Gulfstar 50 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Gulfstar 50 means considering a 1975–1980 center-cockpit cruiser from Gulfstar Yachts, designed by Vince Lazzara, with 172 hulls built. She is a large, moderately narrow boat of 35,000 pounds displacement and a 13-foot-8 beam, offered as sloop or ketch, and known for a well-finished interior. Ex-charter examples are common, so buyers should weigh layout and upgrade history carefully against their own cruising plans.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin layouts are the more common on the used market, but both are available. The popular three-stateroom version was originally developed for the charter trade, with an aft master suite, forward V-berth stateroom, and a midship cabin to starboard; ex-charter examples are common. The two-stateroom arrangement trades the midship bunks for a wrap-around navigation station and expanded engine access beneath the cockpit, favoring couples who maintain their own boat. A buyer should decide early whether charter-derived simplicity or owner-version luxury better fits intended use.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Used Gulfstar 50s commonly carry a deep inventory. For power and energy, autopilots, inverters, and often factory-installed Onan generators are typical, though those generators are known troublemakers. Watermakers and solar panels are commonly fitted, supporting extended off-grid stays. For canvas and sail handling, biminis, dodgers, and radar are common, with dinghy davits often seen. Navigation is well covered by chartplotters, AIS, and EPIRBs as common fittings. Comfort items such as air conditioning, freezers, and hot water are commonly found. Less common owner upgrades include heating, furling mains, and short-handed rigging.
What to Inspect
Documented issues deserve a careful survey. Hull blisters have appeared, usually cosmetic but sometimes with saturated cavities around the encapsulated ballast Problems over the years have included hull blisters, which normally are just cosmetic, but in some cases have involved saturated cavities surrounding. The iron mainmast step in the bilge over the keel is prone to corrosion, and on ketch-rigged boats the mizzen step may have crushed the balsa deck core. Leaking deck fixtures, hatches, and port windows are common complaints. In some hulls the bronze stern tube at the rudderstock separates from the laminate and needs rebonding, and loose tabs around bulkheads or sub-floor structures have been reported. The low-mounted fuel tank forces the engine pump to work hard, so trace the fuel run and consider a day-tank upgrade.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical markets for these boats include the United States, Australia, Bahamas, Uruguay, and Mexico. For a buyer, the practical checklist is: confirm layout (three-cabin charter or two-cabin owner), survey mast-step corrosion and deck-core crushes, test for hull blisters and rudderstock separation, check deck leaks at fittings and ports, verify generator condition or budget replacement, and assess fuel-tank access for pump strain. With those points cleared, the Gulfstar 50 remains a spacious, well-mannered cruiser.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Gulfstar 50. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 7 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25 | 3 | $29,000 | — |
| Sep 25 | 1 | $80,000 | +175.9% |
| Oct 25 | 2 | $154,938 | +93.7% |
| Jan 26 | 2 | $52,000 | -66.4% |
| Apr 26 | 7 | $100,000 | +92.3% |
| May 26 | 1 | $100,000 | 0.0% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $139,876 | +39.9% |
Where they're listed
Gulfstar 50 listings appear across 3 countries. United States has the most listings with 9 (64.3%), followed by Australia and Bahamas.
Country view
14 listings · 3 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $100,000 | 9 | 0 | 64.3% |
| Australia | $139,876 | 3 | 1 | 21.4% |
| Bahamas | $99,000 | 2 | 0 | 14.3% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulfstar 41 | 41' | $ 26,801 | 17 | 7 |
| Gulfstar 50You are here | — | $ 100,000 | 14 | 1 |
| Gulfstar 44 Kth | 44.67' | $ 44,500 | 12 | 0 |
| Gulfstar 47 Sailmaster | 47.42' | $ 115,000 | 10 | 0 |
| Grand Soleil 50 (1992) | 50' | $ 299,000 | 9 | 7 |
| Gulfstar 50 Kth | 50' | $ 62,400 | 8 | 5 |