Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 vs Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013 - Boat Spec Comparison

Q: Which is the larger boat — the Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 or the Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013?

The Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013 is the longer of the two at 53,2 feet overall. The Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 comes in at 38,5 feet, making it roughly 14,7 ft shorter — a meaningful difference in deck room and overall on-water presence.

Q: Which is easier to trailer — the Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 or the Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013?

For trailering, the Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013 has the edge at 5 lbs dry weight versus 215 lbs for the Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012. Add a motor (typically 300–500 lbs for an outboard in this class), gear, and a partial fuel load and the difference grows. Lighter is friendlier on smaller tow vehicles and on fuel economy while hauling.

Q: How many people can each boat hold?

The Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 is Coast Guard rated for 11 passengers, while the Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013 is certified for 16. Note that legal capacity and comfortable capacity aren't always the same thing — on a full day out, most experienced boaters aim for about 80% of the rated number to keep things comfortable.

Q: Which boat is wider, and does it affect trailering?

The Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013 measures 192" wide, compared to 164" for the Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012. The US standard-width towing limit is 8’6" (102") in most states — anything over that may need a wide-load permit. Confirm your specific route requirements with each state's DOT.

Q: Which boat has the larger fuel tank — the Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 or the Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013?

The Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 has the bigger tank at 35 gallons, versus 7 gallons on the Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013. That 28-gallon difference translates to roughly 84–140 nautical miles of additional range at cruising speed, depending on motor, load, and conditions.

Q: Are the Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 and Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013 from the same manufacturer?

Yes — both the Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 and the Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013 are built by Sabre Yachts. That means shared dealer networks, common parts availability, and consistent build quality across the line. The choice between them is essentially a question of how much boat you need, not which brand you trust.

Boat Comparison

Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 vs Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013

Sabre Yachts

Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012

2012

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Sabre Yachts

Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013

2013

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Detailed Evaluation & Buyer Recommendation

Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 vs Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013 — Same Brand, Different Boat

Matching a deep vee Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 against a modified vee Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013 means you're likely deciding between two genuinely different on-water experiences. Hull type shapes everything from ride quality and fuel burn to dock handling and resale trajectory.

Size is the most obvious dividing line here. The Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013 measures 53,2 feet overall (2013), giving it roughly 14,7 additional feet of deck space compared to the Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 at 38,5 feet (2012). Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 tips the scales at 215 lbs — 210 lbs more than the Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013 at 5 lbs. That difference is meaningful if you're working within a half-ton or three-quarter-ton truck's tow rating, especially once you factor in a motor, gear, and fuel.

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013 is rated for 16 passengers, while the Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 caps at 11. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013 could be the deciding factor.

Bottom line: Choose the Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 16 passengers and at 53,2 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 11 that costs less to run day-to-day.

General Boat Info

MakeSabre Yachts

Model38 Express

Model54 Salon Express

Model Year2012

Model Year2013

Measurements / Dimensions

Beam13 ft. 8 in. (4.20 m)

Beam16 ft. (4.92 m)

Beam - Meters4.17

Beam - Meters4.88

Beam - Inches164

Beam - Inches192

Deadrise16℃

Deadrise15℃

Draft [max] - Detail3 ft. 4 in. (1.01 m)

Draft [max] - Detailnot available

Draft [max] - Meters1.02

Draft [max] - Metersnot available

Draft [max] - Inches4

Draft [max] - Inchesnot available

Weight - Detail21,500 lbs. (9,773 kg)

Weight - Detail50,000 lbs. (22,727 kg)

Weight - kg9752.23

Weight - kg22679.6

Weight - lbs.215

Weight - lbs.5

Height - Detail13 ft. 5 in. (4.09 m) height over waterline with mast

Height - Detailnot available

Height - Meters4.09

Height - Metersnot available

Height - Inches161

Height - Inchesnot available

Length - Feet38.5

Length - Feet53.17

Length overall - Detail38 ft. 6 in. (11.73 m)

Length overall - Detail53 ft. 2 in. (16.37 m)

Length overall - Meters11.73

Length overall - Meters16.21

Length overall - Inches462

Length overall - Inches638

Body / Hull

Hull materialFiberglass

Hull typeDeep Vee

Hull typeModified Vee

Engine and Drivetrain

Engine/s standardTwin Yanmar 380 hp 6LY3A-UTP electronic diesel engines

Engine/s standard2

Fuel tank capacity - Detail350 gal. (1,325 l)

Fuel tank capacity - Detail700 gal. (3,000 l)

Fuel tank capacity - Liters1324.89

Fuel tank capacity - Liters2649.79

Fuel tank capacity - Gal35

Fuel tank capacity - Gal7

Fuel typeDiesel

Drive typeInboard - Twin

Drive typePod Drive

Engine makenot available

Engine makeVolvo

Engine modelnot available

Engine modelIPS II 900 with pods

Operational Info

Headroom6 ft. 6 in. (1.98 m)

Headroom6 ft. 7 in. (2 m)

Sleeping capacity4

Sleeping capacity6

Water capacity100 gal. (380 l)

Water capacity200 gal. (757 l)

Holding tank capacity - Detail40 gal. (150 l)

Holding tank capacity - Detailnot available

Holding tank capacity - Liters151.42

Holding tank capacity - Litersnot available

Holding tank capacity - Gal4

Holding tank capacity - Galnot available

Water heater capacitynot available

Water heater capacity20 gal

Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 vs Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013 — Common Questions

Which is the larger boat — the Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 or the Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013?

The Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013 is the longer of the two at 53,2 feet overall. The Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 comes in at 38,5 feet, making it roughly 14,7 ft shorter — a meaningful difference in deck room and overall on-water presence.

Which is easier to trailer — the Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 or the Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013?

For trailering, the Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013 has the edge at 5 lbs dry weight versus 215 lbs for the Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012. Add a motor (typically 300–500 lbs for an outboard in this class), gear, and a partial fuel load and the difference grows. Lighter is friendlier on smaller tow vehicles and on fuel economy while hauling.

How many people can each boat hold?

The Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 is Coast Guard rated for 11 passengers, while the Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013 is certified for 16. Note that legal capacity and comfortable capacity aren't always the same thing — on a full day out, most experienced boaters aim for about 80% of the rated number to keep things comfortable.

Which boat is wider, and does it affect trailering?

The Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013 measures 192" wide, compared to 164" for the Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012. The US standard-width towing limit is 8’6" (102") in most states — anything over that may need a wide-load permit. Confirm your specific route requirements with each state's DOT.

Which boat has the larger fuel tank — the Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 or the Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013?

The Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 has the bigger tank at 35 gallons, versus 7 gallons on the Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013. That 28-gallon difference translates to roughly 84–140 nautical miles of additional range at cruising speed, depending on motor, load, and conditions.

Are the Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 and Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013 from the same manufacturer?

Yes — both the Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 and the Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013 are built by Sabre Yachts. That means shared dealer networks, common parts availability, and consistent build quality across the line. The choice between them is essentially a question of how much boat you need, not which brand you trust.

← Sabre Yachts 38 Express 2012 full specs ← Sabre Yachts 54 Salon Express 2013 full specs