A stately lobster boat slips into Casco Bay. Her proud, flared bow pierces the morning fog, ably shouldering the sea. Laden with heavy traps stacked two-by-two on the long aft deck, the deep hull makes short work of the coastal waters. This is the type of Downeast icon that Maine-based shipyard Sabre thoughtfully reimagines in its 45 Salon Express, a recent model first launched in 2017.
The 45 SE is one of those goldilocks yachts that straddles the gap between dayboat and expedition yacht, designed for offshore cruising and onboard comfort. Following New England architect Matthew Frederick’s notion of ‘informed simplicity’, Sabre designs its yachts from the hull out, adapting the living spaces to the boat itself and allowing form to dictate function in new, wholly organic ways.
A stunning hardtop with teak beams sits aloft the wide, curved windows and sloping windshield surrounding the bright, welcoming salon. The lounge area is designed for maximum sociability, with a plush L-shaped sofa and gleaming teak table facing a long settee. Combined, they comfortably seat seven people.
Varnished cherrywood panels and light-toned upholstery give this space a cheerful, bright feeling by day, perfect for coffee and brunch. By night, the gentle glow of dimmable LED ceiling lights pacifies the dark horizon, transforming the space into a lively social club where cocktails and conversation can flow. The music flows, too, thanks to a Fusion Apollo Sound System with four Bluetooth speakers in the cockpit and salon. A sliding glass door and an aft bulkhead window open up the salon to the cockpit, allowing the party to circulate outside.
On a clear morning, the cockpit is the perfect place to sit with a warm cup of coffee in your hands. A U-shaped sofa sits against the transom towards the salon, wrapped around a teak table, opposite a nearby fold-up grill, sink, icemaker, and fridge. In the evening, this spot naturally lends itself to al fresco dining. It’s almost too easy to imagine cracking fresh crab over a newspaper flung across the teak table, savoring the delicate flavor as saltwater drips onto the headlines.
As you command the starboard helm, the first thing you notice isn’t the rich cherrywood windshield, the teak steering wheel, or the cutting-edge equipment, but the silence. The bottom, topsides and transom are made of resin-infused biaxial E-glass with a Corecell SAN foam core, while noise from the spotless white gel-coated engine room is dampened by a mylar-faced foam noise barrier. As a result, the standard 440-horsepower Volvo Penta IPS-600 D6 engines are quiet and cashmere-smooth cruising at around 22 knots, with a range of 355 knots according to Sabre’s own speed trial.
Cruising with a companion is easy and comfortable with two Ultraleather Stidd seats, while two Volvo-Garmin MFDs, armrest joystick, compass, switch controls, slow speed, single level, and cruise control software are intuitively placed and easy to access. A helm door to the starboard deck enhances visibility and makes maneuvering simple.
To port, the half-up galley is a masterpiece of elegant, functional design. Down three short steps to port of the helm, this galley’s unique positioning is both an aesthetic delight and a brilliant space-maximizing solution. Nestled beneath the curved side windows, the galley has everything you need to cook up a succulent meal, including a two-burner stove, sink, stainless-steel two-drawer refrigerator and 1-drawer freezer, convection microwave, and storage throughout. By playing with levels, Sabre has created a distinct space that remains in contact with the rest of the boat, while making room for a below-deck utility space reserved for washer/dryer units, freezers, or wine chillers.
A gentle forward companionway leads to a lower-deck foyer with the spacious owner’s suite at the bow. Light from an overhead skylight streams in, imparting an open, airy feeling to the space. Sumptuous horizontal cherrywood paneling embraces the queen island berth, while cherry hull ceilings are a crisscross of light tones and warm beams. A large cedar-lined hanging locker is found to starboard, perfect for storing your favorite items, while under-bed drawers and a four-drawer bureau to port offer additional storage. A truly private oasis, soft headliner panels minimize noise, while a chic pocket door leads straight to the relaxing en suite complete with a mirror-backed sink, toilet, shower, and opening porthole for airflow. Stainless-steel towel bars and a storage locker outboard of the shower ensure you have everything you need to stay dry and pampered close at hand.
Guests will enjoy the cozy, well-appointed twin cabin found to starboard of the lower foyer. Guests A skylight in the high, cherry hull ceilings makes this room feel spacious and bright. A long opening porthole provides further natural light and ventilation, while two twin beds offer rest and refuge to up to two people. A discreet cedar-lined storage locker sits near a full-length mirror, with enough room to access both – as a result, it’s easy to get dressed in here and try on different looks, a true luxury for a guest cabin on a boat of this size. Guests will enjoy private access to the day head, which features a solid surface countertop with semi-recessed sink, vanity cabinet, a cherry-trimmed mirror, separate shower stall, and an opening porthole.
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