Gulfstar 53 MS Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Gulfstar 53 MS means chasing one of just 27 hulls built between 1971 and 1975, a 53-foot fiberglass ketch motorsailer with a shallow fin keel and a single Perkins diesel. These are old boats now, and the buying question is less about model reputation than about the condition of an individual hull that has spent half a century in service.
Layouts on the Used Market
The 53 MS was produced as a single ketch configuration with a fin keel and a reported draft near 4.5 to 4.8 feet depending on load. The beam of 15 feet and 400-gallon fuel and water capacities describe a boat laid out for liveaboard cruising rather than a weekend daysailer. No distinct sub-models or layout variants exist for this model, so what you see at the dock is the design as Lazzara drew it.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
A buyer should treat every system as subject to prior owner revision. The periods-correct Perkins diesel of about 130 horsepower, the ketch rig with 118-foot halyards, and the original tankage are the load-bearing items; any generator, watermaker, or navigation electronics will be later additions and should be judged on their own installation quality rather than assumed as factory fit.
What to Inspect
The solid fiberglass hull and fin keel should be checked for ground-impact or repair history, since the shallow 4.5-foot draft invites contact. Inspect the rudder and its stock for play or weeping at the bearing. Verify the Perkins installation for corrosion and exhaust integrity, and confirm the 400-gallon tanks are sound. Measure rigging against the known 118-foot halyard and 132.5-foot mainsheet lengths to spot shortened or mismatched replacements.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
With only 27 boats ever built and production ended in 1975, the 53 MS appears infrequently and almost always through private or regional brokerage channels rather than high-volume listings.
- Survey the hull and keel for old impact repairs
- Inspect the rudder stock for play or leakage
- Pressure-test the fuel and water tanks
- Confirm rigging lengths match original specifications
- Budget for full systems renewal regardless of stated updates
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Gulfstar 53 MS. 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 2 | $40,095 | — |
| Oct 25 | 1 | $60,000 | +49.6% |
| Jan 26 | 1 | $52,500 | -12.5% |
Where they're listed
Gulfstar 53 MS 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 | $56,250 | 2 | 0 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
7 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulfstar 50 | 50' | $ 100,000 | 14 | 1 |
| Gulfstar 44 Kth | 44.67' | $ 44,500 | 12 | 0 |
| Morgan Out Island 51 | 51.5' | $ 106,574 | 10 | 4 |
| Gulfstar 47 Sailmaster | 47.42' | $ 115,000 | 10 | 0 |
| Gulfstar 43 | 43.33' | $ 47,450 | 8 | 2 |
| Gulfstar 50 Kth | 50' | $ 62,400 | 8 | 5 |
| Gulfstar 53 MSYou are here | — | $ 56,250 | 4 | 0 |