Sabre 54FB

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Photo by: Billy Black

“We were involved with everything from the plans on,” Seale told me as we headed back through the salon and up to the flybridge. “This is the only boat I’ve ever had built, and I loved certain stuff. … For instance, Sabre made a full-size mock-up of the helm so we could play with the positioning of the instruments until it was exactly what I wanted. And this seat” — he gestured to a spot beside the flybridge helm as he settled in — “is customized to be a recliner.”

Once up top, it was easy to see why Seale had waited for a flybridge model. It was a warm, sunny February day. The water in the Keys was a flat, rich turquoise. As we flew up shallow Biscayne Bay with the wind in our hair and sun on our faces, we passed dolphins, frolicking languorously, and I wondered for about the billionth time why anyone with even half a brain lives in the Northeast in winter.

The flybridge area sported twin Stidd helm seating before a full electronics display and an L-shape settee and table aft. An electric grill and stainless-steel drinks refrigerator were convenient. Seale had opted for an after-market hardtop made by J&J Marine Services and an Iselin enclosure that was genius in its simplicity: It lifted and locked on to the overhead with no fuss at all.



The engine room, which is accessed from the cockpit with the push of a button that hydraulically lifts the sole, features a white gelcoat interior with a diamond plate sole, good lighting and excellent access to most service points. Seale had opted for twin Volvo Penta IPS 900 drives, which later held station as we waited for the Venetian Causeway to open on the half-hour. Under way I noted we were on plane at 1600 rpm and 17 knots. And the Sabre 54 with IPS handled beautifully, carving tight, effortless turns and running bone-dry even at high speeds. Traveler has Humphree trim tabs. “She runs well without them, but better with,” Seale believes.

Another very noticeable plus: low noise. I had some problem setting the dampers on my decibel meter app and have relied on Sabre for its data, but the quiet running is something anyone who’s been aboard will notice. In the salon, running 25 knots, the Sabre 54FB registers 74 decibels, which means normal conversation is entirely audible.

I asked Seale if he was pleased he’d made the leap to IPS drives, and he didn’t hesitate. “They’re really amazing and I wouldn’t go back.” He brought his considerable experience to bear on several other customizations to Traveler, some large and some small. There is absolutely no exterior teak on his Sabre 54FB — except for the flagstaff. He opted for a single Stidd chair at the salon helm and also went with straight-line cabinetry across from the dinette, instead of the standard L-shape. One of his favorite features on the Sabre 54 is the electrical system. “It is absolutely no fuss. I don’t even have to think about it. It has a built-in decision-maker, and I just turn it on and go. It manages itself.”



If you’re looking for a downeast-style boat finished to the highest standards and equipped to make cruising a joy, your wait, like Bill Seale’s, is over.

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Test Conditions: Speeds were measured by GPS off Government Cut in Miami, Florida, in 44 feet of water with flat seas and 3.7-knot winds, with a full load of fuel, 1/3 load of water and four people on board. Fuel consumption was measured by the electronic engine-monitoring system. Sound levels, measured in the pilothouse, were supplied by Sabre.

RPM    Knots    GPH    dB(A)
600    5.7    2.60    65
900    8.4    6.10    68
1200    10.1    14.00    68
1500    12.6    25.01    69
1800    17.5    37.00    69
2100    23.6    51.00    70
2400    30.1    68.00    70

LOA: 58’0”
LWL: 49’3”
Beam: 16’0”
Draft: 4’3”
Displ.: 55,500 lb.
Fuel: 800 gal.
Water: 200 gal.
Engines (standard): 2 x 865 hp Cat C15 diesels
Engines TESTED: 2 x 700 hp Volvo Penta IPS900 diesels
Price as tested: $1,800,000

Sabre, 207-655-3831; www.sabreyachts.com