Having read on many occasions, previous threads about the 322 and 302 keel issues, I experienced first hand the problems that could arise. I purchased a 1989 model, one of last few built before Oday went out of business. Let me begin that this design was ahead of the curve and offered many great features that were eventually adopted by most American boat builders. The European influence gave Oday the edge, the management is what failed Oday, not the design.
Here is what I found, I purchased this boat from a gentlemen in Long Island back in 2015, she had seen very little use most of her life. We had it hauled and surveyed and found no visible issue with the keel joint or keel bolts. I sailed it back to buzzards bay where it has more wind and wave action than long island sound could ever dish out.
I noticed last year that there was water in the bilge on several occasions. On one occasion, It had actually drained the house battery from the automatic bilge pump cycling on.
The boatyard hauled the boat, and we found that the keel had separated from the keel sump by almost 1/2". When we examined the joint we found almost no bedding compound. Not sure how this had not leaked before, it seemed very odd. After removing the keel we sounded out the laminate and found a poor layup of glass that had dry delamination from a lack of resin. We ended up grinding almost the entire sump off when finished. The boatyard then began the glass repairs by building an entirely new keel sump and reattaching the keel with flexible bedding compound. The new keel has a thickness well over 3/4" of glass and is much stronger than the original specs.
On a side note, a local broker who was a former dealer acknowledged that Oday made production decisions that were contrary to the designer, to save a buck. That being said, the keel issues can be fixed by the right fiberglass repair shop. It should not detract anyone from selecting this boat. I once owned a Pearson that had a similar problem, it too was repaired. The pundits will say this is problematic with fin keels. I say it happens when the builder does not pay attention to the design specs. I expect to have many trouble free years sailing what I would consider to be a versatile mid size cruiser. It represents an excellent value compared to newer boat prices and is a simple boat to refit and enjoy for short dollars.
Here is what I found, I purchased this boat from a gentlemen in Long Island back in 2015, she had seen very little use most of her life. We had it hauled and surveyed and found no visible issue with the keel joint or keel bolts. I sailed it back to buzzards bay where it has more wind and wave action than long island sound could ever dish out.
I noticed last year that there was water in the bilge on several occasions. On one occasion, It had actually drained the house battery from the automatic bilge pump cycling on.
The boatyard hauled the boat, and we found that the keel had separated from the keel sump by almost 1/2". When we examined the joint we found almost no bedding compound. Not sure how this had not leaked before, it seemed very odd. After removing the keel we sounded out the laminate and found a poor layup of glass that had dry delamination from a lack of resin. We ended up grinding almost the entire sump off when finished. The boatyard then began the glass repairs by building an entirely new keel sump and reattaching the keel with flexible bedding compound. The new keel has a thickness well over 3/4" of glass and is much stronger than the original specs.
On a side note, a local broker who was a former dealer acknowledged that Oday made production decisions that were contrary to the designer, to save a buck. That being said, the keel issues can be fixed by the right fiberglass repair shop. It should not detract anyone from selecting this boat. I once owned a Pearson that had a similar problem, it too was repaired. The pundits will say this is problematic with fin keels. I say it happens when the builder does not pay attention to the design specs. I expect to have many trouble free years sailing what I would consider to be a versatile mid size cruiser. It represents an excellent value compared to newer boat prices and is a simple boat to refit and enjoy for short dollars.
Last edited:
