Australia-based Riviera Yachts is known state­side for its line of convertibles, but the builder made a big splash at last year’s Fort Lauderdale Internation­al Boat Show with a two-stateroom, 36 foot express. Now, to appeal to those with bigger families—or more friends— Riviera has upped the ante with the three-stateroom 4700 SportYacht.

The 47-footer takes her kin’s concept of one-level living and expands it. The resulting flexibility of the saloon-helm area is outstanding: Aft, a glass and stainless steel door folds away, and the bulkhead’s expanse of glass flips up and latches firmly into place to the hardtop. Both the sunroof and side windows electrically open to complete the alfresco transformation, allowing those sitting at the saloon’s C-shape set­tee—or in the galley directly’ opposite it—to enjoy the breeze and communi­cate easily with guests in the cockpit. The saloon is also great for movie nights, courtesy of a standard 26-inch LCD TV and Bose Lifestyle stereo sys­tem. And if it gets too hot, just close up the saloon and turn on the standard 24,000-Btu Cruisair air conditioning.

Like the saloon, the cockpit is meant for entertaining. The teak dining table seats six comfortably; lower it via two gas-assisted Besenzoni pedestals and add cushions, and it becomes a two-person sunpad. A wet bar with refrigerator and ice maker are just to port and forward of the settee, while an optional extendable awning can shade the entire cockpit.

To free up space in the cockpit, the standard electric barbecue is transom- mounted and opens aft, so the chef stands on the port side of the swim plat­form when grilling. But because the forward few feet of the platform is fixed, guests can still access the centerline ten­der garage via an electrically activated hatch (where the standard ten-foot Zo­diac RIB is stowed) and use the swim platform, which lowers hydraulically. Standard power on the 4700 is twin 567-hp Caterpillar C7 ACERT diesel in­boards, with the option of twin 715-hp Cat Cl2s.

When introduc­ing the 57 Su­per Sport five years ago, the big news at Oc­ean Yachts was her innovative hull con­figuration. In the pursuit of better effi­ciency and course tracking and a gen­tler ride in rough seas, naval architect David Martin configured her running bottom with some innovative twists.

Most notable, she has just a single pair of longitudinal strakes (not the usual two pairs), and the strakes aren’t paral­lel to the center line. Instead the sharp­ly down-angled strakes are farther a­part at the bow than at the stern, a fea­ture Martin introduced in order to im­prove lift and to straighten the flow of water into the props. Combined with an exceptionally deep forefoot to soft­en the ride in heavy seas, the strakes help keep her dry while stabilizing the hull in slop and chop.

So successful was the hull form on the 57 that Ocean left it unchanged for the new 58 Super Sport. Post what has changed is a lot more than you might imagine possible with just an­other foot of length. For starters, her bridge clerk offers an unusual cen­ter-console-style helm station aft of a giant, wraparound settee that should seat at least eight big guys comforta­bly. And her cockpit has been en­larged and fitted with a mezzanine seat that offers guests a great up- close view of the fishing action or just a relaxing place to hang out at day’s end.

In the saloon the 58 offers a big, U­ shape settee to port; it’s a better use of space than the L-shape seating area on the 57. And in that same vein, the galley sink and cooktop are farther forward, giving the 58 lots more floor and countertop space than the 57 of­fered. Opposite, the dining area is al­so larger, offering a full U-shape set­tee and dinette.

Perhaps the most significant changes in the layout are on the low­er deck. While the 57 had three state­rooms and three heads, including a full-beam master, the berths in the second and third staterooms were situated athwart ships; that are not the preferred orientation, especially for guests trying to sleep when the yacht is rolling. With careful allocation of her extra foot of lengths, the 58 offers a much improved three-stateroom, three-head layout.

The full-beam ma­ster is virtually unchanged, but there’s now a fore-peak VIP with a center-line berth, while in the third stateroom there’s a pair of twin berths facing fore and aft. Lots of im­provements from just one more foot of length.

Heavy ground tackle makes for sound sleeping, but when it’s time to weigh anchor, it can be a pain unless you have a windlass to do the heavy lifting. Fortunately for our lower backs, there are windlasses sized to fit any boat and no reason not to have one aboard as an unpaid hand.

When properly installed, a windlass requires minimal maintenance.Here’s what you need to know.

First, rinse the windlass thoroughly after every voyage to wash off the salt, let it dry, and cover it. (Many anchor lockers are now equipped with the quick-connect-type freshwater connections for rinsing.) Use the windlass frequently to keep the innards lubricated; crank it over for a few turns at least every couple of weeks. If the windlass sits idle, the oil will drop off the internal gears, some of which are steel and prone to rust. Since the windlass is ex­posed to lots of salt spray, rain, and dampness from wet anchor rods, unpro­tected steel will soon be rusty steel. While you’re at it, manipulate any movable parts—clutches, brakes, chain stoppers, etc. “Use it or lose it” is applicable to windlasses, ton.

At the beginning of the season, disassemble, clean, and lubricate the windlass according to the directions in the manual. This doesn’t require major surgery, just basic field-snipping that anyone can do. Use the type of grease recommended by the manufacturer, being careful to keep friction clutches and brakes lobe-free. Repeat the process at lay-up or at no less than six-month in­tervals if you use your boat year-round.

Look around the fastenings for signs of leakage, which can lead to water intrusion into cored decks, an expensive and frustrating condition to repair. Check below decks as well, where water drips leave rust stains even on stainless steel fas­tenings. Misuse of the windlass, e.g., using it to absorb the strains of anchoring rather than transferring the rode to a mooring cleat (or nylon snubbed in the case of chain), can overstress the fastenings, break the bedding, and let water in. Don’t ignore leaks.

Inspect all electrical connections for problems. Connections should be clean, corrosion free (corrosion looks like the white deposits you often find on your car’s battery cables), and devoid of burned areas that can result from arcing. If nec­essary, remove the leads (shutoff the power first—there are a lot of amps here), clean the terminals and posts, and re­connect.

Coat the connec­tions with grease, and re-cov­er them with the boots. Look at the motor casing, too; it’s usually painted steel, and if the paint’s nicked, it’ll rust. Touch up the paint be­fore it gets worse.

Also, check the footswitch­es on the foredeck. The hinged caps should open and close easily and have a firm, tight fit for preventing accidental activations. Be­cause the rubber can be damaged by exposure to UV rays, the diaphragms on the switches should be doused with 303 Protectant or another UV shield. The switches can also be silicone-sealed around their edges. Finally, when you use the windlass, don’t make it do all the work. Motor toward the anchor so there’s minimal strain on the rode.

If the anchor doesn’t break out easily, belay the rode and pop it free with the engine, then use the windlass to lift it back aboard. Your windlass will last longer and be happier if you don’t overstress it.

Mika Orlando went from owning a CABO 31 to a CABO 40 to a CABO 52 Express in just three years. “CABOs have amazing fish- catching ability,” says Mika. “On our second time out during a tournament, we were still just dialing in our new CABO 52 Express and we caught and released a 300-lb. blue marlin!”

Top quality power.
Quality on the CABO 52 begins in the engine room. MAN V12-1550CRM, 1528 HPm, V¬12 common rail injection, turbocharged and after-cooled marine diesel engines nestle into the glistening white gelcoat finished engine spaces, with plumbing, wiring, shafting and control cables neatly run, secured and easily accessed. Power options range from 1500 HPm MTU V-10′s to 1675 HPm Caterpillar C32′s. “One thing’s that unique about the 52 is that even with all the power, I can run the boat by myself,” says Mika. “I can actually, physically, take it out of the dock by myself. There aren’t many boats that size that one person can run. I can do that because it’s very agile, it just turns on a dime. It’s just as maneuverable as my 40. It has very large propellers, 53-inch wheels. It’s just so maneuverable.”

Top quality safety and comfort.
One of the reasons I kept getting larger CABOs is because we’re doing more competitive fishing.
You have to go offshore in the Gulf and stay out for as many as three days, maybe 150 miles offshore. You needed large fuel capacity, efficient fuel economy and everything onboard. A lot of people don’t want to stay onboard for three or four days without coming in. And most importantly, it has to be a safe boat. The Gulf of Mexico may not get hundred-foot waves, but it gets different types of waves that can sink vessels a lot easier than swells. The CABO 52 is perfect.

The CABO 52 is, of course, very comfortable. Some people say there’s no cabin room on an express boat, but we fish with eight guys on overnight trips and we all make it work pretty well. With the two heads, large sleeping quarters and the gourmet galley, it’s very easy to have that many people on long overnight trips.

Introducing the CABO 38 Express:
CABO broke the rules and opted to build the 38 with all of the high tech laminating techniques used in their larger boats. The hull and deck on the 38 are constructed using the highest quality vinylester resins and closed cell polyurethane foam core, vacuum bagged for maximum strength and to minimize the performance robbing weight associated with standard lamination techniques used by other builders of boats in this size range. Look at the performance chart below The 38 has a cruising speed over 30 knots equipped with standard Caterpillar 710 HPm diesel engines and the top speed is expected to exceed 37 knots with optional MAN common rail 800 HPm engines. Actual speeds attained with each engine package will be posted on CABO’s website as soon as all sea trials are completed.

Why a 38 Foot Express?
CABO wanted to offer an intermediate size boat with the same ride and handling characteristics of a larger boat in a version that would provide greater range and performance for current owners of CABO product under 40 feet as well as owners of larger outboard powered boats who are looking for greater comfort off-shore but not willing to sacrifice performance.

The new CABO 38 fits the bill precisely, the 38 is laid out to fish. The forward cabin is arranged with three single berths for overnight at the Canyons while the salon can accommodate two additional anglers in the upper and lower berth formed by converting the settee. There is also the option of a more conventional island berth arrangement forward for those more inclined to family cruising. On deck, all of the features you would expect to find on an off-shore fishing machine are well laid out and accessible to the cockpit. Tackle and rod storage, sink and live well are all standard and other sport fishing options like freezer plates are available.

The CABO 35 Express is the boat many say established CABO‘s reputation for building the highest quality sport-fishing boats available. The new 38 Express is the boat that will guarantee they keep that reputation!