50 Gulfstar

[KIWI]

I retire this year and am interested in the 50 gulfstar, I am looking for a good live-aboard blue-water boat, The gulfstar is on my short list
Any info would be helpful on sailing characteristics of the gulstar
Thanks

[edboat]

I sailed a Gulfstar 50 a fair amount back in the early 80's. I thought it was a pretty good boat. The build quality was not top notch but still better than some. The boat sailed well enough for what it was and I thought space was used OK. I've always like them.

[camaraderie]

I have a good friend who has made a couple of transatlantics and other long passages in one. The boat is an excellent liveaboard and also sails pretty well. My overall impression though is that construction leaves a lot to be desired and he as had a number of large repairs. Nevertheless a good boat for the money. See the delamination thread currently running and make sure you get a solid hull as these are prone to blisters.

[KIWI]

Hi Cam,

You refur to the construction, What exactly are you referring to,?? What ever I decide to go with I will be getting a full survey on, I work for a marine maintenance co now so I see enough blisters to know what to look for , I am looking for a center cockpit under 150k US there was a gulfstar here in the Marlborough sounds and I liked the look of it but never got to speak to the owners

[mike d.]

the GulfStar 50s were built primarily for the charter trade in the Carib.. that being said there are good boats out there, however they are/were prone to blisters, especially the boat boat down south or in tropical climates. the thing is that most have now had the required repairs and the bottoms sealed so most don't have an issue anymore. there were some that had issues with the water tank">fresh water tank (fibre-glass intergral with hull) and same with fuel tanks, where the fuel would get into the water or vis-versa. there also was a problem with blisters and major delam. around water tanks in the keel sumps etc. there have been prob. with rudder stuffing box tubes (again fibre-glass with the gland nut sleeve glassed in and the glass debonding form the sleeve. this would continually leak and in some instances the would be localized delam.. the big thing is to find one that has been well maintained and or had a complete refit

[camaraderie]

KIWI...Well of course the layup...not just blisters but voids as well. Deck core problems, tanks replaced...leaking ports, encapsulated keel issues from damage, chain plate replacement .Just saying that the construction was no more than a little better than coastal production boats but being big and heavy, they are good passagemakers and comfortable at sea. I also think the interiors are nicely done. There are reasons they are SO much cheaper than similar aged 50 foot bluewater boats.
I'm going to suggest you read these posts from the Gulfstar mail list archives to get some idea of both the love of the boats AND the extent of the problems you may find.
Boat Model - Gulfstar Sailboats

[KIWI]

Thanks "Mike d",

Just the info I needed, some of the boaties down at the marina were saying the same thing , Just things they had heard, May have to cross the Gulfstar off the list.
I guess what I am after,ie; a fast blue-water center cockpit45-50' and under 150k I was hoping to find something that dose not require too much work ,, may take some finding, But if my house sells I may have to pull my finger out

[starfish62]

The GS's built after 1978 are very different than the earlier models and are very solid boats that sail well and are very comfortable below decks. They're of a kin with the CSY 44's and the Morgan outisland 41's and Pearson 424's, all of which are worthy of consideration depending on what one wants to do. Don't shy away from a 1978+ GS 50. I've seen them in Roatan and Fiji and the owners were happy with them. They have a lot of circumnavigations under their belts. Of course, I have a GS 44 so I am biased.

[KIWI]

I will admit I do like the GS44 I looked at a 45 Hirsch and the 44 , The 44 came out on top, Better finish,I also Loooooooove the pearson 42 I could not be-leave the amount of room, But "she who must be obayed" would like something over 50', as if I was made of money,,,,,,, No it's not as bad as that

[starfish62]

Ah! I haven't heard, "She who must be obeyed," since leaving Brisbane two years ago!! Good stuff. Thanks for that. The Pearson 424's are great cruising boats--a big bang for the buck. I don't know about the 42. The GS Mark II's are actually 44' 8" on deck, so they are big 44's. But, if the missus wants a 50 then the captain is obliged to please.

[Phillip North]

I recenly heard someone say that delamination can be a problem in these boats due to flexing of the hull. Has anyone else heard this? I just bought a 50. I had never heard this during my prepurchase research. She is very comfortable and sails well. We make 8 to 9 knots in 15 to 20 knots of wind with just the three basic sails set. I am quite happy with that. She was also more responsibe than I thought such a heavy boat would be. There is also no denying that she is a beautiful boat

[Muzzey9000]

Starfish,
I recently bought a GS 50 and love the boat, however, one cant access the hull easily at all without cutting into the teak. The boat has 2 potable water fills, one stbd forward and one in the cockpit. I assume theres only one tank with two fill stations? Do you know where I can find info on the tankage diagrams? I cant find anything on the internet about the original design of my boat. Thanks

[Unicorn Dreams]

These stories remind me of a friend of a friends friend told me about a story a friends friend told him what a friend said.

Talk to an owner who has one that's NOT for sale, more unbiased that way..

A good percentage of the boats built in the 70's have had osmosis issues. Personal opinion, I prefer a solid hull under the water line than a cored hull. I like my 43' and it's not for sale....

[wittmann]

I have owned gulfstar 50 SLOOP 1978 hull #76 for the past 35 years and have continually upgraded her myself.
When purchased I (and some friends) pulled the gell coat in large sheets fromt he bottom and ground from the waterline to the bottom of the keel and with epoxy resin (Sika) commercial grey wallpapered two layers of fibreglass matting over the entire bottom. 500 hours of grinding smooth and this made the boat much stronger.
There are no more creaks and groans in heavy weather.
If anyone wants do know anything about this boat there is very little I have not done. Please e mail me at wittmannns@comcast.net.
I repowered with a Cummins 4B 65 Hp with a 2:10 reductioin and with a 4 blade 20X20 prop the vessel will acheive 7.5 kts at 1600 rpm with slightly more then one gallon per hour. The yacht is superior to any I see in ad phots that have so many odd changes. I will be looking to sell in a few years. We love this boat and I have always said that she is one of the few accquisitions I have ever purchased that need NO changes in design or quality - this boat is in NEW condition and I will share my thoughts with anyone regarding this design.
The sloop came with the Hood stowaway main and my wife and her friends easily handle the boat themselves. The is THE way to go.