Sabre 38 Mk I

About the Sabre 38 Mk I

Researched from public sources for this model. Any individual boat may have been modified or repowered — confirm before relying on any figure.

Built

1981–1987

Builder

Sabre Yachts

Designer

Roger Hewson

Length

37.83 ft

Waterline

31.17 ft

Beam

11.5 ft

Draft

6.5 ft

Displacement

15,200 lb

Ballast

6,400 lb

Hull

fiberglass-cored

Hull / keel

fin keel

Rig

sloop

Propulsion

inboard

Fuel

45 gal

Number built

100

Stern thruster

none

First 100 Sabre 38s (1981-1987); the larger Sabre 38 Mk II followed in 1988 (114 built). Keel/centerboard version: 4.25 ft board up, 6.75 ft down, 15,600 lb, 6,800 lb ballast. Hull hand-laid with end-grain balsa core (Good Old Boat); keelindex describes Sabre hulls as solid, which conflicts. Deck balsa-cored with plywood/composite inserts under hardware; hull-deck joint through-bolted and bonded; rudders are foam-filled half shells. Sailboatdata lists a spade rudder.

Known problems for this model

• Wet balsa core around through-hulls hull
  The hull is balsa-cored; a survey of a Sabre 38 (Mk II) found raised moisture around below-waterline through-hulls, fixed by removing fittings, digging out core and filling with epoxy. Sound the hull and check around every through-hull.
  goodoldboat.com · sailnet.com
• Rot in sole near the mast step interior
  Owners warn that rainwater follows the mast down and can rot the cabin sole and structure around the mast step.
  goodoldboat.com · sailnet.com
• Offset prop shaft running gear
  The shaft is offset, which lets it be pulled without dropping the rudder but makes close-quarters handling under power less conventional.
  goodoldboat.com
• Aging original Westerbeke engine
  The original four-cylinder Westerbeke 33 is now old; one owner had it surveyed separately at purchase and needed about $5,000 of work.
  goodoldboat.com

Other Sabre models

• Sabre 28 1971–1986
• Sabre 30 1979–1993
• Sabre 34 1976–?
• Sabre 36 1985–1990