Gulfstar 39 Sailmaster Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The hull below the waterline is solid fiberglass, while the deck and topsides are cored with end-grain balsa to add stiffness while reducing weight, and the entire deck-and-hull envelope is built from fiberglass and polyester laminates anchor. The hull-to-deck joint uses an overlapping shoebox design, and the interior is stick-built around a longitudinal stringer system. Exterior trim is generous solid teak—eyebrows, handrails, toerails, companionway doors, and cockpit coaming tops—while the ballast is lead and fully encapsulated. Below, the bulk of the interior is marine-grade plywood veneered with teak and finished in gloss varnish, with off-white laminate panels and an off-white vinyl overhead; the sole is teak and holly, and the doors are raised solid-teak panels. Gulfstar even held a patent for cambering the corners on interior woodwork, a detail that lifts the joinery above typical production work.

Rig and Handling

The Sailmaster is rigged as a cutter with a keel-stepped aluminum mast painted white, outboard chainplates, and a single pair of tapered spreaders; standing rigging is stainless steel wire supported by cap shrouds, dual lowers, and a split backstay, with double-braid polyester running rigging and a topping lift anchor. A Barient #8P and pair of line stoppers handle two reefing lines under the boom. On the water, the outboard chainplates limit sheeting angles and therefore constrain upwind ability, but the boat's best point of sail is a reach and the helm balances well. The long fin keel and skeg-hung rudder give excellent directional stability and keep the rudder from stalling at extreme angles. The auxiliary is a 50-horsepower Perkins 4-108 diesel with a Velvet Drive transmission and V-drive.

Accommodations

The interior is often called a single-stateroom or galley-forward arrangement. Forward sections—V-berth, head, and galley—sit lower than the raised main saloon. The V-berth area has a his-and-hers hanging locker with bureau to port and a four-drawer chest to starboard. Across from the head, the L-shaped galley extends aft eight feet and includes a Formica counter with top-loading icebox, a gimbaled two-burner propane stove with oven, and a double stainless sink with pressurized hot and cold water. The head features a one-piece fiberglass shower stall with seat, pressure water, an opening portlight, a Dorade vent, and a second door to the saloon. The saloon itself has an L-shaped settee to port and straight settee to starboard; aft and to starboard is an aft-facing navigation station with swivel chair. The Mk II variant swapped the port deep locker for a shallow locker and quarter berth, and replaced the starboard spirits locker with a hanging locker anchor.

Deck and Equipment

On deck, molded-in non-skid, 18-inch sidedecks, and a 3-inch teak toerail frame a practical layout. A teak anchor platform at the stem is followed by 12-inch open-throat bow cleats, chocks, and a windlass; 63-inch teak handrails and stainless cowl vents on Dorade boxes run aft. The doghouse carries six large fixed portlights plus two forward-facing ones. A 16-inch bridge deck deflects most water, and the cockpit has four 2-inch corner drains; a centerline swim ladder, dedicated propane locker under the helm seat, and deep starboard locker affording engine and battery access complete the picture.

Known Issues

Leaking in the fixed portlights is one of the most common complaints among owners of this design, a fault worth checking on any candidate anchor. The aluminum ports and hatches, bronze seacocks, and balsa-cored deck edges complete the structural inventory.

The Verdict

The Gulfstar 39 Sailmaster is a thoughtfully built cruiser whose balsa-cored deck, encapsulated lead ballast, and patented interior joinery reflect a mature production era at Gulfstar. She sacrifices tight-winded performance to outboard chainplates but rewards the cruising couple with a galley-forward layout, secure cockpit drainage, and balanced helm on a reach.

Pros