Boat Angel 1975 ODay 20

[toddco]

I am very new to sailing, but we bought a 1975 Oday on an Ebay auction from Boat Angel. We paid very little, which is a good thing compared to the amount of work this is going to take. The previous owner did not have much advice when I picked it up yesterday. He told me the sails were in good shape, but the standing rigging will need work. I am missing a number of fixtures and a few turnbuckles. I tried to stand the mast this afternoon, and I think the backstay might have been spliced short. Does anyone have a diagram or a picture of the standing rigging of an Oday 20? It could be my layout rather than the cable length. Any advice or suggestions would be welcome. Thanks!

 

[toddco]

I think I found part of my problem. I am missing the triangle plate. Does the backstay attach to the triangle plate and then "wye" to the two chain plates on the transom, or does it connect to the center chainplate?

 

[Joe11688]

I think I found part of my problem. I am missing the triangle plate. Does the back stay attach to the triangle plate and then "wye" to the two chain plates on the transom, or does it connect to the center chainplate?

Most of the O'Days, mine included, came with a triangular plate attached to the back stay with a short piece of stay wire of about 12" connected to the bottom of this plate. The main sheet block and tackle connect into a hole in the plate and also the back of the boom.
I did away with that plate many years ago when I added a traveler in front of my companionway. I had a rigger move the open turnbuckle on my back stay up a little higher, and he installed a Johnson Handy-Lock under it. The Handy-Lock is like an adjustable back stay, but I only use it to throw slack into my fore stay when I need to unhook it from the bow plate in mast raising/lowering. I never need to mess with any of the other turnbuckles. The Handy-Lock does it all and it's a time saver for me.
Rudy at D & R Marine can furnish you with the stays all made up with the open turnbuckles. http://www.drmarine.com/
I recommend that you buy some new stays for this boat. They're pricey, but you don't want to take a chance at having a stay break and lose your mast. That would be very costly. Check out a site called "I Love O'Days" and click on to your model. There's a lot of info on your boat. If you run into problems, just ask and someone will have an answer.
Joe

 

[toddco]

Thanks Joe!
My backstay does have a nasty kink in the wire rope, and one of the side stays has a frazzled wire at the spreader. I was thinking of replacing all the standing rigging, and then I looked at the cost. I will replace the two bad stays, but I am hoping to save as much as I can. I learned to sail in a colgate 26 that had a traveller. The colgates are setup as a racers. They use the backstay to warp the mast in order to change the shape of the main sail. I don'r think I'm quite ready to add too many convienences.

My main goal is to get my $500 boat back to life. The interior is completely gutted, but very clean. The last owner had good intentions, but lacked follow through. Donations and advice greatly appreciated! I'll post before and after pictures, but I don't want to shock anyone.

 

[GeorgiaBII]

A bad cable could cost you a Mast. Those are not cheap.

 

[toddco]

I ordered my stays from DRMarine. I have doubled the cost of my boat, but "in for a penny, in for a pound".