Sabre Yachts, Maine's Sailboat Builder Turned Downeast Powerboat Specialist

Sailboats first, then a smart pivot

Roger Hewson founded Sabre in 1970 in Maine, and for its first three decades the name meant cruising sailboats. The Sabre 28, 34, 38 and later models were well-built, moderately fast boats with fine joinery that still sell well on the used market. As the sailboat market shrank, Sabre shifted its energy into powerboats, introducing Downeast-inspired designs that applied the same craftsmanship to a growing segment.

The bet worked. Sabre built its last sailboats in the early 2000s and has since become one of the best-known names in American Downeast power. In 2003 the company launched sister brand Back Cove Yachts in Rockland, Maine, which builds single-engine, more affordable Downeast boats and shares much of Sabre's engineering and design team, including Kevin Burns.

The Salon Express formula

Current Sabres are all Salon Express models, 38, 43, 45, 51 and 58 feet. The layout puts the helm, galley and saloon on one level under a hardtop with large windows, with cabins forward and below. Twin Volvo IPS pod drives have been the typical power, offering joystick docking and economical cruise in the mid-20 knot range.

Construction uses resin infusion and cored hulls on recent models, with an emphasis on low weight and efficient running. Interiors use varnished cherry and solid woodwork, which helps explain resale. Sabres are not built for fishing or offshore runs in heavy weather, but they are comfortable and dry in coastal conditions.

The 38 and the 45 Salon Express, choosing a size

The Sabre 38 Salon Express is the smallest and most popular Sabre. It launched in 2012 on Volvo IPS pods, picked up a Yanmar and ZF pod option a year later, and returned for 2026 with Volvo Penta D4 diesels on Aquamatic DPI sterndrives. It has a single stateroom, so it suits a couple who cruise for weeks along New England, the Chesapeake or the Great Lakes and want a boat that looks right in any harbor.

The Sabre 45 Salon Express is the step up for owners who bring guests. In production since 2017, it runs twin Volvo D6 IPS pods to a top speed in the low 30s, carries 450 gallons and has two staterooms, each with its own head, plus a utility room beneath the saloon for systems and storage. It sits between the 43 and the 51 in the current range and is the natural move for a 38 owner who has outgrown one cabin.

On the used market the two boats occupy very different price bands, with good 38s trading at roughly half the money of a late 45, so the choice usually comes down to whether you need that second cabin.

Buying a used Sabre

Used Sabres sell quickly in the Northeast and the Chesapeake, often for a premium over similar-sized production express cruisers. Older sailboats offer a different route into the brand at much lower prices.

Sabre dealers cluster in New England, the Mid-Atlantic, Florida and the Great Lakes, and the factory offers its Sabre Connect support program for owners.

• Review IPS pod service and any drive replacements.
• On 2026 and later 38s, check sterndrive service and bellows.
• Inspect varnished interior and exterior woodwork for water damage.
• Check hardtop and window seals for leaks above the saloon.
• On older sailboats, survey deck core and chainplates carefully.