Sabre 52

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Photo by: Billy Black

There’s no want of light in the galley, with two oversized opening port lights and a fixed port light above the counter. You’ll find acres of solid-surface laminate counter for meal preparation, with two Sub-Zero stainless steel fridge/freezer drawer units and a cherry-fronted Fischer & Paykel DishDrawer below. From the under-mount twin stainless steel sink to the three-burner electric stove top with galley exhaust and microwave/convection oven, everything is planned for efficient meal preparation in a spacious, storage-rich that feels more like a gourmet kitchen than galley.

The master stateroom is opposite, a testament to the cabinetmaker’s skill with drawer storage beneath the berth, a pair of bureau/ nightstands flanking the head of the bed, and a desk with file cabinet and book shelf for correspondence or business planning. His and hers cedar-lined lockers and a built-in LCD-TV are notable features in a stateroom that is spacious enough for a couple to enjoy for any length of cruise. The private head adjoining shows a designer’s touch that is also practical—easy to keep ceramic tile, custom sink, solid-surface countertop and a separate shower stall with teak grate. Your guests will feel welcome in the stateroom forward, which duplicates many of the comfort features of the master, and has a private access to the portside head compartment, which also serves as the day head.

On deck, this Sabre’s layout is drawn with wide side decks and tall hand rails to promote safe movement fore and aft. Custom-cast chocks integrated into the teak toe rail amidships and forward provide fair leads to substantial cleats, with cast hawse pipes in the hull sides and transom for a variety of stern-tie configurations. Teak sole options include a complete weather decks package, or a cockpit-only selection, plus teak coaming caps and teak inlay on the swim platform. The Freedom Lift, a popular hydraulic dinghy lift system, is available to make launching and retrieving a RIB or PWC more convenient.



It wasn’t exactly dinghy weather the day we put the Sabre 52 Salon Express through her handling and performance paces on Casco Bay, but it was comfortable inside at the helm. There are three zones of air conditioning/reverse cycle heating available to keep cruisers satisfied no matter what the conditions outside. The big Caterpillar C15 diesels provided a steady, powerful output, while the Twin Disc QuickShift gearboxes made it possible to maneuver at slow speeds more precisely with these big engines. Wind chop of two to three feet was not much of a match for the Sabre 52’s modified deep-V hull, and the ride was predictably comfortable. The modest degree of deadrise at transom helped ensure that we had plenty of planing surface for cruising efficiently and excellent form stability for tight turns. Throughout a series of turns, the Sabre 52 handled predictably and evenly, with no bad habits at all.

As you can see from our sound numbers, it was a quiet ride, as well. “Our engineers paid lots of attention to sound attenuation,” says Collins. “We wanted owners to be cruising at 25 knots, sitting on the helm deck and enjoying the experience with minimal impact from sound, the way they’d experience driving down the highway in a BMW Seven-Series or a Mercedes-Benz 500-series.”

Sabre’s new 52 Salon Express is a tour de force, a reaffirmation of the company’s signature style and comfort enveloped in a contemporary Downeast design. Sabre’s oft-quoted tagline is “Crafted In The Maine Tradition” and it still speaks volumes about this new yacht, as well as the dedicated employees who have created it. We’re lucky to experience their talent at finding the peace and tranquility in an environment of wind and wave action.

RPM Knots dB(A) GPH
600 6.2 61 3.4
900 9.7 65 14.2
1200 11.6 69 24.0
1500 17.3 71 40.0
1800 22.3 74 56.0
2100 27.7 78 76.0
2300 31.0 79 90.0

Speeds measured by GPS on Casco Bay w/four adults aboard, 200 gal. water and 600 gal. fuel. Sound levels measured at the helm in dB(A). Fuel consumption measured by the Caterpillar electronic engine management system.

LOA: 53’2”
Beam: 16’0”
Draft: 4’3”
Transom Deadrise: 15 degrees
Displ. (dry, approx.): 46,000 lb.
Fuel: 800 gal.
Water: 200 gal.
Black Water: 80 gal.
Naval Architect: Sabre Yachts Design Group
Exterior Styling: Sabre Yachts Design Group
Interior Design: Sabre Yachts Design Group
Engines: 2x 865 hp Caterpillar C15 AC ERT
Transmission: Twin Disc,
QuickShift MGX 5114A
Gear Reduction: 2.04:1
Props: 32” x 36.5”, ZFFPS 4-blade, NiBrAl
Generator: 1x 17kW Onan
Steering: Hydraulic, power-assisted
Engine Controls: Twin Disc EC300 electronic
Price: $1,300,000 (base w/engines tested)
Sabre Yachts; www.sabreyachts.com