After following its launch and super-extended break-in cruise from Portland, Maine, down to Miami in time for the yacht show there, I had been looking forward to seeing the new Sabre 58 Salon Express in person. And once I climbed on board the boat at the show, it was more than worth the wait.
I already knew the boat’s lines. It is a contemporary classic with a clean Down East look, fitting well into Sabre’s made-in-Maine heritage. But once I was on board, I realized how big this new cruiser really is; it has lots of usable room to make extended cruising or living on board comfortable and easy. And it’s logical; everything seems to be exactly where it should be. Sabre is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, so it seems to have done something right over all those years.
The 58 SE is Sabre’s first boat with the galley aft, and this works. It connects the salon and the cockpit, and you can open the large glass door aft so that there’s one flowing space from the transom to the helm station. And that covers a lot of ground.
On the 58, Sabre’s designers moved the windshield farther forward than usual. This not only creates more room in salon, but it also lets in a great amount of light. The side windows also are large, and more light comes in from the sunroof overhead and the aft door.
The view from the helm is excellent all around. Powered by twin 725-hp Volvo IPS950 pod drives, the 58 tops out at 31.1 knots. At a cruising speed of 26.7 knots, it has a range of 337 nm. At a trawler speed of 7.4 knots, the range goes up to 1,269 nm.
All that is impressive, but the boat’s sound readings are truly exceptional. Sabre has done a lot of buyer research, and it knows that low noise levels are particularly important. At 25 knots, with the aft door closed, the sound level at the helm is only 60 d(B)a, which is the level of normal conversation. That low level is a true tribute to Sabre’s engineers and a solid build.
Climbing on the boat, the swim platform is wide enough for any water sports you might have in mind. You can push a button and the transom lifts up to reveal a large locker for fenders, lines and a lot of other things. The cockpit also is large, with a beautiful teak table and aft lounge seat.
Moving forward, the 58 has a traditional varnished cherry interior and teak and holly sole. The galley has a U-shaped counter to port with a cooktop, sink and undercounter storage. More storage is to starboard under more counter space.
A single step up leads to the salon and helm deck. A large U-shaped sofa, with a varnished high-low table, is to port, and a three-person settee is facing it to starboard. Forward, the helm, with matching seats, is to starboard; a door opens to the side deck, a great advantage in docking and moving around the boat. A two-person seat is to port.
Three staterooms, all with en suite heads and showers, are below. The master is full-beam amidships, with a walkaround king bed set athwartships. The VIP cabin is forward with a queen island berth. The guest stateroom is on the starboard side with two berths that can serve as singles; they can be connected to form a queen.
The new Sabre’s hull has a 15-degree deadrise at the transom, which provides stability at lower speeds. Volvo’s joystick makes docking and boat handling fingertip easy. The Sabre also has Volvo’s Interceptor automatic trim system and dynamic positioning. A Seakeeper gyrostabilizer is optional.
The 58 SE is already a success for Sabre. Bentley Collins, the VP for sales and marketing at Sabre and Back Cove, told me that the company has already sold 12 to retail customers. Base price: $2,520,000.
Specs.: LOA: 63’9”; Beam: 16’2”; Draft: 4’9”; Disp.: 63,000 lbs.; Fuel: 800 gals.; Water: 250 gals.; Power: 2×725-hp Volvo IPS950 pod drives.
