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| The 52 is the largest production express on the market. |
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MEGASPRESS
Cabo 52 Express: The biggest production express in the ocean.
If you want the quick cockpit accessibility that comes with owning an express-style fishboat, but you also want a battle-wagon sized boat that can head for the canyons when rough weather has most of the fleet sitting at the dock, your choice is easy: Cabo’s 52 Express. This is the largest production express boat around, stretching the tape to a whopping 54’11”.
When you’re up on the flybridge of a convertible, you can’t easily dart from the wheel to the rods. You can’t go back to the helml in a hurry, and you can’t play the dual roles of captain and angler at the same time. That’s why expresses are so tempting for owner-anglers who like to fish it big, but don’t like to hire captains to do their work for them. And this boat does a magnificent job of keeping you in the action. The centered helm is elevated enough that you never lose visibility coming onto plane (a common complaint about expresses) yet you’re mere steps from the cockpit. So go ahead—flip on the autopilot and race for that bent rod. You can do it all, on this platform.
Once you hit that cockpit, you’ll be one happy fishermen. When I tested the Cabo I was delighted to find the goodies you find only in high-end fishboats, which will make you more effective at capturing big game. Coaming bolsters line the gunwales, which are peppered with four flush-mount holders plus one in the transom. Cockpit modules include, a rigging station and a bait freezer, of course, and the circular 50-gallon transom livewell is big enough to hold a week’s supply of livies. As usual with Cabos, the integrated in-deck fishboxes provide an example of the ideal set-up: there’s a pair of them and they’re insulated, gas-assist strut equipped, gasketed, and macerated. The only way to make them better would be to add a direct ice feed, or freezer plates. Wait a sec—Cabo offers both options, and they can even put in a sender that automatically tells the ice maker when the box is full, shuts off the flow of chipped ice.
Before you can fill those fishboxes you’ll have to get to the fishing grounds, and this will happen surprisingly fast for such a beastly boat: cruising speed at 2100 RPM is 41.9-mph. Bump it up to full tilt and you’ll head north of 46-mph. Fast enough? Yup—and then some. There’s one drawback, though, and that’s efficiency. At that cruising speed you’ll be chugging down 132 gallons of fuel per hour. At today’s diesel prices, that’s not exactly chicken feed. MPG is a lowly 0.3, so Saudi princes will be cheering each and every time you leave the dock.
Other down-sides? My test boat had a hatch that whacked a speaker grill when I opened it, and the rocket launchers were positioned perfectly for banging your forehead. (Yes, I saw stars.) Fortunately, both problems are easy to fix. Other high points? You bet: there’s an unusually lengthy standard equipment list, interior detailing is excellent, and as is the case with every Cabo I’ve tested, the wiring is tops in the industry.
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