Are Cape Horn Boats Good & Reliable Enough To Own?

Cape Horn is a boat company that sells fishing boats.

They offer a total of 4 labels which further has a lot of models that you can choose from. From pouring fiberglass to rigging the engines, they’ve steadily improved their models.

But can you rely on these boats to give you a great fishing experience?

How Good Cape Horn Boats Are?

Cape Horn’s team of experts and engineers have expended the last thirty-five years building boats. They have purified and improved their fishing boats from creating the in-house designs to the final inspection.

They are famous for their tremendous attention to detail and expert craftsmanship. Their professionalism goes into every step to make sure that your boats are the strongest.

Each Cape Horn boat is handcrafted or molded one at a time, making each one unique. To offer your boat unrivaled strength, they utilize many layers of fiberglass and resin.

How Reliable Are Cape Horn Boats?

If you looking at this article, you may have seen an advertisement in which Cape Horn claims that their boats are unsinkable.

For example, the Whaler boat truly proves that it is an unsinkable boat. Although there are some reviews in forums in which customers claim that their boats are built cheaply, they have not faced sinking with their Cape Horn boats.

The outlooks of the boats are great. Cape Horn boats provide you with a good bunk trailer and nice shape with appealing lines. They provide you with a 10-year hull warranty and a lifetime transom warranty at an affordable price.

How Durable Are Cape Horn Boats?

Cape Horn’s simplistic design will provide you with reliability and strength. They strictly follow a 16 step process.

They use several layers of fiberglass and resin to give your boat the unparalleled strength needed to explore the offshore with faith. The internal hull is pressure-filled with closed-cell urethane foam. The two-step foam process charges pockets to capacity for an even, unsinkable, and soft ride.

Stringers and flooring give the hull extra form. The cross-section of 27xs bottom provides rigid composite construction which they claim to be bulletproof. Supplementary glass and resin are added to make sure that nothing is failed to observe.

Cape Horn boat is hand-built or sculpted one at a time which makes the boats unique. Every square inch of the interior is hand-sanded in preparation for the topcoat of exterior grade gel coat. When the gel coat cures, the boat is ready to be set apart from the mold and joined to the top assembly.

Confirming the hull and flooring are sealed perfectly each time, time is an important part of the process. The two halves are joined together. Rod holders are carefully placed everywhere where they are needed.

All of the Cape Horn comes with a solid 316 stainless steel nose guard.

What About Older Cape Horn Boats?

Cape Horn was introduced by Fabbro Marine Group, Inc. based in Florida by Chris Fabbro and Bob Fabbro. 30 Years ago, they recognized the need for a unique and high-quality boat that could meet the needs of hardcore fishermen.

Cape Horn 16 Classic was the first-ever boat built by the company. As more and more models were launched, the company expanded.

They have gradually upgraded their models by laying fiberglass to rigging the engines.

You can find older Cape Horn boats for sale in GalatiYachts.

Do They Still Make Parts For Older Models?

Since the company is more than 30 years old, you might be wondering if they still provided parts for older models. Well, yes, they do. But they can sometimes be difficult to get by.

You don’t have to look for vendors now. There are several listings on eBay that you can look at. You can get boat covers, sea anchors, etc. on the site.

The Boat Outfitters also provide replacement boat parts for Cape Horn fishing boats. You can visit them at BoutOutfitters if needed.

What Are Typical Problems With Cape Horn Boats?

There have been a few complaints about the Cape Horn boats. The main complaint would be the boat being a wet riding boat. The composite hull may come with a bad fit and finish.

People have suggested wearing a wetsuit when they used the older models of the Cape Horn boats. Also, the deck surface seemed to be akin to wet tile.

The wetness and slippery problems seemed to be fixed by their newer model, for example, a 115 4 Stroke Cape Horn 17’.

The T-top might break if it shakes too often. The older models need a replacement for T-tops.

The hull of the older boats might be very soling and strong. As a result, it can transfer all of the energy from the waves straight through the hull into your body.

How Long Do Cape Horn Boats Last Compare To Similar Brands?

The Cape Horn boats do last very long. But since the company provides you with affordable boats at a cheap price, you cannot expect the boat to last more than 20 years.

The company gives you a 10-year guarantee. So, you can be sure to sail and fish for 10 years straight.

Their survey on target says that they have unsinkable construction. They provide an aluminum trailer, disc brakes, and mag wheels for rigidity. So, compared to similar brands, they are one of the tops if you look at the durability.

Do Cape Horn Boats Hold Their Value?

Cape Horn boats are cheap but built professionally to last longer and give you more than what you paid for.

The 2017 Cape Horn 32XS can be bought from your local dealer for $250,000. If you buy a used boat from the sale, you can get it for about $222,000 which is a great deal.

The 2008 Cape Horn 36 Offshore model is available in the market for $184,000. If you are looking for a bigger and better one, you can get the 2019 Cape Horn 36 XS for 349,000.

By looking at the price and comparing it to their rivals, the Cape Horn boats do hold their value.

Are Cape Horn Boats Still Being Made?

Cape Horn boats are still being manufactured and sold. They offer 4 labels of boats.

The offshore boats they currently sell are 220S and 240S.  The 220S is called the biggest small boat and the 240S is known as the perfect offshore companion. Both offer useful storage, an incredible ride, and soft entry, unsinkable and dry ride.

You can get yourself a Cape Bay model. 23 Cape Bay is rugged, refined, and offshore ready. The boat gives you enhanced performance and stability along with stealth mode.

There are 3 types of Tournament models. The 31T, 32T, and 34T are currently available through their dealers. The boats are tournament tested with a deeper cockpit and more storage.

The Extra Seating or Storage Boats are available in 5 models. These are 24XS, 27XS, 32XS, 34XS and 36XS.

You can look at all of their current models at this link.

Final Thoughts

Cape Horn has been in the market for 35 years. They have improved their quality and performance by looking at their customer reviews.

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