1975 Gulfstar 53 MS For Sale

The ultimate adventure center cockpit pilothouse 53 motorsailer ketch with 3 cabins, 2 heads and is loaded with gear for immediate sailing. This has been re-powered with a John Deere 360hp turbo-diesel motor with less than 2,300 hours logged. Also updated is the Phasor 16kW diesel generator for all the power needed on the water. Supplemented with 560 watts of solar and another 480 watts from the wind generator. Heavy duty Xantrex charger and inverter system controls it all. Perfect for island hopping with the shoal keel and skeg rudder hull design.

The center cockpit has a hard top, full windshield and clear eisenglass and screen enclosure for all weather conditions. Enjoy your favorite music on the Sony stereo system or watch your favorite TV on the flat panel. Enjoy easy sailing with 2 electric Barient winches. The helm is simple with hydraulic wheel, autopilot and Ventus bow thruster controls. Garmin's color 4210 GPS/RADAR/plotter screen offers crisp, clear detailed information. Full setup of Raymarine ST60 data above the cabin hatch.

There are hydraulic dinghy davits and a separate remote winch at the mast for easy raising and lowering of the dinghy to the foredeck. The pictured kayaks and bikes are included with the sale. The bow has a nice Falkon 1500w 12volt windlass system with dual anchors. The mizzen mast holds the satellite TV gimbal dome, satellite phone dome, HD TV antenna and the wind generator. A multi-camera security system sends video direct to your phone for added peace of mind. Lastly, storage boxes are mounted at the rear deck and a mount is installed for the WiFi booster antenna.

Down below, the wide beam creates an extremely spacious main salon. The air conditioning systems work very well and were enjoyed after photographing the exterior on a hot end of August day. Beautiful flooring and clean upholstery. Topside hatches are electric and screened. The galley is to port with dual fridge/freezers, an icemaker, 3-burner stove, oven and deep dual basin sink. Plenty of counter space to prepare your favorite meals! The navigator's desk is loaded with electronics, laptop computer, another Garmin screen and everything needed to plot your course throughout the Caribbean. Between the desk and entry steps is a large pantry. There is a fuel polishing system onboard that had all the hoses replaced mid-2017.

The U-shaped dinette converts to another sleeping space. There is a large flat panel TV mounted on the wall to allow full viewing from the dinette or the starboard side lounger. Abundant storage throughout.

Moving forward there is a head with shower stall to starboard. The mid-cabin to port features bunks, a TV, plenty of drawers a closest and bench seat by the mirror. The forward v-berth cabin has another TV installed, drawers under the beds, a filler cushion to make a larger sleeping space, hanging locker and under-floor access to the bow thruster.

The current owners purchased it in 2012 and have enjoyed all their time onboard. Exploring the eastern US coast and Caribbean. Their highlight was an extended time in the Exumas meeting fellow sailors.

From the owner:
"The vessel will point well while beating at 35 deg off the wind with the jib track pulled way back. She performs best in 15-25 knots of wind and doesn't need to heel as much as a sloop to make good speed when flying the Mizzen.
She sails best on a beam to broad reach and the main has 3 reef points (all controlled from the cockpit). We've done 12 knots under jib, main and mizzen on a beam reach across the Little Bahama Banks and 8 knots under sail for over 8 hours with the spinnaker on a broad reach with 12 knots of steady wind from Key West to Tampa Bay.
Her full keel keeps her stable under sail in choppy conditions. The enclosed pilot house keeps the cockpit nice and dry.

Under engine power alone, we cruise her at 8 knots @ 1200-1400 rpms burning 1.5 to 1.6 gallons per hour. When motor sailing, we turn 800 rpms @ 0.6 gallons per hour and with variable winds in the 7-12 knot range can make 6-8 knots while beating...more if broad reaching.

The only negative that stands out to me is when she motors under bare masts with greater than a 3 ft beam swell, the roll action can be uncomfortable over a long distance, but we alter course to take the swell on the nose when needing to cook or fish."

1. Owner will provide up to 20 hours of Tampa Bay Area vessel familiarization and operations instruction upon successful closing.
2. Owner will reimburse up to $1000.00 in Survey costs upon successful closing at full asking price.

You will be impressed! Call me today.

Dinghy included: 2017 Walker Bay 10.5 with 2016 Tohatsu 4-stroke

Nice overall condition topside and inside. Insane amount of gear is being included. The owner reports all systems as operational. They are the 5th owner and have loved it since 2012. Kept good records and have all the records from the previous owner that re-powered it and installed the upgraded generator. The interior is clean and well maintained. The exterior shows normal wear for the hull age. A couple spider cracks at the downslope of the cabin at the bow and 2 areas along the portside decks that were repaired prior to them purchasing it. All the rigging appears in good condition and the sails look good too. Sail age is estimated at 10-12 years old. Both sail packs only show slight weathering--but have done a great job protecting the sail fabric. The bottom paint and all the thru-hulls were replaced or rebuilt June 2017. The teak trim above the rub rails shows slight wear--again, normal for the age. All in all, above average and will make the new owner very happy with a wonderful vessel.