240/Heavy Weather

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mitchelldranow

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Feb 20, 2011
10
oday 240 Glen Cove
How secure is the 240 if one is out in it and it starts to blow 20 -25 knots? Also, would one feel safe taking it out to say, Block Island, in decent weather (from Long Island Sound, NY)?

Thanks,

Mitch D
 
Joe11688

Joe11688

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Jan 24, 2005
4,881
Oday 222 Dighton, Ma.
mitchelldranow said:
How secure is the 240 if one is out in it and it starts to blow 20 -25 knots? Also, would one feel safe taking it out to say, Block Island, in decent weather (from Long Island Sound, NY)?

Thanks,

Mitch D
Click to expand
Mitch,
I sailed my O'Day 222 out to Block from Newport RI back in the mid 1990s and it was a horrible trip. I didn't enjoy it. I sailed into New Harbor and went ashore. Shortly after that, my wife and I took a ferry boat over to Old Harbor in Block and I wasn't very impressed with that island. I'm sorry if I have offended anyone with my assessment of Block Island, but I'll never go again. With that said, these boats can take more punishment than we can. I'm just not too fond of swells and tidal rips. I've made the trip to Martha's Vineyard and Cuttyhunk Island for many years and I prefer these Islands to Block, but this has nothing to do with your question.
I think that the O'Day 240 is a capable cruiser for these waters but I think that you need to get used to her and find out for yourself exactly what she is capable of doing in your area waters under different weather conditions. Learn to put a reef in the main when the winds start to kick up, and shake it out when the wind dies down. In other words, get out in your boat and get familiar with it first in your sailing area before you take any long trips. These waters can be brutal. I guess that's why I prefer to sail the river and the bays in my area. They can even kick up at times.
 
emergpa1

emergpa1

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Oct 2, 2008
1,424
Island Packet 31 Brunswick, Ga
Trinkka said:
Mitch,
I sailed my O'Day 222 out to Block from Newport RI back in the mid 1990s and it was a horrible trip. I didn't enjoy it. I sailed into New Harbor and went ashore. Shortly after that, my wife and I took a ferry boat over to Old Harbor in Block and I wasn't very impressed with that island. I'm sorry if I have offended anyone with my assessment of Block Island, but I'll never go again. With that said, these boats can take more punishment than we can. I'm just not too fond of swells and tidal rips. I've made the trip to Martha's Vineyard and Cuttyhunk Island for many years and I prefer these Islands to Block, but this has nothing to do with your question.
I think that the O'Day 240 is a capable cruiser for these waters but I think that you need to get used to her and find out for yourself exactly what she is capable of doing in your area waters under different weather conditions. Learn to put a reef in the main when the winds start to kick up, and shake it out when the wind dies down. In other words, get out in your boat and get familiar with it first in your sailing area before you take any long trips. These waters can be brutal. I guess that's why I prefer to sail the river and the bays in my area. They can even kick up at times.
Click to expand
If Joe says it's bad, it must be really really rough!
 
Joe11688

Joe11688

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Jan 24, 2005
4,881
Oday 222 Dighton, Ma.
emergpa1 said:
If Joe says it's bad, it must be really really rough!
Click to expand
Keith,
I can only say that sailing over to Block Island in a 22' sailboat is a challenge on a good day. I'd really hate to be out in Rhode Island Sound when it really kicks up. With that said though, I did see a couple of smaller boats out there that day and I know that they race Hobbie Cats out to Block Island and back. Getting jostled around in a small boat in those ground swells just isn't my cup of tea.
One of our club members makes frequent trips to Block from our club on the Taunton River in a 24' powerboat but that boat has the speed to get out there and back in no time at all. To me the trip wasn't enjoyable and for what the island has to offer, it isn't worth the trip. I'd much rather sail down to Cuttyhunk and Martha's Vineyard from Newport and I've done that a few times.
Joe
 
D

djplatt

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Mar 16, 2011
48
Sirius 21 Bronte
Hi Mitch

I own an Oday 240 and have been out in 25-30 knots.

As you probably know, the 240 is a fairly modern design with an easily driven hull. This means that when things pick up it tends to get overpowered easily if you don't reef. This is probably why the designer including the single line main reefing setup and roller furling in the base configuration of the boat.

Having said this the answer to you question really depends on which way you are going. Upwind in those conditions the boat is a handful. Off the wind, it was fast stable and easily controlled. I was doing a regatta last fall in the conditions noted above and was getting stomped upwind. Off the wind I was running away from a well sailed CS 27.

I can't comment on Block Island because I don't know the waters there. However, I have enough confidence in the boat that I am contemplating trailering mine to Florida in January and sailing it to the Bahamas. Just need to get the admiral on board.

My 2 cents worth

david

mitchelldranow said:
How secure is the 240 if one is out in it and it starts to blow 20 -25 knots? Also, would one feel safe taking it out to say, Block Island, in decent weather (from Long Island Sound, NY)?

Thanks,

Mitch D
Click to expand
 
Joe11688

Joe11688

.
Jan 24, 2005
4,881
Oday 222 Dighton, Ma.
David,
I really believe that in most cases, it isn't so much the boat as it is the captain of the boat. Just knowing your boat well, and knowing what to do and when to do it is so important to safe cruising. It's an acquired skill that comes gradually with a few years of experience.
 
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djplatt@cogeco.ca

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Feb 23, 2010
67
Oday 240 Bronte, ON
Joe

You make a good point about sailing expertise and experience. Nevertheless, I still think that there are significant differences between boats that can make a huge difference when weather conditions change unexpectedly. From my personal ownership experience, I would cite the C&C Redline 25 and ODay 240 as boats that are at the opposite end of the spectrum in this regard. The Redline was designed in the 60's and liked a lot of wind. It's hull was not easily driven. When the weather picked up it, It would go to any point of sail like it was on rails. It did not move very quickly or point well in light air. The 240 was designed in the mid 80's. It performs extremely well in light to medium air but does have a tendancy to react to puffs going to windward when things pick up. All boat designs are involve compromise. For Lake Ontario I am willing to give up some heavy weather stability for light air perfomance.

my 2 cents worth

david
 
Joe11688

Joe11688

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Jan 24, 2005
4,881
Oday 222 Dighton, Ma.
I kind of like the light air performance myself. When the wind pipes up, my O'Day 222 can sail pretty well with just the Main and I favor that pretty much. Of course, the O'Day 240s had the wing keel which can account for a difference in sailing performance.
 
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