The Florida-based couple explained to me that they were winding down from their full-time work lives. They had plans to spend more time cruising, but not down South. They have a part-time home in the Pine Tree State, but would soon leave their Sunshine State residence behind for a full-time life in New England. The move would come with liveaboard and serious voyaging plans, and the Sabre Yachts 43 Salon Express we were aboard was on their shortlist because their current outboard-powered vessel lacks the layout and amenities for a true cruising campaign.
I was sitting at the salon’s L-shaped dinette to starboard, with a standard high-gloss cherry-wood high-low table and pillow-soft seating. The couple kicked back on the straight settee to port as they told me their story. Looking around this space, the why of their choice came into focus.
First, there’s the cozy like home factor we were experiencing. The 43’s salon has a warm, welcoming, standard teak-and-holly sole, enhanced by equally warm, welcoming, grain-matched, satin-finish cherry wood—also standard. This wood combination is found throughout the yacht’s interior. It’s easy to envision an early morning sitting at the dinette, feet up with hot coffee made at the open galley just a couple of steps down from the salon. Maybe watch the 32-inch flip-down TV as the vessel’s optional 480 hp Volvo Penta IPS10-650 diesels warm up for the day’s adventure. (The 380 hp IPS-500s are standard.)
The galley is to port and down, barely, and it is bright and airy. Three front windows are gently raked, creating an atrium effect over the L-shaped galley, which also benefits from the side windows amping up the natural-light quotient. The salon has curved glass wrapping around its after section, providing views of the cockpit corners, as opposed to a squared-off bulkhead that forces the skipper to move their head to catch the view aft. This curved glass is a clever bit of engineering and manufacturing, and not something I’ve seen on a yacht of this size.
The galley is also well-equipped for meal prep with a solid-surface countertop, stainless-steel undermount sink, Cuisinart convection/microwave oven, two-burner Kenyon induction cooktop, and Vitrifrigo two-drawer fridge and freezer. Induction cooktops use around 5 percent to 10 percent less energy than their electric counterparts, and they are generally safer because the surface only gets hot once pots or pans are placed on the burners. (Induction cooktops generate heat via an electromagnetic field.)
In addition to taking meals in the salon, owners can sit at a U-shaped dinette across from the galley that Sabre calls the hybrid lounge. The seating and table convert to a double berth with a 6-inch foam mattress for the kids or occasional guests.
Owners take their slumber in the master stateroom forward. This stateroom has an island berth with a 9-inch latex mattress, which generally means durability and supports the body better than memory foam, a positive attribute when the plan is extended voyages and being a seasonal—or longer—liveaboard. The owner’s stateroom also has a Samsung flat-screen TV, four drawers to port, and a cedar-lined locker to starboard to stow clothes and gear.
There is a single head on board the 43, and the master stateroom has direct access to it. There is additional guest access off the companionway. The head has a Tecma toilet and a separate stall shower with an acrylic door. There is a sink here, along with solid-surface countertops and a deck hatch above for fresh air ventilation.
The Sabre 43 Salon Express surely felt the part of ready-to-run cruiser as I looked around, but the question remained: Does this well-proportioned and nicely outfitted downeast design, with its timeless lines and modern powerplants, have the performance to match?
Running in calm water with seven people aboard and about two-thirds of the 432-gallon fuel tank full, the boat came on plane in rapid fashion. It soon hit an effortless 30-knot cruise speed at 3,300 rpm while the engines burned right around 37 gallons of fuel per hour. Considering a 10 percent reserve, there is about a 315-nautical-mile range at this speed. Push those single-lever throttles on the pins at 3,700 rpm, and this 43-footer makes about 35 knots while burning 49 gph, resulting in a range of about 278 nautical miles. That’s solid performance for a yacht with a 30,800-pound half-load displacement.
The efficiency is partly thanks to the IPS propulsion package, but it’s also because that package works in lockstep with the 43’s modified-V hull form, which has 15 degrees of transom deadrise and 21 degrees amidships. It creates an easy-to-plane and stable running surface.
Supporting this hull form is robust construction, with the yacht’s hull bottom and topsides built via resin-infused biaxial E-glass with Corecell foam for strength without added weight. The stringer system is also built with E-glass and a foam core for a strong backbone.
In addition to build strength, the 43 has a yacht-quality level of fit-and-finish at all points, from the joinerwork to the see-your-face-in-it hull paint. The designers also optimized onboard real estate in every way I could see.
As I write this, I don’t know if the couple I met ultimately ordered the Sabre 43 Salon Express. But as I was leaving the boat, I saw them sitting comfortably in the salon, taking in the layout and seeming to be in no hurry to disembark. That’s always a good sign.
Helm It Your Way
The Sabre 43 Salon Express has a proper helm setup in that there are standard—and quite comfortable—Stidd seats with fold-down footrests. Sightlines are unobstructed, even when the boat is coming onto plane. The single-lever throttles and joystick are positioned within arm’s reach, multifunction displays are in the line of sight, and there is side-deck access for line handling when cruising shorthanded.
Assisted Docking
This 43 Salon Express is equipped with Volvo Penta’s Assisted Docking system. It let our captain create a perimeter or lane for the yacht. Push the joystick forward, and the boat moves forward in the preset lane. Create a perimeter, and the boat moves within the circle. Not sure what to do? Let the joystick go, and the yacht holds position. The system worked smoothly and came in handy while waiting for bridges.
The Great Outdoors
Cruising is the primary mission of the Sabre 43 Salon Express, and part of the cruising experience is entertaining friends and family. The cockpit is well-suited for the task. Entrance is gained via a transom door off the swim platform to starboard. There is an L-shaped settee to port, set around a high-gloss wood table for alfresco meals. Flanking the sliding glass doors on centerline are two aft-facing seats for taking in the view underway.
Take the next step: sabreyachts.com
