion seat. Staterooms, a fully equipped galley, and a spacious salon include a sound system and plenty of room for guests. Fishing features include tackle storage, a bait preparation center, insulated fish boxes, and a molded bait tank.
The first Cabo built in years left the Hatteras/Cabo Yachts factory in New Bern, North Carolina bound for its Miami Yacht Show debut in 2019. The Cabo 41 is equipped with twin 626hp Volvo D11 engines and lots of storage onboard. The design comes complete with mezzanine seating above the cockpit, an open helm deck, a queen stateroom, head, full galley, salon, and second berth option in the dining settee to sleep four on board. With a three-foot five-inch draft and capacity for 550 gallons of fuel and 95 gallons of water, this hearty boat meets the needs of the most serious fishermen or a family headed for a weekend excursion. Upgrades are available including power boosts with the Volvo 670hp or 725hp, or the Cummins QSM11 engine. Other custom options include the addition of the Seakeeper 6 stabilization system, custom towers, and outriggers built by Hatteras partner Carolina Custom Towers.