34 Hard Top Express
The Sabre 38 Salon Express is a 41-foot luxury Downeast-style motor yacht that was launched by the illustrious Maine-based yacht-building firm Sabre Yachts in 2012. This vessel’s classic exterior form was inspired by the lobster boating tradition of New England, and clean heritage lines, a demure gel-coating and a refined, hand-crafted finish combine with a spacious aft-cockpit and plenty of old-school charm for a timeless approach to cruising. Yet the 38 Salon Express is no museum-piece. Instead, this boat features a rugged hull and modern pod-drive propulsion for an exceptional and reliable at-sea experience.
There’s plenty of space out on the foredeck to cast a line and soak up the views while safely surrounded by high steel guardrails. Trace the teak brightwork all the way back to the aft-cockpit, meanwhile, to find a broad relaxation zone that takes its cues from the wide lobster fishing cockpits of old. Back here there’s ample room to unwind across a mezzanine sofa and a transom sofa, with a flip-up high-gloss timber dining table capable of hosting up to five diners at once. A starboard side lift-gate may have once been used to haul aboard lobster pots but now it leads out to a full-beam hydraulic bathing platform perfect for salt-water swims.
Step indoors to find a breezy main-deck lounge surrounded by 360-degrees of glazing with mullions to the front, full-height metal-framed glass doors to the rear and a pair of chunky skylights overhead. There’s a teak sole with warm satin-finished cherrywood surrounds, plenty of leather touches and a homespun feel for an undeniably elegant and old-world atmosphere in here, with a U-shaped sofa, a dining table and plenty of cabinet room on offer. At the front of this level there is a single leather-clad Stidd helm seat facing a traditional wood-lined helm station with a Stazo-trim power-assisted steering wheel, Penta controls, autopilot, joystick handling, optional bow and stern thruster controls, VHF radio, a Garmin 5215 MFD screen and a high-speed Ritchie compass.
A fully-equipped galley sits on a sunken lower-level lobby with atrium-style dimensions and features marble-effect Corian counters, a dual-zone stovetop, a sink, refrigeration options and a Haier combination oven, as well as an L-shaped dining booth. A master cabin sits nestled up by the bow and impresses with striped timber surrounds, a double island bed and direct access into the yacht’s main head which comes with a tempered glass sink, a flush toilet and an enclosed shower stall.
Standard propulsion options include a pair of 300HP Volvo Penta D4 IPS400 pod-drive diesels for top speeds in excess of 30 knots. At a 23-knot cruising speed you can expect a 311-mile range thanks to a 300-gallon fuel tank, while upgrades to a pair of 370HP Volvo Penta IPS1-500 motors are available for top speeds of up to 36 knots. This yacht’s rugged resin-infused fiberglass V-hull boasts a beam of well over 13-feet and a 17-degree transom deadrise for plenty of lateral stability as you entertain, while a broad flared bow meets the waves with aplomb.
