# Sabre 38 vs Wauquiez 38



## bradphoto (Oct 6, 2005)

I am looking to buy a boat around 38 feet with good offshore capabilities but reasonably fast and elegant.
I love the Sabre 38 mkll, well built and extremely beautiful but found storage a little limited as we would be spending 1 month to 6 weeks cruising at a stretch. The one I looked at was a cb so no bilge space and lockers taken up with tanks, calorifiers and pumps.
I am also cosidering looking at the Wauquiez 38's both Hood mkll and Centurion as they seem to be very well built and good sailing boats. The 2 private sleeping cabins are a must.
I have been on a Centurion 40 and was very impressed by the internal volume of the hull but as yet have never seen a 38.
Does anyone have any views or perhaps may have sailed on a Sabre and a Wauquiez.The Tartan 372 also looks a stunning boat but I need some opinions as I am on the wrong side of the pond to view any!
Any help appreciated.

Andrew.


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## olson34 (Oct 13, 2000)

*Where... ?*



Andrewbradley said:


> Does anyone have any views or perhaps may have sailed on a Sabre and a Wauquiez.The Tartan 372 also looks a stunning boat but I need some opinions as I am on the wrong side of the pond to view any!
> Any help appreciated.
> 
> Andrew.


Your personal profile is _blank_... Any particular "pond?" 

L


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

His mention of a 'calorifier' makes me think Europe....


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Olson34-

The pond is British euphemism for the Atlantic ocean. Calorifiers are the British way of saying WATER HEATER... Though it should be STOWAGE on a boat, not STORAGE.... STORAGE is for landlubbers.


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## sidney777 (Jul 14, 2001)

I bet he learned his lesson. How dare he come on here and ask sensible questions ?


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## olson34 (Oct 13, 2000)

*Geography and language*

I suspect that Faster has it pegged. Sailingdog, otoh, has his caps key stuck again....

Main point is that a lot of new posters (and some not so new) log into boards like these with zero info in their bio. Then they ask questions that are actually vessel or location specific.
It helps a lot when they fill in the basics of where they sail or live and what sort of boat they have - if they have one.

Regards,
L


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

olson34 said:


> I suspect that Faster has it pegged. Sailingdog, otoh, has his caps key stuck again....


NO, THE CAPS LOCK ISN'T STUCK.



> Main point is that a lot of new posters (and some not so new) log into boards like these with zero info in their bio. Then they ask questions that are actually vessel or location specific.
> It helps a lot when they fill in the basics of where they sail or live and what sort of boat they have - if they have one.
> 
> Regards,
> L


That's why I wrote the post that I link to in my signature, since it helps people hit the ground running with hints like how to make a good OP in a thread and such.  (see, told ya it wasn't stuck...almost no caps here... :laugher)


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## PalmettoSailor (Mar 7, 2006)

Andrewbradley said:


> I am looking to buy a boat around 38 feet with good offshore capabilities but reasonably fast and elegant.
> I love the Sabre 38 mkll, well built and extremely beautiful but found storage a little limited as we would be spending 1 month to 6 weeks cruising at a stretch. The one I looked at was a cb so no bilge space and lockers taken up with tanks, calorifiers and pumps.
> I am also cosidering looking at the Wauquiez 38's both Hood mkll and Centurion as they seem to be very well built and good sailing boats. The 2 private sleeping cabins are a must.
> I have been on a Centurion 40 and was very impressed by the internal volume of the hull but as yet have never seen a 38.
> ...


For what its worth I crewed on a Tartan 40 and had some friends that had a Tartan 372. The 372 was a lot like the 40 on deck, but I liked the below deck layout of the 40 much better than the 372. I even prefered the layout of the older Tartan 37 better than the 372, but still probably would have chosen a 372 over the 37 assuming that is you could find one for sale. It seems they didn't build a whole lot of either of those boats and there generally aren't a bunch on the market even over here on the East Coast of the US. That said, I'd suggest you at least see what Tartan 40's might be available. (Its got the Scheel Keel like the 372.)

The Sabre 38 is a beautiful boat but as you say, perhaps better suited to coastal crusing due to limited storage and tankage.

I was advised to take a look at the Hood's, but none were on the market in my area when I was last shopping for a boat.

I did look at a couple of Wauquiez Pretorian 35's but alas, the one that was in good enough condition and well equipped enough to have overruled my spouses objections, proved beyond my financial reach. The ones in my price range were too hard a sale to get past the financial review of my wife. If you can get by with a slightly smaller boat, this might be a good one to consider.


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## bradphoto (Oct 6, 2005)

My god you're a touchy bunch!
Just filled in my profile so sorry for my lack of experience on the forum. ....At least your detective work was good and guessed the correct continent!
I am currently between boats having just sold my Tayana 37.
Thanks midlifesailor for the views on the 372. The tartan 40 looks a beautiful boat and I quite like the unusual layout of the nav station aft of the galley.
Andrew.


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## hwlovett (May 28, 2008)

I sailed on a Hood Little Harbor 38 for a number of years, although I don't think it was a Wauquiez. It was an extremely well built boat, and a very strong performer with a 126 rating that it sailed to. There was not a stern cabin on that boat, only a quarterberth, and I believe this boat had lockers rather than pilot berths.


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## PalmettoSailor (Mar 7, 2006)

Andrewbradley said:


> My god you're a touchy bunch!
> Just filled in my profile so sorry for my lack of experience on the forum. ....At least your detective work was good and guessed the correct continent!
> I am currently between boats having just sold my Tayana 37.
> Thanks midlifesailor for the views on the 372. The tartan 40 looks a beautiful boat and I quite like the unusual layout of the nav station aft of the galley.
> Andrew.


Despite crewing on the T40 for 2 seasons I didn't realize it was another S&S design until I looked online today. I also didn't realize that it seems many of them are keel centerboarders like the T37 was. The T40 I crewed on was fixed keel with a Scheel keel as was our friends 372 (I do think all the 372's are fixed keel, but I could be wrong on that also).


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## Sabreman (Sep 23, 2006)

As you can tell by my screen name, I have a Sabre 38 and before that a Sabre 28; a Sabre owner since 1986. Obviously, I can write quite a bit about these boats. For 4-6 weeks sailing, I don't think that the tankage is too little but that's me. For us, (mom, dad, teen, teen's guest) we have plenty of space; most of our lockers are empty.

I'd rather not get into a boat vs. boat comparison. Both are great. I'd recommend looking at each and going with you instincts. If you have specific questions, I can probably answer them.


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## bradphoto (Oct 6, 2005)

Thanks Sabreman...great screen name! Sounds like you should be on the big screen with that super hero name.
Decision made and offer accepted on Sabre 38 mkll. Subject to survey we should be the proud new owners soon all being well.
It was just the sheer class of the sabre that captured our hearts and we are looking forward to finding out how good she sails later this year.

Andrew.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Andrewbradley said:


> ........Decision made and offer accepted on Sabre 38 mkll. Subject to survey we should be the proud new owners soon all being well.


Congratulations... best wishes for the coming season!


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## Sabreman (Sep 23, 2006)

Congratulations! If you have any questions at all, PM me. In addition to our Sabres, we crewed on a 34 when we were first married (before we bought our own) so we know the boats of this vintage quite well.

I love the look of these boats and their elegance. Certainly there are more rugged offshore boats and faster ones too, but for the money there are few more classy. Sabre ought to pay me for this stuff .... :laugher 

Good luck.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

Spoken like a true Sabreman

Good luck on your new 38...they are great boats


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## mgmhead (Jan 14, 2007)

Pride of ownership comes naturally to a Sabre owner...


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## Sabreman (Sep 23, 2006)

> Pride of ownership comes naturally to a Sabre owner...


Along with a lot of bills..... 

When we bought our GP14 (at age 25) we took out a $2500 loan but it seemed manageable to a pair of newlyweds.

When we bought our 28 (at the ripe age of 30) we spent the entire drive from Worton Creek, MD to Phila in silence (rare for us). We were both thinking "What have we gotten into?"

When we bought our 38 seventeen years later, *Victoria*'s namesake told me in no uncertain terms, "If you die and leave me in debt, I'm going to kill you." It took her a few minutes to figure out why tears were streaming down my face. :laugher

Five years later, we're into new sails and she just rolls her eyes.

*Only took me 23 years to wear her down. *


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## bradphoto (Oct 6, 2005)

*Sabre 38*

Thanks guys for all the good wishes.
Having completed a 3 year re-fit of our last boat and then selling it, my wife is fully aware of the blindly stupid addiction that all sailors carry with them!
This time we intend to do a lot more sailing and a lot less re-fit work...... Oh God, I think I just sealed my fate!

Kindest regards to all.

Andrew Bradley.


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