Gulfstar 50 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

Two distinct floor plans circulated during the production run, and both remain available on the brokerage market, though the three-cabin arrangement is the more commonly encountered of the two. That layout was originally developed for the charter trade and translates well to family cruising: an aft master stateroom with an en suite head and a generous U-shaped double berth, a forward V-berth stateroom that shares a head with the saloon, and a midships stateroom to starboard with upper and lower single berths. The L-shaped galley runs along the port side of the walk-through passage under the center cockpit, with twin sinks positioned close enough to the centerline to drain on either tack — a practical detail that cruising crews appreciate offshore. The saloon provides a dinette to port and a settee with a pilot berth to starboard.

The two-cabin owner's layout replaces the midships stateroom with a wraparound navigation station and expands the engine space beneath the cockpit. Buyers who intend to cruise as a couple rather than carry a full crew often prefer this arrangement for the dedicated chart table and the improved access to the machinery. Both layouts share the same aft stateroom and forward accommodation; the choice largely comes down to how many berths you need and how seriously you take offshore navigation.

Ketch-rigged examples and sloop-rigged examples both appear on the market with reasonable frequency. Ketches offer the option of a mizzen staysail and allow the working sail plan to be divided for easier shorthanded handling; sloops are simpler to maintain and can be driven harder when conditions allow.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Boats on the market tend to be well equipped relative to their era, reflecting decades of owner investment. Autopilots, radar, chartplotters, and AIS are widely fitted, as is a full suite of safety gear including EPIRBs and life rafts. Air conditioning is commonly found, particularly on boats that have spent extended time in warm-water cruising grounds. Inverters, freezers, watermakers, solar panels, and hot-water systems are standard expectations rather than pleasant surprises on the better-maintained examples. Dodgers and biminis are essentially universal.

Dinghy davits are a frequently seen addition, reflecting the GS 50's popularity as a long-range liveaboard cruiser where carrying a substantial tender is a priority. Among owner upgrades, the engine is a frequent focus: the original 62-hp Perkins diesel is a known weak point for pushing the heavy hull into a head sea, and many boats have been repowered with turbocharged Yanmar diesels or an 85-hp Perkins that was offered later in the production run. A repowered boat typically represents a meaningful practical advantage and is worth factoring into any comparison between otherwise similar examples. Furling mains appear on some boats, though experienced reviewers caution against behind-the-mast furlers specifically, which were fitted to a number of early examples; a conventionally rigged main or a modern in-boom or in-mast system is preferable. Spinnaker gear, heating systems, swim platforms, and shorthanded sailing setups are sometimes present as owner additions and reflect individual cruising priorities rather than any standard configuration.

What to Inspect

The GS 50's construction is solid but not without age-related vulnerabilities that a competent surveyor should examine closely. Hull blisters are a known issue and may be merely cosmetic or may involve saturated cavities surrounding the ballast — the latter require draining and flushing before any remediation. A few hulls were reportedly cored with balsa rather than built on solid laminate; if the boat you are examining falls into that category, the coring condition deserves particular attention.

The mainmast step is an iron plate in the bilge positioned directly over the keel, and it is susceptible to corrosion. On ketch-rigged boats, the mizzen mast step may have crushed the balsa core beneath it, which is worth probing. The deck itself is balsa-cored throughout, and leaking deck fixtures, hatches, and port windows are common complaints; any standing moisture in the core will show on a moisture meter survey and should be traced to its source.

The bronze stern tube housing the rudderstock can eventually separate from the surrounding hull laminate — a repair that requires professional rebonding. Similarly, tabs securing bulkheads and sub-floor structural components can work loose over time and should be inspected throughout the bilge. The rudder skeg is bolted in place and the joint deserves close examination.

On the mechanical side, any boat retaining the original 62-hp Perkins should have its fuel system reviewed carefully: the fuel tank sits low in the hull, which forces the lift pump to work harder than ideal, and adding a small day tank higher in the boat is a recognized fix. Generator installations — particularly older Onan units — have a poor service reputation and should be evaluated for condition or replacement.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The GS 50 is most widely available in the United States, where the majority of the fleet has always been concentrated, with additional boats regularly appearing in the Bahamas, Mexico, Uruguay, and Australia — a distribution that reflects the type's long association with bluewater passage-making and warm-weather liveaboard cruising across the Americas and the Pacific. The fleet is stable enough that a patient buyer is unlikely to have difficulty finding multiple examples to compare.

The GS 50 rewards buyers who budget for a thorough survey and who treat a well-documented maintenance history as a meaningful selection criterion. Boats that have been genuinely cared for are not rare; boats in rough condition are typically priced to reflect it. The key distinctions between a good purchase and a problematic one come down to laminate and deck-core integrity, mast step condition, and engine health.

Pre-offer checklist:

• Commission a full out-of-water survey with moisture meter readings across the entire hull and deck
• Confirm whether the hull laminate is solid or balsa-cored
• Inspect the iron mainmast step and, on ketches, probe the mizzen step area for core compression
• Check all deck penetrations, hatches, and port windows for signs of water intrusion
• Examine bulkhead tabs and sub-floor structure throughout the bilge
• Inspect the rudder skeg fastening and bronze stern tube for separation
• Verify engine hours, service records, and whether the boat has been repowered
• Evaluate the fuel system for day-tank installation or assess the condition of the original arrangement
• Test any behind-the-mast mainsail furler and budget for replacement if present
• Confirm life raft service dates, EPIRB registration, and offshore safety kit condition