NEW BOATS SABRE 48 SALON EXPRESS SALISH SEA IS48 // ZEELANDER Z44TIARA 3600 CORONET // MANGUSTA 801,000s OF NEW & USED BOATS FOR SALE INSIDE seamagazine.com FEBRUARY 2012

TWO-TOOL FIXES FOR THE OFF-SEASON // 16 DON’T-LEAVE-PORT-WITHOUT-’EM TOOLS

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After a perfect pirouette, we finessedour way toward another dock to pickup other people who were coming alongbut were running late. As we waited,we engaged the Skyhook GPS-baseddynamic positioning system, whichcomes standard. Using the pods and theQSC8.3L 550 hp engines, the boatstayed perfectly still once the Skyhookwas enabled. Despite only a few feet ofmaneuvering room and wakes fromlarge boats pushing us, the Sabrestayed put. No stern or bow thrustersare needed to keep station like a pro.

Our test boat is the sixth hull of theSabre 48, which is an impressive rateof production given the design had beenintroduced only six months earlier. “Thisnew model is not really being affectedby the down economy,” said BentleyCollins, Sabre’s vice president of salesand marketing. “We’ve been buildingnon-stop since its introduction.”

The Sabre 48 is a mix of traditionalDown East styling and high-tech con-struction, and it is custom-built withshallow pod-drive tunnels — traditionalshaft drives are not an option. The mod-

ified deep-V hull has a 23-degree dead-rise amidships, which tapers back to 14degrees at the transom, and a moder-ate sheer. The construction is a solid-resin infusion with biaxial stringersbonded to a foam core to reduceweight. The result is a lighter, strongerboat that runs with smaller engines andhas better fuel economy.

ON BOARDBoarding is easy from an ample

swim step that is not counted in theoverall length of 47 feet, 6 inches.Initially, this boat was designed as a 46-footer, but it grew once it was measuredwith the bustle that extends the run-ning surface and increases buoyancy aft.The bustle is required due to theweight of the engines that are far aftin the hull, and the result is a boat thatis nearly 48 feet without the swim step.

A s I walked down the dock at the Ft. Lauderdale boat show, I wonderedhow we were going to get the Sabre 48 Salon Express out of its tightberth and into open water for our early morning test. Boat-show boatsare packed in like sardines, and for a moment I thought I’d be disap-

pointed by a canceled run. But then I remembered this was a Sabre, built specif-ically and solely with ZF Marine pod drives and joystick control, so getting awayfrom the dock was not only anxiety free, it was just the start of the fun.

SABRE 48 SALON EXPRESS

MAKES GETTING THERE MORE THAN HALF THE FUN

SEATRIALBY ZUZANA PROCHAZKA

SEAMAGAZINE.COM 29

The transom door leads into a spa-cious cockpit with an L-shaped setteeand a double seat across a table. Twolow steps on either side of the cockpitlead up to the deck level. The decks arewide and clear with oversized stainlesshandrails the entire length to the bow,and there are good-sized chocks andmid-ship cleats. Forward is a Quickwindlass and a double anchor roller,along with two large lockers for fend-ers and lines. An opening door to star-board allows the helmsman to quicklystep out and help with lines during dock-ing. It’s handy, if a bit tight, with lim-ited space between the small door andthe Stidd helm chair.

Aft, a stainless steel-and-glass doorleads from the cockpit to the salon. An

electrically operated window next to thedoor also joins the interior and exteri-or. It’s a part of designer Kevin Burns’concept of “a space within a space” wherethe cockpit, salon and helm become oneopen living area. The salon has an L-shaped settee and a folding high-lowpedestal table to starboard. An electricswitch slides the second amidships port-side settee to reveal steps down to an areathat can be configured in a variety of ways.Some owners use it as a third or grand-kids’ cabin complete with nicely finisheddrawer storage, a berth and a TV. Somepeople create crew quarters by addinga head, which has standup headroom dueto the raised crew seat across from thehelm up above. Other owners haveskipped the head and added a workbench,

using this area to store tools, toys or evena washer and dryer. A manual overrideas well as an escape hatch through thesalon sole are backup ways to exit thedownstairs cabin in case of a loss of poweror a malfunction.

Sabre encourages owners to spec-ify their choice of electronics withdealers when the boat is commis-sioned, and there is no factory standard.Our test boat dash includes dualGarmin 7215 multifunction displays.The rest of the instruments, includingthe joystick control, are easily withinreach, and even short people have a clearview from bow to stern.

Forward to port and five steps downis a straight-line galley, which removeskitchen clutter from the social space butstill has plenty of light, so the cook does-n’t feel buried in the hull. There is anelectric two-burner stove, a microwave/convection oven, standup refrigeration,solid counters, and loads of storage indrawers and lockers.

A shoji screen door leads directlyfrom the galley into the master state-room, with a large berth and more shoji-accented lockers. A beautifully finisheden suite head includes a glass sink, hand-cut tiles, an electric freshwater head anda spacious separate shower compart-ment. I did notice that the distancebetween the foot of the master bed andthe counter in the galley is maybe 4 feet,which might create unwanted distur-bances when guests decide to makethemselves coffee before the owners areup and about for the day.

The second cabin, also with a shojiscreen door, an island berth and a head,is in the bow. Dovetailed drawers,Ocean Air screens and blinds on win-dows and hatches, a fine cherry finishand excellent use of LED lighting cre-ate a luxe atmosphere throughout theentire cabin area.

UNDER WAYWe crept out of the show and into

the Lauderdale channels, heading outto open water where a 1-foot chop andan 8-knot breeze welcomed us to calmconditions. The boat was whisper quietonce the aft door was closed and thewater noise eliminated.

The vectored thrust of pod drives

ABOVE The main deck, including the cockpit when the aft door and window are open, is one open livingarea — a space within a space. Belowdecks is a galley and two staterooms.

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30 SEA MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2012

is more efficient, andhigher speeds can bereached with less horse-power and, therefore, lessfuel. The engines on the48 are close-coupled withthe drive units, so they arewell aft, below the cock-pit sole, which led tosome concerns about thecenter of gravity and run-ning trim angles. Thebuilder must have doneit right, because the overall runningangle of the 48 is just 4 degrees up fromstatic attitude. Burns paid special atten-tion to the sight lines, and visibility fromthe helm in all directions is excellentat low speeds and on plane. The boatpopped up on plane within a few sec-onds at 14 or 15 knots, which was theonly time visibility forward was momen-tarily obscured.

The Sabre 48 cruises at 25-27

knots at 2400-2500 rpm where,depending on payload, it will burn 36-40 gph. Wide-open throttle will gen-erate almost 34 knots, at which pointfuel burn jumps to approximately 60gph. This information is based on the550 hp engines. Although an upgradeto 650 hp Cummins is an option,Collins noted that the difference is onlyabout 1 knot at the top end, so it’s unlike-ly many owners will be choosing thatroute. At 5 knots, the cruising range isaround 1,800 nautical miles, and atcruising speed, you should be able totravel in excess of 350 miles before need-ing to fill up.

Once out in open water, our testboat took tight turns at high speeds andsliced through the waves with barely ashiver. We looked for ways to challengethe hull, and soon a couple of 80-footsportfishers with high wakes obliged andprovided us a perfect test environmenton an otherwise flat ocean. I braced

myself, but once we reached the wake,the result was anticlimactic as the boatcut through the disturbed water as ifon a rail.

From a dead stop, it brought all ofits roughly 35,000 pounds of dryweight up to speed in a blink, and likea jockey on a thoroughbred racing horse,the weight of the dozen people aboardwas nothing more than a rounding error.The power this boat exudes combinedwith the smooth ride made me wish wecould stay out and avoid going back tothe show at all.

Sabre is a Maine boat builder thathas been turning out sailboats since the1970s and added fast trawlers in 1989.Today, it still builds offshore sailboatsas well as modified-V, planing-hull lux-ury powerboats. Forty years of boatbuilding is evident in the excellent woodcraftsmanship and traditional styling.But Sabre has kept its finger on the pulseof technology, too — not just in the buildprocess but also in how the boats areused. That’s why Sabre now offers itsproprietary LaunchPad with every newboat. This iPad 2-based information sys-tem holds the equipment manuals forengines, pods, gensets, water pumps,battery chargers and more. In addition,preloaded apps help new owners findmarinas, services, and tide and weath-er information. The iPad can also beused to report service issues by send-ing a written description of the prob-lem along with an image or video backto the factory or dealer. All communi-cations and service records are main-tained via this platform, so the nextowner has a comprehensive history ofeverything that has been done to keepthe boat in good condition.

The base price of the Sabre 48 Salon

Express is $950,000, and our test boatis closer to $1.2 million. It is a well-built,posh coastal cruiser that is good for cou-ples who may sometimes have thegrandkids along or a professional skip-per. This is a comfortable all-weatherboat that will do equally well in the coolPacific Northwest as the heat of Mexico.And with all its cruising power andrange, it should easily be able to visitall points in between.

SPEC BOXLOA 47 ft., 6 in. BEAM 15 ft., 4 in.DRAFT 3 ft., 9 in. DISPLACEMENT 34,700 lbs.FUEL 525 gals. WATER 160 gals.ENGINE Twin Cummins QSC8.3L, 550 hpBASE PRICE $950,000

CONSTRUCTIONDry-stack resin infusion is a process whereby mate-rials are loaded dry into the mold and then infusedwith resin. This process is cleaner and greener anduses less resin to make the boat lighter, fasterand more fuel efficient.

STANDARD EQUIPMENTTwin Cummins QSC8.3L 550 hp engines w/CMDZeus pod drives, integrated steering and trim tabs,CMD helm w/joystick, Onan 11 kw genset, 3 AGMdeep-cycle house batteries, 2 AGM Group 31engine-start batteries, one Group 24 genset-startbattery, Skyhook GPS dynamic positioning sys-tem, 44-pound plow anchor and dual anchorroller, Quick electric anchor windlass, 20-gallonhot-water heater, Isotherm standup refrigera-tor/freezer and more.

OPTIONAL EQUIPMENTFuel-polishing and oil-change systems, 650 hpengines, custom hull and deck colors, crew quar-ters w/additional head, Freedom dinghy lift,Ultraleather upholstery, Seagull water purifier,washer and dryer, central vacuum system and more.

BUILDERSABRE YACHTS, South Casco, Maine; (208) 655-3831; sabreyachts.com.

WEST COAST DEALERSJK3 YACHT SALES, San Diego; (619) 224-6200;jk3yachts.com. JK3 YACHT SALES, Newport Beach, Calif.; (949)675-8053; jk3yachts.comBELLINGHAM YACHT SALES, Bellingham, Wash.;(360) 671-0990; bellinghamyachts.com

TESTER’S OPINION:This is a comfortable all-weather boat that willdo equally well in the cool Pacific Northwest asthe heat of Mexico. And with all its cruisingpower and range, it should easily be able to visitall points in between.

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