Gulfstar 50 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The hull is a straightforward solid fiberglass laminate of mat and woven roving, stiffened not by molded liners but by full bulkheads and furniture components tabbed in place hull is stiffened, not with liners, but with full bulkheads and furniture components that are tabbed in place. A few hulls may instead be balsa-cored. The deck is balsa-cored with a through-bolted joint glassed over from below, and the full-length rudder skeg is bolted in place. Ballast consists of lead chunks embedded in a concrete slurry, encapsulated within the long fin keel — the only keel option offered. At 35,000 pounds displacement with 10,500 pounds of ballast and a 13-foot-8 beam, the boat carries a ballast-displacement ratio of 30, and a sailboat with that ratio is likely to benefit from being reefed early to keep her sailing upright in a moderate breeze.

Rig and Handling

The Gulfstar 50 was offered as either a masthead sloop or a ketch, with a tall sloop option available. The sloop carries 895 square feet of sail and the ketch 963, while the ketch can add a mizzen staysail; the sail plan is not particularly large in either configuration. Wide spreaders and chainplates set nearly outboard produce open sheeting angles, and most owners report the boat will not sail well to windward unless the apparent wind angle is 45 degrees or greater. In a seaway she is very well mannered: the forefoot has enough bite and the bilges are deep enough that she does not slam much in a chop, and her relatively narrow, moderate hull form does not gripe to weather. She likes moderate to heavy air better than light; under working sail with over 12 knots she readily makes 7 knots or better, though below that spinnakers and mizzen staysails are needed to keep speed up.

Accommodations

The more popular layout was developed for the charter trade and features three staterooms. Aft, the master stateroom holds an en suite head and separate shower with an enormous U-shaped double berth. Forward is a V-berth stateroom sharing a head with the saloon, and midships to starboard sit two single bunks with a small en suite head. The L-shaped galley runs portside under the center cockpit with twin sinks near the centerline so they drain on either tack, while the saloon has a dinette to port and a settee with pilot berth to starboard. The two-stateroom version replaces the midship cabin with a wrap-around nav station and expanded engine space. Period reviews praised the superior teak joinery and generous accommodations throughout.

Known Issues

Hull blisters have appeared over the years, usually cosmetic but in some cases involving saturated cavities around the ballast. The mainmast step is an iron plate in the bilge over the keel and is subject to corrosion, while on ketch versions the mizzen step may have crushed the deck core. Leaking deck fixtures, hatches, and port windows are common complaints, and in some boats the bronze stern tube around the rudderstock separates from the laminate and must be rebonded. Loose tabs around bulkheads and sub-floor structures have also been reported and need rebonding.

Refits and Ownership

Most boats left the factory with a 62-hp Perkins diesel, reliable but not quite enough to drive hard into a head sea; an 85-hp Perkins was later offered and performs better. Several have since been repowered with turbocharged Yanmar diesels. The fuel tank sits low, forcing the engine lift pump to work hard, so a day tank higher in the boat with a transfer link is a worthwhile upgrade. Many were delivered with Onan generators that have proven troublesome and are best replaced. The standard 100-gallon fuel capacity is a bit low for a 50-footer.

The Verdict

The Gulfstar 50 is a well-mannered, comfortably appointed center-cockpit cruiser whose production numbers confirm her market appeal. She rewards an owner willing to address the known structural and systems weak points with a spacious, seaworthy platform that sails decently off the wind and lives large at anchor.

Pros