Interesting: 1976 Gulf Star

[Tad Roberts]

Originally Posted by Capt.Bill11

Yes and he worked with Ted Hood on some designs. Who was a naval architect. So it's not out of the realm of possibility that he looked the designs over.

I'll nit-pick just a little and then shut up, I've stated my opinion on the boat.

Ted Hood was not a naval architect, he had no training in the subject. Dieter Empacher, who worked for Ted and did all his early design work was the naval architect.

Besides that sidetrack into the wilds....Surely we can agree that the Gulfstar 53 was one thing when designed 40 years ago, and this highly modified version is something very different today.

People can nit pick this boat all they want. And it could have stability issues. But to say or imply it's some how dangerous due to the modifications made to it with no more evidence than some pictures and a video is bit irresponsible.

Please realize there are many folks looking at this forum with no experience of boats at all. You realize there may be a stability issue with this boat, but many would not. It is to those folks I am speaking.

Yesterday I had a PM from another member here who just bought a boat and was wondering about her stability. He could find no information publicly available on the stability of this popular production boat. As the boat he bought is unmodified and from a well respected designer (who has his name on the plans), I was able to reassure this owner that his boat will be fine and take him anywhere safely.

I feel strongly that stability of pleasure boats is an issue that is too often swept under the rug and ignored. I would like to encourage understanding of the issue. Yelling fire in a crowded theater is irresponsible, but it's also irresponsible not pointing out that a child playing in the street is unsafe. (IMO)

[Nomad Willy]

Spy you think Marin's snoop'in around? I doubt it.
Do you have inside knowledge?

Seems to me the rudder is way fwd of the transom (on the stock boat) and the keel terminates w the prop way fwd of the rudders. Maybe my memory's not correct but if it is why does only one boat have that wildly different configuration? At least it should be less likely to fall off on her bow especially w the aft cabin.

For me the fuel tanks would work ok as ballast as we keep ours quite full. But proper ballast is usually lower than fuel tanks. Our concrete and steel ballast is at least 2' below our engine and our engine is about a foot below the fuel when the tanks are full.

I'd like to see a steadying sail aft on this boat and for that matter my boat too. Most trawlers could probably benefit from a steadying sail and aft in most cases ... IMO.

[Capt.Bill11]

Originally Posted by Tad Roberts

I'll nit-pick just a little and then shut up, I've stated my opinion on the boat.

Ted Hood was not a naval architect, he had no training in the subject. Dieter Empacher, who worked for Ted and did all his early design work was the naval architect.

Besides that sidetrack into the wilds....Surely we can agree that the Gulfstar 53 was one thing when designed 40 years ago, and this highly modified version is something very different today.


Please realize there are many folks looking at this forum with no experience of boats at all. You realize there may be a stability issue with this boat, but many would not. It is to those folks I am speaking.

Yesterday I had a PM from another member here who just bought a boat and was wondering about her stability. He could find no information publicly available on the stability of this popular production boat. As the boat he bought is unmodified and from a well respected designer (who has his name on the plans), I was able to reassure this owner that his boat will be fine and take him anywhere safely.

I feel strongly that stability of pleasure boats is an issue that is too often swept under the rug and ignored. I would like to encourage understanding of the issue. Yelling fire in a crowded theater is irresponsible, but it's also irresponsible not pointing out that a child playing in the street is unsafe. (IMO)

Points taken and agreed with.

The reason I though Ted Hood was a naval architect is because that is what I had read several times over the years. I apparently I'm incorrect. As is his obit on the National Sailing Hall of Fame site.

"For nearly 20 years, Ted Hood was a dominant force in sailing. A distinguished American yachtsman and naval architect,"

Well, as they say, you learn something new everyday.

[hollywood8118]

Originally Posted by manyboats

I'd like to see a steadying sail aft on this boat and for that matter my boat too. Most trawlers could probably benefit from a steadying sail and aft in most cases ... IMO.

I believe, Just as Tad Roberts has suggested a steadying sail may accelerate the question as to the stability of the boat.. it already LOOKS as though it will heel over in a fair wind on it's own.. no help from a sail would be necessary.
It is reminiscent of the photo below.

HOLLYWOOD

[Billylll]

I think it's a nice looking boat, too large for me. I installed a custom hardtop on my Mainship 40SB (hardly a trawler), it was a very expensive upgrade. The modification limits my ability to take the boat up the Erie Canal or on the loop. She's stable as a rock just too tall. I can't even sell her unless the delivery can be made via water.
Bill

[eyschulman]

Not my type of boat, but if it stays at the dock or in flat water, the pent house is a great place to watch the sun go down and for some people that seems to be enough.

[healhustler]

Originally Posted by Capt.Bill11

I must be missing something.Because none of the photos look PhotoShopped to me. Which photos are you talking about?

My comment is that the photo of the boat, as below, "looks" like something someone might photoshop rather than actually build. Included is a version that I photoshopped myself. I don't find one more difficult to believe than another, but no matter what I did to improve it, the finished product looked like a top-heavy photoshop rendition.

As mentioned in a previous post, lots of boat owners are just looking for a warm, dry, or maybe in this case a cool, dry place from which to pilot the boat. Still, it's hard to believe how much more material (weight and windage) some will spend the money to add to their boat, often without ever consulting a Naval Architect.

[Mako]

Originally Posted by Ski in NC

Ugggh. Perkins turbos with manicoolers. No thanks.

Love the beautiful rust accents, dirt layers and dried out rubber hoses. Yep, attention lavishly applied everywhere… except where it counts… like in the engine room of a 60ft boat with sole-buried engine.

I guess everyone has to set their own priorities.

[FF]

Up here adding a hard enclosure to the flying bridge seems to be a pretty popular, abet really ugly modification.

In FL they seal the oxygen tent to add air cond to survive 95F with 99% humidity in the baking sun

Still PUG UGLY!

[Billylll]

Originally Posted by FF

Up here adding a hard enclosure to the flying bridge seems to be a pretty popular, abet really ugly modification.

In FL they seal the oxygen tent to add air cond to survive 95F with 99% humidity in the baking sun

Still PUG UGLY!

That's what I did. I have a Coleman 15,000BTU heat pump AC unit on the hardtop. It works well when it's cold out and when it's hot.
Bill

[busteddrum]

I am new here and sorry to dig up an old thread. But, a stock boat like this is available here in L.A. for a reasonable price and I'd like to get opinions about it. The beam is 15' on a rounded hull. Bad for rolling, good for efficiency? It is the same hull as the GS53 motorsailer, so it has a 4.5' draft with a long keel. 6.354 engines? I've always heard these were good engines but there was an earlier comment about manifolds. Also mentioned was the addition of a steadying sail. Coming from a sailing background a sail under way seems like a reasonable way to attenuate some of the possible rolling. Paravanes? My only powerboat experience was with a uniflyte 42 but that was a way different style of boat.

Thanks
Bob

[cardude01]

I thought about pavanes for my boat but did a steadying sail instead. I didn’t really have the structure for paravanes, and I didn’t want the drag on my already slow boat.

Have had the sails on for a year and still like them. With enough wind (over 5 knots) the sails really help reduce the roll. It will still roll in beam or quartering seas but it’s a controlled roll compared to the wild 20 degree roll I had before.

[Ramsey1]

I'll let you all know more about this boat as I am looking at it today. I had the same concern about stability and wondered it the addition of the stabilizers are there to compensate for a higher CD. I will be asking for a report.

[Nomad Willy]

CG is static. Stabilizers are dynamic.

No stabs won’t help unless underway.

And underway this boat will need stabs. They aren’t excessively wide and have a roundish bottom. But it may not be as bad as it looks.

Reminds me of a kayacker that usta say “stick your ear in the water”.

[jmckeith]

The original boat looks to still be for sale.

https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/197...g#.W6k3ai-ZMnc