Hull number, again

Aug 7, 2010
90
Catalina 22 Stockton Lake, Missouri
Sooo...about a year ago I sold my Widgeon and felt.....deprived....ever since. I rectified that by picking up a nice DaySailer at a good price. As the boat was in a different state with no title requirements for a boat that size we're having a bit of a problem getting it titled where I live because there was no year recorded by the previous owner. Long story and involved the boat originally being a gift to one of their parents.

Anyway, the hull number of the boat is 16470 and the class is 2942. I've looked high and low and can't find a registry for DaySailer numbers.....and some of that is no doubt due to my less than stellar computer skills. Is anyone able to direct me to a source or does anyone know the year of manufacture of the boat? I would be most grateful. Annndd...another question. Did the Daysailer have a boom vang? I see the slot in the boom but none cam with the boat.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
The hull number is generally more digits and letters. Can you provide the complete 12 alpha/numeric number?
 
Aug 7, 2010
90
Catalina 22 Stockton Lake, Missouri
No sir, I cannot as it does not exist. The boat is evidently older than the 1972 law requiring the 12 digit number. Thank you for the link, I will explore it.

Ahhh....I have been on that site already. Apparently it is only for the Mariner and not the Day Sailer?
 
Mar 20, 2004
1,729
Hunter 356 and 216 Portland, ME
cape cod shipbuilding may be able to help - they are the current DS builder and you # appears to be in their range
 
Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
The fact that this O'DAY has the older 2-number ID format indicates right away that she was built prior to November 1, 1972, when the 12-digit HIN requirement started.
Let us not get confused here. Prior to the 1972 start of the Hull Identification Number requirement, O'DAY used a set of 2 numbers to ID it's boats, each boat had 2 numbers, a HULL # and a CLASS#. HULL# refered to how many boats total had been built for/by O'DAY. CLASS# refered to how many of that class (in this case Day Sailer). the boa In question is Hull# 16470 and Class# 2942, this means she was the 16470th boat built by O'DAY (or prior to about 1961, built for O'DAY, most likely by Marscot Plastics) and the 2942nd Day Sailer. The IMPORTANT number there if researching under Day Sailer numbers, is the 2942, too many owners mistake the O'DAY Hull# for the DS Class# and that will throw you way off track. Remember, HULL# Refers to TOTAL O'DAY production of all models, CLASS# refers to how many of that particular Model, CLASS# is the important one and is the number used on racing sails.

To determine age of the boat is unfortunately difficult, since you have to base it on comparison with other O'DAY boats with as accurate of a built year as you can get.... and that isn't easy. Based on my old Widgeon that I am reasonably certain was a 1969 model, her hull# was 22698, so we know this DS was built long before 1969, my files estimate the build year as around 1966. Even so, as I say, the system isn't perfect since at times O'DAY was building the same model at more than one factory, and Class #s (and possibly Hull#s) were apparently assigned to each plant in batches. and the difference in Hull Number between 2 Boats of the same class does not always equal the difference in Class #s.

Cape Cod Shipbuilding does not have records for Day Sailers built prior to the first one they built in 1995, CLASS# 14201, well beyond the time of this DS #2942. Although ,the MIGHT have some info on the SUNFISH-LASER built boats (1991-94). Sadly, even D&R Marine, current supplier of O'DAY Parts does not have much info due to the sloppy handling of records during the Bankruptcy of O'DAY in 1989. The Day Sailer Class Association has the best collection of DS records, although still far from perfect since they rely on memory and owner knowledge of their boats.
 
Aug 7, 2010
90
Catalina 22 Stockton Lake, Missouri
Brian, thank you for the link. As with the link provided by jssail I had previously discovered that site and while certainly good didn't answer my question.

Sunbird, your post coincides with everything I was able to find and learn about the DaySailer. I looked all over the outside of that boat and never did see a hull #. My old Widgeon had it stamped in the transom. Anyway, not until crawling around while cleaning the inside did I see the tag on the forward bulkhead. Then, precisely as you mentioned, chasing the hull # was way off. The boat isn't pristine by any stretch of the imagination however, if it goes back to the mid-60's it's condition is remarkably good.

Thanks to all who replied with help and if anyone else has a hull# or class# close I'd sure like to know.
 
Jun 26, 2018
4
O’day Wigeon Friday Harbor WA
This is really helpful Sunbird. So, I have a class# 2521 Widgeon. Based on the information that you provided above, I’m guessing that my boat was built prior to 1966, but without knowing approximately how many Widgeon were produced each year (and assuming the numbers were sequential) I have no idea how to estimate a build year for my Widgeon.

Can you estimate my build year based on a Hill# 3263, Class#2521?
 
Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
Jeff,
those 2 numbers don't add up..... there must be more digits in that Hull# since my 1969 Widgeon was Hull#22698 Class# 1791
O'DAY Hull# 3263 would have been around 1960, long before the Widgeon was introduced.
O'DAY built about 300-500 WIDGEONs each year, first model year was 1964 (might have ben 1963?), Your Class# fits into the range for the 1972 model year (1972 brochure lists 2150 having been built up to that time, 1973 lists 2650, so 2521 would appear to be a 1972 model. The fact that your boat has those 2 numbers (HULL# and CLASS#) indicates that she was built no later than 1973 (and more likely, 1972) since all boats built after 01NOV 1972 have a 12-digit HIN (Hull ID Number) molded into the outside of the transom and usually do not have the metal plate inside with the 2 numbers. (Usually, but some 1973 models still had the plate with the 2 numbers in addition to the HIN). Does your boat have a forward deck? if so that would be a Generation 2 WIDGEON (1971-83). Prior to 1971 the Widgeon did not have a forward deck and the seats were wooden. I'll attach a set of pictures from the 1972 Brochure to show this deck.
 

Attachments

Jun 26, 2018
4
O’day Wigeon Friday Harbor WA
Here is a pic of the plate. Based on your feedback, I’m not sure what to make of it.
 
Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
Maybe there was a mix-up at the factory that built your boat, in the early to mid 1970's ODAY added production facilities in Kansas (the Starcraft Boats plant), they had previously added a factory in California, but perhaps the Kansas Factory had stamped the ID Plates based on how many O'DAY boats that plant had built? I don't know...... but if your boat looks like the ones in the pictures that I posted, then I will assume that the Class# is correct and the boat is a 1972 or 73 model. If she is all open and has wooden seats......... then she may be a 1966, but then the Class# would be off in one direction and the Hull# in another <GRIN!!> When I send the Owners Manual that you ordered, I'll include 1972, 1973 and just in case, 1966 Brochure pages. However, the plastic plaque above the ID plate looks to be 1970's vintage, not 1960's (mine was different!) The fact that the ID plate is on the inside of the transom further leads me to the 1972 vintage (Widgeons 1970 or older had the ID Plate on the bow sea/flotation tank.)
 

Will D

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Aug 22, 2018
41
O'Day Daysailer Pueblo Reservoir
Did the Daysailer have a boom vang? I see the slot in the boom but none cam with the boat.
I found a DS vang kit online the other day, on D&R Marine's website, for $125. But I already rigged mine using a block w/key, which I got from Annapolis Performance Sailing, and laboriously filing the opening in the vang plate to fit it. Later I discovered that my local West Marine had a similar part in stock but it's not easy to spot. I like having a boom vang but it hasn't made any difference yet, to be honest
 
Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
You should notice a difference with the vang, maybe not performance-wise, but in ease of handling the mainsail, I find it a lot easier to trim the main in when the boom vang is set ,since it hold the boom down (reduces tendency for boom end to lift due to wind pressure on sail) which means that you are only pulling sail in, not down and in. When you run off the wind the vang keeps the boom from rising as you get let out the sail and I find I can often reduce the chance of an unplanned (and uncontrolled!) jibe by keeping the vang set properly. My sails are so blown out that I don't think the vang does much to really flatten the sail, but it still helps! I can definitely sense the effect of the vang in even slightly flattening the main and thus reducing the heeling effect.
 
Sep 23, 2020
4
O'Day Widgeon local lakes
Reviving this thread in case this info is helpful to others.

My O'Day Widgeon (which I was told was a 1978) has Hull# 3161, Class# 2496.

It has the forward deck and has the built-in cooler in the forward end of the port side seat, which (based on Sunbird's manual) means that it has to be a 1971 or 1972, and the Class# seems to fit in the range of Widgeons produced in 1972 per the info above.

It was originally sold by Lynch Yacht Store in Denver (based on a nameplate attached on the transom), so would make sense that it could have been made in the Kansas plant.
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