And so it begins

[25yearslater]

So we have me actually sailing. Our first passengers who are about to meet the press gang. Also we have the happy people enjoying an early spring sail. More to come when I get the young fellows boat fixed so he can take some of the Asym and 140 purchased here at SBO.com.

 

[JonnyQuest]

Outstanding Joe, what a pretty boat Yot is!

 

[25yearslater]

Yup, it works! :dance:

 

[RubyJean]

Looks like your having to much fun, I think that's illegal........Michael...

 

[JonnyQuest]

Proper application of ballast too.

Looking forward to more photos of this Cover Girl Boat. Quite a beauty.

 

[jibes138]

I'm a little disappointed. For someone that can afford a huge yacht and all the expenses of fully restoring it I would expect to see some fine artwork and maybe some candelabra on board decorating the interior. Maybe a hand carved marble statue to greet your guests upon arrival?

 

[jibes138]

Did you really get three feet of snow in upstate new York as I read in the press? Did Yot survive the snowstorm OK? That's an awful lot of weight on the old girl.

 

[25yearslater]

No snow down here jibes. That was in the northeastern part of the state. Lake Placid area where nobody lives anyway. Well maybe some Grizzly Adams types. Remember YOT is the smallest of the bigger Odays so expensive artwork and crystal chandeliers and such just weren't in the budget. We did attempt a sailing yesterday but the blue water over the bow was a bit much for the novice crew. We did discover the lifelines worked very well when one of the crew lost his footing and started over the side. They held his weight with most of him over the side. Gotta look at some harnesses and tethers as that proved an adrenaline rush.

 

[jibes138]

Wow, scary moment. You can make your own harnesses and tethers and jacklines. Just buy the basic materials and sew them yourselves. Sailrite has kits for the harnesses, in fact since you were in the maintenance business you can probably get harnesses and tethers through safety supply companies for guys working at elevated heights for a lot less than the marine shops will charge. The safety supply volumes will be a lot higher and thus lower cost. The jacklines are just flat webbing so it doesn't roll under feet when stepping on it. On my offshore trips I always make people wear lifejackets on deck with harnesses and they must be clipped on at all times before they come on deck. In short clip on before you leave the cabin. Finding a man overboard at night a hundred miles or more at sea is quite a challenge. Thank God I have never had to try. Whistles are mandatory on life jackets.

 

[25yearslater]

Good points jibes. I have harnesses on the way. This little mishap was a very good reminder of how fast an exciting day on the water can go wrong in a split second. We have reviewed everything that went wrong at that moment to prevent that from ever happening again. This time the outcome was an adrenaline rush, the next time - ? I am more than willing not to find that answer. Our biggest concern on the lakes is hypothermia. Getting a crewmember back aboard and out of the water is of paramount concern. So as we head out again with milder winds today the lessons learned are fresh in our minds.

 

[Panta Rei]

No snow down here jibes. That was in the northeastern part of the state. Lake Placid area where nobody lives anyway. Well maybe some Grizzly Adams types. Remember YOT is the smallest of the bigger Odays so expensive artwork and crystal chandeliers and such just weren't in the budget. We did attempt a sailing yesterday but the blue water over the bow was a bit much for the novice crew. We did discover the lifelines worked very well when one of the crew lost his footing and started over the side. They held his weight with most of him over the side. Gotta look at some harnesses and tethers as that proved an adrenaline rush.

Warmer water does wonders to make blue water a bit more fun but that may not happen this year.

 

[25yearslater]

So I guess I will provide an update. Took YOT out today with 17 knots out of the SW which is a nice offshore breeze keeping the puddle reasonably flat with a nice 1-2 foot chop. A few gusts to 25 provided a nice wring her out experience. With the main only we were averaging 6.5 knots over 3 hours. The rail was regularly dipping into the water putting the maximum strain on the her. Now I remember the sheer thrill of sailing and the family got to experience it for their first time. She was slightly overpowered but responded well. Upon time to come in the iron wind refused to start. A few drips of gas were coming out of the carb throttle arm shaft. Discretion being the better part of valor we contacted Tow Boat (glad I bought the insurance) for a tow into the harbor. I was too chicken to try sailing in with the zig zag around the breakwall with an inexperienced crew. Upon approaching the dock we released from the tow boat and finished up by skulling into our slip. This gal is pronounced solid and a dream to sail even in some mighty exciting conditions. I even got another incredulous, "What year is this boat," from the Tow Boat Captain followed with, "This is gorgeous." That comment sure healed my wounded pride. Now to find out what in heck happened to incapacitate a solid running engine up to this point.

 

[25yearslater]

As the adventure continues to unfold aboard YOT some interesting observations have occured. Are these 27s a rocket or what? It seems these things border on being overpowered in all but the lightest wind but perhaps it is just my perception. There doesn't seem to be an excess of weather helm but they like to dip the rail and scoot. Now my initial clue is the fact that the mast is just about as high above the water as many larger boats. Every time I arrive at the marina it is easy to spot with the stick rising above most of the others. The marine park is situated where the river is actually in a slight gorge so I am able to see the masthead above the rim while others are at or below. Not complaining mind you just curious as to the sailing characteristics. I did get Don Guillette's book on sail trim which I will provide a shameless plug. It is worth the few bucks to get a good idea of handling something as amazing as the 27. Now I know why Alan Gurney boats were so winning during their day. Any other comments are appreciated.

 

[rajhnsn]

Sounds like you are creating a bit of Mast Envy in your marina. I've raced against two Oday 27's on a Cal 25 several times. All three boats have the same PHRF rating (222 base, 231 after adjustments) at our club. The one boat we beat regularly and the other is hit or miss. None of the boats have been reconditioned to the degree that YOT has.

 

[jibes138]

Many boats are sold with two mast configurations, a standard or a "Tall Rig." I was next to a Catalina 30 once and the mast was exactly the same height as my 35. Another friend had a Catalina 30 with a standard rig and it was a lot shorter. So you may have a "tall rig" option on YOT. The higher center of effort will make the boat more tender for heeling moment, otherwise these O'days seem to have high initial stability, at least my 35 does. While not known for exceptional speed an O'Day 34 won either the Newport or Marion to Bermuda race back around 1990 on corrected time, so they can move along pretty well. My max speed so far was around 12 knots surfing on waves in a storm. I've hit about 9 knots in flat water on a beam reach.

 

[jibes138]

The 34's name was Yukon Jack and it was the Marion to Bermuda race in 1989.

 

[25yearslater]

Hey Raj! I know I reduced the weight of YOT about 350 - 400 pounds through the use of different materials. It doesn't seem to throw a bow wave and does seem to lift the bow clear of the water under sail. Not sure why this is happening but the contact with the water is occuring 6 feet aft of the waterline at the bow. It also sits a full 3 inches higher in the water than it used to. Very bizarre to say the least. I may have to consider some smaller sails in the future. It is for certain the 140 and asym due in Tuesday won't be getting a great deal of use with the present winds blowing 15 or higher.

 

[rajhnsn]

You can always reef. We have found that a reefed main with 75% of the 135% jib in heavier wind gives a nice balance to the boat. I have found Graceful-lee to have very good stability in 25 to 35 knots of steady wind. She definitely stood up to it better than my nerves. Not sure if the Oday 34/35 came with a tall and short rig. I wonder what I have if it did?

 

[damauney]

Raj

I think the O 35's came with one mast. Mine is 47' above the water. Is that what yours is? Thanks

Goodwinds
DaveM

 

[rajhnsn]

Yes, I believe it is.