When introduced in 1981, the Gulfstar 39 Sailmaster was a controversial design because of her single stateroom interior layout. Most aft cockpit sailboats of her day featured a quarter berth. These days you often see twin berths aft as manufacturers maximize sleeping accommodations. From a … Continue readingGulfstar 39 Sailmaster Review: Cruising Couple Dreamboat
Editor’s note: I received this comment on my Gulfstar Review article and thought the information deserved its own space. The below article is written by Larry Walters who came up with the brand name Columbia and built their first 29. From my memory some fifty … Continue readingColumbia 29: Lawrence Walters Memories
Of the fifteen reportedly built according to www.SailboatData.com, interestingly four are for sale with three in southeast Florida and another in the Bahamas. A survey of these shows three are meticulously maintained jewels while another is a charter-boat disaster that needs a $30,000 blister job. … Continue readingGulfstar 60 Review: Attractive Value
Love her or not, the 47 Gulfstar Sailmaster is still a popular cruising motorsailer. Ask most people and they will grimace. The most usual adjective is simply “unattractive.” Despite the disparaging remarks, you will find hard core fans of her. Tom Neal the cruising world … Continue readingGulfstar 47 Sailmaster Review: Practical Liveaboard
The Gulfstar 50 is one of Lazzara’s best designs. Lazzara previously was a partner at Columbia yachts who produced another well know 50-footer, the Columbia 50. The Gulfstar 50 is a lot of boat for under $200,000 these days and attracts a certain degree of … Continue readingGulfstar 50 Review: Affordable Three Stateroom Classic
Vince Lazzara was not a beginner when he started Gulfstar in 1970. He had previously co-owned Columbia Yachts. Lazzara keenly knew what would sell and big bathtub motorsailers were in demand in the early 1970’s. If you wanted a powerboat, they pumped out an early … Continue readingGulfstar 44 Review: One of the Best Designs Ever