Gulfstar Sailmaster - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly ?

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by speciald@ocens.

If I remember correctly, the hulls are all chopper gun with no cloth - if so, not for offshore cruising.

Over the years, I've been in boat yards next to two Gulfstars (at different times).
Both were chopper gun with no layup. The first had about a million blisters and a big hole about 6 inches in diameter where som someone had gotten too aggressive with a sander.
The second one had no hole, but about two million blisters.

By far, the worst blister boat I ever saw was a chopper gun Valiant while we were hauled out at Marina Seca in Mexico.
It was covered. It even had blisters on the house top.

The hull stands hadn't been correctly placed and there was a big two inch deep concave area about two feet in diameter.
The inner bulkhead was plainly visible as an angular line up the outer hull.
I would not do any water sailing">blue water sailing in a boat like that.

Imho, mat hull is like particleboard build vs. layup with cloth/resin is like plywood construction.

[neilpride]

Chopper gun the whole lay up, lol, thats BS, could be a thick mat layer over the roving,,, but it have roving FG... my 2 cents...

[colemj]

The Valiant is most definitely not a chopper gun layup. Their blistering problems were due to the specific resin they used in a specific time period, and had nothing at all to do with the layup schedule.

I don't know of many boats that were/are built completely with chopper gun layup schedules. Those that I do know of are small day sailors and powerboats. Don't think I can recall any boat larger than ~25' built solely with chopper gun.

Mark

[The Phoenix]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

Over the years, I've been in boat yards next to two Gulfstars (at different times).
Both were chopper gun with no layup. The first had about a million blisters and a big hole about 6 inches in diameter where som someone had gotten too aggressive with a sander.
The second one had no hole, but about two million blisters.

By far, the worst blister boat I ever saw was a chopper gun Valiant while we were hauled out at Marina Seca in Mexico.
It was covered. It even had blisters on the house top.

The hull stands hadn't been correctly placed and there was a big two inch deep concave area about two feet in diameter.
The inner bulkhead was plainly visible as an angular line up the outer hull.
I would not do any blue water sailing in a boat like that.

Imho, mat hull is like particleboard build vs. layup with cloth/resin is like plywood construction.

OMG that is a lot of blisters! It must have taken a long time to count them. What year were they manufactured and what model. Just curious. Gulfstar built a lot of boats between early 70s to the mid 80 ' s. What kind of blisterfree boat do you own?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[senormechanico]

There was no sign of roving or cloth on either boat.
I inquired about the first one at the yard office and they said I was right, total chopper gun.
The work and the hole was done by the owner, not the yard.

[The Phoenix]

I'm not sure what point you are trying to make. 1)That all Gulfstar are chopper gunned? 2) That using a chopper gun is always a mistake? 3 ) that mat is far superior to chopped glass? 4) That a Gulfstar made in the early 70 s is built the same as an 80 s boat? 5) that when I see cloth and roving I cant tell it from chopped. 6) That a hand laid up hull is blister free and always a better layup?
I have heard that early G ulfstars were sometimes problematic but that was true of most fibreglass boats of that time period. A lot of new techniques were being explored.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[geoleo]

I had a GS37-no blister sor chopper but I was amazed that the interior floor structure was build like a cheap house--2X6 s hung on galvanized strap hangers every 16inches!!!!!!!

[mike d.]

Geoleo your boat must have been pre 1978 when the workmanship was questionable at best, for most all G.S. boats This is well documented!!!
I have 1979 G.S. 37 and have shot pics of the whole sub sole in the boat. the sole stringers are not held together with galvy strap hangers, and are all made of mahogany. All are notched and fastened with silicon bronze wood screws.
The whole boat is layed up with mat and roving. If you pull your thru hulls it is easily seen. The deck structure is made the same way. I have been in both parts of the boat! I would say it rivals many, if not surpasses quality in construction, in fit and finish of most boats built back then, and even many of the newer ones.
And why are we talking about/in a 5 yr old post!

[geoleo]

Weeeeeell in this home base area of the GS epic stories still circulate in the yards and shops about GS quality adventures especially when ones floats in.

[mike d.]

Again I understand the 37 started life in 76!? I have been following as many of the blogs about the G.S. line for 10 yrs. as I can. Also the surveyor that does our boat for ins. has told me that Gulfstar was/is/has been beaten up, because of the earlier yrs. I am not saying that every thing they did made a lot of sense! I can tell you a few things I found! But over all they were at the for front of many of the techniques used in later yrs. I know all about the circulating construction crews, going from each yard after pay day to get drunk or what ever, and going to the next mfg. for a couple weeks. The bottom line is after 1977+ early 1978 mfg. changed for the better!!!!!!

[Mylesy]

Wrong

[Mylesy]

Well said. A lot of ******** experts here
No big boatd built entirely witj choppergunost atr interlayered with woven roving may in old days but wet out with gun.
Hand layed mat can be just as bad or worse depending on interlayer bonding.
I have seen some horror stories hand layed without proper prep for ongoing laminates. All depends on the experience of your crews whether hand or gun laid.
I have been a boatbuilder for more than 40 years and have a gulfstar that had sailed from USA to Australia and is currently being upgraded to circumnavigate. A beautiful boat and people that say they are slow have either never sailed one or dont know how to trim a well balanced yacht
Thank you Mr Lazzarus for a beautiful well
balanced design
So many dogs out there but Gulfstar 39 is not one of them. Yes they need work like any old boat!