The latest technology with Downeast tradition

By John Armstrong and Andy Adams

The Sabre 45 Salon Express is new for 2017, making its debut at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show this fall.

It is certainly a handsome yacht with distinctive and traditional Downeast lines and seaman-like features that tell you it’s ready to take on a serious voyage as well as a Sunday afternoon cruise. The Sabre Yacht line goes back to the 1970’s but don’t let the strong family resemblance fool you – this yacht features the latest technology and design.


Looking forward from the transom, the bright and well-organized engine room has a Volvo D6 engine on either side and the Seakeeper 5 Gyro is dead ahead on the centerline.

In terms of layout, the boat’s design is one of the most popular features. From the cockpit through the salon, the floor connects the main living areas at the same level.You can walk all the way from the stern to the helm on one flat floor and buyers love that.

The master stateroom is in the bow with queen-size berth, drawers underneath, overhead lockers, hanging lockers and this gorgeous cherry wood finish.

Starting at the stern, the swim platform on our test boat featured a hydraulic lift system making it easy and convenient to launch and retrieve a dinghy, lower it to go swimming, etc. The platform had the optional teak decking that looks great and is so functional. Port and starboard side transom gates make getting in and out easy and an electrically deployed Sure Shade can extend out over the cockpit to keep people cool and comfortable.

The Sabre designs are known for their wide side decks and substantial deck rails plus handrails located under the cabin roof overhang. On the test boat, the dealer had finished the toe rails with gloss varnish and it lookedsimply fantastic. The flat rail shape is easier to varnish and you can keep it looking rich and new for years, or let it silver and save the effort.

The interior finish is timeless and gorgeous. Notice the twin Stidd seats at the helm and companion positions, the Volvo Penta / Garmin Glass Cockpit and large window areas for great sightlines.

Upfront there is a substantial anchor locker with a Quick windlass and our readers will be interested to know that all of the substantial and beautifully finished stainless steel hardware is custom-made for Sabre in Grand Mer, Québec.

Most of the deck area is relatively flat and finished in grippy non-skid for safety.

4692- The guest cabin has two singles that move electrically to become one queen. Lots of storage and an opening porthole make this a cozy and comfortable cabin.

The salonis very social with seats to port and starboard and gorgeous high-gloss tables with Canadian maple inlay. The electrically operated sunroof over the cabin is a feature you will always enjoy and other touches like the electric lift for the television in the salon is the sort of feature Sabre is known for. Another thing people like is that you can see through the cabin windows from all of the seats making the boat very open and comfortable to be in. Substantial polished stainless steel frames glass in the aft cabin bulkhead and add to the open feeling.

This is the salon view forward from the aft bulkhead demonstrating how the seats are at a natural height to look out the windows – very comfortable for passengers.

Twin Stidd seats at the helm and companion positions are praised for their ergonomic design and comfort. They are mounted on a sturdy box that is actually the housing for the air-conditioning system plus some storage. Another really cool feature is that the joystick docking control has now been located in the captain's armrest where it's especially convenient.

Volvo Penta has now made it possible to run the boat right up to full speed using the joystick rather than having to steer with the wheel and if you let go of the joystick, the auto helm takes over and keeps the boat going on that heading.

That Starship Enterprise feeling continues with the twin Garmin Glass Cockpit screens on the binnacle top. The Glass Cockpit is the product of a partnership with technology giant Garmin. The Glass Cockpit control and monitoring system is fully integrated with the Volvo Penta IPS drive system. You can display navigation, engine data, warnings, alarms and other information on high-tech, multi-function flat-screen displays at the helm station. Engine control and monitoring are brought together in a dashboard that features a common ergonomic user interface.

Notice the ceramic tile floor and attractive vessel sink in the head compartment. The shower stall has a glass partition.

There is also the new Garmin ActiveCaptain mobile app that allows you to manage your marine experience from nearly anywhere. It creates a simple yet powerful connection between your compatible mobile device and your compatible Garmin chart plotter, charts, maps and the boating community.

The test Sabre 45 also includedthe Humphree active trim and stabilizer system to improve efficiency and comfort and it was also equipped with the Seakeeper 5 Gyro. The Seakeeper is an expensive option but more and more people are discovering how comfortable it can be when the Gyro is working to stabilize the boat, minimizing roll at all speeds and even when you are tied up dockside.

So while the Sabre 45 Salon Express looks rather traditional, it’s right there with the latest features for comfort and convenience.

At the helm, an exclusive feature of the new 45 is the side door for the captain. It's lovely to run with the side door open and it's extremely helpful when docking or communicating with people who are outside. Sometimes low-tech features are important too!

The view of the salon and cockpit looking aft from the helm, shows how the one continuous floor level joins the two living spaces. The dining table folds out to make room for the whole gang at dinner.

Sabre knows its owners are really going to run their boat to distant places and the designers have taken the time to add things like storage for your sunglasses or your cell phone at the helm.

Making the best use of the space, Sabre has designed the boat with the galley down two steps. This facilitates expanding thecounter space, puts the cook down a little lower to minimize roll and yet the cook can still easily see and talk to people sitting in the salon.

By dropping it two steps, Sabre was able to give the galley a lot more counterspace while keeping the cook a part of the party. The induction cooktop and three drawer-type refrigerators are great cruising features.

For owners planning extended cruising, the boat can be equipped with a water purifier system and the galley includes solid Corian countertops in your choice of 12 different colors.

There is a big storage area under the galley side and the Sabre is equipped with high-end features like an induction cooktop, Isotherm refrigerator and freezer, a handy little storage box in the step, an outstanding and very seaman-like electrical panel in the companionway that simplifies all the ship’s systems.

This is the "utility room" under the salon floor. This boat has another freezer located here, a wine cooler and on the port side, separate washer and dryer.

Forward, is the master stateroom which has a centerline mounted queen berth, side storage, hanging lockers on starboard and a bank of drawers to port as well as more drawers under the berth. There's a private master head with real ceramic tile, mirrored medicine cabinet and even a full-length mirror for dressing.

Then there is the guest stateroom down the starboard side and this can be made up either as two singles or a double if you slide the berth sideways. It is electrically activated. There's also a guest head that includes features like a glass shower enclosure, ceramic tiles, a vessel sink and more.

One of the most striking features about all the Sabre boats is the beautiful cherry wood interior finish all through the yacht. The joinery work is first class. It looks just fabulous and it will also be very long-lived.

The new 45 Salon Express is exclusively powered by twin Volvo Penta IPS 600s with D6 435 hp engines. Performance is very smooth and solid with a fast cruise of almost 32 miles her hour and good fuel economy. It’s quiet when running too. Since the engines are now located in the stern, engine noise is muted and you wind up with a big space under the salon floor that could only be called the ‘utility room’. Here you could mount an individual washer and dryerset, have an extra freezer, carry bicycles with you or other large objects that would not normally fit easily on board a boat.

The Sabre 45 Salon Express is in the heart of their market there has been steady and growing demand for Sabre boats in the 40-foot range. Of course this is a very exclusive yacht yet the company is building and delivering 18 of these the year and the new design is already backordered.

If this is the yacht that you’ve been dreaming about, best to call now!

SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINES:
Twin Volvo Penta IPS 600 drives with joystick docking. Twin D6 435 hp inline 6 cylinder diesel engines.

RPM / MPH
600 – 4.2
1000 – 6.9
1400 – 10.0
1800 – 12.1
2000 – 13.9
2200 – 15.9
2600 – 21.5
3000 – 28.8
3200 – 30.8
3250 – 31.8
3500 – 34.5
3600 – 36.8

LENGTH OVERALL: 49′ 0″ /14.94m
BEAM: 14′ 8″ / 4.47 m
DISPLACEMENT (HALF LOAD): 34,700 lbs / 15,739 kg
FUEL: 450 US Gal /1688 L
WATER: 150 US Gal / 562 L
HOLDING: 65 US Gal / 244 L
Designed to ABYC, NMMA, USCG and CE Category B standards
PRICE: $1,150,000.00 US Funds

Test boat and pricing supplied by: Sabre Yachts, www.sabreyachts.com