Bluewater Sales Professional and Downeast enthusiast, Chris Hall Jr. explains, “Original designs had very proud and tall bowswithwidebeams for stability. The heritage is rooted in the watermen who earned their living on these vessels.” Hall admits that Downeast vessels were pretty simple, without a lot of bells and whistles, but Sabre sought to build on that in the 1990s. “Beautifully handcrafted interiors built from hardwoods, creature comforts that were unheard of, including air conditioning, all with the smooth, dry ride that the downeast style boats were known for.” A MODERN INTERPRETATION In 1989, after enjoying nearly two decades of success building sailboats, Sabre Yachts worked to develop the first Sabreline motoryacht, dubbed the 36 “Fast Trawler.” Naturally, they were influenced by their local Maine traditions, and it was easy to spot the Downeast heritage that was intentionally penned into the company’s first motoryachts. Easy on the eyes, but also very seaworthy, steady and dependable, the first Sabre motoryachts became highly sought after and their popularity continues today with used examples from the era still fetching six figures. Situated in Raymond, Maine—and their composites outfit and sister company, Back Cove Yachts located in nearby Rockland— Sabre is every bit a Mainer Downeast motoryacht. Sabre states that their range of motoryachts is a development of the comfort and tradition of the Downeast style, blended with the luxury and performance of a contemporary yacht. Today, the timeless style is reflected throughout every inch of the Sabre and Back Cove model lineups. While the overall look and running attitudes pay homage to the early Maine lobster boats, below the waterline is where things have grown increasingly high tech. In addition to using modern composite materials, Sabre has moved beyond the traditional keel layout to develop their own modifiedvee hull design. This was a logical step as the company evolved workboat concepts of the past to meet market demands. Innovations and solutions had to be made to deliver quicker recreational vessels, especially as the use of twin engines became more popular to push larger and larger luxury vessels. Additional development of the hull designs has progressed as Sabre introduced pod drive options from Volvo and Cummins, and Back Cove recently introduced their first outboard models. Each power innovation necessitates new design choices to improve performance and efficiency. Having sold countless boats from Sabre and sister company Back Cove, Hall explains what it is about these boats that draws the customers in, Modern hull infusion techniques would look like alien technology to the early Downeast pioneers
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