Gulfstar 40 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Gulfstar 40 means chasing a scarce Ted Hood design built in tiny numbers between 1976 and 1978, a masthead-sloop performance cruiser whose later center-cockpit namesake shares nothing but the length on the title. The boat you want is the aft-cockpit original with a fin keel or optional centerboard, not the charter-focused Lazzara model, and the small production run means patience is part of the search.
Layouts on the Used Market
The used fleet follows the original traditional plan: a V-berth forward, salon settees that convert, and an aft cabin, sleeping six across two cabins with ample volume throughout. The cockpit runs over eight feet, and forepeak anchor storage keeps the chain clear of the cabin. Centerboard versions trade a little keel-depth simplicity for shoal-draft flexibility, so know which shoe the individual hull carries before you judge draft against your cruising grounds.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Well-found examples commonly carry a heating system, solar panels, an asymmetric spinnaker, a dodger, radar, AIS, a chartplotter, and an EPIRB — a cluster that tells you most survivors have been fitted for extended independent cruising rather than day sailing. The presence of solar and a heating unit points to owners who lived aboard or made long passages; radar, AIS, and a chartplotter form the navigation core a buyer should expect to rely on, while the asymmetric spinnaker and dodger speak to comfortable downwind and cockpit use. Treat any of these as a sign of how the previous owner used the boat, not as factory standard.
What to Inspect
Early Gulfstars can develop blister or osmosis in the hull laminate, so tap and sound the topsides and look for gelcoat crazing or soft spots that betray moisture beneath early Gulfstars can show blister/osmosis issues. The hull-to-keel junction is the other watch point: on a fin-keel or centerboard boat the connection takes the full load of the lead, and any staining, movement, or poor bedding at the joint should end the conversation until a surveyor clears it always survey the hull/keel joint thoroughly.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These yachts turn up in the United States. Before you commit, run through the short list:
- Confirm it is the Hood aft-cockpit 40, not the Lazzara CC.
- Sound the hull for blisters or osmotic softness.
- Inspect the keel or centerboard trunk joint for movement or staining.
- Verify which draft configuration the hull carries.
- Check that solar, heat, and navigation gear match your intended use.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Gulfstar 40. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 3 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 25 | 2 | $36,000 | — |
| May 26 | 1 | $40,000 | +11.1% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $36,000 | -10.0% |
Where they're listed
Gulfstar 40 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 2.
Country view
2 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $38,000 | 2 | 1 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
6 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol 41.1 | 41.14' | $ 75,000 | 26 | 11 |
| Wauquiez Hood 38 | 38.06' | $ 57,171 | 17 | 4 |
| Gulfstar 41 | 41' | $ 26,808 | 17 | 7 |
| Gulfstar 37 | 37' | $ 21,000 | 11 | 1 |
| Gulfstar 43 | 43.33' | $ 47,450 | 8 | 2 |
| Gulfstar 40You are here | — | $ 38,000 | 2 | 1 |