This page updated: January 2009
| Gulfstar sailboats. | |
Please send any comments to me.
This page updated: January 2009 |
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The club was
established in 1991, presently has 435 members, worldwide. Of that 12 are
44MS owners. Gulfstar manufactured sail and power; the club ratio is about
1/2 and 1/2.
The dues are $35 per year, your year starts the month you join, we do a newsletter monthly, you will get a directory of all the owners. We try to have at least one rendezvous a year. We just had our 2001, 10th anniversay rendezvous, April, 26, 27, 28. Attendance was great: anywhere from 80 to 90 members and 17 boats. In our newsletter, if you have a problem we can not help with, we ask other members for their advice. It works well. |
| Model | Years produced | Number produced |
|---|---|---|
| Sail: | ||
| 36 auxiliary sailboat | 1983-85 | 23 |
| 36 salon motorsailer | 1971 | 3 or 4 |
| 36 motorsailer | 1971-72 | ??? |
| 37 aft cockpit sailboat | 1976-79 | 154 |
| 37 center-cockpit sailboat | 1986 | 10-12 |
| 39 center-cockpit sailboat | 1986 | 10-12 |
| 39 SailMaster | 1981-84 | 57 |
| 40 center-cockpit SailMaster | 1982 | 12 |
| 40 custom sailboat | 1977-78 | 2 |
| 41 auxiliary sailboat | 1973-75 | 160 |
| 42 CSY | 1986 | 42 |
| 43 auxiliary sailboat | 1976-78 | 80 |
| 43 motorsailer | 1971-73 | 10 |
| 44 auxiliary sailboat | 1978-82 | 70 |
| 44 auxiliary sailboat West Indies | 1982-83 | 10-12 |
| 44 MK II | 1983-84 | 10 |
| 44 motorsailer | 1974-75 (but mine is a 73, and I've seen a 71) | 79 |
| 45 Hirsch | 1985-87 | 30 |
| 47 SailMaster | 1978-81 | 79 |
| 50 auxiliary sailboat | 1975-80 | 172 |
| 50 CSY | 1986 | ??? |
| 50 SailMaster | 1982-85 | 17 |
| 52 motorsailer Independence model | 1975-76 | 12 |
| 53 motorsailer | 1971-75 | 27 |
| 54 SailCruiser | 1985-86 | 23 |
| 60 auxiliary sailboat | 1981-84 | ??? |
| 60 MK II | 1985-86 | 12 |
| 62 SailMaster | 1982-85 | 6 |
| 63 SailCruiser | 1985-86 | 2 |
| 80 auxiliary sailboat | 1986 | 1 |
| Power: | ||
| 36 trawler MK I | 1972-73 | 98 |
| 36 trawler MK II | 1975-76 | 35 |
| 38 motor cruiser | 1980-84 | 30 |
| 43 trawler MK I | 1973-74 | 64 |
| 43 trawler MK II | 1975-77 | 90 |
| 44 motor cruiser | 1978-80 | 105 |
| 44 motor yacht MK I | 1985 | ??? |
| 44 motor yacht MK II | 1986 | ??? |
| 44 motor yacht MK III | 1987 | 12 |
| 44 motor yacht MK IV | 1988 | 2 |
| 44 motor yacht OPAD | 1987-88 | 1 |
| 48 motor yacht | 1981-82 | 23 |
| 49 motor yacht MK I | 1983-84 | 26 |
| 49 motor yacht MK II | 1985 | 10 |
| 49 motor yacht MK III | 1986 | 10 |
| 49 motor yacht MK IV | 1987-88 | 12 |
| 49 motor yacht EAD | 1987-88 | 6 |
| 53 trawler | 1975-76 | 6 |
| 55 motor yacht | 1987-90 | ??? |
| 63 motor yacht | 1987-90 | 28 |
| 72 motor yacht | 1987-90 | ??? |
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[Much of this is guesswork; if anyone has definitive info,
please send it to me.]
i.e.: GFSnnnnM73F (for pre-August-1984 boats) GFS = Always same. This code is assigned by USCG. Identifies the builder as Gulfstar. nnnn = encoding of model and hull number; format unknown, specific to Gulfstar. M = declares the HIN to be formatted in the "Model Year" format. 73 = Model year (starts August 1). F = Month of manufacture or certification (see below).
From Sandy Wills: for the "Model Year" format, anything from JANUARY through JULY would have been built in the year specified, but AUGUST through DECEMBER would indicate a build date during the year PRIOR to the model year number shown. Some vessels: GFS0441M73F = my 1973 Gulfstar 44 motor-sailer ketch. GFS04415M80H = a Gulfstar 44 cutter. GFS50172[something] = a Gulfstar 50 cutter, hull number 172. GFSO44C9M82B is a 1982 sloop. GFSO4413M72E is a 44 sloop, started Dec 1972 finished Feb 1973. GFS044600374 = 1974 Gulfstar 44 motor-sailer ketch. GFS043540877 = 1977 Gulfstar 43 maybe finished August 1977. |
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Gulfstar is one of those companies that built a wide range
of products with a wide range of quality throughout its lifespan.
Many of the Gulfstars were intended for the charter fleets
and were not all that well-built and were even less well-finished.
The designs varied widely as well. They varied from terrible-sailing
motorsailors to some pretty nice sailing boats. Two that stand out
as nice sailing boats were a Ted Hood designed 40 or so foot
centerboarder that was very similar to the boats he designed
for Bristol, and a 50 or so footer which is a great passagemaker.
The early boats in particular were considered to be very poorly built with the late boats considered to be constructed to a yacht quality. Most of the people that I have known who purchased the charter or early boats have gone through major rebuilds that includes glassing bulkheads back into the boat or replacing bulkheads that have rotted out beneath the formica surface material and a lot of electrical work. On the other hand these restored boats must be out there ... |
| The GS-50s had a cored deck. The hulls were solid laminate. |
| The only Gulfstar with a cored hull, that I know of, is the one-off 48' that Pierre has, eh. I'm pretty sure all 43's are solid hulls like mine. |
| I have a 44 MKII and it has the cored topsides. |
From Luke Curtis on SailNet's Gulfstar mailing list:
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From Dr. R. Ramirez Brunet:
From H E:
From Pat Banyas:
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> ... how to replace white vinyl headliner with little holes in it ?
I have replaced all the headliner in my boat last year and it's doing well. It was the style with little holes in it, it was glued to 1/8 inch plywood and velcroed and screwed to 3/4 X 3/4 softwood battens under the deck. I used the old panels to cut new ones out of 1/4 inch exterior grade, sanded one side fir plywood. Try the panels first before you glue the new vinyl, make them 1/8 inch smaller all around, round all the edges with a rasp or coarse sandpaper. Then glue your favorite canvas over it, I used white vinyl, no little holes in it, just leather texture with contact cement. Cut the vinyl 1 1/2 inch larger than the plywood and roll back the edges on the backside of the ply. Screw the panels back in place with evenly spaced stainless screws about 16" spacing and formed washers like the ones used in upholstery work. The vinyl is about $8 per yard, the ply $20 a sheet, it took 30 yards and countless sheets, 3 gallons of glue to re-do all my ceilings [GS 48], going around the mast was especially challenging, ended-up with puzzle-like panels . |
| With my vessel I have found so far a few things. Make sure there has been no water intrusion into the deck, an expensive repair. Look around the keel and the very lower part of it, Gulfstar lowered the lead into a cement bath which over time did not do so well if salt water was able to get to it. Check around the base of the mast to see if any stress cracks have developed. The tanks on these boats are made out of fiberglass and the tank is an integral part of the structure. These tanks over time do develop leaks and then you do have a mess on your hands. Ports, most of them are plastic and if not rebed on a semi frequent basis, they leak. Don't bed them with 3M 5200 as I have seen others do, you will never get the port back out without damage and they will still leak with that material. The only other thing so far that I am learning about is to look at the skeg and rudder to see that no water is making its way into the boat or that the upper bearing has not had excessive wear from not being greased. I would like to add that I think this is a very short and repairable list and these are great boats. |
From Cameron Foster on SailNet's Gulfstar mailing list:
From Gregg O'Malley on SailNet's Gulfstar mailing list:
From Mike Rengert on SailNet's Gulfstar mailing list:
From Gordon and Susie on Gulfstar Owners mailing list:
From W G Nokes on SailNet's Gulfstar mailing list:
From WG Nokes on SailNet's Gulfstar mailing list:
From Laura on SailNet's Gulfstar mailing list:
From WG Nokes on SailNet's Gulfstar mailing list:
From Alan Hinkle on SailNet's Gulfstar mailing list:
From Bob Appleton on SailNet's Gulfstar mailing list:
From Pierre Julien on SailNet's Gulfstar mailing list:
From Peter Youngman on SailNet's Gulfstar mailing list:
See my Boat Hull Blisters page |
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The GS44 and the barge:
I thought this little story might be interesting to both owners and those that wonder about how well-built the Gulfstar might be. On March 14 at 2:30 p.m. a fully loaded barge, measuring 193 ft x 39 ft x 19 ft deep and with an estimated weight of around 10,000,000 pounds, was being towed by our little 11-slip marina on Granville Island in downtown Vancouver B.C. when the tow line pulled out of the coupling at the bridle. The barge veered left and, despite the desperate efforts of the tug operator, plowed slowly through the marina as if it was not there. It caught the transom of the C&C 40 beside us, ripping out its dock cleats and pushing it against Peregrine, our 1981 Gulfstar 44. The barge then caught our aft port quarter and pushed the boat sideways and forwards up on the the starboard finger dock and the main dock across our bow. The wood pilings supporting either end of our finger were no match for the pressure, with the outer piling being snapped off by the barge, and the inner piling against our starboard bow (buried in 18 ft of bottom) being pushed over to about 30 degrees before the dock disintegrated in splinters, dropping Peregrine back in the water. When it was all over, boats and broken sections of docks were scattered in disarray in the wake of the barge which ground to a stop against the shore. The Sceptre 36 on our starboard side had cracked decks and hull, all the interior cabinets moved, and the mast out of alignment. Our damage consisted primarily of gelcoat scratches and chips, several deep gouges out of our bottom from riding over the top of steel bolt heads on the dock, and a couple of bent stanchions. We had no structural damage, although our port side was pushed in enough to have buckled the counter top in the aft head, requiring replacement. The biggest gouge below the waterline was almost 3/4 of an inch deep for a length of almost two feet, and the yard workers all gasped when we were hauled out for inspection, but there was enough solid glass remaining we could be put back in the water for a couple of weeks while waiting for repairs to be scheduled. Our repairs cost just over $23,000 and took 6 weeks to complete, but this included new bottom paint and a complete hull wax. Both the C&C and the Sceptre had to be painted, but our contractor said we had such a good gelcoat he felt painting over it would be pointless. So if any of you have any question about the quality of construction of the Gulfstar, hopefully this story gives you some comfort. |
| The flanges on the ports are really designed to be removed (ground flush). The port manufacturers do not know the cabin top thickness any hull manufacturer will have (nor does the hull manufacturer know the final finished thickness of the interior liner plus the cabin top at the various port locations). Therefore the port manufacturers have enough flange to cover all possibilities. The hull manufacturers do not want to take the time (cost) to trim the flanges flush. When trimmed flush the boat looked much better, no more ankle bites or chipped port flanges. Go ahead and grind the port flanges flush, you will be pleased with the result. |
| ... Most Gulfstars, if not all, have a ballast made up of a concrete slurry with chunks of lead in it. ... |
| Someone who worked at the Gulfstar factory told him that the cement/lead ballast also had large handfuls of asbestos mixed into it ! |
| I just bought a GS 41 and the published draft is 4-10. When we measured it during the survey it came in at about 5-2. The guy who did my survey worked for GS and he said that those specs were based on the delivered boat, not the outfitted boat. He said that in my size range, every 800 pounds of weight on the boat raises the waterline about an inch. ... |
| Don's Salvage in Clearwater bought up all of the leftover parts from Gulfstar when they stopped making boats. I found mizzen chainplates there in the past. |
From Kevin Silva on SailNet's Gulfstar mailing list:
From Joey on SailNet's Gulfstar mailing list:
From Joey on SailNet's Gulfstar mailing list:
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| [The rudder skeg is] a severely underengineered design. The wobbly skegs in Gulfstars have probably led to the high incidence of leaky and loose rudder bearings. I have had my skeg/hull joint ground down and heavily reinforced from the outside, and it is now rigid. We used glass and epoxy. Another bigger Gulfstar hauled out near me, and I checked his, and it was even worse. ... There was easily visible hull flexing and delamination when I gave it a yank! |
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GS50 sole settling:
The sole in my GS50 1979 was settling on the starboard side where the settee meets the hanging locker. After having a surveyor look at it we decided to pull up the sole. The framework that supports the sole is constructed of pine 2x4's and then tabbed into the hull. My tabbing has come undone and the framework is separating in places due to the fact that it was built with iron/steel nails. Not stainless or bronze. The nails are all rusting away and allowing the framework to shift. We are replacing some of the 2x4's that were notched when built to allow wiring and plumbing to be run. There is enough room to run all plumbing and electrical without cutting out the 2x4's. We are refastening with stainless screws and coating all wood w/ epoxy (west system). After the frame is fit we will retab and then re-install the sole. There are lots of loose tabs due to dry bonding when the boat was built. So my yacht carpenter and I will be busy for a while fixing her so she is strong as she should be. I think everyone should be aware that the nails in the subfloor are iron as they will not last! |
| Same in my GS 40, 1982. Also a couple of bulkheads were partly separated from the hull and deck as a result of poor glasswork so you might check those too - I thought my mast was squeaking at the partners, but it was the bulkhead moving! |
| We just completed purchase of a 1975 GS 53. After spending a week going through every system with mechanics I am even more impressed with the Gulfstars of that vintage. The hull is rock-solid. You should find 7/8" to 1" thick hull and thicker around throughhulls and plates. If the motor is one of the perkins and the genset an onan and they run then the odds are that they will continue to run for a long long time - with proper care. We looked at some 44s also and our only real concern with cost to fix/upgrade was the deck and the hull-deck joint. If not taken care of the soft spots on a deck probably reflect a much more serious issue. |
| As far as the Gulfstar 50, the older ones, 70s and early 80s are good boats, not great, and suffer from leaks, deck to hull separations, poorly installed portals, etc, none the less, not bad. Keels are too unprotected for me to want to sail it around the world though. |
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Asking $145k. Center-cockpit walk-through. Cutter-ketch. Fiberglass decks. 6'6" - 6'7" headroom. 2 heads. 2 staterooms, plus a "workroom / crew cabin" accessible only by going through engine compartment. All new sails recently. Masts pulled and repainted recently. Not sailed much / at all recently. Davits, but no dinghy. Believe there is no liferaft. Genset. Watermaker. Barient 32 primary winches. Swim ladder and gate in stern pulpit; no swim platform. |
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The G-50 was designed by V.S. Lazzara, who also designed the Gulfstar 37.
For long-term cruising the Ketch is the preferred sail plan because it
performs so well on an anchorage with a reefed mizzen hoisted aft.
With this center cockpit design, the helmsman stays very dry offshore,
even in a following sea. The interior layout allows several separate
private spaces so that a crew of four or five can each find a "territory"
of their own which is so necessary on long passages. A more open and
spacious layout would be preferable when the harbor is reached after a long
passage. There are permanent bunks for two couples and a crew of two, and
the salon table is still large enough that everyone can sit for dinner at
once. The forward and aft cabin arrangement with the addition of three
heads, allows a master suite, a guest suite, and a private cabin with head
for the crew. This combination gives the best of all worlds for long
offshore passage making.
Unfortunately the water tank capacity of 210 gallons, and the fuel capacity of only 100 gallons is merely 50% of what would normally be needed to sustain these long offshore voyages. Consequently, before any long passages were begun, each of these capacities should be doubled. The Gulfstar Sailmaster 50 Sloop has 350 gallons of water and 200 gallons of fuel in the same sized hull, but lacks the "crew" quarters. The Gulfstar 54 Ketch, has all the features of the 50 ketch and also carries sufficient fuel at 380 gallons, although the water supply is still a little shy at 267 gallons. On the other hand the G-50 is a good bet for offshore cruising, if the additional capacities are installed. The ¾ keel and skeg rudder will give excellent control running downwind, she will be stiff and manageable. Rigging a staysail inside the genoa will give this rig good upwind ability, and maximum speed on a reach. She should be a very handy offshore passage maker, she is heavy at 35,000 lbs with a 10,500 lb. keel. The layout is handy, the rig is handy, and well designed for the intended purpose. |
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To Gulfstar '50 owners:
We have just had the very unpleasant experience of having to denude our Gulfstar '50 keel on the left front portion. We've taken all the fiberglass (15 layers) right down to the cement. We had to do this since what looked like an innocent blister turned out to be a huge water holder. When the "blister" was opened the water poured out and when we dug deeper we found more water. Presently, the boat is in Venezuela having this work done. We went ahead with the extensive repairs because anyone owning these fantastic yachts knows they are worth it. The question I am posing to the '50 owners is -- Has anyone else experienced this nightmare? I ask this because two other boats in Houston have gone through similar experience in the same place on the keel. I'm wondering how the water gets there in the first place. Windswept II was kept in the Northeast for most of her life and thus she was hauled every year. Her hull is in beautiful shape. This is the first problem we have had with the hull/keel. When the Houston owners were questioned one surmised the water seeped in through the bilge, another one surmised it came from osmosis and we can't figure out how in the world it got in there! I'd like to hear from other owners and see if this is a flaw of our boat. ... |
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I bought a GS-50 Mark II ('78) last December [2001]. Had a few blisters,
localized near Starboard bow (approx 10) from 1/2 inch to 3.5 inches. Ground them
out in the boat yard using an angle grinder. Took the hull down to
unaffected glass and the deepest one (approx 1" in dia.) took 4 layers of
6 oz glass cloth to refill. There had been no previous blister repair.
The surveyor had inspected several GS-50s and said that most had some blisters, but none that he had seen had serious problems. The decks (cored) can have some delamination problems if previous owners did not keep them properly sealed. Most of the 70's and early 80's models with plastic ports have some interior water damage from leaks. Many of these have already been repaired with new interior woodwork and new or reconditioned ports. My boat specifically had a serious problem with corrosion at the base of the mizzen mast due to a lack of drainage. Salt accumulated there and required the removal of 3" from the base of the mast. A special material (phenolic) was laminated to make a 3" high raised platform to support the mizzen step. Total cost approx $400. I also have significant interior paneling damage from leaking ports. Plan to replace them with stainless at $285 per unit for 12 ports plus cost of the new teak paneling. No soft spots in my deck. Perkins 5-154 is a good engine with parts available worldwide. Can have one completely rebuilt by Foley engines for approx $5500. Mine only needed new injectors. Be sure to look for leaking rear seal on your prospective purchases as this requires the removal of the engine (in most cases) for repair. The fuel tank was full of sludge as she had sat idle for the best part of 3 years. There was no clean out, but a good fuel polisher can install one in a couple of hours. Cost $325 for installation of a cleanout and the cleaning of a full tank of fuel (in Florida). I was a bit concerned about her upwind ability with the shallow draft ... now that I have had her out on San Francisco Bay for a couple of months, I LOVE the way she sails and handles. She is a heavy boat, so she doesn't accelerate like a racer ... but she cuts through the chop and doesn't even feel it. We have 2 - 3' chop that is steep and short interval on the Bay. The center cockpit only gets spray when hard on the wind with 20+ knots of wind speed ... otherwise, she is dry. |
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In my experience with a GS 50:
1) When run (hard) aground, the energy of impact is passed through the keel to the weakest point where it dissipates through the hull. This was the case with ours and the NA who inspected her accurately predicted the internal damage to wood cross member in the aft end of the engine room (cracked) and the resultant delamination of a vast area of the afterbody in the way of the keel trailing edge prior to actually sighting the internals. The only outward evidence of this was a re-repaired and re-emerging crack on the aft edge of the keel just below the hull. Left unchecked the crack would widen and then fail catastrophically. During the above repairs the accessible voids in the aft end of the keel were filled so it can no longer become unplanned 'tankage'. 2) Both before and after this was discovered and repaired there was an accumulation of a 1-1.5" of a white crystalline, saltlike substance on the very bottom of the keel which occurred with all tanks dry and indoor storage. Various explanations have been offered including 'uncured catalyst' (in a 1977-built boat) and water migration. The mystery remains unsolved. 3) We drilled drain holes in the keel and allowed free water to drain and seep for several days. It was mixture of clean and bilge water. I see by the weeps around the epoxied and barrier-coated repaired hole that I can do this again. I suspect I have a cracked water tank (located between the fuel tank and the engine room sump) and the water migrates. I will rehole / redrain the keel and then do a dye test on the fresh water tank to confirm or deny. If I had the money I'd like to x-ray the keel and then fill the voids with a low-expanding foam. |
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We had a problem some years ago while our boat was in Trinidad.
Delamination had occured in areas of the keel, especially in the upper aft corner
going back toward the skeg. We noticed water dripping in right after we had
launched and had to rehaul. After identifying the bad area, we also found that
much of the FG on the SB side of the keel was beginning to delaminate. We ended
up peeling most of the glass from the keel, in some areas down to the cement.
We rebuilt and rewrapped the keel in several layers of heavy biaxial glass.
In the process, we did cut about a 2 sqft section out of the side of the keel to gain access to the bilge. We cleaned out and reglassed the bilge area under the engine and eventually filled the opening, first by backing up the hole from within with a solid piece of glass, and then building up on top of that. When people would come by the boatyard and ask about our hole in the keel, we joked that we were changing the bilge pump. The point is, if necessary, you can cut into the bilge from outside and patch it up like new even if it is a little scary. Our project lasted for months ... |
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Great boat [1980 CC GS50]. Mine is Hull number 150.
See photos here;
see blog here (more photos).
We don't have an inner forestay, and are happy without it. The foresail is huge, so a forestay could cause a lot of frustration. Depending on the age of your generator, watch the exhaust elbow. It is usually cast steel, and can deteriorate/rust with age (not necessarily hours of use, idle hours do count). Our Perkins leaks a lot of oil. We suspect the rear seal in the bell housing is shot. So we suspend a fire-resistant tarp under the motor to catch the oil, and then pump it back into the motor! This is not ideal, but it works. The bilge is very deep, you don't want to try cleaning oil out of there. The raw water impeller is difficult to see, so I custom-made some screws with wing-nuts for easier removal. The raw water goes from the pump to a refrigeration heat exchanger (engine-driven cold-plate). So impeller bits are not welcome in that heat exchanger. For this reason I added a strainer after the raw water pump to catch any failing impeller vanes. This is a great idea, it helps you to know when to replace the impeller too. Last summer I had starter trouble with the Perkins. Now I'm an expert, if you need advice with that. Oh, that and Vacuflush, and also Webasto Hydronic heating ... Don't ask. They're great additions once you get them debugged. I'm rebuilding the companionway slider. It was installed in such a way that the wood wears away over time, no runners to protect it. So I'm an expert on that too haha. You have to partially destroy it to remove it (on this boat anyway). We have SS ports, they are well worth the cost. But install them properly, with good sealant (Sikaflex). Whoever installed ours botched the job, so I am re-bedding them as time allows. It's much easier to do it right the first time. You might as well varnish the interior wood panels while the ports are removed. Heck, varnish the whole boat while you have the brush in your hand ROFL! Get a dual-racor filter. It is very uncomfortable to use the manual finger-pump (lift-pump) on the starboard side of the Perkins. Especially when the engine is hot. Install an additional electric pump to make bleeding/priming much easier. Also, consider installing a polishing system to help keep the crud out of the engine. The Perkins fuel pick-up is probably not at the bottom of the tank, you may have inches of crud collected down there. The polishing system should pick up from the bottom of the tank, as low as you can, to suck up all debris. Since you have a classic plastic boat, the wood trim really adds to the appearance. Avoid sanding too much, preserve the wood and the nearby gelcoat. Those toe-rails will be very difficult to replace. I use Honey-teak varnish, longer lasting and less sanding than plain-ole varnish, and it's easy to patch/repair dings. If your Gulfstar is like mine, some of the chain-plates are not accessible. I'm thinking about cutting some holes in the wood panels to inspect them. |
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Our Sailmaster 47 is for sale; we
want to have kids, and we're not hardcore enough to try raising an
infant aboard (yeah, we've seen it done... it isn't easy! ;).
Good stuff: solid and comfortable. The queen-sized aft berth is in large measure what sold my wife on the boat (especially after having spent a few warm nights aboard another boat in one of those sarcophagus-style double-but-really-more-a-single berths). Tall people appreciate the 6'3" to 6'5" headroom. The galley is large and much more functional than other sailboats. The cockpit of the boat is high enough to keep you dry in all but the wildest of circumstances (we often see boats filled with people in foulies while we're in t-shirts and jeans). The boat sails confidently in the 30-35 knot summer breezes here. Maneuvers quite well around the dock for a boat its size with a single screw ... once you give up trying to steer in reverse, and realize that short forward blasts with helm hard over work almost as well as a bow thruster. Bad stuff: if you're one of those people who simply *cannot* have a single blister of any size on the hull, you'll have to find one that's had the hull ripped down and rebuilt and barrier-coated, or go to the expense yourself. We've simply fixed the dime-to-quarter-sized blisters on haulout, and left the strong and thick hull otherwise well enough alone. If you need to go 12 knots or more to have fun, find another boat; the 47 typically does 5 to 7 under sail, but the keel shape keeps the boat from pounding when going to weather, so you'll end up arriving later, but much less exhausted, than your fin-keeled pals. The 47 does sit high in the water, but this hasn't been a sailing/maneuvering windage problem, as much as it's been a high jump from deck to dock when coming into port. |
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Asking $129k. Roller-furling jib. No rubrail. No exterior wood. Very clear decks. Swim ladder. Headroom 6'2"-6'3" in main cabin and V-berth, 5'6" in walk-through and part of galley, 6'1"-6'2" in aft cabin (one section 5'9"), 6'1" in aft head. Separate shower. 1 step down into galley. Bad cracking on deck near port stern. Almost no opening ports. |
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All through-hulls had gate-valves, and most gate-valves were corroded or frozen. A few below-waterline through-hull backing pads had rot. Several deck-leaks through screw-holes in top of toerail; most easy to fix. Boat is easy to single-hand, stable, sails okay (but slowly: lots of wetted surface, very beamy, lots of windage, shoal draft, short masts, heavy) as long as wind is 10 knots or more. Hard to tack in 6 knots or less. Very hard to sail into a swell forward of the beam. On my boat sailing performance is particularly bad because: fixed 3-blade propeller causes drag, pilothouse adds windage, pilothouse makes it hard to see what the sails are doing, roller-furling on all sails degrades shape, sails are very old. Because of the shallow draft and wide beam and high freeboard, boat is very rolly in a beam swell. Can be extremely uncomfortable in the wrong conditions, underway or at anchor. Boat is very AC-power-oriented: air conditioners, AC stove, AC freezer. Design-type problems:
Detail-type (fixable) problems:
Features I love:
See my Sailboat "Magnolia" page |
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[My 1971 Gulfstar 44 ketch's standing rigging is a mix of 1/4" and 3/16" wire.]
Many people believe the Gulfstar 44 is rigged a bit light. To help put that in perspective, here are the dimensions of my [1978] Morgan Out Island 41 standing rigging: I can't get at my headstay to measure it - the furler completely covers it - but it is probably at least 7/16". The main uppers are 3/8". The fwd lowers are 5/16". The aft lowers are 5/16". The main twin backstays are each 5/16". The mizzen uppers are 1/4". The mizzen lowers are 1/4". |
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Asking $100k. Headroom: 6'3" most places, some beams at 6'2", starboard walk-through is about 5'4". Less than half of the ports are opening-type. Aft head has separate shower stall. Some worn-through non-skid on deck, boom needs repainting. |
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A project boat. Center-cockpit walk-over ketch with big sturdy hardtop over cockpit. Asking $35k. Seller will not negotiate after survey, will not allow sea trial and haul-out before sale. Seller has owned for 3 months and briefly motored but never sailed it; wife doesn't want to cruise any more after 5000 miles on trawler; previous owners lived on it in USVI for years, tried to sell for a year or more. Started advertising recently (3/15 ?), claims lots of calls from around the country, but sounds like no serious buyers yet. No recent survey or haul-out. Headroom: 6'2" under cockpit hardtop, 6'1"-6'2" in aft cabin, 6'4"-6'5" in main cabin. 3'6" draft. No anchor windlass. Small vent into what might be a small chain locker, opens into V-berth. Most ports are opening-type, but are RV-quality slide-open type. Some seem to be caulked shut. No leakage seen. Aft head has separate shower stall. Exterior wood: toerail, grab rails, hardtop rails, hatch rims, cockpit coaming, bowsprit. Rubrail is very small. 2 cold-plate iceboxes in cockpit (probably don't work); icebox with no refrigerator in main cabin. Ford Lehman 120 HP engine; runs (and run recently), but lots of rust. Through-hulls and seacocks (gate valves) need replacement. Current owner hasn't tried stove. Propane, but locker in cockpit not properly vented. Water heater looks like it needs replacement. Huge cockpit, but big table/icebox right in forward middle. Could be torn out, except pipe supporting hardtop is on top of it. Roller-furling jib; no furling on main and mizzen. Very simple running rigging: don't recall seeing a traveler, boom vang, jib track. Clear decks. No soft spots. Chain-plates, other hardware looks good. Dent in at least one stanchion. Multiple hatches and 2 companionways give good ventilation. No davits, no dinghy, no motor. 3 small winches, 1-speed not self-tailing. Bilge very clean, very accessible. Huge, fairly empty engine compartment with big engine in middle. Every visible inside hull surface very clean, no problems. Rudder shaft base is very rusty. Wood swim platform (full width of transom); hinge mounting is suspect. Upholstery is old, tired, minimal. At least one cockpit drain opens straight into engine compartment; hose missing. Almost no electronics: VHF radio, shore power connection. HIN FLZR8203H471 Not USCG documented. Florida registration V014703 expired February/March 2001. A project boat; needs: - replace all through-hulls and seacocks before it sinks (no kidding). - replace all hoses before opening any seacocks and maybe sinking boat (no kidding). [Now it will stay floating.] - replace/clean most small parts on exterior of engine. - probably replace wiring. - maybe replace batteries. [Now it can be motored and navigated.] - probably replace sails. - replace running rigging. [Now it can be sailed.] - probably replace some plumbing. - discard/replace refrigeration. - probably replace stove, re-work propane system. - replace all ports. - new upholstery. |
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[44 ketch] Construction flaws:
Probably the biggest pain I've come across is the framing for the main interior cabin deck. Under the floor the framing is 2X4 fore and aft with athwart ship 2X4's in between the fore and aft beams. These athwart ship beams are then nailed or screwed to the fore and aft beams. With no interlocking over the years the athwart ship beams have sagged. The worst cast of this is the mizzen area. The mast sits on the deck, which is supported by the aft shower bulkhead. This bulkhead is then supported by the plywood deck which sits on one of the athwart ship beams which sagged way down due to water leaks from the shower. wood deterioration, and old age. Every place that has frequent traffic and has one of the athwart ship beams show sagging, also was bad in kitchen area. The engine room is great, however for whatever reason the surrounding bulkheads were not brought all the way to the deck. And the exterior bilge spaces were not sealed off from the engine room. Thus engine room odors easily migrate throughout the vessel. I love the shower but to install the shower sump they cut one of the fore and aft beams and did not support either end of it, thus undue pressure results in sag over the years. Also of considerable interest is the lack of any access to water or fuel tanks without major deck removal. I know that that results in more space for living but it does make it difficult for maintenance. The bilge areas also leave a lot to be desired. Especially under the fuel and aft water tank. No access without a long hose. One of my last gripes is the rudder post and the shaft log areas, what ever were they thinking when they designed them. I have no idea what type of materials they used other than to say that now, almost 30 years later they are unidentifiable and I know it's going to be a thankless task to replace them. Overall they are built like a mobile home with the exception that they are very solid boats, do well with the large engine, 120 HP for mine, and are great size for living aboard or spending time in the Bahamas. The cockpit is huge and the cockpit coaming passthru can't be beat for making it comfortable. I know it's a lot of stuff but they have a lot to offer and most of my gripes are related to the age of the vessel and the mass-production costs at the time they were built. |
| I have a 74 MKII 44 Ketch and I have found it to be a solid boat with several exceptions. At that time the hulls were real solid but for this model to be mass-produced they used a lot of pressboard type interior materials and some poor interior subflooring construction. Look for deck and floor sagging under the mizzen compression section of the wall. My floor was supported by a 2x4 subfloor that sagged 3/4 inch allowing the bulkhead to sag which allowed the mizzen to sag with the overhead. Costly if you are paying someone to fix. Same problem in my galley area. On deck the design of the MKII allows water to collect and stand on port and stbd sides forward of the farthest aft scupper in the toerail. If there are any deck penetrations in this area they could have allowed water into the core material. The only other real pain was the rudder post comes up through a STEEL box with the bushing on top of the steel post, not a hard fix but some not so nice consequences if it collapses. |
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My concerns with the 44:
My boat was a 1973 and I had to do the following: 1) The mast is stepped on a metal pole that extends through cabin sole into a drain area for the forward shower. There is a pump there that has to have some standing water to make the switch. The pole gets corroded at the base and has to be carefully cleaned, scraped, sand blasted, and painted with bridge paint, high anti-corrosive metal paint. 2) The rudder needs to be removed at some time and the water drained from it ... and all the holes and blisters sanded out and the divots fixed with fiberglass. This has to be done in dry dock of course. 3) The rudder post, at the top, against the transom, has a bracket made of ferrous metal that allows the steering arm (tiller) to attach to the steering Morse cable. I had to remove mine, sandblast it and paint it with the bridge paint. I should have had one made from SS. I replaced all the washers, etc. at the same time, needed it badly. 4) The exhaust is under the aft port bunk (facing forward); the flange in the thru hull had to be removed and replaced. New SS bolts, new gasket sealer, etc. ... One other thing, in a good blow, I had the starboard main backstay chainplate break flush at the deck, didn't lose the mast, but headed it up ASAP. The SS was corroded. I eventually replaced all the chainplates and found half of them bad. Another area to be concerned about is the deck. Have it checked with the hydro meter to see if you have any wet spots. Grind them out. Let them dry and fix with fiberglass matting. ... One thing about the GS44, it is not a "blue water boat" ... keep it in the Bahamas and the Keys, Florida waters. It has no deep sea keeping quality. Anything over 8' seas and force 7+ winds the boat can be difficult. You can not run before the weather as the transom, being so large, will drive the boat and can eventually break the rudder. You have to lay to in heavy weather, so better to stay out of it. ... |
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I spent a lot of time on a '75
Gulfstar 44 ketch and can tell you that it makes one hell of a
live-aboard ... as long as you don't want to sail very much. As I recall
it took about 15-20 knots of wind to get her moving. On the other hand, for
$20K, what the hell. As long as you want to put in the sweat equity and
spend some bucks to bring her up to speed, pardon the pun, you'll probably
come out okay. But definitely have the engine surveyed! That's one boat
that needs a good engine.
Like I said, bring her back to decent condition and you'll have a large, beamy, extremely comfortable boat. But if your home sailing waters aren't known for strong winds, plan on a lot of motoring or motor-sailing. |
| My Gulfstar is a 1980 and it has very nice sailing characteristics. Gulfstar sailboats vary tremendously in design. The particular model I have is a Lazzara-designed shoal draft center cockpit sloop. It has the low cabin top of the newer models and less freeboard. The transom is tapered with a slight reverse. I think it differs considerably from the 1970's models. It sails just about as well as anything can that weighs 26000 lbs plus all my live aboard stuff in light air. Once the breeze gets to 10 or 12 kts then she really sails very well. I did change the traveller setup. I removed the adjustable stops that came on the track originally and installed a dual purchase system. This makes traveler position adjustments much easier. Mainly it enables me to flatten the boat out a little more in heavy air as she tended to get a little overpowered before. I also put on lazy jacks to assist in single handing (probably one of the best modifications). They really make life easier. I do a lot of racing on some very fast boats and even my racing buddies have been very surprised at my boat's performance for a live aboard cruiser. I have never regretted the decision to buy her. I actually prefer to sail a heavier cruising boat than a race boat. I guess it's just a personality type. If someone is in a hurry then sailing is probably not for them. I just computed my boat's displacement ratio and to my surprise discovered that is considered on the light side of the medium displacement range. |
| I have hull #75, a 1983 GS 44. Mine is a sloop. Personally, I love the room on the deck that you might have to give up for a cutter or ketch. In this years models, the aft berth is centered with cabinet storage on each side and lots underneath. It is very comfortable during normal cruising. Not too great for strapping in on a bluewater run. But you can use the berth in the salon during passage. My boat sails well in light or heavy air. I reef once at about 17 knots of wind and second slab at 20-24. She handles well. The boat is very sturdy. I don't seem to have any design or maintenance issues out of the ordinary. I did have a hard time finding 44's to look at when I decided that was what I wanted. |
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My husband and I have a 44 center cockpit - hull #1. We picked it after
extensive research on boat designs because we also plan to do some extensive
cruising. We converted our aft cabin to a full bed and it nicely fits a
queen size mattress - very comfy, but I agree with using the salon berth for
sleeping while underway.
... way too many thru-hulls. A couple were completely inaccessible until we replaced the engine (new engine was smaller - thanks to technology - and so more room to reach around). Spending time on the boat is VERY comfortable and easy and it sails great. Main complaints would be: almost impossible to singlehand, very heavy boat (which is good and bad depending), too much brightwork (the maintenance can be overwhelming at times), and drainage off the boat is terrible (mostly when washing it - not when you're out on the water). For some reason there is only one side drain on each side and it's not in the right spot, so water tends to well around the drain, along with all the dirt you're trying to wash off - very annoying. All in all - I highly recommend the boat. |
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Asking $85k. Center-cockpit walk-through. No staysail. No windvane. Bowsprit. Autopilot. Mostly 6'2" headroom. 2 heads. Anchor chain locker open to V-berth. Four berths 6'5", two berths 6'1". |
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Re: Gulfstar 43 ocean voyage:
In preparation for the ocean voyage, we replaced all of our standing and running rigging, all sails, winches, electronics, and the 12 volt electrical system. We also added furling systems to the headsail and mainsail so that we could manage sails from the cockpit. We had fabricated and installed an SOS Rudder, an emergency steering system which I hope we never have to use. Many other comfort and safety related upgrades were done as well. Our sail configuration was full mizzen, main, and genoa as we exited the Golden Gate. Our route planner, Rich Shema (www.weatherguy.com) had already warned us that we were heading into a gale. By dusk we found 35-knot winds; seas were 15-22 feet when we passed Point Sur. Our GulfStar 43' ketch was not at all fazed by the sea state nor by the wind. Her ability to surf is incredible. The gale lasted three days. We took a gust of 55 knots and I swear I saw the tip of the boom hit the surface of the water, but the boat righted herself immediately. Rogue waves filled the cockpit from time to time, and after the first night they became less and less amusing. During the gale, we used a reefed main and an ATN Gale Sail during the day and reefed mizzen and ATN Gale Sail at night. We had one of our old jibs cut down and made into a blast reacher, but we didn't find much use for it. Once we hit the trade winds, we experimented with a variety of sail configurations including a full complement: mizzen, mizzen staysail, main, genoa. We also used both symmetrical and asymmetrical spinnakers. At night, we stayed with our mizzen/jib combination (usually using a reefed genoa). For our trip, which was our first ocean crossing, we enlisted the help of a professional skipper from Italy. He skippers charter Beneteaus and Bavarias in the Adriatic and Med. On the fourth day, I found him circling all of the classified ads for used GulfStars in the back of the sailing magazines we had on board. He is now in the market for what he considers "the best boat I've ever sailed". The boat did everything we asked for and more. There was only one system failure (the autopilot motor shifted 1/2" and made the chain slack). Some damage occurred to our furling boom system but that did not affect its usability. The boat is built like a tank. I have no reservations about taking her from Honolulu to Tahiti and beyond, but she needs to earn her keep in Hawaii by providing an adjunct to our vacation rental business there. http://www.cassinico.com/greatwhite |
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> I have a 36 GS MS ... at any speed, under motor, > above 6.5 kts it is almost impossible to steer, > if you do not constantly steer (as much as turning the > wheel 200 degrees!) When I had it up on the hard I noticed > that the rudder appeared very small. ... My GS43 MS had a similar problem (not as pronounced as yours) that was solved by replacing the rudder with a larger one with more draft and surface area. It made a major difference in boat handling and my autopilot is much more efficient. |
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The Gulfstar 41 Ketch has a sail area of 731 sf, is 41 ft 0 in LOA,
33 ft 0 in WL, 12 ft 0 in Beam, and has a 5 ft 0 in draft, an 8000 lb keel
and a total displacement of around 22,000 lbs, holds 45 gallons of fuel
and 65 gallons of water, and is powered by a 50 hp Perkins Diesel.
It was designed by V. Lazzara for the 1974 model year, so your 1973, is actually a 1974 model, built in 1973. The current market value for an AVERAGE condition Gulfstar 41 Ketch is $52,400 to 57,600 if located on the North Atlantic Coast or Southern California Coast, 5% less if located in Florida, 5% more if located on the Gulf Coast, and 10% more if located in the Great Lakes or the Pacific Northwest. A hull in VERY GOOD condition could be worth an additional 15%, If BRISTOL a total of 25% above book. 1973, was the year the oil shortage began, and it took until 1974 to use up the inventory of existing products, and before alternative products were in wide use. It was this use of alternative products in the lay-up and manufacture of fiberglass hulls that caused the major blister problems which appeared ten or 15 years later, in those hulls built after 1974. Since your hull was manufactured in 1973, it is probably free of major blistering, however all fiberglass hulls will blister some. The Gulfstar 41 is excellent for offshore sailing with the center cockpit and the heavy displacement. I would be willing to go anywhere in one of them. |
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> headroom in the cabin; I need 6'3" everywhere. > Does the Gulfstar 41 satisfy that ? There is enough head room in the main solon, forward cabin, and aft cabin, but the hallway to get back to the aft solon is only around 5'6". ... Mast height - approx - 50 feet. |
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Asking $59k. Nice clear decks, except for rails around mast. Roller-furling jib, lazy-jacks on main. Headroom: 6'5"-6'6" in main cabin and V-berth, 5'6" in walk-through, 6'3" in aft cabin. All backing plates visible in ceiling of main cabin. Bow pulpit is a bit dented. Very nice custom anchor platform. 4'10" draft. Exterior wood: large cockpit rim, grab rails, companionway. Half of ports don't open. |
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We hit an uncharted obstruction. Result: a hole in the
lower part of the keel moulding. This caused water to come up into the
bilge below the engine through the well at the forward end of the
engine. The rate of flow was significant and required very urgent lift out.
Removing the engine to repair the bilge floor is not an option. I am considering cutting a window through the hull into the bilge to get access to re-glass the bilge floor. Anyone who has the problem of water in the keel box should be aware that damage to the keel moulding below the bilge level may result in sinking! |
| Forget trying to make any repairs from the inside. The problem is that the keel casting does not fit the inside of the hull molding, and it was bedded in stone dust which fell out when you punctured the shell. In mine I had to grind out quite a bit of fractured glass, get to the lead and then build it up from there using only epoxy and alternate plys of mat and woven roving. as I recall it took about 50 plys. Made approximately 1/4" laminates on waxed paper backed up with 1-1/2" flexible HD PU Foam, on a board and a hydraulic jack to push it into place. |
| I have owned, cruised and club raced my Gulfstar 41 since 1983. It is capable of very good upwind speed, and is one of the better boats in any sort of steep seas. On the other hand it tends to be squirrley down wind, so much so, I nearly always bear off to a broad reach. It rarely planes, though it can do so in ideal conditions. The biggest thing I have noted about Gulfstars in general, is that cruisers really sail them instead of motoring. I won the CCYC club championship in 2002 in PHRF offshore coastal racing. Some have blister problems, but all are very strong, and have no structural failings. I was once caught in a storm; max wind seen was 80 kts, 50 continous; seas officially at 20', but we took two green water waves over the entire boat. Boat did fine; all aboard were sicker than dogs. |
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I have owned my GS 41 CC Ketch since 1983 and sailed it extensively.
Good Points: Goes to weather exceptionally well; dry and comfortable cockpit; strong hull and deck; very seaworthy; responsive marina handling: Great cruising layout below. (One can carry gear with both hands from any point in the boat in a rough sea, as their is always something to lean against.) No deck to hull leaks. Good engine and steering access. Things I have upgraded/replaced: Entire 120v wiring (12v has been excellent); had a hard spot where the port fwd V berth was against bow ... caused stress cracks; Put an extra reinforcing strip foreward against the flat sections of the bow. Changed the aft v berth to a Full size bed ... added cabinetry; converted the forward head to a sail locker. Added a bank of batteries dedicated to engine starting. Replaced standing rigging with 316 ss 1/16th larger. replaced original plastic ports with Bronze; replaced kerosene galley stove w/propane. Built Propane locker in stern. Weak Points: Works you (or Otto Pilot) to death dead downwind. Chain plates are weakest spot in rigging, but have never failed. Rudder could be bigger to handle following sea better. Too many thru-hulls (I've closed off three). Cockpit drain was through engine room and exited below water line; thru hull can't be closed when leaving boat as otherwise rain would drain into gangway. I removed and routed drains to thru-hull above static water line, and enlarged cockpit drains to 1 1/2 from 1 1/4. ... [Hull] is hand-laid outer 2 layers mat, then alternating mat and roving; quite thick. |
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Re: Gulfstar41CC, Morgan41CC O/I and Islander Freeport41CC
I have owned a Gulfstar 41 for 27 years and lived aboard full-time for 5 years (in New England). I have also sailed the Morgan OI 41 a bit; I have never sailed a Freeport 41 so cannot comment on it. Between the GS 41 and OI 41, the Gulfstar is the better sailer, especially to windward. That said, the wide spreaders and short mast of both boats limit the sheeting angle with large headsails, although with working sails, the GS points reasonably well for a boat with only a 5' draft. My GS was designed as a sloop, but rigged as a cutter with a club-footed staysail. For 90% of sailing, the cutter configuration was useless (the slot is too narrow for efficient use of both sails) and has been abandoned. The GS ketch rig is identical to the sloop rig except for a shorter boom on the main and the addition of the mizzen. Having kept it for over 25 years, I clearly like the Gulfstar and find it comfortable, safe, and a reasonable performer for its type. Although certainly no Hinkley, it is simple to maintain, has a moderate amount of storage, and lots of living space. A similar boat that I would recommend for you to consider is the Whitby 42. It's similar to the GS in concept, but is of somewhat higher quality (and priced a little higher). |
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I have a 1975 GS41 Sloop (wanted the ketch, but this one was the best I found for the $$ when I
bought). She won't win any speed records today, but is solid and seaworthy with an easy motion.
The layout below is the best I've seen for habitability. One drawback is there is only one
mid-cabin berth (to port). It could be easily modified to allow for a leeboard, but this doesn't exist as built.
With a modified keel, I expected her to track better than she actually does, but believe the ketch is somewhat better in this regard. With the ketch, you get many easy sail combinations and I understand they point reasonably well with just jib and mizzen. My sloop points pretty well (about 45 deg) with 150% genny and stays on her feet in a blow. No complaints. |
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39 versus 40:
Most, if not all of the 40s were built for charter service. The Gulfstar Members Assn told me that there were only 12 built but we know of at least a hull #17. We have hull #12 which, by the time we got it, needed triage. It was ridden hard and put away wet too many times. Having accomplished that, we believe it to be something that fits our lifestyle just fine. The aft cabin does reduce the salon greatly but then again the full width engine room makes it easy to work on the engine and the space is valuable in being able to get mechanical systems out of the living space. The 40's were a Lazzara design and from the purchase documents of our boat, built for Moorings. It has some features to beef up the hull such as two more layers of glass below the water line and some frills were eliminated in favor of severe duty stuff for the abuse of charter boats. The 39 on the other hand seem to have been owner used and not so subject to charter service. And the large salon is really nice. Methinks the reason for the cost disparity may lie with the chain of ownership. We have replaced all pumps, the engine, all port lights, both heads, had the hull gel coat removed and a rather expensive repair of the hull surface, the plumbing system valves, all the wiring and some other stuff, and at this point still have not painted a darn thing, but we believe the 40 points as well as any of the 39s we have encountered (but who's looking since these are not race boats). |
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My wife and I have owned GS 39 #23 (1981) since it was new and have sailed
it out of Florida, on Lake Lanier outside Atlanta and now out here in Puget
Sound and we love the boat.
I think Howell Cooper put his finger on the answer to your basic question [about price disparities] -- used in charter. I have been on Howell's boat (only at the dock) and I agree with him about the engine room space -- that would be nice! He has really put some time and effort (and $) into "M'Lady Jo". It seems it all boils down to personal preference for living space -- both belowdecks and cockpit. As far as prices go, most listings I've seen for the 39 (not that many) are in the $80-85K range. According to the Gulfstar Owners Club, there were 57 GS 39's built from 1981-1984 and 12 GS 40 CC's built in 1986. Maybe they lost track as they were working on the merger with Viking Yachts ... |
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For the past 6 years, we have had hull #16 of the Lazzara GS40,
if the HIN is to be believed, and
are her third owners. When hauled this year only found one small blister.
The gel coat, at least,
is wet according to the moisture meter but we won't do anything until problems arise.
Design positives: everything is easy to work on except the wiring.
Strongly built. Last summer we
got hit with a 40-45 kt gust with full sail (the thunder squall
was going the wrong way; SE ->NW,
doh!!!) and on the bright side the boat just eased over and
the rail didn't come near the water.
We also weathered hurricane Irene several years ago with only minor damage.
At 20000 pounds light (23500 with full tanks and our current gear) and a wineglass hull form she provides a comfortable ride. The flare at the bow provides a dry ride unless hard on a brisk wind. The nearly flush forward area makes the boat great for sunning and entertaining. The arrangement of the winches and such make the boat easy to singlehand. Design negatives: the cockpit is not deep enough, especially for the helmsperson. This precludes a bimini unless you're real short or raise the boom. Also, you have to climb up the mast to attach the halyard shackle because of the high boom. There is no nav station and only one potential seaberth courtesy of the salon arrangement. The handholds are inadequate and the salon too open. The boom is high because of the shallow cockpit. There are no functional cabin trunk handholds. The walkover provides absolute privacy (great for kids) but I am a little leery of it in a seaway. Because of the wide sheeting angle and minimal underwater foils we tack through ~100 degrees. The forward lower shroud makes tacking anything bigger than a 110 difficult. Looking at the 39, I don't think she would sail much better, but then again I've never sailed one. They used bladders for blackwater and the space is so small I could only get a 6 gal tank forward and it looks like I'm going to have to get another bladder for the aft head because of space constraints - oh chagrin. The GS40 is a seakindly and forgiving vessel. I would consider her an excellent coastal cruiser good for being out for one to two weeks at a time with 4 people. Owner mods could obviously extend the duration. Despite my reservation, I know of at least one GS40 that has done a transatlantic. Unfortunately as the kids get older and sailing falls lower on their priority list, she has become less suited to our purposes. Nevertheless, I still like the boat and am ambivalent about getting another. |
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My wife and I have had GS 39 hull # 23 (of 57) since new and we love
it -- very "livable," especially for just one couple. Handles easily,
sails well, especially off the wind and is very comfortable. We like
the large, open main cabin with the relatively large windows here in the
Northwest. One drawback to that: inevitable leaks. I just finished
pulling and resealing one of the forward windows -- took a while to get it
out. A little short on storage for extended cruising because of the
open cabin. Really like the forward galley -- we don't do much cooking
"at sea."
Big expenses have been: - Blister repair after 6 years (major) - Gelcoat "cracking" of topsides. Probably too thick of a gel layer which eventually stopped flexing. - Upgrading the electrical system Things to look for: - Blisters - Soft decks - Rudder tube/steering gear (we haven't had any problems) - Leaks |
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We have SM39 hull #54 which we purchased back in 1993. Boat originally was put in
service in 1983 and was in St Pete for a while, then the Bahamas, then SC
before going to Wisconsin, where we bought her and trucked her to Tacoma.
We have found her to be a great cruising boat here in the PNW. Several years ago we added a hard windshield (teak and glass) which we tied to a sunbrella dodger and bimini. With side curtains it makes year round cruising a lot more enjoyable - even in the summer when it can be quite cool on our waters. Last year [2003], we did a major refit. We painted the hull, deck, mast and boom with PPG two part. We were getting lots of gelcoat cracking and crazing and the paint job has really made a difference. We were plagued with leaking windows and lots of corrosion so we opted to replace all the windows - had the new ones made at Diamond Seaglaze in Langley, BC. Also replaced all three hatches with new Lewmars - the old ones were in really bad shape and even new gaskets did not prevent leaking - especially the forward hatch. We pulled the genset in favor of a Heart Interface inverter. At the same time, we dropped the rudder as we were getting seepage around the rudder post. Repacking did not help. Back in 1994, we hit a deadhead at the bottom of the skeg which dropped the skeg about 1" off the boat. We must have bent the rudder back enough so that eventually the whole post sleeve assembly became loose so it turned each time we turned the wheel. It was reglassed in and she's dry since. Only unexpected event in the refit was rot in the cockpit floor aft of the wheel and ahead of the rudder post. There are steering quadrant stops through bolted from the cockpit floor and Gulfstar did a lousy job anchoring them in. Over time, hitting the stops would move the bolts enough that water seeped through the enlarged holes and - guess what, rot in the core. Believe it or not, it's a cored deck there - not solid - so check out that area. If those bolts seem loose - you may have a problem. Right after we bought her we added a three-blade maxprop which has improved backing handling quite a bit. We have the quarterberth model but we are always looking for more storage like most owners. Too many toys on board I guess. On the positive, 39's are great cruising sailers, easy to handle, great in rough weather, and the main salon lives like a much larger boat. Great boat for two. |
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Sailing the Gulfstar Sailmaster 39 in the Northwest:
We purchased "Privateer II" new in '81 and initially sailed her in SE Florida, followed by Lake Lanier north of Atlanta, before trucking her to Seattle in '87 (eleven years ago). We feel we have a great boat for these waters. The 39 does especially well for a cruising boat in light air -- it's relatively light at 18,000 lbs. The shoal draft of 4' 9" makes for some leeway but not bad. We got in a (unofficial) race one day with a Beneteau 38 -- close reach in 10-12 knots -- and after we slowly pulled away, he grinned and accused me of having my engine on. I've always carried the original 7.3 oz., 130%, roller jib which seems a good compromise. Finally (after 22 years) got a new jib and Furlex furler, and a new mainsail, along with all new standing and running rigging plus lifelines. We don't put many miles on this boat. The Perkins 4-108 has just over 1200 hrs. and has only had fuel and oil servicing. The helm balances very well -- on the wind (10-20K) we can leave it alone if the seas aren't up. I rarely put in a reef because the winds are seldom above 15-20K here on Puget Sound in the summer. It's tough to get the rail in the water without starting to worry about the sails but I have done it on Lake Washington -- knotmeter hit 9.6 which was probably pretty close. We power at 2000-2200 RPM at 6.2 to 6.8 K, no wind, with a three-blade, 18" prop. The forward bunk is one of the best I've been in for a foc'sl bunk. It's almost king-sized-wide aft. The forward end is wide enough for two sets of feet and the length is 77" with an insert (I'm 6'). We had a custom mattress made by HMC -- worth every penny! The head w/separate shower was a real selling point for us, as was the forward galley (we don't do much cooking "at sea"). The main cabin/galley combination makes this boat very livable for a couple. We've added batteries -- two sets of 6V pairs in the starboard seat locker area, 250 amps per pair to get 500 amps plus the Link 2000R system. Also put in a Xantrex 1500W inverter (Costco -- $90) for low-draw AC. We got rid of the diesel generator that came with the boat (built in under the cockpit). Never used it. We added an Ardic diesel heater -- hot water/forced air (no longer made). Warm cabin and hot showers. Put in an Autohelm ST4000 that does well, although we haven't tested it in heavy seas. Installed a Lofrans Tigres anchor winch on a teak pad -- worth it's weight in gold. Running the cables was a challenge, but doable. We carry a 35 lb CQR on 250' of all chain and have the extended anchor platform which really helps. To me, the cockpit is well designed for sailing as well as for lounging. We keep a dodger up almost all the time and a bimini up most of the time -- either for rain or for sun (even in the NW!). The propane locker under the helm seat is convenient but doesn't seal well so the tank gets wet. When we moved to Seattle in 1987, we had "Privateer II" painted in black Awlgrip which lowers the profile -- and gets many good comments. As far as exterior teak treatment goes, we decided to compromise early on by leaving the toerail, bow platform and cockpit coamings alone and varnishing the rest. The NW varnishing season is somewhat short. If anyone has questions or just wants to talk about the 39, I'm available. I also have collected GS 39 brochures, schematics, wiring diagrams and original equipment lists over the years and can transmit them or copy them to a disc. Contact me via email: camdonna at sounddsl.com |
| In general the GS 37 is a great boat. I've been working for a year upgrading and maintaining plus my ships carpenter has worked on several ... Here's the main concerns. Some GS 37's were laid up only partially at first in the mold as Gulfstar only had one mold. They put the minimum Fg layers - popped it out and set it aside to make max use of the mold - then when they sold them they would add the missing FG layers to the inside. Sometimes the hull would be sitting for over a year before being completed. This caused a cold joint on these boats! This can de-laminate over time and cause huge problems. Some say they didn't even put the designed lay-up schedule in these boats. So the main thing is to look at the tabbing of bulkheads - integrity of plywood lining in closets and head (I repaired all mine!) delamination around keel joint and if there's any engine oil around where the keel is sealed by FG inside don't buy it. This is because some stupid GS owners just dropped their engine oil in the bilge to change oil and this works its way to the aforementioned joint and - delaminates it over time - this is almoast impossible to repair. Other things are - water getting into the balsa core of the decks/cabintop - I was lucky here and mine was perfect - stress cracks in the outside fg ... |
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I have a 1972 Gulfstar 36 CC. Bought it 18 months ago and LOVE it.
The boat handles like a dream except for trying to maneuver in close spaces in a wind.
The free-board presents a lot of bow to the wind and makes turning into the wind
under power at low speeds very difficult if not impossible. On the other hand,
I spent 25 days driving straight into a head wind of 35 knots and, while wet at the helm,
it was dryer than most boats because of the high bow. So free-board has its disadvantages
and its advantages.
The original interior is fairly cramped, but I have an interior that has been opened up and is very roomy and open. I would suggest the removal of a lot of the interior and replacing it as has been done in mine. You can see pictures of my interior by going to http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/My_Garage/ You will have to sign on to the group (that's the only way I can prevent Spam etc. from being foisted on my friends) and be approved for membership. Look closely at the toerails. Mine were terribly rotted under a fresh coat of paint. But that was the only complaint I had after buying it. I bought it on April 1st, moved on on May 25th and started the trip to take it home on a 32-day trip from Tampa to Corpus Christi on June 2nd. It performed perfectly except for minor problems, such as a bad temp sender on the engine, which were all fixed with little effort. |
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