Sabre 27

[suse]

Due to domestic disturbances I am having to sell my half of a Nab 35. I've been exploring other boat alternatives, coming up with the Halcyon 27, Halcyon Clipper, Hurley 27 and of course the Sabre 27. I'm quite taken with the Sabre 27, as it has the bilge keel option and obviously gets about a bit (Ken Endean's articles). I gather quite a lot of them have been fitted out by owners, so the spec and below stairs design will vary.

What's the best way to decide which Sabre 27 to buy out of those currently on offer (end april 2004). The price seems to vary considerably from below 10000 to nearly 20000 - what a gap! As with most people, money is an object, as is time - cant really run around the country too much, so need to know the state of a boat before deciding to go and see. I dont really want a wreck, but am quite happy with a basically sound boat needing some tlc. I'm not an electrician, nor a rigger.

All comments and suggestions gratefully received - thanks!


<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Mudhook]

I can recommend the Sabre 27 as an absolutely brilliant boat. I don't know what sort of sailing you have in mind, but from your short-list it seems obvious that you have given it some thought.

I bought an early one (c. 1970) last year for £10,000. It had been in an inland broker's yard for a couple of years and had originally been offered at £14,000. A lot of work had been done - new teak rubbing strake and deck joint re-sealed, new sea-cocks, new roller genoa, new engine mounts and Aquadrive - and we just dropped it in and went sailing on the east coast for the season. After a few weekends sorting poor instruments and lights and buying a few bits and bobs, that is.

After an extensive (and moderately expensive) winter refit in which we have completely rewired the boat, pulled the engine out and refurbished it, replaced log and depth instruments, and replaced the worn-out mainsail and some rigging, she is back in the water again.

There are a lot around and we rarely go to any marina without seeing one. Most seem in comparable condition to ours, perhaps a little bit tidier. Ours (a bilge keeler) sails well, handles quite rough east coast seas and looks after us. It's not fast but safe and with a lot of room below. Compared to the other boats you list I think the Sabre looks less dated and is very well designed.

Cabin space isn't perhaps ideal ergonomically - no chart table - but others seem to have different layouts. Only as much weather helm as you'd expect on a well set-up boat, and very good manners under power.

Prices are as you've quoted. I'd say ours might be worth £14,000 or £15,000 now we've done all the work.

Things to look out for are disintegrating rudder internals - some (most?) boats had non-stainless framework welded to stock. A compass will tell you which. Leaky deck joints, ancient winches and possibly a very old engine are also worth examining carefully. Ours has a Volvo MD7 fitted, I suspect, very secondhand by the previous owner. This is a fine and almost indestructible engine, but many will have had new motors in by now. Original mainsail fit was roller-boom reefing which in my view is just plain rubbish for sail shape. Replacement with slab reefing is almost universal but mainsail tack fitting may need to be home-made for this.

Owners' club is OK but fairly south-coast based, Ken Endean is Air Vice-Marshall or something of it. They run a website with a forum which is a bit clunky but has some knowledgeable folk who know almost everything at www.sabre27.org.uk; also a handbook/manual that details some common problems and mods.

If you want to know more, PM me by all means.

Regards, Mudhook



<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[dickh]

Have you also considered a Jaguar 27? Prices from about 10k to 15k depending on condition etc. When we were looking, we looked at most of the 27' boats and eventually settled for this J27. Roomy inside, excellent seaboats and plenty around. Most were fin keel, a few bilge keel(I think), I have sailed mine alll over the East Coast and across the water to Holland Belgium & France.
See their website <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.paul.absolon.unisonplus.net/>http://www.paul.absolon.unisonplus.net/</A> where there is a lot of info, and probably some for sale in the "For Sale" section.

<hr width=100% size=1>dickh
I'd rather be sailing... /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[johna]

Suse
Although an ex owner of a Sabre 27 I still manage the web site.

I do not know the price of any of the boats listed but the £20k is very much top price for a fairly new boat. I would be surprised if many top £15k and most less than that.

As for choosing between them if you are set on a Sabre have a look at one near you that is not for sale and get an idea of what might be available and what arrangement suits you best. If you PM me with your location I will ask a member to contact you. The web site Gallery shows different interiors and I can guarantee that at a rally of fifteen boats all will be different in some respect but all good value both from the point of view of accommodation and seaworthyness (if there is such a word). You will not find many wrecks amongst them.

As Mudhook says there are many knowledgable owners in the Association that post on the web site. I exclude myself from that but do try and get discussions going or add my bit when I can.

BTW Mudhook I do not see you in the list of members but you appear happy to visit the site. There are over 20 members on the East coast so you could join in their rallies. Ken is Commodore as are other heads of sailing associations.

Re Mudhook comments there are not many sea going boats without chart tables. The design allowed for either a sliding or folding table over the Port Quarterberth.

PM me for more info.

John



<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Mudhook]

John A is very self-effacing about not being one of the knowledgeable folk of the S27OA - he is in fact a prime source of great knowledge and wisdom about all things Sabre. Mudhook is actually a paid-up S27OA-er, it's just that my sailing partner keeps the ship's books and gets the newsletter first. If I had known that John was aboard the PBO forum I wouldn't have bothered to write anything - he is about 5,000 times better informed on the Sabre than I am.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[mowgli]

hi suse,re sabre 27 we were originally looking for a centaur october last year but the more i talked to various people the less i liked the idea of floppy fins ,one of the boats that was suggested to me by a man that sells westerleys not far from portsmouth was the sabre 27. i thank him for sowing the idea!
we are very pleased with ours purchased last october and re-fitted through winter lay up ,re-painted etc we now have a boat that will do all we ask it too and the starting price was very reasonable owing to it needing what was called a cosmetic re fit.
the boat sails very well and is built to my mind to handle some rough treatment i would certainly not have a centaur over the sabre as i think alan hill the designer got things as right as they can be.

<hr width=100% size=1>