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Hi,
I am considering purchasing a Sabre more than likely in the New Year and I would appreciate some comments from those of you more learned than I about what I should be considering when buying a Sabre. Such as:
1. Plywood or Glass?? I am a member of a club sailing on Port Philip Bay and I have read that Plywood may be better than glass…is this correct?
2. Do I really have to be around 80kilos??…polite answers would be greatly appreciated
3. I am planning more than club racing, so are the newer boats more able to handle the conditions of Port Phil. Bay than the older??
4. How often should ply boats be maintained v. glass boats?
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated…Thanks in anticipation…
I’ll have a go at this!
1. The glass hulls have become popular of late with the YMS from SA being favoured. They seem to have become more competitive but that may be because the hot skippers are getting into them – the upcoming Nats at Safety Beach may settle this question. Certainly there is not much difference between the two types.
2. Skipper weight around 70 to 80 kg seems to be OK but the boat will carry lardarses like me (100kg) but don’t expect to beat the hot, light and fit sailors at championship level.
3. Beware of older glass boats – a few around the 1000 sail number have fallen to bits. There are many quite old boats competing successfully – watch out for Michael Tollhurst in 289 at Safety Beach. It would be worth your while coming down to the Nats and have a look at the boats there – old, new and in between.
4. Maintenance depends on how good your routine care for your boat is – keep running onto or dragging it over gritty beaches and neither type will last long. I would expect to do fairly major maintenance on my Johnson ply hull – repaint etc. – every 3 to 4 years with a bit of touching up of fins and wear spots in between. If you are towing it weekly make sure your trailer is as gentle on the boat as you can. Store it under cover in between uses. Wash it down after racing if you must, but I don’t think this enhances the life of the hull – in fact a bit of salt in the hull may protect it from rot. I did have a Sabre years ago that had aggregated a lot of salt in the klinki ply side deck thru being stored upside down with water in it, and this was a real bitch to dry out and clean up for revarnishing – in the end I reclad the deck.
Mike Simpson
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