Cabo Rico 38 - Already setup to sail around the world - Blue water cruising in a timeless design

During a test sail of the Cabo Rico 38 we found the boat to be well mannered, with few vices. With a bit of wind, she moves nicely. Again, she wasn’t designed to drift around buoys but to strut her stuff in offshore conditions. The moderately heavy displacement makes the 38 feel secure in the water; it doesn’t jump around like lighter-displacement boats. And the full keel gives it good directional stability; that is, it enables the boat to steer a straight line without a lot of attention to the helm.

The hull and deck of the 38 are, of course, fiberglass, and both are cored with end-grain balsa wood. (The larger Cabo Ricos are cored with Airex and/or Corecell.) Interestingly, the hull core is not cantered between the two skins, but added inside to what is basically a solid fiberglass hull, then covered with a thin interior skin. Fraser Smith said the balsa is not needed structurally, but is added for insulation purposes. The company publishes its lamination schedule, which we think ought to be standard practice for all builders, but rarely is.

This particular Cabo Rico 38 as she is today in 2024 is a stunning example that's survived the test of time, ready to sail the world again.

Hull Type: Long Keel
Rigging Type: Cutter
LOA: 38.00 ft / 11.58 m
LWL: 29.25 ft / 8.92 m
S.A. (reported): 969.00 ft² / 90.02 m²
Beam: 11.50 ft / 3.51 m
Displacement: 21,000.00 lb / 9,525 kg
Ballast: 7,800.00 lb / 3,538 kg
Max Draft: 5.00 ft / 1.52 m
Construction: FG
First Built: 1977
Built: 200
Builder: Cabo Rico Custom Yachts, Inc. (CR)
Designer: W.I.B. Crealock/Dennis Garrett