The elegance of fine woodworking

At a time when European boat builders are staining their interior woods so dark that one cannot even tell if the wood is actually wood or some look-alike and many boat builders here in the USA are following like lemmings, I love to brag to the world about what goes on in our cabinetry shops here in Maine.

 

 

These two images of the new Sabre 48 Salon ExpressSalon and Helm show the true beauty of the American cherry wood that we use for our interior furniture. Note the inlays in the salon table top and in the small end table, aft of the helm chair. Only on a Maine built boat will you find such elegant details. It makes me very proud to be associated with these skilled boat builders.

Sensational Sabre 48 Salon Express

It's frustrating for so many people who follow the development of a new model on the Sabre blog. Everyone wants images of the new design but until the boat is 100% built, the soft goods are installed and she is in her (water) element, good images are hard to get. Then suddenly she is a living thing with her crew aboard, living the dream. And oh what a dream it has been for the owners of Rooster's Tale, our first Sabre 48 Salon Express. I observed owners John and Madeline as we ran the boat for other owners, new prospects and the press. The words "awesome" and "unbelievable" were uttered over and over again.

What I love about boating and about building boats for couples like John and Madeline is the love that people show for their boats and for their water environment. People adopt different personalities when they are away from the anxieties of day to day life. Boating soothes the soul and brings smiles to faces.

 
Certainly there were anxious moments as the Sabre 48 evolved and became what she is today but at the end of it all, there is one very happy, very humble and very sweet couple who now will spend endless days aboard Rooster's Tale, living their dream with their family and friends.

Fair Winds John and Maddie!

Flash - Sabre 48 Sea Trials Show Strong Results

Today was our first official sea trial day for the Sabre 48 Salon Express. The engineering team that created her and all of us here in South Casco and Rockland are smiling as they should be, given the results.

 
The Sabre Design Team exceeded both our performance and our noise abatement goals. Top speeds exceeded 33 knots and sound levels in the main salon were measured at just over 75 Db. Those are really great numbers, no matter what your point of comparison. I'll be able to post the actual test results here in a few days once we have made sure that everything checks out.

I've been doing my best to stay out of their way as their work to prove out all of the systems continues but tomorrow morning I get a turn on board and I can't wait to feel her under my feet. More tomorrow