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Used Boat Review: Gulfstar 36

Pros and cons of 1980s-era vince lazzara fiberglass cruising boat..

Gulfstar Yachts, which produced 2,500 boats in the 1970s and 1980s, was launched and managed by Vincent Lazzara. Lazzara was one of the early experts in fiberglass boat building, having been involved in constructing the Rhodes-designed Bounty II, one of the first fiberglass yachts.

In 1962, he founded and became part owner of Columbia Yachts, which grew into one of the largest fiberglass boat builders in the 60s. He served primarily as designer and marketer for the company, until it was sold to the Whittaker Corp. in 1967.

Photos by Ron Dwelle

Once his three-year non-compete agreement with Columbias new owners was satisfied, Lazzara established Gulfstar Yachts in 1970, in Tampa, Fla. The company joined a growing group of builders-including Morgan, Irwin, Hunter, and Endeavor-that were making Florida a center of American sailboat building in that decade. (Incidentally, at the same time, Frank Butler concluded a similar non-compete agreement with the Whittaker Corp. and founded Catalina Yachts.)

Lazzara began by building boats often described as low-cost, low-quality, floating condominium sailboat hulls that doubled as trawlers. His first boats were 36- and 53-footers. With identical hulls, the masted versions were called motorsailers, while the non-masted version, with a different deck mold and larger engine, were called trawlers. The sailboats had huge accommodations, but they established a reputation for sailing poorly with their shoal draft, short rigs, and wide beams. Other Gulfstars produced in the early 70s included a 43-foot trawler and 44-foot motorsailer.

In those early years, the Gulfstar boats were built conventionally, but many aspects were designed mainly to save money and produce inexpensive boats. For example, the interiors were full of formica and the ballast was iron pieces set in a concrete slurry.

Other problems had more to do with poor construction practices. The edges of the balsa-cored decks, for example, were not sealed with resin, and there were no backing plates for cleats or other hardware. According to a former yard hand, workers would cut holes in the decks and leave unfinished hulls out in the rain. One critic said that the workmanship in the factory during that time bordered on criminal. To this day, Gulfstars still suffer from the poor quality reputation they earned in the early 70s.

In the mid 70s, Lazzara foresaw changes in consumer tastes and began upgrading Gulfstar quality. Improvements included shifting from iron to lead ballast and using teak rather than formica on the interior. Within a few years, Gulfstar interiors were equal to the best production sailboats in the country, and factory construction practices improved to state-of-the-art.

This push for a new look and reputation led Lazzara to go outside for design, particularly calling on Ted Hood for the designs of the Gulfstar 40 and 48 performance sailboats. Lazzaras two sons, Richard and Brad, also joined the company, with Richard taking on some of the design work.

The changes were marked by one of the companys most famous designs, the Gulfstar 50. However, the company did not completely abandon motorsailers, and it continued to produce the shoal-draft, beamy Gulfstar Sailmaster series.

Lazzara was never one to follow the crowd. With the oil embargo in full swing during the mid 70s-when resins were expensive and in low supply-Lazzara tried a 50-percent glass-to-resin ratio, a practice that was unheard of at the time. Nowadays, this ratio is standard as makers strive to use the least amount of resin possible that will still totally wet-out the cloth. But back then, it was revolutionary, and Lazzara was criticized for it.

Still, many Gulfstars suffer from fiberglassing problems of this era, particularly a history of blister problems until the early 1980s. By then, the workmanship was as good as any other production manufacturer in the country. Gulfstar continued to produce fine teak interiors and performance-oriented sailboats such as the Gulfstar 44 and Gulfstar 60. Along with these sailboats, the company produced displacement motor yachts such as the 44 and 48 designs. In the mid 1980s, Gulfstars production shifted more toward powerboats. Many think that the best Gulfstar sailboat was the 54 Sail Cruiser whose interior joiner work, good design, and quality construction is about the opposite of Gulfstars early days. The early and mid 80s are now generally considered Gulfstars Golden Era.

In the late 1980s, Gulfstar built mostly larger motor yachts, but the company still produced interesting sailboats, including some for the CSY charter fleet, including the 50, 45 Hirsch, and the 42.

For years, Gulfstar discussed a merger with Vikings Yachts, a powerboat builder, and finally in 1990, the company was sold to Viking Yachts. Lazzaras sons moved on to found Lazzara Yachts, a mega-yacht builder that still builds boats out of the Tampa Bay area.

Currently, there are two Gulfstar owners websites, but neither have been active recently.

The Gulfstar 36

The Gulfstar 36, also called the 36 Auxiliary, was the smallest boat the company built in the 1980s. Twenty-three of the boats were built between 1983 and 1985. Overall, its design is conservatively traditional-it was never called a racer-cruiser, but it was similar to many popular racer-cruisers and coastal cruisers of the time, with modest overhangs, a longish waterline, a moderately long fin keel that is 4 feet, 10 inches deep, and a skeg-hung rudder. The designers are listed as R.C. Lazzara and David Jones.

Above the waterline, the deck has a minimal sheer and the coachroof is attractive, with a sloping front edge. The four cowl-vents on the cabintop have sturdy stainless-steel guards. A dodger and bimini were not standard on the boat, and there are many variations of that equipment on Gulfstar 36s around today.

The cockpit is large and roomy, though you have to step up onto the seats to get by the wheel. The cockpit is 90 inches long, and the seats have good, high back support. A propane locker for two 10-pound tanks is at the aft end of the cockpit. Theres a deep lazarette locker on the port side and a shallow one to starboard.

Sidedecks are wide, but its a squeeze getting by the upper and aft shrouds. The foredeck is clear, with a good-sized anchor locker and a short stainless sprit for carrying a plow-type anchor. Our test boat had a 33-pound Delta on the sprit, and the anchor locker was large enough to carry a 33-pound Bruce in addition to the anchor rode. A Danforth hangs on the stern pushpit.

A good bow pulpit and double, 27-inch-high lifelines (with two gates just ahead of the cockpit) are standard, and a stern ladder folds down from the stern pushpit. The stern is wide enough to handle dinghy davits, which our test boat was equipped with.

Construction of the 36 is conventional and of good quality, with standard hand-layup roving and mat. (Early Gulfstars were famous for using the chopper gun for layup, but the later models abandoned that method.) Displacement is 14,250 pounds, with 5,460 pounds of lead encapsulated in fiberglass in the keel, for a ballast/displacement ratio of 38 percent.

A couple of peculiarities of construction-the deck is supposedly balsa-cored, but drilled holes and a larger cut-out in the cockpit revealed a marine-grade plywood core. Were not sure there is any balsa in the deck, and the notable lack of any delamination in a 28-year-old boat suggests that it may be all plywood cored, in spite of the companys information.

Inside the boat, the hull is totally lined with teak-veneer plywood, so its difficult to inspect the hull itself. The deck has a conventional L flange that is glassed and fastened to the hull through the exterior rubrail, and the bulkheads are well-glassed where they are viewable.

The rig is a conventional, single-spreader, masthead sloop, keel-stepped, with a nominal sail area of 608 square feet. A 135- to 140-percent roller genoa was pretty standard. Sail area to displacement ratio is a moderate 16.61, an indication that the boat is a good but not spectacular sailer. The only unusual thing about the rig is that the aft lower shrouds go to the same chainplate as the upper shrouds.

Our test boat had a Hood jib furler and originally had a Hood roller-furling boom, which the owner had scrapped because of difficulties raising and lowering the main. The boat now has a conventional main with a lazyjack handling system. There were many variations and changes in the Gulfstar 36 rigging over the years. The rig should be examined carefully by a purchaser for saltwater corrosion in the fittings.

Original hardware on the boat was good quality with the standard equipment being pretty complete, though spinnaker gear was not included in the original specs. The Barient 27 sheet winches and the Barient 22 mast and mainsheet winches are two-speed self-tailers and still very serviceable after 28 years. The wheel is a Merriman, as were the original traveller, tracks, and blocks. To be expected in an older boat, many minor changes will have been made to the boats hardware over the years.

Almost all the Gulfstars used Perkins diesels, and the 36 has a 4-108, plenty powerful for the boat-quite a bit noisier than more-recent diesels. The 36 we tested had 8,000 hours on the engine, and some 36s may be due for overhauls or engine replacement. The engine compartment is large enough to handle all current 30- to 45-horsepower engines. The 1-inch shaft uses a conventional strut, and the test boat had a big three-blade propeller, which doesn’t help sailing performance. A PYI shaft seal had been retrofitted.

Access to the front of the engine is good, with the cabin steps removed, but getting behind the engine is almost impossible through the cockpit-locker access hatch if youre taller than 4 feet or heavier than 90 pounds. But access is necessary to get at the transmission, shaft seal, battery charger, water heater, water-lift muffler, steering gear, and so on. On our test boat, the owner had taken the extreme step of cutting a large access hatch in the cockpit sole. Fuel tankage is 40 gallons, plenty for normal coastal cruising.

The electrical system was originally well done, with wiring well-labelled and bundled. As expected, many modifications have been made, and the electrical panel is small for the current electric and electronic demands aboard mid-size cruising boats. Breakers for both 12-volt and the shore-power system are standard. The battery tray in the cockpit locker has room for only two batteries, and our test boat had added another battery tray behind the engine.

One odd thing on our test boat is that the boat had no running lights for running under power (red/green bow, stern white, mast forward white), and obviously had never had any-there were no fittings and no wiring for these lights on the boat. Its hard to imagine how a 28-year-old boat could get by without legal running lights, but there were none-the running lights switch on the electrical panel turned on just a masthead tricolor light for sailing. There is also a masthead anchor light.

An electric bilge pump and cockpit Whale hand pump are adequate for de-watering.

Accommodations

The interior of the boat is roomy, comparable to other spacious cruisers of the era, like the Catalina 36. The arrangement, again, is conventional.

A large quarter berth is aft to starboard, with a small nav station at the head of the berth. Opposite is a U-shaped galley that came standard with a two-burner Shipmate propane stove and Adler-Barbour-powered cooler, plus a double sink and ample dry storage. Counter-top space is minimal but adequate, and there are six small storage lockers outboard and behind the galley.

Next forward are port and starboard settees; the starboard one pulls out to form a sleeping-double. There is some storage behind and above the settees, and two 40-gallon water tanks are underneath. An oversize table occupies the center of the boat.

Gulfstar, even in 1984, seemed to subscribe to the foolish idea that a 36-foot cruiser could live and sleep six or seven people. A couple using the boat will likely convert the large quarter berth to storage.

Next forward are hanging and storage lockers to port and a large head with separate shower stall to starboard. Finally forward is a large V-berth, 78 inches long, 78 inches wide at the head, and 28 inches wide at the foot. Storage and a holding tank are underneath the berth, and a storage forepeak is ahead of the V-berth, underneath the anchor locker.

Joiner work below is teak and teak-faced plywood and generally well done. Four opening ports along with two overhead hatches and four dorades provide adequate ventilation. Ports in the main cabin provide ample light inside and decent views.

Performance

The Gulfstar 36 is an adequate sailor-not super fast, but not a dog. US Sailing doesn’t list a PHRF rating for the boat-they require three or more boats to have been rated in the previous five years, and there obviously were none being raced. An older single PHRF rating was 144, which we found may be optimistic. We doubt if anyone would want to buy the boat as a club racer. It sails like a cruising boat-probably not as fast as the newer, lighter-weight boats.

The boat will go to weather decently-even with an age-challenged main and 140-percent jib, it easily tacks through 90 degrees and achieves hull speed in 12 to 14 knots of wind.

The helm is well balanced. Reaching and off the wind, the boat is easy on helm and sails comfortably. The big three-blade prop obviously slows the boat down, and a good feathering prop would be a desirable addition. As is, cruisers are likely to turn on the engine when the wind drops below 6 to 8 knots.

Under power, the big Perkins diesel easily drives the boat to hull speed, even in a strong head wind. Handling under power is straightforward in both forward and reverse, with little pull on the helm and with just enough prop walk to kick the stern a bit in tight quarters. As with everything else on the boat, performance of the Gulfstar 36 is moderate.

With few models of the Gulfstars available at any one time, cost of a used Gulfstar 36 is hard to specify. More of the larger Gulfstar models seem to be available at any given time. PS could find only two 36s for sale at presstime, priced at $39,500 and $44,000. Actual selling price will depend on condition and equipment, and most used boats of this age will need some upgrading. As the cost approaches $30,000, we think that a Gulfstar 36 in decent condition would be a good value for a conservative cruising boat.

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Excellent Report and very Professional !!!

I am looking at a 1974 Gulfstar 41′. The condition seems very good and it has been cared for asking 49k. My concern is the backing plates and other shortcuts the builder used or is stated to use in a few articles I have read.

Any thougts on this year boat or should I move on to a different brand of boat?

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Gulfstar 44

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We recently bought a 1981 Gulfstar 44 center cockpit. It was the boat we decided on after multiple years of reading, discussing and ocassionally cussing. Some people would naturally cuss the Gulfstar but then some compared it to the Hylas 44. An older article by Bob Perry had quite an indepth discussion of the pro's and con's of the boat then at the end he said "but it isn't any fun when you can't find something about a sailboat to complain about." This last weekend in winds around 15 to 20 with gust to 30 at the Lake Eufaula Sailboat Bucket Run the ol girl was amazing. We did the first day 14 mile leg of the regatta in an astounding 1 hour and 18 minutes. It was an incredible ride. I have no idea what is the norm for boats in this range but let me just say......WAAAAAA HOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! That was incredible.......... After two days of sailing we placed 1st in the regatta and now are the proud owners of a wooden bucket. Ya can't harldy have anymore fun than that. Thanks for reading, I'm so excited about how the ol girl handled I just had to tell someone!  

An older article by Bob Perry had quite an indepth discussion of the pro's and con's of the boat then at the end he said "but it isn't any fun when you can't find something about a sailboat to complain about." Click to expand...

NC - CONGRATS! Jeez that's a fast run! Post some pics of the boat when you can. I like Gulfstars and really like when they win wooden buckets!  

I have a fond memory of that design: I rafted up with one on my first solo cruise. I was in a 20' sloop working my way around the South Shore of Long Island. We anchored in a little cove behind a sandbar, they had me aboard for mussels and beer. In the morning I gave them milk for their coffee.  

That's funny, ladies always comment about the copious amounts of muscles and beer aboard the Smacktanic too!  

Real glad to hear you're improving, CP.  

Waiting on some pics to be e-mailed to me. Everyone commented on how beautiful the Luff is under sail. Can't wait to see them my self. I'll post some of them as soon as I get them... But DANG, of everything I've been reading about the Gulfstar no one ever commented on their speed. I did read one story about a singlehander claiming he had out run a Swan 57 with a regatta crew still on board but I thought he was just "blowing"......... Cardiac Paul did a great job steering me towards this boat. I owe ya a huge thanks!  

HVe just purchased 44 ketch rigged center console. Would appreciate any Information you have. Thanks mark  

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Full Chapter One

• Gulfstar 43  Trawler-style Yacht

by David Pascoe

Okay, okay! Here's one for you trawler folks, an oldie but goodie. And speaking of trawler styles, this really is one with that round bilge hull. We put up a nice stern view here so's you can get a good look at it.  The draft is only 40" so there's no excuse for running aground. This a 1976 model, with a pair of 130 HP Perkins, that was only a two owner boat and very well maintained. This one had a 7.5 Kw Onan (yeah, it still worked) and airconditioning, plus custom refrigeration and freezer. Otherwise equipage was about average. The one thing that really stood out about this boat is the well above average maintenance.

And, strangest of coincidences, docked right next to our haul out slip was another one that had not been so well maintained. It still looked good on the exterior, but the engine room was a wreck, and the interior not so hot either. See the part about window leaks below.

Actually, our attitude toward Gulfstar has always been somewhat on the negative side, and that has mainly been due to a serious lack of consistency in their product line by this now nonexistant builder. They built some very nice boats, and some rather lousy boats, particularly the early motor sailors that developed humongous blistering problems, among other things.  In fact, a Gulfstar 44 was one of only three boat hulls we've ever seen permanently damaged by blisters. And as near as we can tell, the Gulfstar 44 Motorsailor is basically the same boat with a mast and ballasted keel, although with a slightly wider beam.

And guess what? Yep, this one had blisters too, but they'd all been spot repaired some time ago and the repairs, appearing to be rather poorly done, seemed to be holding.

This is usually what happens when an owner tries to repair blisters himself without knowing what he's doing. The material used to patch the original blister also absorbed water, expanded, cracked and itself blistered.

While not huge, the salon is livable with a decent lower helm that takes up very little space. The galley/dinette area below is disproportionately large.

As to hull construction, we were rather surprised to find no significant design errors and no defects. There are lots of bulkheads of good quality plywood - you know, the kind without knots, voids, splinters and looking like it was purchased at a discount store. We bashed around on the bottom and sides for a while and this one feels amazingly solid. Folks tend to have the mistaken notion that hulls were built a lot thicker back in the "good ole days." Whenever that was, because it just aint so. We'd like to show you some old Chris Crafts and Bertrams that would put that notion to rest in a hurry. In any case, the thickness of the hull surprised us. It surprised us even more that the advertised weight is only 22,000 lbs. when you'd expect it to be up around 30,000.

With balsa cored decks, we went over this one with a fine tooth comb, looking for any sign of water ingress into the core. Not a trace. A two-owner boat, no one had ever drilled any holes to let the water in. We were also surprised at the wide base hand rail stanchions that were still as tight as the day they were put on. Yep, we check the bottom sides and not a one of 'em had been repaired or replaced: all original. That's why we love balsa. The damn stuff works. 22 years and still in perfect condition and the decks are as solid as can be.

Here's yet another reason why shopping price can mean that you pay less on the front end but more on the back end. This owner had a very large custom refrigeration/freezer installed. Only problem is that the installer did not insulated it adequately and the condensation has rotted out his cabin sole, one bulkhead and the drawer cabinets below it The cost to repair this will be in the thousands and, of course, it will never be done. Any refrigeration installer who knows his business would not have made this mistake.

View from the aft engine room door. Although it only allows access to one engine and the generator, this is a whole lot better than what you get with most boats. Its this kind of thoughtfulness that can take some of the sting out of maintenance.

On the down side, there were hundreds of gel coat voids all over the decks and bridge. This pretty well tells the story of why Gulfstars blister so bad: shoddy layup. Some of these voids were on the magnitude of several inches and were broken and exposed. Also shown in nearby photo is the amazing porosity of the gelcoat. Nothing like exposure to sunlight for several decades to show up bad spray jobs. When its too late to notice.

In addition to the strength of the hull, the deck is glassed in place rather than being screwed. Thus, the owners didn't get screwed either with lots of water leaks. There were no leaks around any of the aluminum window frames, although all the finish was gone off those frames and looked kinda shabby. On the other hand, they did use some bad plastic port holes up forward and aft that leak and wreck the teak/plywood paneling. All of the ports in this one had been replaced, as well as the paneling.

The engine room is kinda tight because the placement of the fuel tank gets in the way of the forward entry. There is a small pit between the engines where you can almost stand up, the keel is so deep, so once you get in there, its not so bad. It is possible to crawl all the way around the engines. There is no decking so you have crawl over the frames and stringers, but at least you can get at stuff there. As you can see from the photo, this engine room was very well maintained. With a rear entrance on the starboard side, overall access is pretty good. Another plus is that its got a fiberglass fuel tank that you don't have to worry about having to replace.

We found both the struts and propeller shafts are too small and you can bend both just by pushing on them. That makes for fast bearing wear and damages engine mounts, and both are problems existing on this on. You can get by with this set up with these low power engines, but if you find one with Caterpillar 3208's, you had better check this carefully.

The hardware, from on-deck to down in the bilges is all good quality stuff, with the main exceptions of the window frames and portholes. Pull them out and have them reanodized and they'll do just fine. There's a gang of teak on the exterior for you teak haters, from the pulpit and rails on back to the swim platform. But there's no plywood junk to rot and fall apart.

A good sized bridge area and dual controls are a real plus, along with an adequately sized aft deck which is covered with a sunshade but not enclosed. Enclosed decks are just sweat boxes in the south anyways. Its not hard to see why this boat has always been popular with Bahamas cruisin crowd,  as it is quite easy to get around on. The lone exception is that you do have to go out the side doors, yet it is the lack of the rear salon door that makes the fairly small salon so much more useable. And its got a huge dinette (too big, really) in a very good sized galley down arrangement. Overall, we find very little to criticize about the layout.

Getting into the aft cabin is a bit awkward through a traditional fiddly with steep steps, but that's a small trade-off for the rather large double berth stateroom with a quite small head but good-sized stall shower. We'll take those trade-offs too, although maybe mama might carp a bit. Heck, you're supposed to sleep back there, right? Forget those boat ads with actors wearing tuxedos; making up for the fancy dress ball should be done at home. And if you live on a boat, you probably aren't going to many balls anyway.

Performance? Well, we did get her out into the ocean but the wind was blowing from the west (offshore) for a week and it was almost dead calm. With those round bilges she's going to roll a bit, but that big keel dampens it out pretty good. Just don't expect the same as you would from a hard chine boat. With those tiny engines we'd have to say that she moves pretty good, topping out at around 14 knots via GPS measurements if we can believe that. In any case, she'll leave the wake behind up on a full plane with no problem. With those engines and only a 300 gallon tank, it certainly doesn't use much fuel.

Price wise, we thought this boat was a steal at $85K. I mean, where can you get a big 43 footer like this for that kind of money? For a lot of years us surveyors made fun of  Gulfstars, but if this boat is kept up as well as she has been, she's easily good for another 20 years. For someone looking for a project boat, we'd say this is a very good choice, and at this age you can certainly find some clunkers out there. If you can find a good one like this, so much the better. Its definitely a solid boat worthy of consideration, no matter how many other crummy boats Gulfstar built.

Now I'm going to shock myself and give this a full four stars! You get an awful lot for your money with this one.

David Pascoe - Biography

David Pascoe is a second generation marine surveyor in his family who began his surveying career at age 16 as an apprentice in 1965 as the era of wooden boats was drawing to a close.

Certified by the National Association of Marine Surveyors in 1972, he has conducted over 5,000 pre purchase surveys in addition to having conducted hundreds of boating accident investigations, including fires, sinkings, hull failures and machinery failure analysis.

Over forty years of knowledge and experience are brought to bear in following books. David Pascoe is the author of:

• " Mid Size Power Boats " (2003)
• " Buyers’ Guide to Outboard Boats " (2002)
• " Surveying Fiberglass Power Boats " (2001, 2nd Edition - 2005)
• " Marine Investigations " (2004).

In addition to readers in the United States, boaters and boat industry professionals worldwide from nearly 80 countries have purchased David Pascoe's books, since introduction of his first book in 2001.

In 2012, David Pascoe has retired from marine surveying business at age 65.

On November 23rd, 2018, David Pascoe has passed away at age 71.

Biography - Long version

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Gulfstar 39 Sailmaster Mk II Boat Review

Posted by Gregg Nestor | Boat Reviews , Monohull , Reviews

A R aised-Saloon Cruiser for Two

F or 14 years, Rosie and Carl Anderson sailed their Bombay Clipper 31 throughout the coastal waters of western Florida. But after an extended trip from Florida to Maine and back, their cruising dreams grew. To fulfill them, they realized they needed a larger boat, one designed with a cruising couple in mind. They chose a Gulfstar 39 Sailmaster, naming her  The Glass Slipper , with an eye toward the boat’s unusual, innovative interior layout and easy sailhandling.

After leaving Columbia Yachts, Vince Lazzara spent the next several years of his non-compete agreement building fiberglass houseboats under the company name of Sea Rover. Once the agreement expired, he sold Sea Rover and established Gulfstar Yachts in the Tampa Bay area. His initial offerings were low-priced, lower-quality boats. This changed after contracting Ted Hood to design a number of models. Quality improved dramatically, and the product line expanded to include motorsailers. In the mid-1980s, Vince’s sons, Richard and Brad, joined the company. Though they tended to gravitate toward powerboats, Richard taught himself yacht design and drew the lines of the 39 Sailmaster. Over a production run from 1981 to 1984, the company produced 60 hulls;  The Glass Slipper  is hull 59. Around 1987, Gulfstar ceased production of sailboats and merged with Viking Yachts, a powerboat manufacturer.

Design and Construction

The most noticeable feature of the Gulfstar 39 Sailmaster’s distinguished profile is its raised saloon. The boat’s bow is sharp, the transom almost plumb, and its sheer very flat. Overall, the lines are clean and sleek. The interior is sometimes referred to as a single-stateroom design or a galley-forward design. Both descriptions are accurate and somewhat unusual for a beamy 39-footer.

Gulfstar built the 39 Sailmaster in two versions. The Mark I has a deep cockpit locker on the port side and a spirits locker on the starboard side, just aft of the head compartment. The Mark II replaced the port-side deep locker with a shallow locker and a quarter berth below and swapped the spirits locker for a hanging locker.

Construction of the Gulfstar 39 Sailmaster is strong and of high quality. The deck and hull are fiberglass and polyester laminates. The deck and topsides are cored with end-grain balsa, adding stiffness while reducing weight. Below the waterline, the hull is solid fiberglass. (Many boats built in the 1980s experienced blisters, and Gulfstars were not immune. It’s wise to carefully check this when buying one.)

On deck, the non-skid is molded-in, and all exterior wood—including eyebrows, handrails, toerails, companionway doors, and cockpit coaming tops—are solid teak. The hull-to-deck joint is an overlapping design commonly known as a shoebox joint.

The interior is stick-built and utilizes a longitudinal stringer system. The bulk of the interior is marine-grade plywood veneered with teak and finished with gloss varnish. Areas not finished in teak are paneled with an off-white laminate. The overhead is off-white vinyl, the sole is teak and holly, and the doors are raised panels of solid teak.

Joinery rivals that of the most expensive yachts. Gulfstar even held a patent for a special process for cambering the corners on interior woodwork.

Hardware is above average quality. All ports and hatches are aluminum, seacocks are bronze, and the ballast is lead and encapsulated.

Beginning at the stem is a teak anchor platform followed by a pair of 12-inch open-throat cleats, chocks, and a windlass. The open foredeck allows a pragmatic, uncluttered working platform for sail changes, anchoring, and mooring. There’s even enough room here to stow a dinghy.

Just aft of the cabin trunk’s rise is a 24 x 24-inch centerline hatch. Following aft are port and starboard 63-inch teak handrails. Next is a pair of stainless steel cowl vents mounted on top of teak Dorade boxes. In the topsides below this area are four opening portlights, two per side. Just before the doghouse over the raised saloon is the keel-stepped mast.

On top of the raised saloon’s doghouse is a pair of 12 x 17-inch hatches, twin 76-inch teak handrails, the mainsheet traveler, and a sea hood over the companionway. The doghouse is fitted with six large, fixed portlights, three per side, plus a pair of large forward-facing fixed portlights.

For security, stainless steel bow and stern pulpits are connected by dual lifelines. The sidedecks are 18 inches wide and rimmed with a 3-inch-high teak toerail. Port and starboard 10-inch, open-throat cleats are mounted amidships. To protect the topsides, 8 inches below the deck is a teak rubrail capped with a stainless steel strip.

The roomy cockpit is 7 feet long with slightly sloping coamings and a 3-foot-wide footwell. A 16-inch-deep by 16-inch-high bridge deck deflects most water coming over the deck, and four 2-inch drains, one in each corner of the footwell, disperse any water that does make it into the cockpit. Stowage consists of a dedicated propane locker beneath the helmsman’s seat and a pair of cockpit seat lockers. With a quarter berth beneath (on the Mark II), the port locker is shallow. The deep starboard locker affords access to the boat’s batteries and engine. In addition to the helm pedestal, there’s a centerline swim ladder and a pair of 10-inch cleats.

While the Gulfstar 39 Sailmaster’s interior at first seems typical, once below its novel arrangement becomes quite apparent. The boat’s forward sections—V-berth, head, and galley—are lower than the main saloon. The forward galley is unusual, and the raised saloon, coupled with large side- and forward-facing windows, makes for a light and spacious-feeling interior.

According to Carl, the boat features several factory options, to which he recently added $25,000 in interior and system upgrades, including new refrigeration, air conditioning, battery charger, starter, batteries, and refinishing all the interior woodwork.

Just aft of the divided chain locker in the forepeak is a roomy V-berth, 7 feet long and 61⁄2 feet at its widest. Outboard and above are fiddled shelves. Aft and to port, a his-and-hers hanging locker is topped with a bureau, and to starboard is a complementing four-drawer chest with bureau top. The 30-gallon plastic holding tank, plus three stowage drawers, are beneath the berth. Port and starboard opening portlights, the large overhead hatch, and a Dorade vent provide natural light and ventilation. From this stateroom, one door leads to the head compartment and another opens to the remainder of the interior.

Just aft and to starboard is the head compartment whose most notable feature is a one-piece fiberglass shower stall with integrated seat.

Aft to port, basically across from the head, is the roomy galley, which includes a deep, double, stainless steel sink, a top-loading icebox, and a pass-over counter that lets the chef hand food and drink directly to those in the saloon.

On  The Glass Slipper , the outboard cabinets are a custom factory option. Stowage is abundant in numerous shelves, drawers, and cubbies, and a clever in-the-sole compartment sits in the step-up to the saloon. At waist height there’s a novel grab rail/towel rack. A single opening portlight serves this area.

The main portion of the saloon is comprised of an L-shaped settee/berth to port and a straight settee/berth to starboard. Both settees measure 61⁄2 feet and can be converted to cozy doubles. Both have stowage beneath and behind as well as bookshelves above. In addition to the shelves above the port settee there’s also a cane-fronted cabinet.

The eight large, fixed portlights and two overhead hatches create a bright and airy cabin. However, leaking in these portlights is one of the most common complaints among this design’s owners. It’s recommended to rebed them before leaks damage the interior teak.

Numerous LED lights, both task and accent, provide illumination throughout the boat.

On the port side of the Mark II, across from the nav station to starboard, is a quarter berth. Beneath is stowage as well as the water heater. Access to the engine can be gained here by removing an inside panel.

Six individual panels in the sole provide access to various bilge features, including the 80-gallon aluminum fuel tank and the 150-gallon plastic water tank, located above the ballast.

The Gulfstar 39 Sailmaster’s rig is simple and straightforward. The keel-stepped mast, with outboard chainplates and boom, are aluminum extrusions painted white with polyurethane. The single pair of spreaders is tapered, and all standing rigging is stainless steel wire. Supporting the mast are a pair of cap shrouds, dual pair of lowers, and a split backstay. There’s also a topping lift.

All running rigging is double-braid polyester line. The halyards are sheaved internally and terminate at a pair of Barient #21 winches and horn cleats mounted on the mast. The mainsail is sheeted mid-boom and leads through a traveler situated forward of the companionway, terminating at a Barient #21 winch and cleat. On the underside of the boom, just aft of the gooseneck, is a single Barient #8P and a pair of line stoppers for two reefing lines.

The headsail sheets are led aft through cars and 12-foot tracks mounted on top of the toerails. These sheets terminate at Barient #28 winches on the cockpit coamings. Mounted onto the starboard track is a stainless steel folding boarding ladder.

The boat has a long fin keel, which affords the kind of tracking and stability commonly attributed to a full keel but without as much drag-inducing wetted surface area. Its rudder skeg provides excellent directional stability and keeps the rudder from stalling at extreme angles.

The outboard chainplates affect the boat’s upwind abilities by limiting sheeting angles, but this boat is designed for cruising first and foremost, not necessarily performance to weather. It can carry its full complement of sails up to about 20 knots or so before calling for a reef. The boat’s best point of sail is a reach, and the helm balances well.

The boat’s auxiliary is a 50-horsepower Perkins 4-108 diesel with a Velvet Drive transmission connected to its propeller via a V-drive. This drive train is more than adequate to punch through a tough sea.

The Glass Slipper  suffered from leaking at the rudder shaft seal. The fiberglass housing around the shaft is too short, and depending upon angle of heel, this design mistake allows water to enter the boat. Carl heightened the housing and eliminated the leak.

The Gulfstream 39 Sailmaster is a unique and comfortable sailboat that can be sailed or comfortably cruised by two people. She’s well built, well laid-out, wonderfully appointed, and sails well. Her styling is not dated, and with 60 hulls built, there’s a good chance that a couple are on the market at any given time. Expect to pay $50,000-$80,000 for a good one.

Comments from Owners of the Gulfstar 39 Sailmaster

A dream to sail. It’s not a great race boat, but it is heavy like a bluewater boat. Overbuilt to the extreme. The construction was top-notch. We did have some blisters and a soft spot on the deck that was due to the leaky windows. Look at the inside wood. Make sure the windows have not leaked and ruined it. I wish there was a second bunk. The water tanks and fuel tanks most likely need to be opened and cleaned. We added a Racor filter. The water tank screws go lefty-tighty, righty-loosey. No idea why they did that, as this is a horrible way to do things.

— Derek Fronabarger

Annapolis, Maryland

Excellent all around. Sails well on all points, especially in heavy weather. Stable, hardens up. Fine also in light air. Top-quality hardware and wood workmanship. What I like most: open, roomy galley and saloon. Nice size head with walk-in shower. Small but adequate V-berth. Nice size cockpit. Large water tanks. What I like least: hull fiberglass layup issues—water saturation. Inadequate fridge insulation. Difficult to go astern.

— Robert Olshan

Lottsburg, Virginia

She sails like a dream! Responsive, well-balanced. In 10- to 15-knot winds we can put out the genoa alone and average 6-6.5 knots for an easy sail. The mainsail is heavy and takes some effort raising. The boat is solidly constructed and our bilge is dry. The interior craftsmanship on the wood detail is fabulous. She is very spacious and open feeling. We had a party where 12 friends were dancing in the saloon! The Garhauer tackle is top-notch. The top three things we like most: her design/look/line; the spacious layout on the interior; and most importantly, the quality of the build. Least: storage is limited; the windows leak, and the aluminum frames are etched from the elements; the windows are big for being at sea. The aluminum rubrail was streaking the hull. We removed the stainless steel trim on top to uncover a thin, disintegrating sheet of plastic between the stainless steel trim and aluminum rubrail. The two dissimilar metals were reacting. The aluminum rubrail was pitted so badly we removed it. The blackwater holding tank is under the bed—holding tanks do permeate! We had two through hulls replaced for the cockpit/deck drains. At 36 years old, they were scary thin. Access underneath the cockpit is a challenge. The back of the electrical panel is in the starboard lazarette. All of the wiring is uncovered. Our rudder shoe is rusting from age.

— Krissy Nichols

San Diego, California

Great sailing quality, easy helm, comfortable interior with adequate storage, roomy V-berth and head with separate, large shower stall. Good ventilation with hatches and opening ports. The large portlights leaked when the boat was sailed hard, and space behind the steering wheel was tight. Specific problems: the V-drive was on top of the stuffing box with little room to service; the raw water pump was difficult to service with the engine facing aft; and the rudder post leaked seawater into the bilge and lazarette. Check the rudder post for leaks, 108 Perkins diesels are known to have a problem with rear seal leaks, and check the V-drive for oil leaks.

— William Misenheimer

Fort Myers, Florida

The main reasons we chose the Gulfstar Sailmaster 39 over 30 years ago are how it performs and how it is laid out. The forward galley has been perfect for us since we don’t do much cooking “at sea” and it allows for a very open saloon. We had a full blister repair with epoxy coat in ’87. Another issue for us was chainplate leaks, which got into the deck core because the core had not been cut away far enough and glassed, surrounding the chainplate penetration slot.

— Cameron Foster

Bainbridge Island, Washington

About The Author

Gregg Nestor

Gregg Nestor is a contributing editor with Good Old Boat. He has authored four books on sailing: Twenty Affordable Sailboats to Take You Anywhere, Twenty Comfortable Sailboats to Take You Cruising, The Trailer Sailer Owner's Manual, and All Hands on Deck. He became a snowbird a few years back, after relocating his boat from the Great Lakes to Florida.

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GULFSTAR 50: An Affordable Big Boat

Gulfstar Yachts was founded in 1970 by Vince Lazzara, an industry pioneer who in the early 1950s helped make a success of Aeromarine, one of the very first fiberglass boatbuilders. In the early 1960s he did the same at Columbia Yachts, which became the world’s biggest sailboat builder in its day. Early on Gulfstar emphasized low price and maximum interior space over build quality and sailing ability, but in the mid-1970s the company shifted gears and worked to deliver a more high-end product. The most notable manifestation of this was the Gulfstar 50, a large center-cockpit cruiser first introduced in 1975. The GS 50 was the best boat Gulfstar ever built and also the most popular, with 172 hulls launched during a six-year production run that ended in 1980. Designed by Lazzara himself, the GS 50 boasts superior interior joinery, generous accommodations, robust construction, and a well proportioned hull and rig. These days it is one of the best values on the brokerage market in a larger center-cockpit boat.

Though better built than most Gulfstars, the GS 50 is not without its faults. Construction is simple and straightforward, with a solid hull laminate composed of multiple layers of mat and woven roving. (Note, however, a few hulls may be cored with balsa.) The hull is stiffened, not with liners, but with full bulkheads and furniture components that are tabbed in place. The deck is balsa-cored, with a through-bolted joint glassed over from below. The full-length rudder skeg is also bolted in place. The ballast, which consists of lead chunks embedded in concrete slurry, is encapsulated within the long fin keel.

Problems over the years have included hull blisters, which normally are just cosmetic, but in some cases have involved saturated cavities surrounding the ballast. These must be drained and flushed before they are filled in. The mainmast step, an iron plate in the bilge directly over the keel, is subject to corrosion, while the mizzen step on ketch-rigged boats may have crushed the deck core beneath it. Leaking deck fixtures, hatches, and port windows are other common complaints. In some boats the bronze stern tube housing the rudderstock may eventually separate from the surrounding hull laminate and must then be rebonded in place. There have also been reports of loose tabs around bulkheads and sub-floor structures that also need rebonding. The good news is that many owners value their GS 50s enough that they are willing to make repairs. Well-maintained boats are not hard to find; boats in poor condition are priced accordingly and normally are worthy of reconstruction.

For most owners the boat’s most attractive feature is its interior. The more popular layout, originally developed for the charter trade, features three staterooms and works very well for families. The master stateroom aft with an en suite head and separate shower boasts an enormous U-shaped double berth with enough space for a couple to sleep together athwartship while in harbor or separately in lateral positions while at sea. The forward stateroom, which shares a head with the saloon, has a large V-berth that fills in to form a double, and the third stateroom, midship to starboard, has two single bunks with yet another small en suite head. The L-shaped galley runs down the walk-through alley under the center cockpit to port, with twin sinks close enough to the centerline to drain on either tack. The saloon has a dinette to port and a settee plus a pilot berth to starboard. In the two-stateroom layout, which is more appropriate for a cruising couple entertaining occasional guests, instead of the midship stateroom there is a fabulous wrap-around nav station and expanded engine space beneath the cockpit.

In the saloon looking aft. This is the “charter” layout, with an extra stateroom on the starboard side opposite the walk-through galley

The saloon looking forward. The dinette table, you’ll note, is not very large

The owner’s stateroom aft features an en suite head and a very large versatile U-shaped berth

In a seaway the GS 50 is very well mannered. Its forefoot has enough bite and its bilges are deep enough that it does not slam much in a chop. It is relatively narrow with a moderate hull form and does not gripe when sailing to weather. All tanks are below the floorboards, which keeps the center of gravity low, sweetens the motion, and also creates extra storage space under berths and settees.

The sail plan is not particularly large, in either the ketch or sloop configurations, and I would advise against a roller-furling mainsail if you value sailing performance. A number of GS 50s were fitted with early after-market behind-the-mast mainsail furlers and these in particular should be avoided or quickly replaced. Sheeting angles are not very narrow, as the mast spreaders are wide and the chainplates are set nearly all the way outboard. Most owners report the boat will not sail well to windward unless the apparent wind angle is 45 degrees or greater.

Still, the GS 50 is not exactly a slouch when it comes to speed, though it does like moderate to heavy weather better than the light stuff. It’s not hard to keep the boat moving at 7 knots or better under working sail if the wind is blowing over 12 knots; below that you’ll need to break out spinnakers and mizzen staysails to maintain good speed.

A well-maintained sloop rigged GS 50 flying an A-sail

If you like to motorsail, bear in mind the original engine on most GS 50s was a 62-hp Perkins diesel which, though reliable, is not quite powerful enough to push the boat hard into a head sea. Later on an 85-hp Perkins engine was offered as an option and this does a much better job of driving the boat to speed. Several boats now on the market have been repowered–turbo-charged Yanmar diesels seem to be a popular replacement engine–and these may command a significant premium.

The standard fuel capacity, 100 gallons, is a bit low for a boat this size, so if you plan to do some long-range cruising you may want to carry some jerry jugs on deck or expand capacity a bit. The fuel tank is quite low in the boat, which forces the engine’s fuel pump to work hard, so adding a day tank higher in the boat with an effective transfer link to the main tank would be an excellent upgrade. Many GS 50s were delivered new with Onan generators installed. These are notorious troublemakers (on one boat I once cruised aboard we referred to ours as Onan the Barbarian) and should probably be replaced sooner rather than later.

Specifications

LOA: 50’0″ LWL: 39’8″ Beam: 13’8″ Draft: 6’0″ Ballast: 10,500 lbs. Displacement: 35,000 lbs. Sail area -Sloop: 895 sq.ft. -Ketch: 963 sq.ft. Fuel: 100 gal. Water: 210 gal. D/L ratio: 250 SA/D ratio -Sloop: 13.35 -Ketch: 14.37 Comfort ratio: 38.56 Capsize screening: 1.67 Nominal hull speed: 9.3 knots Typical asking prices: $60K-220K

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NORTHBOUND LUNACY: Atlantic City, NJ, to Portland, ME

Something wrong in your performance calcs. A SDL ratio of 13.35 would be slower than a heavy displacement boat, and this boat easily sails. Also your sf of sail area is way off.

@darrington: No, I don’t think there’s anything wrong. These specs here match those I find elsewhere, at SailboatData.com, for example, and other published sources. The displacement number, if anything, is low, as is often the case, which would skew the SA/D ratio higher than it would be otherwise. Do you have different numbers from somewhere else? If so, what are they, and where did you find them? Thanks for your interest! charlie

I was with the largest Gulfstar dealer for many years from 1978-88, and sold and commissioned many, I would argue the Gulfstar 44 designed by Cort Steck was the best cruising design they ever offered and was considered a breakthrough design at the time.

I will add that I think the old 37 was a great cruising boat and its later derivative the 39 Sailmaster was too. I would still be a candidate for either one with a refit for a great cruising boat under 40 ft. on a budget.

more photos and info with price please

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The Gulfstar 50 Sailboat Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Gulfstar 50, a centre-cockpit ketch, was designed by Vincent Lazarra and built in the USA by Gulfstar Yachts.

Published Specification for the Gulfstar 50

Underwater Profile:  Fin keel with skeg-hung rudder

Hull Material:  GRP (Fibreglass)

Length Overall:  50'0" (15.2m)

Waterline Length:  39'8" (12.1m)

Beam:  13'8" (4.2m)

Draft:  5'6" (1.7m)

Rig Type:  Ketch

Displacement:  35,000lb (15,876kg)

Designer:  Vincent Lazarra

Builder:  Gulfstar Yachts (USA)

Year First Built:  1975

Year Last Built:  1980

Number Built:  250

Published Design Ratios for the Gulfstar 50

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio:  13.5

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio:  30.0

3. Displacement/Length Ratio:  250

4. Comfort Ratio:  38.9

5. Capsize Screening Formula:   1.7

read more about these Key Performance Indicators...

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Gulfstar 50

1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 13.5 suggests that the Gulfstar 50 will need a stiff breeze to get her going. In light conditions, unless you've got plenty of time on your hands, motor-sailing may be the way to go.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 30.0 means that a sailboat like the Gulfstar 50 is likely to benefit from being reefed early to keep her sailing upright in a moderate breeze.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 250, tells us the Gulfstar 50 is a moderate displacement cruiser, which means she'll carry all your cruising gear without it having a dramatic effect on her performance. Most of today's sailboats intended for offshore cruising fall into this displacement category.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 38.9 suggests that crew comfort of a Gulfstar 50 in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a moderate bluewater cruising boat - a predictable and acceptable motion for most seasoned sailors.

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 1.7 tells us that a Gulfstar 50 would be a safer choice of sailboat for an ocean passage than one with a CSF of more than 2.0. 

Any Questions?

What, if any, alternative versions of the Gulfstar 50 were built?

There were two alternative versions of the Gulfstar 50: the Gulfstar 50 Sailmaster and the Gulfstar 50 TM. The Sailmaster was introduced in 1982 and featured a modified underbody with a longer keel, a taller rig, and a larger sail area. It was also more luxurious and expensive than the original version. Only 27 Sailmasters were built until 1985. The TM (for trunk model) was a rare variant that had a shorter cabin trunk and a flush deck forward of the mast.

Is the Gulfstar 50 still in production and, if not, when did production end and how many of these sailboats were built?

The Gulfstar 50 is not in production anymore. Production ended in 1980 after six years of building. A total of 172 hulls were built.

How did the sailing press review the Gulfstar 50?

The sailing press generally gave positive reviews to the Gulfstar 50, praising its interior space, joinery, performance, and value. For example, Sail magazine wrote in 1977: "The Gulfstar 50 is an impressive yacht by any standards...She is roomy, comfortable, well-finished, and surprisingly fast...She represents one of the best values in today's market for those who want both luxury and performance in a large yacht."

What do owners of the Gulfstar 50 have to say about their boats?

Owners of the Gulfstar 50 tend to be very satisfied with their boats, especially after making some upgrades and repairs. They appreciate the boat's spaciousness, comfort, seaworthiness, and classic beauty. Some common issues that owners have faced include hull blisters, corrosion of the mast step, leaking deck fittings, and separation of the rudder skeg.

What is the history of the builders of the Gulfstar 50 and is the company still in business?

The builders of the Gulfstar 50 were Gulfstar Yachts, founded in 1970 by Vince Lazzara, an industry pioneer who had previously worked at Aeromarine and Columbia Yachts. Gulfstar Yachts started out by building low-cost boats with maximum interior space, but later shifted to producing higher-quality performance cruisers, such as the Gulfstar 50. In the mid-1980s, Gulfstar Yachts merged with Viking Yachts, a powerboat manufacturer, and eventually stopped making sailboats. The company is still in business today as Viking Sport Cruisers.

How many people can sleep on board a Gulfstar 50?

The Gulfstar 50 can sleep up to eight people on board. The more popular layout features three staterooms: a master stateroom aft with an en suite head and shower and a large U-shaped double berth; a forward stateroom with a V-berth and access to a shared head; and a midships stateroom with upper and lower single berths. There is also a convertible dinette in the main saloon that can sleep two more people.

What sailplan and rig options, if any, are available for the Gulfstar 50?

The Gulfstar 50 was available as either a sloop or a ketch. The sloop rig had a single mast with a foretriangle area of 45.2m² and a mainsail area of 38m², for a total sail area of 83.2m². The ketch rig had two masts with a foretriangle area of 45.2m², a mainsail area of 38m², a mizzen area of 14m², and an optional mizzen staysail area of 12m², for a total sail area of up to 109.2m². There was also a tall sloop option with a higher mast and larger sail area.

What is the difference between the standard (or owner's) version and the charter version of the Gulfstar 50?

The standard or owner's version of the Gulfstar 50 had a more spacious and luxurious interior, with teak veneer cabinetry, a large navigation station, a wet bar, and a walk-in engine room. The charter version had a more simple and practical interior, with Formica cabinetry, a smaller navigation station, no wet bar, and no walk-in engine room. The charter version also had more berths and heads to accommodate more guests.

What keel options, if any, are available for the Gulfstar 50?

The Gulfstar 50 had only one keel option: a long fin keel with an encapsulated ballast of lead chunks embedded in concrete slurry. The keel had a draft of 1.7m and a ballast-to-displacement ratio of 30%.

What is the Gulfstar 50 like to sail?

The Gulfstar 50 is a stable and comfortable boat to sail, with good performance in light to moderate winds. It can reach hull speed of 9.3 knots easily and point well to windward. It is also easy to handle, with a balanced helm and a powerful rudder. In heavy winds, however, the boat may become overpowered and need reefing or changing sails. The boat is also not very maneuverable in tight spaces and may require a bow thruster or careful use of prop wash.

What is the average cost of a secondhand Gulfstar 50?

The average cost of a secondhand Gulfstar 50 varies depending on the condition, equipment, and location of the boat. According to YachtWorld.com, as of December 2021, the asking prices for Gulfstar 50s ranged from $80,000 to $190,892, with an average of $118,560.

What other sailboats have been created by the designer of the Gulfstar 50?

The designer of the Gulfstar 50 was Vince Lazzara, who also designed many other sailboats for Gulfstar Yachts, such as the Gulfstar 37, the Gulfstar 43, the Gulfstar 44, the Gulfstar 60, and the Gulfstar Sailmaster series. He also designed some powerboats for Viking Yachts after the merger with Gulfstar Yachts.

What was Vince Lazzara's design philosophy?

Vince Lazzara was a pioneer in the yacht industry who started his career as a chemical engineer and built the largest fiberglass yacht ever in 1955. He founded Gulfstar Yachts in Florida and produced sailboats and trawlers with high quality and design. He also experimented with composite materials and low glass-resin ratios to improve the performance and durability of his boats.

His son Dick Lazzara followed his footsteps and launched Lazzara Yachts in the early 1990s, together with his brother Brad. Dick is the president of Lazzara Yachts and the main designer of its innovative products. He is known for creating yachts that combine luxury, style, and performance, with features such as split-level designs, open galleys, infinite sight lines, and advanced engineering. He also strives to provide more customization and personalization for his clients.

Vince Lazzara's design philosophy can be summarized as follows:

"I always wanted to build a boat that was better than anything else on the market. I wanted to build a boat that was faster, stronger, more comfortable, more seaworthy, and more beautiful than anything else out there."

The above answers were drafted by sailboat-cruising.com using GPT-4 (OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model) as a research assistant to develop source material; to the best of our knowledge,  we believe them to be accurate.

Other sailboats in the Gulfstar range include:

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Review of Gulfstar 44

Basic specs..

The hull is made of fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season.

The Gulfstar 44 is equipped with a long keel. A full keel provide a better directional stability than a similar boat with a fin keel; on the other hand, better directional stability means also that the boat is more difficult to handle in a harbour with less space.

The boat can enter most marinas as the draft is just about 1.68 - 1.78 meter (5.51 - 5.81 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.

Sailing characteristics

This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 8.0 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Gulfstar 44 is about 289 kg/cm, alternatively 1619 lbs/inch. Meaning: if you load 289 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 1619 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

Sailing statistics

This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

What is a Ballast Ratio?

Maintenance

When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy. The surface of the wet bottom is about 31m 2 (333 ft 2 ). Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.

Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

This section is reserved boat owner's modifications, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Gulfstar 44 it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us . Criticism helps us to improve.

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• Sailboat Guide

Gulfstar 44

Gulfstar 44 is a 44 ′ 8 ″ / 13.6 m monohull sailboat designed by Vince & Richard Lazarra and built by Gulfstar Yachts between 1978 and 1984.

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Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Holding tank: 30 gals. Available as ketch and tall rig sloop.

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> > Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. 28-04-2016, 09:35   Boat: 1973 Gulfstar 43 trawler, 1979 Endeavour 37 A plan 43 and just purchased last September a 1979 37 A plan. The is built on the sailboat , his sons did not like sailing and took their fathers sailboat hulls and turned them into trawlers until 1978 when they started to make dedicated powerboat hulls. I have nothing but praise for the traditional looks and build of the Gulfstar. The major problems are the decks, but that is not the fault of Gulfstar, it is the lack of throughout the years!! No one rebeds the fittings and gets into the balsa . The is nice and thick and have had no issues with blisters(knock on wood) but have heard of some problems like almost all the out there. Fit and finish will most likely depend on previous owners. I had open up and replace The entire (96 feet) and replace with ply because I'm insane and I want a solid . This was going to be the forever to go down island until my wife FINALLY got bitten by the sailing bug, thank god! So now we are rehabbing the and having a blast sailing the crap out of her(that is when we get the chance between all the projects). I believe you find the sailboat that you love and are willing to put in either the sweat equity like myself or a crap load of for something that is already done. No boat is perfect and everyone can find things that need improving, the important part is falling in love with it or your not going to have the fortitude to finish it. So long ramble shorter, if ya like the Gulfstar get it, sure there will be some updates that need to be done, but enjoy her along the way! 28-04-2016, 10:27   Boat: 1973 Gulfstar 43 trawler, 1979 Endeavour 37 A plan , pm me and I'll flush out any of the for ya and try to answer if you have anything specific. John 28-04-2016, 10:50   Boat: Westerly Centaur 26 1978 the two version with an 85 HP Great boat - very roomy - solid - I had several encounters with nasty East without the slightest problem I her after nine years because I was bored to have the same boat for so long Prior 1975 need some attention in the section after 1976 boats are build in a different way more qiluality Good luck 28-04-2016, 12:21   1978 the two version with an 85 HP ... 28-04-2016, 13:01   boats are very low in due to lack of demand. People want fast weekend boats nowadays, by and large. Big, heavy long distance cruisers are out of fashion. Plus anything older than 30 years is hard to finance and very difficult to insure. Boat US is about the only in town for insurance(Progressive). Otherwise, no structural issues that we are aware of with these boats. 28-04-2016, 13:40   Boat: '76 Heritage West Indies 36 Morgan design looking design sloop of '80-'82 (yrs. approx.) is beautiful...only about 40 made though, the 50 ft cc late 70's is very nice...and well... the early '70's were by and large piggy motorsailers, with decent construction as with each and every boat; a detailed is the only way to make a particular vessels seaworthiness known 28-04-2016, 14:11   Boat: Fleming 55 rigged Gulfstar 50, "Cygnus" and cruised from to from 1997 to 2000. We had two on board and it was a well built sturdy boat. We had hull number 1. It was heavy and steady. With a long cutaway and skew hung , she did NOT go to well, but we her in NZ... You know what they say "Nothing goes to weather like a 747". Great boat and we've got no regrets. The folks that bought it from us went around the rest of world I think and still in Wellington today. Sent from my using Cruisers Sailing Forum 28-04-2016, 15:28   Boat: Gulfstar 51 , great tankage, super , built like a tank , center cockpit is roomy, safe with a nice walkthru minus- early in can be an issue at times, heavy boat with a lot of beam so it a little slower-- great livaboard, great cruiser if you are not in a hurry, fairly easy to on. we probably went on 50 or 60 boats before we settled on this one--( very understanding plus we lived right on the docks) i have only seen one or two other boats that i would it for -- one of those was selling for well over 400k and the other was an 51 that i like a lot. 28-04-2016, 19:29   Boat: 1978 Pearson 424 Ketch skeg both boat owners hadn't kept up with the anode one skeg was salvageable the other had to be replaced. Lazara quit building the gulfstar and went and is now shut down altogether. So we had one made for 1200. if you go for the 37 check the skeg well. make sure its solid with no fillers. i was a little dismayed with that design...I guess it was a weight issue. 30-04-2016, 09:19   Boat: Gulfstar 51 -- pretty good endorsement 30-04-2016, 11:21   Boat: Gulfstar 37 Sloop 21-06-2016, 06:45   Boat: 1975 Gulfstar M53 our 1975 Gulfstar M53 . We love it! Re-powered with a big John Deere turbo and a 16KW Phasor Genny. Yes, as per previous posts - she's heavy (and a motor-sailer) but roomy, comfortable and stout. We own the last M53 (hull # 27). No or - she's been well cared for. Ours is the version with 3-cabins, two heads and a full-size nav station - we draw 5 ft on the with skeg-mounted . - lots of dark and nicely done cabinetry. Sailing coastally - we handle her as a cruising couple pretty well. Off shore - we take on crew for the watch schedules and extra hands in the event of rough weather. If you find a Gulfstar and the confirms that the hull and decks are in good shape - its a lot of boat for the money! We've now loaded ours up with all of the off-shore gadgets and an advanced sail plan and she has done well in open ocean (Gulf Stream). Anyone interested in specifics about this Gulfstar model - please PM (I'm a fan)...and yes- I've seen/heard of the "chopper gun" stories; the blister woes, and the Balsa-core blues. We didn't have those experiences with this hull #. I have the original builder's drawings on hand; a full previous owner log; and have learned a lot about this 40 year old vessel...I am willing to share with others considering of a Gulfstar. TMT2 21-06-2016, 07:08   or - she's been well cared for. Ours is the charter version with 3-cabins, two heads and a full-size nav station - we draw 5 ft on the with skeg-mounted rudder. - lots of dark and nicely done cabinetry. Sailing coastally - we handle her as a cruising couple pretty well. Off shore - we take on crew for the watch schedules and extra hands in the event of rough weather. If you find a Gulfstar and the confirms that the hull and decks are in good shape - its a lot of boat for the money! We've now loaded ours up with all of the off-shore gadgets and an advanced sail plan and she has done well in open ocean (Gulf Stream). Anyone interested in specifics about this Gulfstar model - please PM (I'm a fan)...and yes- I've seen/heard of the "chopper gun" stories; the blister woes, and the Balsa-core blues. We didn't have those experiences with this hull #. I have the original builder's drawings on hand; a full previous owner log; and have learned a lot about this 40 year old vessel...I am willing to share with others considering of a Gulfstar. TMT2 Thread Tools Rate This Thread : Posting Rules post new threads post replies post attachments edit your posts is are code is are are are Similar Threads Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post Monsterleemon Marine Electronics 14 30-05-2012 15:45 BoxerOne Monohull Sailboats 0 02-09-2011 08:08 mshipman Dollars & Cents 18 20-09-2010 15:47 Holding Pattern Liveaboard's Forum 9 12-07-2005 04:55 No Threads to Display. - - - - - - - Privacy Guaranteed - your email is never shared with anyone, opt out any time. Jordan Yacht Brokerage We Never Underestimate Your Dreams Gulfstar 60 review: attractive value. Of the fifteen reportedly built according to www.SailboatData.com , interestingly four are for sale with three in southeast Florida and another in the Bahamas. A survey of these shows three are meticulously maintained jewels while another is a charter-boat disaster that needs a $30,000 blister job. These meticulously maintained Gulfstar 60’s are interesting combinations. While similar in style, equipment, and accommodations to vintage Hinckleys and Little Harbors, Gulfstar does not have the same cache. That leaves these as attractive values. Founded in 1970 by legendary Vince Lazzara, Gulfstar began as a budget builder producing inexpensive power and sail boats. Located on the Tampa Bay, they switched tacks when market tastes changed and starting producing performance cruisers like this 60 Gulfstar. Starting in 1981 until 1986, Gulfstar produced 15 hulls of the 60-footer. In 1990, the Lazzara sons sold the company to Viking Yachts. Later, the sons formed Lazzara Yachts, a Tampa Bay builder of mega-yachts. First Impressions These are handsome yachts with nice overhangs and gentle sheer. Dick Lazzara, Vince’s son, is credited with the design of these performance sailboats. The cockpit combings are a tad out of place while the trunkcabin is low, neatly tapering into the profile. Two large windows per side give great light inside the saloon along with three more portholes aft and two forward on each side. The 60 has little vents below the relatively straight sheer line that lifts slightly upward at the bow. She has considerable teak on deck including a high toerail and wide cockpit combings of solid teak. Fore and aft were highly polished dorades on the one I previewed. This one was also a ketch rig while most are sloops. The ketch rig helped lower the clearance and gave her a nice look. Both spars were rigged with running backs. Underneath, she has a slightly longish fin keel of 7″, a deep cutaway forefoot, and strong skeg hung rudder. Construction Gulfstar is generally considered to have improved in quality as they became more experience. While they used mostly Formica early on, in approximately 1978 they switch to fine teak interiors. To increase performance, Gulfstar turned to lead ballast from their early use of iron both encapsulated. The 60’s have the lead ballast which keeps the draft to a reasonable level for a low center of gravity. Even with the linear increase in workmanship, all Gulfstars are known to have blister issues. Due to the oil embargo, newly invented chopper gun, and lack of vinylester resins, all manufacturers in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s were affected by the “boat pox.” For instance, a recent 60 Gulfstar Mark I was due for a $30,000 blister job. During the 1980’s, Gulfstar was one of the hardest hit by the boat pox. The layup is balsa cored hull and deck. Full length strings and floors stiffen the hull. On Deck There is quite a bit of teak on deck and maintenance needed. The toerail is solid teak with genoa track mounted on. The cockpit combings are topped with teak and the seats and sole have teak lining. Expect to varnish often. This is a reason that sometimes you find these in poor condition because of the higher maintenance. This can provide an attractive opportunity. While restoring the cosmetics is not the most costly, maintaining the teak is a long term commitment. The cockpit is modern with long seats easy to lie down on. The companionway has a hinged two-piece door that slides starboardside. The companionway sill is three inches high. Aft are three lazarettes. On the one I previewed, one had a pump for a washdown faucet, another had storage, and the last had a propane tank for a stern pulpit mounted grill. The deck space is terrific with outward deck mounted chainplates. The one I was on was ketch rigged and had inboard chainplates for the mizzenmast. She had nice running backs. This ketch is a serious sailboat to handle and needs a good crew even with in-mast furling and electric winches. Down Below The layout depends on whether you are inspecting a Mark I or II version. I prefer the Mark II layout with the head and stall shower forward with staterooms port and starboard. This layout would be great for chartering. Aft is the saloon with a U-shaped dinette opposite a L-shaped settee. The galley is portside along the walkthrough on both versions. The sole steps down during the walkthrough to avoid the cockpit soles and up again aft. Starboardside from the companionway is the navigation station and a walkthrough into a third captains stateroom. Mark I versions seem to have a head here, but the Mark II I previewed did not. Instead, a centerline laundry room was outside this captains stateroom behind the engine room exiting to the portside walkthrough. Aftmost is a large stateroom. It has great lighting with a porthole mounted full length on the aft end of the cabintrunk along with two more smaller portholes on each side. A full beam mirror behind the berth made the room seem much larger than in reality. Classic teak veneer and teak cabinetry filled out the room. Floors are teak and holly throughout. This is some of Gulfstar’s finest workmanship. They used a patented process to camber teak edges. Every corner is nicely radiused, and I would put up the quality of the interior against any other manufacturer in the world. Engine The engine room access is through the portside walkthrough. She has the nice little Gulfstar door with a circular porthole. Inside their is plenty of room for sitting down and crawling around. The engines are large Perkins of 165 or 200 HP. The engine is sunk into the bilge and inaccessible from the companionway. A re-powering job looks like a difficult job that would require cutting away the cockpit sole. I would be wary of a high engine hour boat as this looks like a serious endeavor. Conclusion The 60 is a tremendous value compared to similar yachts with equally equipped, maintained, and accommodating designs. The four on the market are asking $545,000, 495,000, 369,000, and 119,000. The 119,000 one is in poor condition and is sale pending. The quality of workmanship on these yachts is as high as other manufacturer then or today. Leave a Reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 106 IMAGES Gulfstar 39 Sailmaster Mk II Boat Review Used Boat Review: Gulfstar 36 1974 Gulfstar 41 Center Cockpit Sailboat Specs And Pricing GULFSTAR 43: Reviews, Specifications, Built, Engine GULFSTAR 47 SAILMASTER: Reviews, Specifications, Built, Engine Gulfstar 60 COMMENTS Gulfstar Yachts Review: A Complicated History Gulfstar Yachts Review: A Complicated History. May 4, 2010 Richard Jordan. Gulfstar Early Model Star Logo. Gulfstar Yachts was founded in 1970 by Vincent Lazzara in Tampa Bay, Florida. Mr. Lazzara was fresh off a two year forced absence from the power and sailboat building business. As part of selling his share in Columbia Yachts, he signed a ... Gulfstar 44 Review: One of the Best Designs Ever Lazzara keenly knew what would sell and big bathtub motorsailers were in demand in the early 1970's. If you wanted a powerboat, they pumped out an early Gulfstar. If you wanted a sailboat, they would stick on a mast like the 53 motorsailer which doubled as a displacement trawler. Gulfstar produced roomy motorsailers in their Tampa Bay factory. Used Boat Review: Gulfstar 36 Systems. Almost all the Gulfstars used Perkins diesels, and the 36 has a 4-108, plenty powerful for the boat-quite a bit noisier than more-recent diesels. The 36 we tested had 8,000 hours on the engine, and some 36s may be due for overhauls or engine replacement. Gulfstar 37's Pro's & Cons Boat Review Forum. SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing ... The 37 is a classic sailboat, no coachhouse. Gulfstar made a bunch of motor cruisers and sailboats that could have been called motor cruisers. But the 37 isn't one of them. It has a fin keel, skeg hung rudder, and a very ... Gulfstar 47 Sailmaster Review: Practical Liveaboard Gulfstar does not have the best reputation for build quality. First they had shoddy layup in the early 1970's which resulted in delamination and blisters. Then, they were hit by the boat pox of the early 1980's. The 47 Gulfstar produced during the late 1970's luckily missing the more serious quality questions. Gulfstar 44 Gulfstar 44. We recently bought a 1981 Gulfstar 44 center cockpit. It was the boat we decided on after multiple years of reading, discussing and ocassionally cussing. Some people would naturally cuss the Gulfstar but then some compared it to the Hylas 44. An older article by Bob Perry had quite an indepth discussion of the pro's and con's of ... Gulfstar Sailmaster Gulfstar 50: Good boat, lots built for the charter market. Blue water: Better than a Jeanneau or Benneto, not as good as an Island Packet. Dislikes: Hate the galley (headroom) and skinny passageway to stern berth, which in my view has a weird setup. Overall: not my kind of boat and is generally considered a "small" 50'. Gulfstar 43 Trawler-Style Yacht- Boat Review by David Pascoe, Marine The draft is only 40" so there's no excuse for running aground. This a 1976 model, with a pair of 130 HP Perkins, that was only a two owner boat and very well maintained. This one had a 7.5 Kw Onan (yeah, it still worked) and airconditioning, plus custom refrigeration and freezer. Otherwise equipage was about average. Gulfstar 39 Sailmaster Mk II Boat Review The most noticeable feature of the Gulfstar 39 Sailmaster's distinguished profile is its raised saloon. The boat's bow is sharp, the transom almost plumb, and its sheer very flat. Overall, the lines are clean and sleek. The interior is sometimes referred to as a single-stateroom design or a galley-forward design. GULFSTAR 50: An Affordable Big Boat The most notable manifestation of this was the Gulfstar 50, a large center-cockpit cruiser first introduced in 1975. The GS 50 was the best boat Gulfstar ever built and also the most popular, with 172 hulls launched during a six-year production run that ended in 1980. Designed by Lazzara himself, the GS 50 boasts superior interior joinery ... The Gulfstar 50 Sailboat The sailing press generally gave positive reviews to the Gulfstar 50, praising its interior space, joinery, performance, and value. ... The designer of the Gulfstar 50 was Vince Lazzara, who also designed many other sailboats for Gulfstar Yachts, such as the Gulfstar 37, the Gulfstar 43, the Gulfstar 44, the Gulfstar 60, and the Gulfstar ... Review of Gulfstar 44 The l/b ratio for Gulfstar 44 is 3.41. Wide Slim 54% 0 50 100. Compared with other similar sailboats it is slimmer than 54% of all other designs. It seems that the designer has chosen a slightly more speedy hull design. Gulfstar 39 Sailmaster Review: Cruising Couple Dreamboat Gulfstar 39 PDF Brochure (Click to Download) When introduced in 1981, the Gulfstar 39 Sailmaster was a controversial design because of her single stateroom interior layout. Most aft cockpit sailboats of her day featured a quarter berth. These days you often see twin berths aft as manufacturers maximize sleeping accommodations. Gulfstar 44 Gulfstar 44 is a 44′ 8″ / 13.6 m monohull sailboat designed by Vince & Richard Lazarra and built by Gulfstar Yachts between 1978 and 1984. Great choice! Your favorites are temporarily saved for this session. Sign in to save them permanently, access them on any device, and receive relevant alerts. ... Gulfstar 44 is a 44 ... GULFSTAR 44 It takes into consideration "reported" sail area, displacement and length at waterline. The higher the number the faster speed prediction for the boat. A cat with a number 0.6 is likely to sail 6kts in 10kts wind, a cat with a number of 0.7 is likely to sail at 7kts in 10kts wind. KSP = (Lwl*SA÷D)^0.5*0.5 GULFSTAR 44: Reviews, Specifications, Built, Engine GULFSTAR 44 Detailed Review. If you are a boat enthusiast looking to get more information on specs, built, make, etc. of different boats, then here is a complete review of GULFSTAR 44. Built by Gulfstar Yachts and designed by Vince & Richard Lazarra, the boat was first built in 1978. It has a hull type of Fin with rudder on skeg and LOA is 13.62. Classic Plastic: 10 Affordable Used Sailboats for Cruising Gulfstar 44 A potentially controversial choice, and you may hear people badmouthing these boats, but don't listen. The Gulfstar 44 ($80,000 to $120,000) from the early 1980s was well-designed and built by Vince Lazzara in Florida. ... Tayana 37: Used Boat Review. Six Sweet Sailboats: Center Cockpit Cruisers for the USA. Perry Design Review ... What is the overall concensus on Gulfstar boats? We have both! We live on a 1973 Gulfstar 43 trawler and just purchased last September a 1979 Endeavour 37 A plan. The Gulfstar is built on the sailboat hull, his sons did not like sailing and took their fathers sailboat hulls and turned them into trawlers until 1978 when they started to make dedicated powerboat hulls.I have nothing but praise for the traditional looks and build of the Gulfstar. Gulfstar 54 Sailcruiser Review: Little Harbor-Hinckley Like Quality The Sailcruiser series are the height of the skill of Gulfstar yachts. With their short rigs and twin diesels, these are somewhere between a power and sail boat. A great source for more information is Preferred Yacht Sales who have three for sale at the moment asking between $279,000 and $319,000. Advice on buying a 1974 41' Gulfstar Ketch : r/SailboatCruising Sell it after this. Boat: 41 ft 1974 Gulfstar ketch. Had a pre purchase survey done that showed wet decks, water logged rudder, a propeller that needs replacing and then occasional osmotic delamination along the hull. Otherwise I'm great condition with new rigging, sails and well maintained engine. Gulfstar 50 Review: Affordable Three Stateroom Classic The Gulfstar 50 is one of Lazzara's best designs. Lazzara previously was a partner at Columbia yachts who produced another well know 50-footer, the Columbia 50. The Gulfstar 50 is a lot of boat for under $200,000 these days and attracts a certain degree of interest. The combination of a 50 foot boat with a three stateroom layout for sometimes ... Gulfstar boats for sale Gulfstar boats for sale on YachtWorld are available for a swath of prices from $19,900 on the moderate end of the spectrum, with costs up to $339,000 for the most luxurious yachts. What Gulfstar model is the best? Some of the best-known Gulfstar models presently listed include: 50, 36, 44, 44 Center Cockpit and 47 Sailmaster. Gulfstar 60 Review: Attractive Value Founded in 1970 by legendary Vince Lazzara, Gulfstar began as a budget builder producing inexpensive power and sail boats. Located on the Tampa Bay, they switched tacks when market tastes changed and starting producing performance cruisers like this 60 Gulfstar. Starting in 1981 until 1986, Gulfstar produced 15 hulls of the 60-footer. catamaran gulet motorboat powerboat riverboat sailboat trimaran yacht