BoatsCabo Rico 56

Cabo Rico 56

Cutter · Long Keel · First built 2003

A heavy-displacement cutter designed by Chuck Paine, featuring a long keel and high comfort ratio for stable blue-water cruising

Designed by C. W. Paine.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Long Keel

See her sail

The Cabo Rico 56, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Hold Fast!

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a narrow beam gives 44 — a heavy, notably soft motion offshore.

Comfort ratio 44
CoastalBluewater

At 1.69 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.69
LightHeavy

298 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 298
EasygoingPowered-up

17.4 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 17.4
TenderStiff

37% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 37%

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

  • Heavier than ~88% of boats her size on file
  • Draws more than ~77% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~95% of boats her size on file

Compared with 93 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Cabo Rico 56, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Cabo RICO 56 is a 17.1-meter cutter-rigged long-keel sailboat designed by C. W. Paine and built by Cabo Rico Yachts from 2003 to the present. It has a 4.8-meter beam, a 2.0-meter draft, and displaces 23,269 kg. A center cockpit ketch-rigged version became available in 2017.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 34 times across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Cabo Rico 56 on video

S/V SeaSprite Refit Update 18-20 Sep 2026Sea SPRITE 30 toerail stripped and midship cleats planned for scarfing into the rail at Phipps Footworks.Hold Fast!S/V SeaSprite Refit Update 9 September 2026Two Epoch 300Ah batteries replace two Group 24 AGMs in the Sea Sprite 30 refit.Hold Fast!S/V SeaSprite Refit Update 8 September 2026Sea SPRITE 30 refit begins at Phipps Boatworks after shrink wrap removal and interior clearing.Hold Fast!S/V SeaSprite Refit Update - 4 Sep 2026The S/V SeaSprite has not moved from its current location in six years.Hold Fast!The Wreck of the Schooner Mary LouisaA ballad recounts the nor'easter wreck of schooner Mary Louisa on the Ocracoke breakers.Hold Fast!S/V SeaSprite Refit Update Late May 2026A Sea SPRITE 30 refit replaces DC breakers with digital switching and converts the icebox to a cold-plate refrigeration system.Hold Fast!Trawler Breaks Free of Mooring. Docks Itself Perfectly Across the River. A Grand Banks trawler breaks free at Sunset Bay Marina and drifts across the Indian River unassisted.Hold Fast!Fall Sailing on the Chesapeake BayThe crew maintains seven knots in flat water while sailing through the Chesapeake Bay.Hold Fast!We Owe You An ExplanationThe crew of the vessel Ketzel confirms communication protocols on VHF channel 27.Hold Fast!48 Hours in OmanThe video contains no substantive information regarding sailing or travel in Oman.Hold Fast!S/V SeaSprite Refit - Removing 40 Year Old Bronze Thru-Hulls & SeacocksThe crew replaces three 40-year-old bronze thru-hulls and degraded wood backing plates on the S/V SeaSprite.Hold Fast!S/V Quetzal - Sailing Offshore Cape Canaveral to the Chesapeake BayS/V Quetzal diverts to Wrightsville Beach to avoid adverse weather conditions while transiting to the Chesapeake Bay.Hold Fast!

What broke, what changed

Gear aboard, as the crews told it

Moments from individual boats of this model that the fleet has filmed — one crew, one piece of kit, one day on the water. Not a review of the class, and not a count of anything.

  • ReplacedProfurlin place of Harkon Unit 4

    The old furler was replaced with a new unit.

    aboard Hold Fast!seen December 202311:52

  • InstalledStarlink

    The speaker installed a Starlink system on the boat.

    aboard Hold Fast!seen December 202311:33

  • WorkingYanmar

    The crew turned on the Yanmar engine when the wind died down

    aboard Hold Fast!seen October 202316:28

Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Cabo Rico 56 may be fitted out entirely differently.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
36.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.4
Displacement / length
298.3
Comfort ratio
43.6
Capsize screening
1.69
Hull speed
8.7 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
2380
Hull
Hull type
Long Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 2003
Designer
C. W. Paine
Builder
Cabo Rico Yachts

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

TA Chaio Shipbuilding Co. (Taiwan) Ct-5416.46 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA Robert Perry-designed staysail ketch with a heavy-displacement long keel, originally intended as a Hans Christian 54
Rescuing a stranded boat!2:53from Sailing Doodles
TA Chaio Shipbuilding Co. (Taiwan) Ct-5616.92 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Robert Perry-designed masthead ketch with a long keel, built for heavy-displacement offshore comfort and stability
Insurance, Solar, and Catamarans: The Real Cost of Boat Ownershipfrom The Sailing Doodles Podcast
Formosa Yachts 5115.49 mSame hull family1.6 m shorterA William Garden-designed staysail ketch with a long keel that served as the foundation for multiple production yachts
A Huge Upgrade To Magic Carpet!15:32from Sailing Magic Carpet
Mason 6319.38 mSame hull family2.3 m longerA long-keeled staysail ketch designed by Alvin Mason for stable, comfortable blue-water passagemaking
Sailing in heavy weather & big waves 600 miles offshore (Pacific crossing pt. 4)19:16from Be The Captain
Paul E. Luke S&s 5015.24 mSame hull family1.8 m shorterA Sparkman & Stephens masthead ketch with a long keel, built by Paul E. Luke for heavy-weather stability and comfort
78' Custom Stow & Sons Classic Ketch (RONA), with Sue Grant - Yacht for Sale - Berthon Internationalfrom Berthon International
Hans Christian 4312.99 mSame hull family4.1 m shorterA 12.99-metre staysail ketch with a long keel and high comfort ratio, built from 1974 to 1992 for steady offshore work
This Bluewater Legend Might Be the Wrong Boat – Hans Christian 43Tfrom Lady K Sailing

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Cabo Rico 42 PilotA 2005 pilothouse evolution of the Paine-designed cutter, featuring a long keel and a high comfort ratio for stable offshoreCabo Rico 34A heavy-displacement cutter designed by W.I.B. Crealock, featuring a long keel for steady, comfortable blue-water cruisingCabo Rico 38 PHA pilothouse evolution of the Crealock hull, offering protected watch-keeping in a heavy-displacement cutterCabo Rico 40/42A stretched-stern evolution of the original CR 40, this long-keeled cutter offers a stable, heavy-displacement platformCabo Rico 38An aft-cockpit evolution of the Tiburon 36, offering a heavy-displacement cutter platform for stable blue-water sailing

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Cabo Rico 56, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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