I just sold my oday 25 and I am starting to regret it. I loved sailing her but money was starting to become an issue. My thoughts are that I will buy a smaller boat-maybe an oday mariner 2+2, oday 197, oday 222, or an oday 23, with a working trailer to save on sailing cost. The smaller boat can be stored on a trailer in my backyard during the winter.Yes I know that the oday 25 is trailerable but my xterra is not pulling that thing..and buying or fabricating a trailer is costly .Maintenance, replacement parts,etc will also be cheaper.. My only fear is that I will not be happy with the smaller cabin space after getting comfortable with the almost standing headroom in the 25..I will mostly daysail but I also would like to weekend here and there..I am thinking a 1975 or up oday 23 might be my best bet..The biggest trailerable that my truck can handle..5000lb towing capacity..But the used market is a tricky one and you cant always get what you want..any thoughts..opinions..not sure I made the right decision
sellers remorse
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I think you made the right choice. Of course you're going to miss the spacious cabin of the O'Day 25. Who wouldn't? But as we get older, smaller is easier and less costly. That's the way I look at it. The O'Day 222 is all the boat I'll ever need. It's a great boat for two people or in my case, "an ole Geezer and his dog." My wife "swallowed the anchor" years ago. In sailor's vernacular this means, she prefers staying on dry land. It's getting kind of cold right now for overnighters, but I was doing overnighters about twice a week all summer long. When the Hurricane threatened our area, I came down the club with my trailer and took the mast down all by myself, loaded her on the trailer and brought her home. That was on a Thursday. I did some badly needed work on her that Saturday that was easier to do at my house, and brought her back on Sunday and had her ready for a trip out to the bay on Monday. These things would be almost impossible for me to do with a larger boat. While I was taking my mast down on Thursday, some guy stopped at our club inquiring about a suitable and safe anchorage for his 50' fishing boat with a 6' draft!
"Rots of ruck Mate!" I felt sorry for the guy and I gave him a few suggestions on where to anchor other than our shallow river. As it turns out, we didn't get the storm but I still count myself lucky to be able to enjoy a smaller boat and not have to worry about it when a serious hurricane is heading my way. So keep your eyes peeled for a nice O'Day 222 or an O'Day 23 built after 1973.Attachments
The more I think about it..I think the mariner looks great and love that it has such a following but might be a little too tiny for my needs...I think that I have narrowed it down to the oday 222, 23, or precision 23...This will be the most my truck can handle which is fine..I like the stub keel/centerboard on all these models as opposed to a weighted drop down keel..It seems more substantial and less maintenance..Are there any other boats this size that have the same keel arrangement??Craigslist has a few 23's going around but all come without a trailer..and I am not going to make that mistake again...And I know that I could always buy one/fabricate..which by the way would not know where to start..but now that I have a clean slate I figured I would buy a boat that has everything that I need/want..even if it takes some waiting...winters right around the corner anyway and in the meantime I could sail my outrigger canoe..
My 22 O'Day "is" the perfect size for me.
A 25 would be cool too.
Most of the time, I out there by myself.
Easy to dock and maintain.
I would like something larger, but everything considered, I'm happy with what I have.
At the marina, I'm able to zip in and out, whenever I want.
Unlike my friend who has a 32 and waits for crew who never show up.
I would single~hand a 32, but some folks won't.
I guess it's all a matter of ability, experience, and doing what you love.
I'm getting to like the quick reaction of smaller boats. That's just me though.
Kinda of a tiny cabin, I have a little 7" TV down there, get internet from the boat club on my laptop ( I also use it for movies) and...I get weather radar on it. Although the internet putts out less than 1 mile out, I made a HDTV antenna thats good nearly 20 miles offshore. I'm really happy about that...not that I watch much TV, but it's cool.
A 25 would be cool too.
Most of the time, I out there by myself.
Easy to dock and maintain.
I would like something larger, but everything considered, I'm happy with what I have.
At the marina, I'm able to zip in and out, whenever I want.
Unlike my friend who has a 32 and waits for crew who never show up.
I would single~hand a 32, but some folks won't.
I guess it's all a matter of ability, experience, and doing what you love.
I'm getting to like the quick reaction of smaller boats. That's just me though.
Kinda of a tiny cabin, I have a little 7" TV down there, get internet from the boat club on my laptop ( I also use it for movies) and...I get weather radar on it. Although the internet putts out less than 1 mile out, I made a HDTV antenna thats good nearly 20 miles offshore. I'm really happy about that...not that I watch much TV, but it's cool.
It looks like there are a couple of O'Day 23's on the sailboatowners site, and then I came across this one out on Long Island:
http://www.sailingtexas.com/soday23105.html
So there are options out there. I do like my 222 although I may upgrade to a 25 or 26 at some point. Joe does make a compelling argument that the 22 and 23 foot models have a lot of advantages though.
A good friend of mine has the Precision 23 and it is a nice boat with quite a bit of room down below. It sails a lot like my 222 but it is quite a bit larger (i.e., a large 23 as compared to a relatively small 22). The Precisions are typically a bit more pricey than the O'Days however.
Good luck!
Dave
O'Day 222
http://www.sailingtexas.com/soday23105.html
So there are options out there. I do like my 222 although I may upgrade to a 25 or 26 at some point. Joe does make a compelling argument that the 22 and 23 foot models have a lot of advantages though.
A good friend of mine has the Precision 23 and it is a nice boat with quite a bit of room down below. It sails a lot like my 222 but it is quite a bit larger (i.e., a large 23 as compared to a relatively small 22). The Precisions are typically a bit more pricey than the O'Days however.
Good luck!
Dave
O'Day 222
I personally think that the O'Day 22s, 222s, and 23s are a little easier to handle than the O'Day 25s and up, particularly if your by yourself. It's almost impossible to sail them up to a dock and step off them without breaking your neck. There is a sulfurous amount of free board on these boats. Try getting on one from a kayak and you'll see what I mean. If you're trying to pick up your mooring line with your boat pole on these larger boats, you're not going to be able to hold that boat long enough to slip the loop of your pendant line over your bow cleat as she starts to drift back. Last week one of our members brought his Hunter 27 to the club dock. A beautiful boat inside and outside, you'll never find. I had a chance to go inside it and the cabin is not only spacious, but you can stand up inside it. When he was ready to shove off, I untied his lines and tried to push the boat away from the dock with my foot as he motored off. That boat is so heavy it just wouldn't budge sideways like my 222. My friend had told me that he was trying to pick up his mooring with his boat hook last week and he couldn't hold the boat with the hook so he let go of his boat hook. He couldn't free his boat hook from his mooring pendant line. So he had two choices, let loose of the boat hook or go over the side with it.
While I was beach combing last week, I found an 8' Gareleck telescopic boat hook in the weeds up the river. He looked at it and said that it wasn't the one he lost, but I'm going down to the club this morning to go out on my boat and I think I'll put that boat hook in the cockpit of his boat so he can have one again. I have a 12' hook on my boat and I don't really need two boat hooks. Besides, this is the third boat hook that I've found and given away. I have no doubt that I'll find more boat hooks on the shore.
Joe
While I was beach combing last week, I found an 8' Gareleck telescopic boat hook in the weeds up the river. He looked at it and said that it wasn't the one he lost, but I'm going down to the club this morning to go out on my boat and I think I'll put that boat hook in the cockpit of his boat so he can have one again. I have a 12' hook on my boat and I don't really need two boat hooks. Besides, this is the third boat hook that I've found and given away. I have no doubt that I'll find more boat hooks on the shore.
Joe
Attachments
It is ironic that you are downsizing while I have been thinking recently about moving up. I have a 23 and have been thinking that something in the 25 or 26 foot range would be about perfect; not so big that I can't pull it with my truck or launch from a trailer, more ballast and weight for a more stable platform, more room in the cabin, faster, more room for entertaining friends, etc. I think it is referred to as 2 foot-itis, but I thought it usually went in the other direction. I've been meaning to post the question here, wondering if it is worth the effort to trade up and have come close to listing the boat here. This is some good food for thought. Maybe I should just be happy with what I have. Still, I am curious about a larger boat...
I agree with Joe. The cockpit on the 25 I doubt is any longer than the 23, the cabin just a little longer, the beam is the same, the 25 is heavier making launching and retrieval more of a PITA and you already have the 23. How's the condition of your sails? Bigger sails cost more. Could you buy another boat before you sell the one you have? You might want to have one lined up before selling yours. And what kind of condition would it be in? Will it need sails? Have core problems in the deck? Need bottom work? Outboard? Trailer? There aren't that many 25-26 foot trailerables. If you move up you might have to consider keeping the boat in the water.
That being said, I'm really satisfied with the way my 25 handles and sails. Sails like a bigger boat.
Rich
That being said, I'm really satisfied with the way my 25 handles and sails. Sails like a bigger boat.
Rich
7 year itch
I have owned my boat for 7 years (maybe it's the 7-year itch?) and have made improvements every year. I purchased a new main a couple years ago, sent all the rest to Sailcare for cleaning and repairs' purchased a "like new" blade for heavy air last winter, repainted the bottom, replaced bunks on the trailer ( a really stout double axle shorelander), replaced halyards and standing rigging, rebedded most of the deck hardware, and FINALLY have a dry boat after a rain. The boat was in good condition when I bought it, but it is even better now. Summers are short here and I store it inside during the winter. I know I'd have a hard time finding a boat in similar condition and would likely start all the above repairs and upgrades over again, expending a lot of time and money along the way.
I have owned my boat for 7 years (maybe it's the 7-year itch?) and have made improvements every year. I purchased a new main a couple years ago, sent all the rest to Sailcare for cleaning and repairs' purchased a "like new" blade for heavy air last winter, repainted the bottom, replaced bunks on the trailer ( a really stout double axle shorelander), replaced halyards and standing rigging, rebedded most of the deck hardware, and FINALLY have a dry boat after a rain. The boat was in good condition when I bought it, but it is even better now. Summers are short here and I store it inside during the winter. I know I'd have a hard time finding a boat in similar condition and would likely start all the above repairs and upgrades over again, expending a lot of time and money along the way.
RBone - Are you saying then that you would recommend a 23 over a 25? Is there much difference between the two boats as far as roominess? I am considering a 25 but if a 23 is basically the same and is a bit easier to handle, that would be a good thing. Is the 23 less stiff than the 25?
I think what I was getting at was I didn't see much reason to move up to a 25 because it's a heavier boat and harder to launch and retrieve, the cockpits are the same size and the cabin was only a little longer. And he already had a good 23.
I have no experience sailing a 23 so I can't say how it handles.
The 25 is fairly stiff with 1825# of ballast.
I personally like the larger boat. It's just as easy to handle.
Rich
I like my 26 but i have to say, that, in the salon, there is only one bunk worth sleeping on, and that is the slide out, which my wife gets. And the starboard birth is too small and cramped even for me, and i am a small person. The quarter birth has no foot room if you are fidgity at all, which I am. :bang:
The v birth is pretty good for me to sleep in during the cool weather but in warm months it is just too hot. so in the summer, if lynn is on the boat with me, i really have no where good to sleep. And the vbirth only fits me because i am pretty short.
I have always wondered how the vbirth dimensions compare, 25 to 23.
keith
Keith,
The V birth on our O'Day 222 Trinkka was always large enough for both myself and my wife to sleep in. It's the coolest place in the summer because of the forward hatch. The quarter births are OK but not as good as the V birth. With a tarp over the boom to keep the sun off the boat, and a smaller tarp over the forward hatch to direct the wind into the cabin, I've taken a nap in the V berth on some pretty hot days and woke up feeling cold.
What you may want to do is to look into ways of temporarily making those quarter births wider for night sleeping. Lynn and Larry had a board with an extra mattress that they would place over the cockpit of their 24' cutter Serafin, that gave them plenty of room for sleeping out under the stars on certain hot nights when they were voyaging in the tropics.
The V birth on our O'Day 222 Trinkka was always large enough for both myself and my wife to sleep in. It's the coolest place in the summer because of the forward hatch. The quarter births are OK but not as good as the V birth. With a tarp over the boom to keep the sun off the boat, and a smaller tarp over the forward hatch to direct the wind into the cabin, I've taken a nap in the V berth on some pretty hot days and woke up feeling cold.
What you may want to do is to look into ways of temporarily making those quarter births wider for night sleeping. Lynn and Larry had a board with an extra mattress that they would place over the cockpit of their 24' cutter Serafin, that gave them plenty of room for sleeping out under the stars on certain hot nights when they were voyaging in the tropics.
Keith,
I hear ya on the sleeping! My wife took over that side berth and it is the only one I can sleep on being 6' and 240. So, that leaves me out, as my son owns the V Berth.
So, my solution is two fold. Some nights on the Port slide out berth I sleep with my head up towards the quarter berth and she sleeps with her head forward. That seems to work well. However with us both on the port side the boat lists that way and the one on the inside gets squished to the wall as the outside one rolls that way with the list Fun times on cooler nights but on hot nights, not so cool.
So, the second solution that worked for me was to extend the starboard berth I can almost fit there but not quite. All I need is for my legs to extend to the head area off the berth and I am all set. And a little more room side to side. Originally I made a slotted board solution that allowed the entire cabin to be one berth but we arent that young anymore and getting out of bed with no floor space is no picnic!
So, the solution came to me one hot cramped night and was quite simple. I added a plywood slide out under the starboard side similar to the port slide out. Only it extends a little about a foot or so. Enough that we both have floor space to use, not much but enough and the starboard side I can comfortably sleep with my feet hanging off in the head area. I added swing down legs to the underside of the slide out, they drop to the floor and hold the slide out up in position. They tuck back up when it is slid back in place and are plenty small enough to not be an issue.
Solves the sleeping issue for both of us, unless of course I head out on deck or in the cockpit for the night under a boom tent
So, I am not sure a 26 has more cabin space or not than the 23.
Freeboard is the bigger issue as someone mentioned though. If I were to fall off there is no way to get back on board at all. So, I have a step fender when sailing and have a long line which I hang over the side just out of the water, but within reach to grab it if I were to fall overboard. I was caught once at a mooring, I swam to the boat but there was no way for me to get aboard, embarrassing to be sure. My boarding ladder attaches to the side and I cant sail with it attached. One day maybe mount one to the transom.
Happy sailing.
I hear ya on the sleeping! My wife took over that side berth and it is the only one I can sleep on being 6' and 240. So, that leaves me out, as my son owns the V Berth.
So, my solution is two fold. Some nights on the Port slide out berth I sleep with my head up towards the quarter berth and she sleeps with her head forward. That seems to work well. However with us both on the port side the boat lists that way and the one on the inside gets squished to the wall as the outside one rolls that way with the list
Fun times on cooler nights but on hot nights, not so cool.So, the second solution that worked for me was to extend the starboard berth I can almost fit there but not quite. All I need is for my legs to extend to the head area off the berth and I am all set. And a little more room side to side. Originally I made a slotted board solution that allowed the entire cabin to be one berth but we arent that young anymore and getting out of bed with no floor space is no picnic!
So, the solution came to me one hot cramped night and was quite simple. I added a plywood slide out under the starboard side similar to the port slide out. Only it extends a little about a foot or so. Enough that we both have floor space to use, not much but enough and the starboard side I can comfortably sleep with my feet hanging off in the head area. I added swing down legs to the underside of the slide out, they drop to the floor and hold the slide out up in position. They tuck back up when it is slid back in place and are plenty small enough to not be an issue.
Solves the sleeping issue for both of us, unless of course I head out on deck or in the cockpit for the night under a boom tent
So, I am not sure a 26 has more cabin space or not than the 23.
Freeboard is the bigger issue as someone mentioned though. If I were to fall off there is no way to get back on board at all. So, I have a step fender when sailing and have a long line which I hang over the side just out of the water, but within reach to grab it if I were to fall overboard. I was caught once at a mooring, I swam to the boat but there was no way for me to get aboard, embarrassing to be sure. My boarding ladder attaches to the side and I cant sail with it attached. One day maybe mount one to the transom.
Happy sailing.
I like my 26 but i have to say, that, in the salon, there is only one bunk worth sleeping on, and that is the slide out, which my wife gets. And the starboard birth is too small and cramped even for me, and i am a small person. The quarter birth has no foot room if you are fidgity at all, which I am. :bang:
The v birth is pretty good for me to sleep in during the cool weather but in warm months it is just too hot. so in the summer, if lynn is on the boat with me, i really have no where good to sleep. And the vbirth only fits me because i am pretty short.
I have always wondered how the vbirth dimensions compare, 25 to 23.
keith
Sometimes there are advantages to us "vertically challenged" folk. At 5'6", the v-berth in the 222 works great for me. I can stretch out, and it stays relatively cool when at anchor as the boat swings into the wind. It has even worked for my wife and I on the rare occasions that she stays on the boat. I'll have to try the tarp as an air scoop on really hot days when there isn't much air movement. But in general it stays quite comfortable.
The one thing I have to watch out for is the underside of the hatch, as it is painful when I smack my head on it (and I have the scars to prove it). Otherwise, no complaints and I much prefer the v-berth to the settees.
Dave
O'Day 222
The one thing I have to watch out for is the underside of the hatch, as it is painful when I smack my head on it (and I have the scars to prove it). Otherwise, no complaints and I much prefer the v-berth to the settees.
Dave
O'Day 222
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