O'Day 322 Wing Keel width

Sep 12, 2020
15
N/A n/a Casco Bay, Maine
I'm picking up my "new to me" '87 O'Day 322 next week. I'll be sailing it home from MA to Maine and am having the boat hauled to my house right away. The hauler will be using a hydraulic trailer and pulling the boat out of the water at a ramp (pretty standard issue up here in Maine), his only concern is the wing keel and making sure that it isn't too wide for the frame of his trailer. Since the boat is in the water I have no way of measuring the width of the wing. Anybody happen to have a good source or know the width of the wing keel?

Thanks!
 
Jan 7, 2011
4,727
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
I don’t have a measurement, but it can’t be more than 24 or 30 inches wide...how wide is the trailer frame?


Greg
 
Sep 12, 2020
15
N/A n/a Casco Bay, Maine
Thanks Greg, The hauler didn't know off hand how wide his trailer was, not really ever an issue with a regular boat. Looking at all the pictures of 322's online that thing looks like it's at least 3', but hard to tell. Might have to grab the snorkel and sacrifice a tape measure to the salt gods.
 
Jan 27, 2008
3,045
ODay 35 Beaufort, NC
How are you taking down the mast? Why sacrifice a tape measure, use a length of string or line to measure the width in the water then measure the length of the line with a tape measure out of the water.
 
Sep 12, 2020
15
N/A n/a Casco Bay, Maine
How are you taking down the mast? Why sacrifice a tape measure, use a length of string or line to measure the width in the water then measure the length of the line with a tape measure out of the water.
Mast is coming down with a crane. I wasn't really serious about actually using a tape measure, but good idea using a string...
 
May 30, 2006
300
Oday 34 Chesapeake Bay
Wow. Good size piece of metal down there. Would hate to drive that into some Chesapeake mud.
 
Sep 12, 2020
15
N/A n/a Casco Bay, Maine
The hauler's trailer is only about 2' wide, so we'll be setting the keel on top of the trailer frame under some cross beams to support the keel. He said he's done this before and there shouldn't be an issue, the only downside is that to unload the boat at the house it will need more blocking under the keel so it will sit a little higher. No big deal. Pictures to follow next week.
 
Feb 22, 2010
70
Oday 322 Delaware River
You just bounce off.
Congratulations on your purchase. !

Speaking of groundings in mud, (Delaware / Chesapeake) I can't tell you how many times I have just done a pivot 180 degree, with full rudder and a moderate bit of power, and then go back out the same way you came in! You would never be able to do that on a knife-edge keel, but with that big pie plate down there at the bottom, it just seems to pivot around no problem.

I will measure this winter, because I am interested in how much square footage is presented in the horizontal surface, but I would estimate it is 3' wide easily. It is big. It is remarkable how effective this keel is upwind in anything over 2.5 knots.

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Sep 12, 2020
15
N/A n/a Casco Bay, Maine
The boat made it home, about 28 hours of non-stop sailing and some motoring from Buzzards Bay, MA to Casco Bay, ME. From there I un-stepped the mast and then had a travel lift load it on a hydraulic trailer to bring to my house. For future searchers, the keel measures exactly 49.5" at the widest part (at least mine is), so it's just over 4' wide. Quite a footprint, but there were no issues putting it on top of the trailer frames, with blocking coming up from a removable crossmember for support. I'll be starting another post at some point with some info of my projects I'll be completing throughout the winter, will be wonderful having it at the house and not having to pay storage or drive to the marina to work on the boat for a few hours at a time.
 

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Jan 7, 2011
4,727
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
Glad you got her home!

I had no idea the keel was 4 feet wide...I will ave to look at mine when I haul out for the winter.

I hope you really like your 322.
 
Jan 2, 2017
765
O'Day & Islander 322 & 37 Scottsdale, AZ & Owls Head, ME
Yes. A 322’s wing is a true wing. It looks like an alien spacecraft.