Sabre 30

About the Sabre 30

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

Built

1979–1993

Builder

Sabre Yachts

Designer

Roger Hewson

Length

29.92 ft

Waterline

24 ft

Beam

10 ft

Displacement

8,600 lb

Ballast

3,400 lb

Hull / keel

fin keel

Rig

sloop

Propulsion

inboard

Fuel

20 gal

Water

varies by year

Holding

30 gal

Water heater

factory option

Stern thruster

not fitted

Steering

pedestal cable · Edson

Sources disagree on draft — left blank rather than guessed.

Specs shown are the Mk I (sailboatdata 30-1, hulls 1-100, 1979-82). Mk II (1983) had the same dimensions with more ballast; Mk III (1986) grew to 30.58 ft LOA, 10.5 ft beam, 9,400 lb, 3,800 lb ballast, 5.25 ft draft (Good Old Boat saildata). End year disputed: SpinSheet says literature lists it to 1991 but post-1989 boats are rare; Good Old Boat and keelindex say 1993. Shoal-draft version offered. Water tank options ranged 22-70 gal. Hull hand-laid solid glass (GOB: solid below the waterline); deck balsa-cored; hull-deck joint on inward flange, mechanically fastened. Galley and nav station swapped sides in the Mk III. Hull material left null: Good Old Boat saildata says the Mk III is solid below the waterline only, and SpinSheet does not state solid vs cored.

Engines fitted

• Volvo Penta MD7A — 13 hp, diesel, single standard
  Early Mk I. The Sabre 30 owner's manual has MD7A wiring for hulls 30001-30013, and sailboatdata's 30-1 record lists a Volvo as original (both search excerpts). Good Old Boat profiles an owner with a 13-hp Volvo MD 7A, and listingsport says early boats used 13-hp Volvo or Westerbeke diesels.
  Sources: goodoldboat.com · listingsport.com · sailnow.com · sailboatdata.com · yachtworld.com
• Westerbeke W-13 — 13 hp, diesel, single standard
  Later Mk I and Mk II. Sailboatdata's 30-2 record lists a 13-hp Westerbeke. 1981 and 1982 boats list a Westerbeke W-13 / W13 (search excerpts: SailNet, YachtWorld, sailboatlistings).
  Sources: sailboatdata.com · listingsport.com · sailnet.com · yachtworld.com · sailboatlistings.com
• Westerbeke 20B — 18 hp, diesel, single standard
  Mk III (hulls 137-244). Sailboatdata's 30-3 record (search excerpt) and listingsport give an 18-hp Westerbeke. A 1990 boat for sale lists a Westerbeke 20B at 18 hp, and a 1987 boat lists an '18 HP Westerbeke M20B' (search excerpt).
  Sources: boatzon.com · sailboatdata.com · listingsport.com · boats.com

Boats of the same model can differ — check which engines yours actually has before ordering parts.

Generator

No generator in any of the three brochures.

Manuals and brochures online

• Brochure Sabre 30 Series I brochure — sabreyachts25.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com
• Brochure Sabre 30 Series II brochure — sabreyachts25.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com
• Brochure Sabre 30 Series III brochure — sabreyachts25.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com

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

Known problems for this model

• Osmotic blisters on Mk I/II hull
  Blistering, sometimes severe, is common on Mk I and Mk II hulls; the Mk III used vinylester in the outer layers and is less prone.
  spinsheet.com
• Wet balsa deck core at hardware deck
  Some handrails and deck hardware were bolted through the balsa-cored deck without sealing the core, so rotten or delaminated deck sections are commonly found.
  spinsheet.com
• Underpowered 13 hp engines, noisy under power engine
  The 13 hp Volvo/Westerbeke engines of Mk I and early Mk II boats are marginal for a boat of nearly 9,000 lb; later 18 hp Westerbekes are better. Engine-space insulation is poor, so the boat is loud under power.
  spinsheet.com
• Mast step drainage and rot hull
  A forum thread on the Sabre 30 Mk III flags water running down the mast and collecting at the mast step as a key check on these boats.
  forums.sailinganarchy.com

Engines & parts

Steering

Other Sabre models

• Sabre 28 1971–1986
• Sabre 34 1976–?
• Sabre 36 1985–1990
• Sabre 38 Mk I 1981–1987