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Yachtsnet's archive of boat details and pictures
 
 

The following information and photographs are displayed as a service to anyone researching yacht types. HOWEVER THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT ARE COVERED BY COPYRIGHT, AND MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF YACHTSNET LTD. Details and photographs are normally based on one specific yacht, but could be a compilation. No reliance should be placed on other yachts of the same class being identical.  Where common variations exist, we have endeavoured to indicate this in these archive details.

Gib'Sea 43

Brief details

Builder

Dufour Yachts (France)

The Gib'Sea 43 is a very spacious cruising yacht with an interesting and flexible interior layout. She has a substantial twin-spreader masthead rig and a spacious cockpit with twin wheels. The design was awarding a Cruising Sailboat of the Year award when introduced, and with 14 ft beam carried well aft is able to have two good double cabins aft, plus a very clever 'convertible' layout forward, where the forward part of the boat can be either one large en-suite cabin plus seating, or be split into two separate cabins, one double, one Pullman-style twin.

LOA

42' 8"

Sail area

968 sq ft

LWL

35' 9"

Rig

Sloop

Beam

14' 0"

Cabins

3/4

Draught

5' 7"

Berths

8-10

Displacement

22,712 lbs

Engine

Yanmar 4-JH diesel

Ballast

6,174 lbs

BHP

56 bhp

Keel type

Iron bulbed fin keel and spade rudder

Gibert Marine was founded in 1972, initially as a builder of small keelboats. They soon progressed to being a major builder of cruising-orientated yachts. Gib'Seas have always featured simply fitted but very practical interiors, on well built hulls. Although often written as Gibsea, the name of the boats has always been Gib'Sea.

By the mid 1990s the company was struggling to compete as an independent builder with the larger and more highly automated productions of Beneteau, and Gibert Marine were taken over by Dufour in 1997, who continued to produce a range of yachts under the Gib'Sea name - these retaining the simple open interiors that had always been a feature of the Gib'Sea brand. Dufour also collaborated with the Italian boatyard Cantiere del Pardo in the build of the Gib'Seas.

The Gib'Sea 43 was designed by Olivier Poncin and J & J design, and shares the distinctive styling of several other models, including the Gib'Sea 33, 37, 41 and 51 ft models. These boats all share the "delphinière" - a dolphin nose shaped mini-bowsprit that continues the deck line outboard to house a self-stowing anchor.

The solid GRP hull is laid up with isophthalic resins and with Tawron aramid (kevlar) reinforcement, with a balsa sandwich deck and GRP inner mouldings. She has an iron bulbed keel and spade rudder.

The Gib'Sea 43 is one of the beamiest monohulls of her length, and this gives a saloon which was described by 'Yachting Monthly' as ".... saloons don't come much bigger and brighter than this".

Gibsea 43 cruising yacht for sale
Gibsea 43 cruising yacht for sale

Yachts seen here are no longer for sale - the data is online as a free information service for buyers researching boat types. THE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE COVERED BY COPYRIGHT, AND MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF YACHTSNET LTD.

Go to our brokerage section for boats currently for sale
Gibsea 43 cruising yacht for sale

The Dufour-built Gib'Seas were marketed as Dufour's cheaper range than their "Classic" series, and aimed at charter companies as much as private owners. Nevertheless thay make a good boat for many private owners typical weekend and summer holiday use.

The interior forward of the saloon bulkhead is convertible. As photographed here she has two separate cabins, one a large vee-double and one with two Pullman-style single berths. If the doors in the photo at right are folded away, the forecabin becomes a much larger space, with a settee created by folding down the upper of the Pullman berths. To port is the en-suite heads (in single cabin mode).

If these Pullman berths are used as a separate cabin, the forward heads (photo below) becomes shared by the two cabins forward

Photographs
Yachtsnet

 
Gibsea 43 for sale
Gibsea 43 for sale

With 14 ft beam, you have a spacious dining area, seating 8, with the galley to port.
The galley has twin sinks forward, the cooker central, and a very large refrigerated icebox aft.
The saloon table can also drop if required to form yet another large double, but in truth the boat is better thought of as a 6 to 8 berth boat.

The starboard dining area settee extends aft to form a seat for the chart table. When reviewed by 'Yachting Monthly' in 2003 this chart table was commented on as being rather small, but fashions have changed and chart tables are shrinking and in some cases disappearing, even on some very expensive yachts

Gibsea 43 for sale

The twin aft cabins are mirror images of each other. Each has an opening port forward, and right aft, at the foot of each berth, is a netted storage area with an opening port to the transom to get through-flow of air.

Below: aft heads to port. Both aft and forward heads have holding tanks.

There is very good engine access via lifting the companionway steps,
and panels at the sides into each aft cabin.
Gibsea 43 for sale
Gibsea 43 for sale

Yachts seen here are no longer for sale - the data is online as a free information service for buyers researching boat types. THE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE COVERED BY COPYRIGHT, AND MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF YACHTSNET LTD.

Go to our brokerage section for boats currently for sale

The cockpit has twin wheels with a gated walk-through to the transom swimming platform, and a fixed GRP table assembly with lidded ice bucket and drinks holders in the centre.

Gibsea 43 for sale
Gibsea 43 for sale
brochure photo

In the 2003 'Yachting Monthly' boat test, they wrote "... to windward she topped 8 knots in 20 knots true, and tacked through 90 degrees. The test boats rigging was in need of a tune and she would doubtless point higher with less sag in the forestay. She beam reached at 7.5 knots in about 15-18 knots true, and while surfing on a broad reach she recorded 9 knots in only 15 knots of wind"


The magazine also said "The charter market has obviously had a big influence on the 43's design, but she has the potential to make a good family cruiser" and ".... she's a fun boat to sail".

Gibsea 43 cruising yacht for sale

Not many Gib'Sea 43s appear in the UK, but as a big, quite powerful cruising yacht for a large family, or for those who like to invite friends, she is well worth looking at as an alternative to similar sized Beneteaus, Jeanneaus, Dufours and Bavarias.

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