Sabre 402 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used Sabre 402 means considering a Jim Taylor-designed Sabre Yachts cruiser built from 1996 to 2004, a 40-foot-2-inch monohull with a balsa-cored hull above the waterline and a choice of wing or deep-fin keels. On the brokerage market these boats turn up mostly in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and ex-charter examples are common — so a careful look at wear from fleet use is worthwhile.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin layouts are the more common on the used market, but both owner and charter-style arrangements are available. The forward cabin is large with a bench seat and two hanging lockers, and the aft stateroom's angled double is comparably comfortable. The saloon's angled table seats six, and the single head with adjoining shower stall is a consistent feature across the model — there is no two-head version to hunt for. A large cockpit locker adjacent to the port double berth is standard.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most boats on the market carry a practical cruising suite: inverter, autopilot, chartplotter, radar, and a spinnaker are commonly fitted, while heating, bimini, dodger, solar, asymmetric spinnaker, and electric winches are often seen. For buyer consequence, the power-and-energy cluster matters most — an inverter and often solar or electric winches signal a boat set up for anchoring out, while a generator is not a standard tier item and should be treated as a possible owner addition. Navigation is usually covered by chartplotter and radar, with AIS a less common upgrade. Canvas and sail handling typically include a dodger and bimini, with asymmetric spinnaker often present for downwind cruising.
What to Inspect
The construction record shows a balsa-cored hull with isopthalic gelcoat above the waterline backed by vinylester resin, so survey the topsides and deck for any gelcoat blistering or core moisture in that zone. The keel is detailed with marked leading- and trailing-edge fillets; check those edges for impact damage or repair, since they are structural shaping rather than trim. The 4-cylinder 50-horsepower auxiliary and 50-gallon fuel, 110-gallon water capacities are baseline specs, but confirm the engine's service history given the model's production-era construction.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Sabre 402s are found in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with ex-charter boats common alongside owner versions. For a shopper, the short list is:
- Confirm keel fillet condition and any repair history
- Survey balsa core and gelcoat above waterline for moisture
- Verify single-head layout matches your privacy needs
- Check for commonly fitted inverter, autopilot, chartplotter, radar
- Review engine logs for the 50-horsepower auxiliary
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Sabre 402. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 14 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25 | 1 | $150,000 | — |
| May 25 | 1 | $189,000 | +26.0% |
| Jun 25 | 3 | $172,500 | -8.7% |
| Aug 25 | 2 | $174,950 | +1.4% |
| Sep 25 | 7 | $168,900 | -3.5% |
| Oct 25 | 2 | $139,900 | -17.2% |
| Nov 25 | 3 | $199,000 | +42.2% |
| Dec 25 | 1 | $139,900 | -29.7% |
| Jan 26 | 6 | $154,400 | +10.4% |
| Apr 26 | 4 | $128,433 | -16.8% |
| May 26 | 5 | $129,900 | +1.1% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $99,900 | -23.1% |
| Jul 26 | 4 | $180,000 | +80.2% |
| Aug 26 | 8 | $161,450 | -10.3% |
Where they're listed
Sabre 402 listings appear across 3 countries. United States has the most listings with 34 (87.2%), followed by Canada and Mexico.
Country view
39 listings · 3 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $166,950 | 34 | 10 | 87.2% |
| Canada | $127,865 | 3 | 0 | 7.7% |
| Mexico | $173,000 | 2 | 1 | 5.1% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
5 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sabre 402You are here | — | $ 168,900 | 41 | 13 |
| Sabre 362 | 36.17' | $ 123,566 | 29 | 8 |
| Sabre 42 | 41.75' | $ 89,000 | 21 | 7 |
| Palmer Johnson J/42 | 42' | $ 151,950 | 18 | 4 |
| Tartan 40 | 40.25' | $ 89,900 | 13 | 3 |