Gulfstar 53 Ketch
Description
The Gulfstar 53 Ketch (commonly listed as Gulfstar 53 MS or Gulfstar 53 Motorsailer) is a large, center-cockpit American motorsailer designed by V.S. Lazzara (Vince Lazzara) and built by Gulfstar Yachts in Florida, USA, from 1971 to 1975, with approximately 27 hulls produced in this configuration—making it a rare and sought-after classic for liveaboard, charter, or extended coastal/offshore cruising. This heavy-displacement, beamy fiberglass ketch emphasizes motoring efficiency and comfort over pure sailing performance, featuring a shoal draft for accessibility (e.g., Bahamas or shallow anchorages), a powerful inboard diesel for reliable passage-making (often cruising at 7+ knots under power), and a spacious, light-filled interior with multiple staterooms (typically two or three, including aft and forward cabins), full galley, heads, and good storage/headroom—ideal for families, couples, or liveaboards on long trips. The masthead ketch rig provides balanced, manageable sail handling (especially shorthanded), though it's not fast in light air or upwind due to its weight and motorsailer focus; it tracks steadily offshore with a smooth, non-pounding motion in heavy conditions and has proven capable for bluewater when well-maintained.
Construction Details
| Designer | V.S. Lazzara |
|---|---|
| Builder | Gulfstar Yachts |
| Length | 53.000 ft |
| LOA | 53.000 ft |
| Beam | 15.300 ft |
| Year Built | 1971 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 53.58 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 18.90 ft |
| p | 45.54 ft |
| e | 20 ft |
| p2 | 27.75 ft |
| e2 | 11 ft |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53.58 ft | 18.90 ft | 45.54 ft | 20 ft | 27.75 ft | 11 ft | - | - |
Sails
Gulfstar 53 Ketch - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 45.54 ft - (13881 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 20 ft - (6096 mm) |
| Leech | * 48.8 ft - (14874 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 49.09 ft - (14963 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 465.09 ft² |
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Gulfstar 53 Ketch - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 45.45 ft - (13853 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 25.48 ft - (7766 mm) |
| Leech | * 38.82 ft - (11832 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115.03 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 21.74 ft - (6626 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.01 ° |
| Area | * 494.05 ft² |
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Gulfstar 53 Ketch - GENOA
| Luff | * 53.97 ft - (16450 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 30.9 ft - (9418 mm) |
| Leech | * 50.41 ft - (15365 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 28.35 ft - (8641 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | * 765.06 ft² |
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Gulfstar 53 Ketch - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 53.97 ft - (16450 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 31.18 ft - (9504 mm) |
| Leech | * 49.65 ft - (15133 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 1262 ft² |
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Gulfstar 53 Ketch - MIZZEN
| Luff | * 27.75 ft - (8458 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 11 ft - (3353 mm) |
| Leech-AftHdBd | * 29.21 ft - (8903 mm) |
| Tack Ang | * 88 ° |
| Diag (clew/head) | * 29.49 ft - (8989 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 5.25 in - (133 mm) |
| Area (no Roach) | * 157.46 ft² |
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Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.
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