All photos courtesy Back Cove Yachts
In the long, rich history of successful Maine boatbuilders, Sabre Yachts deserves a chapter of its own. Founded by a maritime visionary named Roger Hewson, who in 1970 launched his first model, a fine little sailboat called the Sabre 28, his tagline and motto was simple and direct: “Crafted in the Maine tradition.” For almost its entire first 20 years in business, Sabre exclusively built sailboats, but that changed in 1989 with the introduction of its first substantial motoryacht, the Sabre 36 “Fast Trawler.” It was the beginning of the evolution of the brand from sail to power.
In 2003, however, a group of Sabre dealers lobbied for a simpler Downeast-style cruiser. No, not a sailboat, but something that a sailor could relate to: a boat that borrowed from the style and utility of a Maine lobsterboat. Also, not with a pair of engines like so many big, contemporary powerboats, but with the simplicity, fuel economy, and reliability of a single diesel. With that, the Back Cove brand was launched—still under the Sabre umbrella—with the introduction of a new 29-footer. A series of yachts ranging from 34 to 41 feet followed, eventually numbering over a thousand boats.
Then, last fall, the company debuted its latest flagship, the Back Cove 412. To me, the new 41-footer is almost the ideal sailor’s powerboat, and I mean that as a high compliment. It’s a rangy, dependable, well-appointed cruising boat. Yes, it’s built in Maine, but this is a vessel that will take you anywhere you wish to go. A winter cruising down the Intracoastal Waterway to Florida and the Bahamas? A spin around the Great Loop waterways from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes? Absolutely. Hop aboard.
You’ll be traveling in style as, to my eye, the 412 is also a very handsome vessel. The powerful, pronounced, raised bow section is all business, and ready to muscle through any head sea. So is the solid, stainless-steel grab rail that follows the reverse sheerline as you move aft. The low coach roof flows directly into the substantial pilothouse, capped by a hardtop and with a series of windows and a sliding glass door that offer 360-degree visibility. There’s a comfy cockpit aft that accesses the formidable swim platform on the stern. All the proportions are just right.
The accommodations and interior layout are also enticing. Forward, down a short set of steps, there’s a pair of cabins: the generous owner’s suite forward and a guest stateroom to port. But, once again, the pilothouse/salon is the centerpiece of the yacht and represents its primary living space. To starboard, there’s a pair of seats fronting the steering station and instrumentation; a U-shaped settee surrounding the teak dining table sits aft of the helm; and a straight-line galley is opposite, to port.
The wood furniture and trim have been rendered in American cherry and are quite inviting. At anchor or underway, it’s a wonderful space to watch the world go by. And it’s also a comfortable one, as the reverse-cycle air-conditioning unit provides cool air in the summer and heat in the winter. For owners in New England and even the Pacific Northwest, it’s a feature that can really extend the cruising season.
The 412 is an updated, evolved version of Back Cove’s original 410; we tested the boat off the coast of Rhode Island after its introduction at Newport’s annual fall boat show. The standard engine is a 600-hp Volvo but our test ride was equipped with Volvo’s D11 725-hp diesel, with “Slow Speed Mode” for extra maneuverability. Speaking of which, the boat comes with bow and stern thrusters, and extricating ourselves from the busy Newport waterfront was a snap. Access to the engine is through a large cockpit hatch and is excellent for oil changes and maintenance.
The instrument panel relays all the relevant info regarding speed and fuel efficiency. With a 400-gallon fuel tank, cruising mode down the ICW at 8 knots provides a very impressive thousand-mile range. But, as we discovered, there’s plenty of power in reserve. We topped 20 knots at 1,800 rpm. Once into the open water of Narragansett Bay, the boat cruised right along with a quite efficient 70-percent load on the engine at 2,050 rpm, clipping along at about 25 knots, which is ideal. Leaning on the throttle at 2,550 rpm, we registered a very nifty 33 knots. Also notable: with the back door closed to the elements, it was very silent running. The only problem with the sea trial was that, too soon, it came to an end.
Summing up, as we returned to the dock, it occurred to me that the sweet and powerful Back Cove 412 hearkens back to those original Sabre sailboats on which Roger Hewson built his formidable reputation. I’m pretty sure he’d approve.
✮
Back Cove 412 Specifications
LOA: 46' 1"
Beam: 14'
Draft: 3' 9"
Disp: 29,500 lbs.
Engine: Volvo D11, 725-hp
BUILDER:
BACK COVE YACHTS
Rockland, Maine
backcoveyachts.com
Herb McCormick is a veteran boating writer whose homeport is in Newport, Rhode Island.
