Sabre 28 cruising speed

Sep 15, 2019
20
Yamaha 33a san juan islands
First post.
I have #579 Sabre 28...love the boat.
Engine is Westerbeke 13 and prop is 2 blade 14x10.
Can owners tell me what speed you get at 2600-2800 rpm.....or whatever you cruise at.
With a fresh painted and clean bottom I am not getting over 4.5 knots at 2600-2800 rpm...seems slow.
Max rpm is 3250 in neutral....3150 under power...maybe a little over 5knots at full rpm.
 
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Mar 29, 2017
576
Hunter 30t 9805 littlecreek
You may think the bottom is clean but is it really clean. Also how heavy is boat. Sounds like clogged exhaust riser. I'd run it wide open and see if it builds power. Over time but 6 knots is all your gonna get. Motor sail in good wind maybe 7 knots
 
Sep 15, 2019
20
Yamaha 33a san juan islands
Thanks for the reply.
I read somebody here got 6.8 knots cruising speed.
I kind of thought 6 knots would be close to top speed.
Appreciate your thoughts.
 
Nov 22, 2011
1,192
Ericson 26-2 San Pedro, CA
First post.
I have #579 Sabre 28...love the boat.
Engine is Westerbeke 13 and prop is 2 blade 14x10.
Can owners tell me what speed you get at 2600-2800 rpm.....or whatever you cruise at.
With a fresh painted and clean bottom I am not getting over 4.5 knots at 2600-2800 rpm...seems slow.
Max rpm is 3250 in neutral....3150 under power...maybe a little over 5knots at full rpm.
Have you confirmed your actual engine RPM with an optical tach? You can pick up one inexpensively from, e.g., Harbor Freight.
 
May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
First of all, how are you measuring speed? Speed over the water (knot meter), or speed over the bottom (GPS)? Second, how have you measured RPM; have you certified the accuracy of the tachometer? Boat speed is usually measured by the average of two runs in reciprocal headings over a known distance. (to eliminate the effect of wind and currents) What is the wet weight of your boat, it could be underpowered.
 
Sep 15, 2019
20
Yamaha 33a san juan islands
I appreciate your reply.
I was hoping to compare with another Sabre 28 owner...almost 600 were produced.
I may have put this in the wrong forum.
Specs for my engine match my rpm.
Speed is my knot meter and I was matching boat speed with another boat using there gps.
Just trying to figure out how fast a Sabre 28 is under power.
Thanks
 
Nov 22, 2011
1,192
Ericson 26-2 San Pedro, CA
I appreciate your reply.
I was hoping to compare with another Sabre 28 owner...almost 600 were produced.
I may have put this in the wrong forum.
Specs for my engine match my rpm.
Speed is my knot meter and I was matching boat speed with another boat using there gps.
Just trying to figure out how fast a Sabre 28 is under power.
Thanks
Unless you have confirmed the rpm with an optical tach, you really do not know whether the tach on your engine panel is correct. They typically are off--sometimes by quite a bit.

Get yourself one of these and remove that variable from the equation: Digital Photo Sensor Tachometer
 

Piotr

.
Dec 6, 2010
848
MacGregor 25 Rock Hall, MD
I do not
First post.
I have #579 Sabre 28...love the boat.
Engine is Westerbeke 13 and prop is 2 blade 14x10.
Can owners tell me what speed you get at 2600-2800 rpm.....or whatever you cruise at.
With a fresh painted and clean bottom I am not getting over 4.5 knots at 2600-2800 rpm...seems slow.
Max rpm is 3250 in neutral....3150 under power...maybe a little over 5knots at full rpm.
I think I have never went faster than 5.5kts. EVER. And I have a 20hp kubota diesel with 400 hrs. .
 
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Sep 15, 2019
20
Yamaha 33a san juan islands
Must be nice to have 20hp.....I have two martecs I will put on this spring...14x10 and a 15x9....going to pick one of them. Can't wait to see what speed will be under sail and power.
Thznks for your input. I figured 5 to 5.5knts would be top speed under power...always hoping for more.
Dan
 
Jan 13, 2009
391
J Boat 92 78 Sandusky
I had a 76 Sabre 28 for 20 years-A4- 30 hp, 18 at prop. Cruise speed between 6-2 and 6.3 in flat water. That's SOG. No current where I sail. I also had similar sized boat (C&C 29-2) with a 2GMF Yanmar (13 hp at prop). Averaged 6.2-6.3 (2800 rpm)in flat water. Both had Martec folding props. I would think you should get 6 knots in flat water with your set up. Top speed under power SOG was 11.5 knots under the Bluewater Bridge. (5.5k
bwb01.jpg
not current)
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,989
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
Fouling of the prop, not even by all that much, will cause a loss of horse power (thrust). You describe a situation similar to what I experienced in my Pearson 30. Get it scrubbed good, all around. Yard people probably wouldn’t do that for you if in just for bottom paint. If you did not inspect and did not do it yourself, it’s likely not done.

A Sabre 28 has a rated (calculated) hull speed of 6.3 to 6.5 kt with a LWL @ 22.8 ft. But, you’d still need the power and efficient thrust to make that.
 
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May 6, 2020
2
Saber S-28 first gen Holland, Michigan
Howdy fellow S28 owner. I recently purchased a 1975 Sabre S28 first gen. There are 3 generations of this model. I have the 30 horse atomic 4, 2 blade prop and under power I am getting about 4.5 knots ( gps) clean bottom, I have seen 9 + knots under sail. Who cares about how fast it is under power?!?! That is for getting away from the dock it’s a SAILBOAT sail that bad ass s.o.b.
 
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Jul 27, 2011
4,989
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
I question whether anyone can sail, or motor, a 28-ft sailboat at 9 kt STW unless “surfing” down a wave, which would be only momentary. A comparatively-sustained 9 kt SOG would be possible if the boat were in a 3-kt current, but only while in that current. STW would remain near 6.5 kt, at best. A 9-kt hull speed is the domain of the 50 footers.
 
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