362

The Sabre 362 was designed by Jim Taylor to be a capable club racer and a spirited but comfortable coastal and offshore cruiser. Not surprisingly, the 362 succeeds admirably on both levels. In many respects, creating a, a "performance cruiser," is more challenging than producing a boat dedicated to a specific task.

If you want to win the Wednesday night beer bashes and be competitive in an occasional offshore race, and we want to enjoy a couple of weeks, or even a month spent cruising every summer, this is the boat for you.

The 362 cockpit is nearly 7 feet long and quite comfortable.  The Edson pedestal and 40-inch Destroyer wheel are perched well aft, with a contoured helm seat offering good visibility. The cockpit seats are scooped out allowing you to make your way around the wheel.

The Lewmar 48 self-tailing primaries are easily reached from the helm. There are small lockers astern and a larger locker to port complete with a most useful light. Sail controls are led aft to the end of the trunkhouse where there are stoppers and a pair of Lewmar 30 CSTs.

Gray Lady has wide side decks and the molded nonskid pattern offers good footing. Double lifelines are well-supported although they could be a bit taller. Full-length handrails are perched on the house, and there are inboard and outboard genoa tracks. The mainsheet traveler is pushed forward of the companionway to free up space in cockpit.

The forward stateroom is especially large for a 36-foot boat of moderate proportions. The double berth is 6 feet, 6 inches long and actually sleeps two in comfort. A convenient vanity sink and dressing seat arrangement makes much more sense than squeezing in another head in a boat of this size, and it lends a spacious feeling to the cabin.

The saloon is also open thanks to a fold-up bulkhead-mounted table. Louvered lockers and berth backs provide abundant storage. But the devil is in the details! For example, the chainplate tie rods are nicely finished with wooden sleeves, and the chart table to port faces aft and has plenty of room to mount nav instruments and repeaters.

The L-shaped galley is to starboard, with double stainless sinks facing forward and a two-burner gas stove and oven outboard. The good-size icebox is accessible via two top loading doors.

The separate shower stall might be the single feature that moves a boat beyond the "camping" stage, and it also makes for a perfect wet locker, especially because it's only a step away from the companionway.

The aft stateroom, or aft quarter cabin, offers a double berth, decent storage above and below, and a hanging locker. It's ideal for occasional, short-term guests.

Ventilation is excellent throughout with four Lewmar Ocean series deck hatches, custom stainless opening portlights and two chrome dorades.

The diesel is a three-cylinder 35-horsepower Westerbeke with a feathering three-blade prop. The 34-gallon fuel tank is aluminum and provides a realistic range of 250 to 300 miles under power.