I'm looking at buying a Sabre 34 mark 1. The steering pedestal was very loose on the first boat I saw and a little loose on the second Sabre. Is that an indicator of deck rot? Do the Sabres tend to develop rot in those areas or would that happen with any boat from 1978-1980? I really appreciate your help! Please chime in with any thoughts which might help! Thanks
Sabre
- Thread starter Shoshana
- Start date
Two of the locals here have Sabres. All I can offer is neither of them ever had this problem as far as I know. It should be simple to tell if any core rot in the cockpit sole exists. If you are unsure how, solicit a local friendly sailor who should be able to advise you how to check.
If the pedestal moves but the deck doesn’t, it’s poorly fastened. A rotted core will flex easily.
If the pedestal moves but the deck doesn’t, it’s poorly fastened. A rotted core will flex easily.
Thanks! Do you know how I would fix the pedestal if it is poorly fastened? Do you know the ballpark for what it would cost the yard to do?
If it’s poorly fastened it’s a pretty easy fix. It’s probably through bolted with the nuts accessible underneath. Tightening the nuts is trivially easy. Ideally you’d rebed the bolts in the process to prevent any new leaks, which could be just a little more involved.
If the core is rotten it’s a bigger project to repair, but not impossible. The rotten wood needs to be scraped or ground out, new core added, and new fiberglass applied to rebuild the area. A surveyor could tell you if there’s rot and how far it extends.
If the core is rotten it’s a bigger project to repair, but not impossible. The rotten wood needs to be scraped or ground out, new core added, and new fiberglass applied to rebuild the area. A surveyor could tell you if there’s rot and how far it extends.
Sabres of that vintage have a thick plywood backing plate under the deck for the pedestal. If it has deteriorated, it is in boat terms a relatively easy fix and it is sort of accessible.
Sabre 34s, 36s, and 38s have an issue with the mast step. The drain was not well designed and water can become trapped causing rot. Many of these have been fixed by now.
While you will find many knowledgeable sailors here on SBO, the Sabre experts are on Groups.io and the Sabre Facebook Group. If you post this same question there people who own S34s will respond. There are over 1,000 people on the Groups.io board and around 1,500 on FB. Note that I am a moderator on the FB group.
But don't give up the ship here, you will find a lot of good reliable information at SBO and great bunch of people.
groups.io
Sabre 34s, 36s, and 38s have an issue with the mast step. The drain was not well designed and water can become trapped causing rot. Many of these have been fixed by now.
While you will find many knowledgeable sailors here on SBO, the Sabre experts are on Groups.io and the Sabre Facebook Group. If you post this same question there people who own S34s will respond. There are over 1,000 people on the Groups.io board and around 1,500 on FB. Note that I am a moderator on the FB group.
But don't give up the ship here, you will find a lot of good reliable information at SBO and great bunch of people.
SabreSailboat@groups.io | Messages
groups.io
Thanks so much For clarifying that. BTW, do you know what the headroom is in the 34’ 1981 model? Thanks for the tip on the FB and groups page. Will join!