Ok O'Day fans, I need both fact and opinion. Both are welcome. I'm at the cross roads of moving from my 25ft O'Day with an outboard to either a O'Day 28 or O'Day 30/31 (not the 302) with inboard diesel. Both boats are very roomy for their size. For interiors,I like the lay out of the 28 with the twin settees, my wife likes the layout of the 30 with the dinette. For performance I've read reviews both here and in mag articles that state the O'Day 30/31 is a bit slow down wind because of the small mainsail. That concerns me (seems I'm either beating into the wind or running down hill all the time). Please help me spend my money and give me your thoughts. PS: the 25ft O'Day is a great boat. If I don't find the boat or deal I'm looking for, the 25 will be just fine for another year or two.
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Dennis I am always thinking how when and where
I can go bigger and at what cost. I think you need to determine that for yourself. What kind of room do you need. If you have extra room will it just add cost. Everything thing with boats cost by the foot and the bigger the boat the exponential factor starts to play in to it. Personally I would love to dump all the crap I have in my house. I fact I have nothing but the computer in the house that I would bring other than the stuff all ready on the boat. Believe me I have more tools than you could want but I would leave them to someone else..... I have five kids. Now three of them have spouse units. None of them have taken the offer of sailing in three years. Don't buy a boat with the hope of entertaining. Buy the boat, then entertain under your regulations. Fish and guests start to smell after three days.... My dad sailed a 45' columbia for two years and had a total of 20 days of visitors. He was cruising. The extra cost of the 15' apartment they were hauling around was extreme. He would have sail a 30 to 32' boat and enjoyed not only the cost savings but actually sailing it single handed ( my stepmother didn't do much of the sailing.) He sailed from the Bahamas to Novascotia. Now 83, he could still single hand my brothers 30 Catalina. Focus your thoughts, dump the extra crap, buy a boat that is easy to sail and easy to maintain. Enjoy your wife, time sailing, and the places you can go. r.w.landau
I can go bigger and at what cost. I think you need to determine that for yourself. What kind of room do you need. If you have extra room will it just add cost. Everything thing with boats cost by the foot and the bigger the boat the exponential factor starts to play in to it. Personally I would love to dump all the crap I have in my house. I fact I have nothing but the computer in the house that I would bring other than the stuff all ready on the boat. Believe me I have more tools than you could want but I would leave them to someone else..... I have five kids. Now three of them have spouse units. None of them have taken the offer of sailing in three years. Don't buy a boat with the hope of entertaining. Buy the boat, then entertain under your regulations. Fish and guests start to smell after three days.... My dad sailed a 45' columbia for two years and had a total of 20 days of visitors. He was cruising. The extra cost of the 15' apartment they were hauling around was extreme. He would have sail a 30 to 32' boat and enjoyed not only the cost savings but actually sailing it single handed ( my stepmother didn't do much of the sailing.) He sailed from the Bahamas to Novascotia. Now 83, he could still single hand my brothers 30 Catalina. Focus your thoughts, dump the extra crap, buy a boat that is easy to sail and easy to maintain. Enjoy your wife, time sailing, and the places you can go. r.w.landau
input
I have the O'Day 31, with the dinette. As far as the interior layout I would probably just as soon have the twin settees. We rarely use the table for anything and it is usually in the down position. We eat in the cockpit. We being my wife, 15 year old daughter, her friend and me. For the rare times we do have an adult couple as guests I guess the dinette does make up into a larger bed. Not a big deal either way unless it means a lot to you. I'd defer to the wife on that one. It is a little slow in light air off the wind but is helped by a 150 Genoa. In less than 12 knots I'm always saying to my wife "wouldn't now would be a great time to have that asymmetrical spinnaker". She thinks we don't need it! But what does she know? One difference with the 31 I very much appreciate is the built in swim step. We do a lot of swimming off the boat and it makes it a lot easier to get out of the water and is a nice place to just sit with your feet hanging into the water. It also makes it a lot easier to get in and out of the dingy.I think it looks better too. None of this is related to sailing performance but it does add to the comfort of the boat. Good luck.
I have the O'Day 31, with the dinette. As far as the interior layout I would probably just as soon have the twin settees. We rarely use the table for anything and it is usually in the down position. We eat in the cockpit. We being my wife, 15 year old daughter, her friend and me. For the rare times we do have an adult couple as guests I guess the dinette does make up into a larger bed. Not a big deal either way unless it means a lot to you. I'd defer to the wife on that one. It is a little slow in light air off the wind but is helped by a 150 Genoa. In less than 12 knots I'm always saying to my wife "wouldn't now would be a great time to have that asymmetrical spinnaker". She thinks we don't need it! But what does she know? One difference with the 31 I very much appreciate is the built in swim step. We do a lot of swimming off the boat and it makes it a lot easier to get out of the water and is a nice place to just sit with your feet hanging into the water. It also makes it a lot easier to get in and out of the dingy.I think it looks better too. None of this is related to sailing performance but it does add to the comfort of the boat. Good luck.
O'Day 28
Dennis... I have had my 1985 "Anniversary Edition" O'Day 28 for six years and love it. It's just the perfect size -- easy to maintain, roomy, easy to sail, and pretty fast -- but stiff. My wife and I have entertained up to six people for a day sail/dinner and another couple overnight with plenty of room. As a fund raiser, we've "auctioned" off gourmet dinner/evening sail outings and have always had praises for the boat and experience. With the saloon table being hinged to the bulkhead, it swings out of the way when not in use -- and you could almost hold a ballroom dance party down below! Health reasons are causing me to let Second Wind go before next season, so if you're interested in receiving details and the survey, please e-mail me at: capnbruce@aol.com Please put "Bayport 28" in the subject line -- I've been getting tons on those "I want to buying your boat... how many miles and lowest price" e-mails. Good luck! Bruce Humphrys Bayport Marina
Dennis... I have had my 1985 "Anniversary Edition" O'Day 28 for six years and love it. It's just the perfect size -- easy to maintain, roomy, easy to sail, and pretty fast -- but stiff. My wife and I have entertained up to six people for a day sail/dinner and another couple overnight with plenty of room. As a fund raiser, we've "auctioned" off gourmet dinner/evening sail outings and have always had praises for the boat and experience. With the saloon table being hinged to the bulkhead, it swings out of the way when not in use -- and you could almost hold a ballroom dance party down below! Health reasons are causing me to let Second Wind go before next season, so if you're interested in receiving details and the survey, please e-mail me at: capnbruce@aol.com Please put "Bayport 28" in the subject line -- I've been getting tons on those "I want to buying your boat... how many miles and lowest price" e-mails. Good luck! Bruce Humphrys Bayport Marina
30
Dennis I think some of the oday 30s had the twin settees in the saloon too. I had a hunter 23 with a outboard.. I don't miss reaching over the transom and trying to handle the tiller!! I bought a 82 oday 30 this summer. I had almost decided to get a Lippincott 30 that was beautiful on all points and more of a racing breed of boat. But.. I went for the Oday 30. Older, wider beam, needed more work, why? it's more what I wanted. Comfort below, doors on both sides of the head area, more teak trim, reports were very favorable too. My 30 came with a spinnaker but i'm not ready to deploy it. not a fast boat.. but very comfortable and easy to handle she is. fair winds! Denise
Dennis I think some of the oday 30s had the twin settees in the saloon too. I had a hunter 23 with a outboard.. I don't miss reaching over the transom and trying to handle the tiller!! I bought a 82 oday 30 this summer. I had almost decided to get a Lippincott 30 that was beautiful on all points and more of a racing breed of boat. But.. I went for the Oday 30. Older, wider beam, needed more work, why? it's more what I wanted. Comfort below, doors on both sides of the head area, more teak trim, reports were very favorable too. My 30 came with a spinnaker but i'm not ready to deploy it. not a fast boat.. but very comfortable and easy to handle she is. fair winds! Denise
r.w. has it right
Dennis: I own the 28 but have sailed on the 30. Frankly there seems to be little difference in sailing performance except that the 30 is a bit faster on most points of sail. A "bit" being a knot at most. That said my wife and I love the lay-out of our 28 and have sailed her all over Lake Huron and the North Channel. We have added those things which add to our comfort and each owner knows best what they want: ie; auto pilot, hot water, stereo systems, full enclosure (cockpit), wheel steering, etc. The 28 lends itself to almost any add-on you'd care to name and the boat isn't too tender in a puff. However the bigger she is the heavier she is and the stiffer she is. Every foot you add is more expense; namely insurance, winter lay up, survey expense and dockage. The price between the 28 and the 30 for all these things is pretty small but it is there just the same. Finally neither the 28 or the 30 aren't trailerable, as I'm sure you know and that is a pretty big difference from the 25 you are enjoying now. Lastly, whatever you do don't buy the 28 with a Zephyr OMC saildrive engine. I have one and it is a pain, but I didn't know when I bought her the engine was such a problem. Buy one with the diesel only! You'll never regret it. Even if the OMC is thousands less don't do it. There is a reason why they are cheaper. Enjoy the shopping and your new (to you) boat when you get it. Regards, Mike
Dennis: I own the 28 but have sailed on the 30. Frankly there seems to be little difference in sailing performance except that the 30 is a bit faster on most points of sail. A "bit" being a knot at most. That said my wife and I love the lay-out of our 28 and have sailed her all over Lake Huron and the North Channel. We have added those things which add to our comfort and each owner knows best what they want: ie; auto pilot, hot water, stereo systems, full enclosure (cockpit), wheel steering, etc. The 28 lends itself to almost any add-on you'd care to name and the boat isn't too tender in a puff. However the bigger she is the heavier she is and the stiffer she is. Every foot you add is more expense; namely insurance, winter lay up, survey expense and dockage. The price between the 28 and the 30 for all these things is pretty small but it is there just the same. Finally neither the 28 or the 30 aren't trailerable, as I'm sure you know and that is a pretty big difference from the 25 you are enjoying now. Lastly, whatever you do don't buy the 28 with a Zephyr OMC saildrive engine. I have one and it is a pain, but I didn't know when I bought her the engine was such a problem. Buy one with the diesel only! You'll never regret it. Even if the OMC is thousands less don't do it. There is a reason why they are cheaper. Enjoy the shopping and your new (to you) boat when you get it. Regards, Mike
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