Sabre 426 Buyer's Guide
The Sabre 426 on the used market is the third Sabre in the 42-foot range and the product of the builder’s collaboration with Jim Taylor, built from 2003 into 2012 across Mark I and Mark II runs. A 42-foot 6-inch boat with a 36-foot waterline and 13-foot 5-inch beam, it draws either 6 feet 10 inches on the deep keel or 5 feet on the wing keel, and carries 24,000 to 24,500 pounds of displacement. Cross-shoppers often weigh it against the Sabre 402, Tartan 4100, or Tartan 4300, but the 426’s vacuum-bagged foam hull and race-derived rig give it a distinct profile among luxury midsize cruisers.
Layouts on the Used Market
Most 426s present the straightforward cherry interior with matte varnish, ash ceiling, and a U-shaped starboard galley opposite a forward-facing nav station. The standard plan keeps a single ample head with shower to port rather than a second cramped head, and a comfortable aft double berth vents under the port cockpit seat. A folding saloon table preserves floor space, and copious stowage — enough for passage-making — runs throughout. The deep-keel and wing-keel versions share the same accommodation shell; the wing keel simply trades a little ballast and draft for shoal access.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Boats commonly fitted include radar, autopilot, inverter, and a dodger, so a buyer can expect core navigation and power management to be in place. Often-seen additions cluster around comfort and energy: heating, air conditioning, solar, and a chartplotter with AIS extend livability and situational awareness, while electric winches and a furling main ease short-handed sail handling. Less commonly seen owner upgrades include a spinnaker for light-air passage reaching, a freezer, dinghy davits, and a cockpit shower. The 55-hp Westerbeke standard engine was sometimes swapped for the optional Yanmar; a slower-turning Westerbeke 55B appeared later as a torque-oriented alternative.
What to Inspect
Documented known issues center on access and drainage. Engine access was judged tight, particularly for changing the engine oil, so check working room around the 55-hp diesel. The manual cockpit bilge is too small to move water quickly in an emergency, and the discharge line on the 1,000-gallons-per-hour electric bilge pump turned through a 90-degree elbow with a check valve right at the pump, sharply reducing flow anchor — verify any rewiring or hose reroute. The lightning protection wire run from the chainplates was only AWG 6, satisfying ABYC minimums at the low end, worth a surveyor’s note.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The 426 typically appears in the United States and Türkiye. For a buyer, the checklist is simple: confirm keel choice against cruising grounds, inspect the bilge pump hose path and engine-bay access, and verify the cherry joinery and single-head layout match the long-distance stowage promise. A well-kept example rewards with a vacuum-bagged hull, a lively genoa-driven rig, and a refined interior that ages quietly.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Sabre 426. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 11 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25 | 1 | $280,000 | — |
| Sep 25 | 2 | $272,500 | -2.7% |
| Oct 25 | 3 | $285,000 | +4.6% |
| Nov 25 | 1 | $277,500 | -2.6% |
| Jan 26 | 3 | $279,500 | +0.7% |
| Mar 26 | 2 | $289,900 | +3.7% |
| Apr 26 | 9 | $277,500 | -4.3% |
| May 26 | 1 | $289,900 | +4.5% |
| Jun 26 | 3 | $277,500 | -4.3% |
| Jul 26 | 7 | $269,000 | -3.1% |
| Aug 26 | 2 | $290,000 | +7.8% |
Where they're listed
Sabre 426 listings appear across 2 countries. United States has the most listings with 30 (93.8%), followed by Turkey.
Country view
32 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $279,500 | 30 | 9 | 93.8% |
| Turkey | $291,127 | 2 | 2 | 6.3% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
9 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hylas 46 | 46.25' | $ 420,000 | 48 | 8 |
| Sabre Yachts 426You are here | — | $ 279,900 | 33 | 12 |
| Hunter Marine 426 DS | 41.83' | $ 144,900 | 27 | 6 |
| Catalina 425 | 43.5' | $ 373,000 | 27 | 5 |
| Sabre 42 | 41.75' | $ 89,000 | 21 | 7 |
| Sabre 425 | 42.42' | $ 69,900 | 13 | 4 |
| Bavaria Yachts C46 | 47.57' | $ 623,012 | 11 | 0 |
| J Boats J/46 | 46' | $ 287,000 | 10 | 2 |
| Catalina 426 | 43.5' | $ 539,000 | 9 | 1 |