South by Down East
It took only seconds after stepping from the warm cockpit for the cold November wind coming off the Sound to chill me to the core. Windswept sea mist hung heavy in the air. I snapped a few photos and then quickly retreated to the Sabre 51’s salon, grateful for its warm embrace. Through massive windows, the late-autumn sun bathed the cherry interior in a golden glow. It felt like walking into a ski lodge warmed by a crackling fire after a long day on the slopes.
I found a seat beside Capt. Mark Harold at the helm, content to watch the horizon for a while. His friend, Chris—who had joined him as crew on the delivery run from Maine to Jupiter, Florida—emerged from the massive lower galley with a warm sandwich, chips, and grapes for the captain. They were in the middle of a two-day sprint through a fleeting weather window; he’d earned a good meal, I thought. Then Chris handed me a warmed bowl of homemade shepherd’s pie. I’d only been aboard for all of 60 minutes and certainly had not earned that hospitality. But that didn’t stop me from devouring it; Momma didn’t raise me to be rude. After my second homemade oatmeal raisin cookie, I knew joining the trip to New Jersey was a mistake—I was now thoroughly spoiled and would never look at cruising the same way again.
Sufficiently full and warm, the Sabre felt seriously comfortable. I dared not venture into one of the three staterooms below for fear I’d nap the entire trip away. But the main reason for my comfort—besides the aforementioned calories—was the Sabre 51’s incredibly smooth running surface (the boat had splashed just a couple of days prior), and its Volvo Penta IPS 800 hearts. Despite the short, stacked chop, we sliced through the seas at 25 knots, a speed she seemed happy to hold all day long.
After a few hours running along the Sound—which caused us all to remark on just how long Long Island really is—the seas laid down, gifting us an almost mirror-flat surface to skate across as the sun sank behind the skyscrapers on the horizon. Before turning into the East River, I diverted slightly from our delivery path to run a two-way speed test and carve some turns. The 51 doesn’t bank hard; in fact, with Trim Assist on, she hardly heeled at all. Her bow simply and gracefully slides into a hard turn. This was yet another moment when I thought, this boat is just freakin’ comfortable.
Our speed runs revealed a very respectable top end of 32.7 knots and a comfortable, impressively efficient 39-gph fuel burn at our preferred 25-knot cruise. Sliding back to 10.8 knots yields an extended range of roughly 540 miles.
I’ve been lucky to cruise up New York’s East River a few times—and it never gets old. Humming along to boating legend Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind,” I took in the skyscrapers and thought about the millions of residents who call Manhattan home. So many people, and we traded wakes with only two other recreational boats. How lucky am I?
Before long, and just as the sky was truly growing dark, we pulled into New Jersey’s Liberty Landing Marina—a recommended stop for those looking to discover the Big Apple by boat. With the maneuverability IPS is famous for, Capt. Mark slid us sideways into a face dock and tied up for the night. It had been an incredibly rich—calorically and conversationally—four-hour run.
Nasty winds would keep Mark and Chris stuck in New Jersey for a few days before they could continue their delivery south. Had they been departing the next morning, I would’ve been hard-pressed not to keep going with them. Fall cruising—especially deep into the season when most boats have been shrouded in shrink wrap for weeks—can feel downright magical, especially when you’re aboard such a smooth-riding and, one more time for the road, comfortable boat.
Sabre 51 Test Report:
Sabre 51 Specifications:
LOA: 57’5”
Beam: 15’11”
Draft: 4’1”
Displ.: 43,500 lb.
Fuel: 600 gal.
Water: 160 gal.
Power: 2/600-hp Volvo Penta IPS800
