Sabre 28
Built 1971–1986 by Sabre Yachts
About the Sabre 28
Researched from public sources for this model. Any individual boat may have been modified or repowered — confirm before relying on any figure.
- Built
- 1971–1986
- Builder
- Sabre Yachts
- Designer
- Roger Hewson
- Length
- 28.42 ft
- Waterline
- 22.83 ft
- Beam
- 9.17 ft
- Draft
- 4.33 ft
- Displacement
- 7,900 lb
- Ballast
- 2,900 lb
- Hull / keel
- fin keel
- Rig
- sloop
- Propulsion
- inboard
- Fuel
- 20 gal
- Water
- varies by year
- Holding
- 22 gal
- Water heater
- factory option
- Number built
- 588
- Stern thruster
- not fitted
- Steering
- tiller · Edson
Tank capacities — where the figures come from
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Fuel 20 gal
“aluminum fuel tank, with side deck fill, has a capacity of 20 gallons” — brochure (Series II (Volvo MD7A)), sabreyachts.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com · “aluminum fuel tank, with side deck fill, has a capacity of 20 gallons” — brochure (Series III (Westerbeke 13)), sabreyachts.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.comSabre's own Series II and III brochures, hosted by the builder, both say 20 gal. The Series I brochure gives no tankage.
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Water varies by year
“The 20 gallon water tank is located under the forward berths.” — brochure (Series II (Volvo MD7A)), sabreyachts.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com · “The 30 gallon water tank is located under the forward berths.” — brochure (Series III (Westerbeke 13)), sabreyachts.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.comSources said 20 or 30 gal, and both are right for different series: the Series II brochure gives 20 gal and the Series III brochure 30, in the same location. The Series I figure isn't stated, and the brochures don't give the hull numbers where each series starts.
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Holding 22 gal
“The marine head and a 22 gallon holding tank are standard.” — brochure (Series II), sabreyachts.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.comSeries II builder brochure gives 22 gal; the Series III brochure lists a standard holding tank without a size.
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Water heater factory option
“A shower with hot and cold pressurized water is optional” — brochure (Series III), sabreyachts.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.comSabre's Series III brochure makes hot and cold pressure water (with shower) an option; the Series II brochure's mechanical and galley sections mention no hot water. No heater size or heating method given.
Tanks are often replaced or added on older boats — check the tank labels or a survey for yours.
Thrusters and steering — where this comes from
-
Bow thruster unknown
The three Sabre 28 brochures (Series I-III) mention no thruster, and no option list was found.
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Stern thruster not fitted
Our earlier figure of none has no source, and nothing was found either way.
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Steering tiller · Edson
“Although tiller steering is standard, about 90% of the boats were delivered with Edson pedestal wheel steerers equipped” — search excerpt, practical-sailor.com · “a reconfigured T-shaped cockpit that more easily accommodates a pedestal and wheel (only about 10 percent of the boats h” — search excerpt (1976), wavetrain.net · “SABRE 28 (S-396-1) ... CLASSIC PEDESTAL STEERER ... CHAIN & WIRE ROPE KIT ... RADIAL DRIVE WHEEL” — spec database, edsonmarine.comTwo independent reviews agree the tiller was standard and about nine boats in ten were ordered with the optional Edson pedestal wheel (the cockpit was reworked for it in 1976). Edson's Sabre 28 data sheet shows chain and wire to a radial drive wheel; the brand refers to that option. The builder brochures seen don't describe the steering.
Thrusters and steering are often replaced — check the units on your boat before ordering parts.
Built in three versions (sailboatdata: 28-1 1971-76 hulls below 212, 28-2 1976-82 hulls 212-539, then a 28-3); specs shown are the 28-2. The 28-1 is 28.0 ft LOA, 9.0 ft beam, 6,900 lb. Shoal keel about 3.8 ft; a few ketch-rigged boats. Practical Sailor gives the run as 1972-1986; keelindex says roughly 588 built across all marks. Engines by year per PS: Atomic 4 to 1975, 10 hp Volvo optional from 1975, Volvo MD7A standard 1978, Westerbeke 13 from 1981. Water tank: PS says 30 gal, sailboatdata 20 gal. Hull is solid hand-laid mat and roving; deck balsa-cored; external lead keel; hull-deck joint through-bolted on 6 in. centers. Hull material left null: reviews describe a hand-laid mat-and-roving hull but none read states solid or cored for this model.
Engines fitted
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Atomic 4 (Universal) — 30 hp, gas, single
standard
Practical Sailor: all boats had the Atomic Four until 1975, and it stayed available until dropped in 1978. Wikipedia gives 30 hp (28-1).Sources: practical-sailor.com · en.wikipedia.org
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Volvo Penta MD7A — 13 hp, diesel, single
standard
Practical Sailor: standard from 1978 (two-cylinder, 13 hp) until 1981. Left-hand rotation, so its shaft is offset to starboard, unlike Atomic 4 boats.Sources: practical-sailor.com
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Westerbeke 13 — 13 hp, diesel, single
standard
Practical Sailor: replaced the MD7A as standard in 1981.Sources: practical-sailor.com
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Volvo Penta 10 hp diesel (model not stated) — 10 hp, diesel, single
factory option
Practical Sailor: offered as an option from 1975 until 1978.Sources: practical-sailor.com
- Volvo Penta — 10 hp, diesel factory option
Boats of the same model can differ — check which engines yours actually has before ordering parts.
Generator
No generator in the Series II or III brochures.
Manuals and brochures online
- Brochure Sabre 28 Series I brochure (Hewson Marine; specs and plans, no tankage) — sabreyachts25.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com
- Brochure Sabre 28 Series II brochure (tankage in Mechanical/Auxiliary Engine sections) — sabreyachts.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com
- Brochure Sabre 28 Series III brochure — sabreyachts.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com
Hosted by the builder or an owners' association; they own the copyright.
Known problems for this model
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Early boats lack forward lower shrouds rigging
Forward lowers were added in 1975 to stop the deck-stepped mast pumping and vibrating; check that a pre-1975 boat has been retrofitted.practical-sailor.com
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Offset shaft limits repower choices running gear
Atomic 4 boats have the shaft offset to port for a right-hand engine while Volvo boats are offset to starboard, so repowering an Atomic 4 boat needs a right-hand-turning engine to keep handling right.practical-sailor.com
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Poor access on Atomic 4 boats and to the stuffing box engine
Owners rate engine access poor on early gas-engined boats, and the stuffing box is hard to reach for its yearly repacking on all versions.practical-sailor.com
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Balsa-cored deck deck
The deck is balsa-cored with plywood inserts under hardware; like other Sabres of the era it should be sounded and moisture-checked around fittings.practical-sailor.com · keelindex.com
Engines & parts
Universal Atomic 4 parts: good
Factory standard engine — you entered “Atomic 4 (Universal)”
Tens of thousands were built (sources say from 40,000 to 50,000). Despite being out of production for decades, the engine is well supported: Moyer Marine sells parts, rebuilt engines, fuel pump rebuilds and exhaust parts, and hosts an owners' forum; Old Lyme Marina and others also supply parts, and electronic ignition upgrades are available.
Parts sources: Moyer Marine
Common problems (3)
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Raw-water cooling scale and corrosion cooling
Most Atomic 4s are raw-water cooled, so the block scales up and corrodes, especially in salt water; cranking without starting can also flood the engine with seawater through the exhaust.goodoldboat.com · moyermarineforum.com · keelindex.com
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Gasoline vapor fire/explosion risk fuel
Gasoline vapor is heavier than air and settles in the bilge, so ventilation, blower use and shutting the fuel valve (a stuck carburetor float can overflow) matter.goodoldboat.com
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Ignition and fuel system faults electrical
Points, condenser, cap and wires, plus gummed carburetors and contaminated fuel, are the most common reasons an Atomic 4 won't run well.keelindex.com · goodoldboat.com
Maker’s service schedule (9)
| Engine oil & filter change | 50 hrs | “3. FIFTY HOUR CHECK a. Using sump pump, remove all oil from crankcase. Refill with a good grade oil as specified in Tabl” — manufacturer, westerbeke.com |
| Fuel filters & water separator | 50 hrs | “e. Clean fuel pump strainer.” — manufacturer, westerbeke.com |
| Heat exchanger & oil cooler cleaning | 50 hrs | “b. Inspect oil cooler and remove any accumulation of grit or dirt.” — manufacturer, westerbeke.com |
| Clean flame arrestor | 100 hrs | “b. Inspect flame arrestor to be sure air passages are clean and free from oil. If dirty remove and wash with kerosene.” — manufacturer, westerbeke.com |
| Check clutch (reverse gear) adjustment | 100 hrs | “4. ONE HUNDRED HOUR CHECK ... c. Check adjustment of clutch.” — manufacturer, westerbeke.com |
| Valve clearance check / adjust | 150 hrs or 1 yr | “5. ONE HUNDRED FIFTY HOUR CHECK a. Check valve tappet adjustment.” — manufacturer, westerbeke.com |
| Spark plugs inspect / replace | 150 hrs | “b. Remove, clean, and reset spark plugs.” — manufacturer, westerbeke.com |
| Transmission fluid change Universal V-drive unit (V-drive installations only; the standard reverse gear shares engine oil) | 500 hrs | “(2) After the first 50 hours of operation, drain unit and refill ... (3) Change lubricant every 500 hours of operation.” — manufacturer, westerbeke.com |
| Complete overhaul | 3,000 hrs | “At the end of three thousand hours of operation the engine should be completely overhauled.” — manufacturer, westerbeke.com |
Service part numbers (8)
| Oil filter optional add-on oil filter (not standard equipment) |
Universal 276236 | “2 Element or Cartridge 1 276236 (Oil Group, Oil Filter, Not Standard Equipment)” — manufacturer, westerbeke.com |
| Raw-water impeller Oberdorfer N202M-03 / N202M-07 replacement raw-water pump (Universal pump 295625) |
Oberdorfer 6593 | “5 Impeller 6593 6593 6593 6593 6593 1 (N202M, N202M-03, N202M-07 parts list)” — manufacturer, pumpsandpartsonline.com · “Impeller : Catalog # 6593, Impeller” — dealer, pumpagents.com |
| Raw-water pump kit Oberdorfer N202M-03 / N202M-07 raw-water pump |
Oberdorfer 10725 | “REPAIR KIT N202M N202M-03 N202M-07 10725” — manufacturer, pumpsandpartsonline.com · “Catalog # 10725, Repair Kit, includes O-Ring, Snap Ring, Impeller, 2 x Lip Seal” — dealer, pumpagents.com |
| Drive belt alternator belt (Prestolite and Motorola alternators) |
Universal 239387 | “19 Belt 1 239387 (12 Volt - Motorola 51 Amp Alternator)” — manufacturer, westerbeke.com |
| Spark plug | Universal 273276 × 4 | “8 Spark plugs, champion 4 273276” — manufacturer, westerbeke.com |
| Thermostat late style, from 1967 / serial #79476 (Holley 145 F, on cylinder head) |
Universal 200206 | “12 Thermostat Kit 1 200206 consists of 262278 and 261601” — manufacturer, westerbeke.com |
| Thermostat Dole type, before serial #79476 (on manifold) |
Universal 200207 | “13 Kit, Thermostat (consists of 275965 & 261144) 1 200207” — manufacturer, westerbeke.com |
| Zinc / anode fresh-water-cooled engines only (Universal heat-exchanger kit) |
Universal 299760 | “23 zinc pencil 1 299760 (Cooling, Fresh Water System, after serial #79476)” — manufacturer, westerbeke.com |
From the engine maker’s parts lists, or two independent parts dealers. Numbers change with serial number and get superseded — check yours before ordering.
Sources disagree on first year, last year, number built — left blank rather than guessed.
Steering
Edson — Pedestal chain-and-wire steering parts: good
Edson (New Bedford, MA) still sells service parts: chain-and-wire kits, sprockets, idlers, pull-pull conduit steering and internal pedestal parts, and keeps steering data sheets by boat model, many decades old.
Parts sources: Edson Marine (service parts)
Common problems (3)
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Old or slack steering wire steering
Edson advises replacing steering wire about every five years, checking tension with the wheel locked, and inspecting under load annually; owners often find decades-old stiff wire.usna.edu · youtube.com
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Lubrication and fastener checks steering
Chain, wire, sheaves and pedestal bearings need regular oiling or greasing, and clevis/cotter pins and bolts should be checked monthly to avoid failures.usna.edu
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Replacing engine control cables in the pedestal steering
Swapping throttle/shift cables inside an Edson pedestal is a common owner job requiring removal of the wheel shaft sprocket pin.forums.sailboatowners.com
Edson — Traditional geared steerers (worm / rack-and-pinion) parts: good
Edson says its traditional wheels and geared steerers are still available, now built with modern materials; rack-and-pinion steerers are offered for transom-hung and inboard rudders.
Parts sources: Edson Marine (traditional steerers)
Other Sabre models
- Sabre 30 1979–1993
- Sabre 34 1976–?
- Sabre 36 1985–1990
- Sabre 38 Mk I 1981–1987
Researched from public sources. Spotted an error? The sources are listed above — tell us what they got wrong.