Sabre Blog

Welcome, Joby

Joby NewmanSabre Yachts is proud to welcome Joby Newman to our growing Customer Service Team. Joby joins our veteran representatives, Glen Chaplin and Tucker Thompson, and will play a key role in our ongoing effort to provide the highest quality customer service to our ever-expanding family of Sabre owners.

Joby is a graduate of The Landing School, in Kennebunkport, Maine, and earned his stripes as a Marine Electrician, Service Technician, and Team Lead at Zodiac Mil Pro, in Stevensville, Maryland, then at Washington Marina, in Washington, D.C. In 2015 Joby accepted an overseas position with the Department of State, and for the last several years he served as a Logistician and Project Manager with the Engineering Security Office in Vienna, Austria. Over his career, Joby has developed superior technical skills, a diverse collection of tradecrafts, and a passion for imparting knowledge and ensuring the success of his team. Joby joined our team upon his recent return to Maine and is excited to dive back into the world of boating and boatbuilding where his passion lies.

Please join us in welcoming Joby to the Sabre Yachts Family!

Sabre 58 Update – Galley Design, Hull, and Pilothouse

Hi All,

The new Sabre 58 Salon Express has a new galley design! The new layout will optimize storage space and make room for that all-important dishwasher. Take a look at the renderings below for an updated view, then keep scrolling for more production updates! 

Sabre 58 Salon Express has a new galley design Sabre 58 Salon Express has a new galley design Sabre 58 Salon Express has a new galley design

It won’t be long before those beautiful renderings become a reality! In production news, our team has been busy fitting the pilothouse to the deck, installing the fully-opening rear doors, and putting teak decking down in the cockpit.

Sabre 58 Salon Express pilothouse

A meeting of the minds – Production and Engineering leaders monitoring their newest creation.

Sabre 58 Salon Express pilothouse Sabre 58 Salon Express pilothouse

Finally, our carpentry, mechanical, and electrical production teams are making progress on the first Sabre 58 hull. It won’t be long before she’s ready for decking!

Sabre 58 Salon ExpressSabre 58 Salon ExpressBONUS – check out the size difference between the Sabre 58 (right) and her not-so-little sister the Sabre 48 (left).

Sabre 58 Salon Express

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to sign up for our Sabre 58 Email List to receive early access to content, updates, and more! 

Have questions? Feel free to Contact Us or Request an Appointment! And as always, let us know what you think in the comments!

Sabre 58 – All Decked Out

We have a deck! The first Sabre 58 Salon Express deck has been removed from the mold at our Rockland facility. The part will undergo further production before shipping to Raymond to join with the hull.

Check out the preliminary specs and sign up for the exclusive email list on the Sabre 58 page!

Sabre 38 Sneak Peek

We got some new shots of the fabulous and sporty Sabre 38 Salon Express – The full set will go up on the main site in a few days, but we’re too excited not to share a few sneak peeks!

Sabre 38 Sneak Peek

Sabre 38 Salon Express

Sabre 38 Sneak Peek

Sabre 38 Head

Sabre 38 Sneak Peek

Sabre 38 Lounge

Sabre 38 Sneak Peek

Sabre 38 Salon

Sabre 38 Cockpit

Sabre 58 Galley Design

Sabre 58 Galley Design

Galley location in each new model has been a focal point of Sabre Design Team meetings throughout our nearly 50-year history. The aft-galley in the new Sabre 58 Salon Express is at the heart of the social space, mirroring the feel and flow of modern home design. 

After consulting with our clients, many of whom are experienced cruising couples on their second or third Sabre, we shook up the layout in the Sabre 58. Customers are asking for the same welcoming social environment they feel in their home kitchens. They want a galley that acts as a center of activity, whether they are entertaining company, or enjoying a peaceful evening together.

 The Sabre 58’s galley-aft layout effortlessly joins the exterior cockpit space with the elegance and comfort of the main salon, emphasized by the fully opening main door. It creates a more symmetrical main salon, wherein opposed seating encourages conversation and comfortably facilitates a formal meal. On the lower deck, it allowed us to create, as standard, three staterooms, each with their own en-suite head compartment.

The layout in the new Sabre 58 isn’t what folks are used to seeing in our boats. Some may consider it bold: we consider it keeping up with the modern owner.

Edited 5/17/19 to reflect updated galley design.

 

Sabre 58 Galley Design

NEW Sabre 58 Renderings

Hi All,

The Sabre Design Team has released new renderings of the jaw-dropping salon in the new Sabre 58 Salon Express! Check out the images below, and be sure to sign up for the Sabre 58 Email List to receive early access to all our design and production updates.

Edited 5/17/19  to reflect updated galley design

NEW Sabre 58 Renderings NEW Sabre 58 Renderings NEW Sabre 58 Renderings

2018 Top Products by Boating Industry

Sabre 45 Salon Express named a 2018 Top Product

The fifth-annual Boating Industry Top Products list features 50 of the newest products in boating including everything from engines and electronics, to gadgets and apps, as well as boats, tenders, and even wake-surf boards. According to Boating Industry, winners were chosen for their innovation and their impact on the industry.

Sabre Yachts is thrilled to be included among the many notable winners. None of our considerable success would be possible without the unfailing excellence of Sabre’s production team, who tirelessly raise the bar on what it means to be “Crafted in the Maine Tradition.”

You can see the 45 Salon Express for yourself by scheduling a Sea Trial or catching us at our many Shows & Events!

Why Swimming in Your Marina is a Bad Idea

Imagine: it’s a beautiful hot, sunny afternoon. You’re at your favorite marina getting your boat provisioned and equipped for a fun-filled weekend with your family. The sun’s shimmering on the water enticing you to dive in for a refreshing swim.

Don’t do it.

In the water of even the most pristine marina, there could lurk a silent and invisible killer – stray AC electrical current. Boats plugged into a shore power service at any given marina may have an electrical “leak” that could prove lethal.

It can happen more easily than you think, here’s how:

Electricity flows along the path of least resistance to complete a roundtrip loop called a circuit. Every time a boat is connected to shore power an electrical circuit is formed, flowing from shore to vessel and back again. Similar to hydraulics, this current puts “pressure” (called voltage) on the boat’s AC electrical devices and appliances. Any number of scenarios can cause a leak where some portion of this electricity may escape from its intended circuitry.

At best, the device’s safety ground (typically a green wire) will carry the leaking electricity back to the source and safely complete the circuit. However, because the AC ground circuitry is also connected to the boat’s bonding/grounding system (including underwater hardware), sometimes the path of lesser resistance is through the water.

When electricity is leaking through the water and flowing towards shore, a swimmer may become a better conductor than the water itself. This is especially true in fresh or brackish waters where the human body is inherently a better electrolyte solution, and therefore a better conductor than the surrounding water.

As little as 50 to 100 milliamps of electricity conducted through the heart can be deadly.

There are no visible signs to indicate stray electrical current, and therefore no way to know when one may be present. So, don’t take the risk; don’t swim in or near marinas.

 

 

– Glenn Campbell, Head of Engineering, Sabre Yachts

Sabre 45 Shakedown Cruise – Numbers Two and Three

Q.E.D’s owners put the new Sabre 45 Salon Express to the test with their second and third “shakedown” cruises. First, a 27 day trip to the Bahamas followed by a week in the Florida Keys. And the verdict? “The Sabre 45 did everything we asked her to.” 

When last we wrote, we had just returned from our initial shakedown cruise on hull number 1 of the Sabre 45 Salon Express.  While that was very successful, the boat was designed for a lot more than a nine-day cruise along the Florida coast.  So to make sure we put her to the test,  we traveled with our yacht club to the Bahamas for an extended cruise.

Seven islands, eight ports, and 27 days later, we can report that Q.E.D. did everything she was designed to do.

While we have cruised the Northern Bahamas on several occasions on our Sabre 38, those trips were two weeks or less in length.  This time, we had to provision differently given our itinerary. The storage capacity on board was unbelievable.  With the space in the pantry, below the main cabin, and in the utility room coupled with the two refrigerators and two freezers, we were able to stow enough provisions to probably last four months and enough drinking water to last at least two. With a decent weather window, we left Stuart Florida en route to West End.  It was a reasonable crossing, although we are still waiting for the “smooth” water that we hear some have had for their crossing.  Once we arrived, the rain started in earnest and continued for most of our two-day stay.  The entire time we were out, the weather was hot even for this time of year.   Even when we had to spend time inside the boat, the salon express design meant we never felt confined.

We left Old Bahama Bay en route to Green Turtle.  The seas outside of West End were high and confused until we entered the bank South of Memory Rock.    These were the roughest seas we had experienced in the boat so far.  The rest of the trip to Bluff House was uneventful.  After three days there, we traveled to Hopetown where we stayed six days spending time at Tahiti Beach, Pete’s Pub, Man O’War cay, and explored the area. 

We then traveled to Harbour Island via the Devil’s Backbone.  This is a cut North of Eleuthera which has a reputation of being extremely difficult to navigate.  We hired a pilot to bring the group through but decided that we could have been just as safe following the details on our Volvo/Garmin glass cockpit.  In fact, we decided to do it ourselves when we left.

The marina assigned us a slip which was parallel to the coastline.  All day long and for part of the night, there were boats on plane just off the marina.  Other boats that were in slips like ours, rocked heavily all the time.  We turned on our Seakeeper and Q.E.D. just settled in.

The pink beach at Harbour Island is terrific and we spent a good deal of time on it over the next six days.  As in most of the Bahamas, there are very nice resorts close to really poor neighborhoods.

The next passage, to Highbourne Cay in the Exumas, was probably the most difficult due to the route across areas which had scattered coral heads.  When we arrived, we fueled and again found out that we had used less fuel than any of the other boats, including the smaller boats.

This is a wonderful island, well worth the trip:  great service, protected marina and absolutely gorgeous grounds and hiking trails.

Next we traveled to Staniel Cay.  This is one we would miss next time as the marina is falling apart and exposed to lots of wash and the boats are all side tied to a long dock.  Again, the Seakeeper kept us safe while other boats were rocking so badly that they had damage.

We did get to feed the swimming pigs, iguanas, swam with nurse sharks and snorkeled Thunderball grotto.

From Staniel we went to Nassau for one night dockage and to fuel.  Nassau is also a stop we could miss. We then on to Chub Cay the next morning.  This has been completely rebuilt with outstanding floating docks, reliable power, and really nice facilities with an infinity pool overlooking the beach.

Our last stop was Lucaya on Grand Bahama.  One night there and then home.

We traveled more than 700 miles, used 948 gallons of fuel including running the generator when underway, and had no real boat issues.  We cruised in the mid-to-upper 20 knot range the entire trip.  The Volvo IPS 600’s performed flawlessly; the Volvo/Garmin Glass Cockpit provided us with great navigation and engine management tools, and the Sabre 45 did everything we asked her to.  In fact, we came back with enough food and water (and even other beverages) to go back out for another month or more.  The Sureshade proved to be a real asset in helping to protect us from too much sun and the window blinds not only gave us privacy but also kept the boat cooler.  Even with significantly hotter weather than normal, the air conditioning kept us comfortable the entire trip.  We had enough water pressure to use both showers at the same time and plenty of water aboard. 

Update cruise three: 

The cruise was so much fun and we had so much food left, that we left on cruise number three, a week in the Florida Keys.  Loads of fun and again the boat was terrific.  Eight for cocktails in the salon proved to be no problem at all although a dent was made in the contents of the wine cooler.  And the salon table worked fine for six for a formal dinner.  We now have almost 100 hours on the engines!

When we started this process three years ago, we never thought that the boat could meet the objectives so completely.  Thanks again to all at Sabre and Volvo for providing us with this traditional example of modern technology and craftsmanship at its best.

Shelly and Naomi

Keep Reading: Sabre 45 named 2018 Top Product by Boating Industry

Lobstering – A New Look at a Downeast Tradition

Our heritage as a Maine boat builder is not just an integral part of Sabre’s identity, but a defining element of the entire Maine boat building community. This community, born in 1607 on the banks of the Kennebec River, has forged a culture and a livelihood in spite of the inhospitable climate and geography. Challenges that have not altered in the intervening 410 years. Sabre owners Kim and Randy reflect on the Lobstering industry and the working-boat heritage that informed the design of their own Sabre 48 Salon Express. Their clarity and perception are an excellent reminder of what’s on “the other side of chic.”

Long Cove, Vinalhaven Island, Maine –

Dating back to the 50’s, there has been a fascination with and a high demand for, the highly prized lobster. In chic white table clothed eateries in NYC or Chicago a 1 1/2 pound Maine lobster may cost $60 – at Red’s Lobster Shack in Wiscasset, Maine $19. From a lobsterman stopping by our boat $5 – but we do the steaming!

Long considered a delicacy in and outside of New England and now spreading global, lobster is a routine way of culinary life here in Maine; however, you may not see it on the menu at highly acclaimed Primo in Rockland because James Beard award winning chef/owner Mellisa Kelly might say it is available in most other restaurants in the area.

She would be correct.

What we and others fortunate to spend time on Maine’s pristine coastal waters see is the other side of chic – the efforts expended by Maine’s lobstermen & women to bring this delicacy to our tables. Apart from the popularity of lobster, the economy of many rural coastal Maine towns and hamlets like Carver’s Harbor, completely depend on the lobster industry. 

The lifestyle can be brutal. 

Harvesting from May to December, the weather either side of July-September is problematic. Rain, fog, fierce winds accompanied by angry seas are routine challenges to this first leg of the lobstering industry. It’s a “rain or shine” business often handled by husband and wife teams. It is physically demanding, often disappointing as to the catch and worthy of respect from everyone with an understanding of what is required to bring lobster to the table. For us it is pure pleasure in pulling close, but not too close to interfere with their work, then coming to a stop, to wave or say hello and interact – they always wave back or will tell us how their “haul” for the day is going.

Right now, not too well. “The ‘lobstah’s’ are late this summah”. 

As a group, they know the seas and are the penultimate boat handlers, can feel the weather forecast in their bones, are territorial as to their fishing grounds and fiercely protective of their industry.

We hope they understand our appreciation for their dedication, work ethic and for the delicious product they harvest.  One of them mentioned  that we have a remote connection with the lobsterman in that, from the deck up, their “Down East” styled boats were the design template for Sabre, our boat’s manufacturer, when they went into production in 1989. One lobster man said to us, “You are a lobster boat – on steroids”. We took it as a compliment, and Sabre would too. A Raymond Maine-built boat, partially fashioned after those lobstering in the lower, mid and down east coastal regions of Maine.

Regardless of your opinion on global warming, the locals are telling us Maine waters have not been this warm in 50 years – off-shore right now, 59 degrees. Lobsters prefer cold water and the warming trend is sending them farther east, towards Stonington, here to the islands of Vinalhaven and further east to Nova Scotia where the industry is in a hyper-bull cycle. This is due in part to the general abundance of the crustaceans and a newly cultivated market exporting to Asia. What the warming means for the lower and mid-coast Maine lobster industry is up for discussion.

There are multiple levels in the sale of a single lobster. From the lobster boat to the co-op, to the distributor to the food purveyor and finally to the food store or restaurant. Next time you buy a lobster you might think of the husband and wife team that it first came into contact with, quite possibly in foul weather.

They were paid between $3.30 and $4.00 a pound.

All the best from the three of us.

Lacey, Kim and Randy