Vessel Guide

Models › Sabre

Sabre 38 Mk I

Built 1981–1987 by Sabre Yachts

Is she right for you? Take the quiz Own one? Start her custom manual Looking at one? Sea-trial scorecard

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.

Illustration of a Sabre 38 Mk I
Illustration, not a photo of this model. AI-generated illustration of a typical large cruising sloop.
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
30 gal
Water
94 gal
Holding
30 gal
Water heater
standard
Number built
100
Stern thruster
not fitted
Steering
pedestal cable · Edson
Tank capacities — where the figures come from
  • Fuel 30 gal
    “The heavy duty aluminum fuel tank has a capacity of 30 gallons.” — brochure (Mk I (LOA 37'10", Westerbeke 33)), sabreyachts25.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com · “Fuel Tanks (gals.) 45” — brochure (Mk II (LOA 38'8", Westerbeke 35)), sabreyachts25.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com
    Our earlier figure of 45 gal is the Mk II's. Sabre's Mk I brochure, for the 37 ft 10 in boat shown here, gives 30 gal.
  • Water 94 gal
    “Fresh water capacity is 94 gallons.” — brochure (Mk I), sabreyachts25.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com · “Water Tanks-2 (total gals.) 106” — brochure (Mk II), sabreyachts25.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com
    Mk I builder brochure 94 gal; Mk II 106 gal in two tanks.
  • Holding 30 gal
    “an electric bilge pump, three fire extinguishers, and a 30 gallon holding tank are standard” — brochure (Mk I), sabreyachts25.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com · “Holding Tanks-2 (total gals.) 38” — brochure (Mk II), sabreyachts25.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com
    Mk I 30 gal; Mk II 38 gal in two tanks.
  • Water heater standard
    “Hot and cold pressurized water is standard at the galley, vanity, and shower” — brochure (Mk I, aft-cabin and classic layouts), sabreyachts25.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com
    Sabre's Mk I brochure (the edition offering both aft-cabin and classic layouts) lists hot and cold pressure water as standard, with foot-pump cold water also at the galley and vanity. Earlier Mk I brochures were not found, so it is not confirmed for every year. 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 Sabre 38 Mk I and Mk II brochures mention no thruster, and no option list was found.
  • Stern thruster not fitted
    Our earlier figure of none has no source, and nothing was found either way.
  • Steering pedestal cable · Edson
    “SABRE 38 (S-1180) ... CLASSIC PEDESTAL STEERER ... DISHED DESTROYER WHEEL (40) ... CHAIN & WIRE ROPE KIT ... RADIAL DRIV” — spec database, edsonmarine.com · “You'll find names such as Edson, Hall Spars, Harken, Lewmar and Westerbeke” — brochure (Mk II), sabreyachts25.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com
    The readable Mk I brochure pages don't describe the steering. Edson's data sheet for the Sabre 38 (not separating Mk I and II) gives an Edson pedestal with 40 in. wheel and chain and wire to a radial drive wheel, and the Mk II builder brochure names Edson among its suppliers. The steering type rests on the Edson sheet alone.

Thrusters and steering are often replaced — check the units on your boat before ordering parts.

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.

Engines fitted

Generator

No generator in the Mk I brochure.

Manuals and brochures online

Hosted by the builder or an owners' association; they own the copyright.

Known problems for this model

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)
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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)

Model sources (10)

sailboatdata.com · goodoldboat.com · sailnet.com · sailnet.com · keelindex.com · breweryacht.com · en.wikipedia.org · sabreyachts25.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com · sabreyachts25.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com · edsonmarine.com

Other Sabre models

Researched from public sources. Spotted an error? The sources are listed above — tell us what they got wrong.