Buying O'day 272 1986
- Thread starter Cabasa 83
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I just bought an '87 272. Port bulkhead has been 'crushed' by tightening chainplate attachment to bulkhead. Just had mast raised, but will need to pay attention to getting this repaired (probably sandwich another piece into bulkhead vs replace). Current bulkhead has about 1/4 in deflection based on being crushed...
Ventilation is key. Solar powered hatch vents do a great job. If you have shore power, West Marine makes a fan designed to circulate slightly warmed air around the boat. Help with mildew as well.
I have the same boat and I love it. There is not a great market for these boats so you could probably find one without the repair issues. You might be able to pick up a good one for under 10k with a diesel engine. Good luck
Going to have to replace solar fan and maybe front hatch. The condensation was just from tempwture change, boat is in good shape and owner fixed the main issues prior to purchase. Broker said finding a front hatch could be a problem. Will replace it because the dogs are broken. However it doesnt leak so it doen"t have to be done anytime soon.
Leaking chainplates and rotted bulkheads are common problem with O'Days that are all prety old these days. The problem is that if an owner fails to monitor area where chainplates pass through deck, often the only sign of a pending problem will be dark weater staining around area where plate(s) is bolted to bulkhead. It makes no sense to simply rebed leaking chainplates if plywood laminate is deteriorated. I suspect replacement of bulkhead in O'Day 272 would run about $1,500, and contrary to what you may hear from those experienced in woodworking, replacement is not something you want to tackle alone. By all means, have bulkheads carefullly inspected before rigging. Often the teak laminate appears ok, but plywood beneath may be in advanced state of rot. GOOD LUCK!
The broker has purchased parts from D&R, don't know if it has original hatch. It doesn't look like the one I saw in their catalog. Will definitely have bulkheads rechecked. I think that replacing them will be worth the money when the time comes. Will have some money left over for repairs that come up. Going to have to sail it a couple of times to see what is going to be first to fix.
I priced out materials for my bulkhead and chain-plate replacement and it is in the $600-$700 range, for both. Of course this is with my labor costs being "free". There are probably some incidentals (beer, cigars, etc.. 
) that I will need to purchase so the total may go north of $700 and closer to $800. Really have a good look at those bulkheads. I am also contemplating replacing all the standing rigging at this point too. For a 25 with centerboard, D&R has the entire set of everything you need for $530. Not bad for the peace of mind knowing it is all new.
) that I will need to purchase so the total may go north of $700 and closer to $800. Really have a good look at those bulkheads. I am also contemplating replacing all the standing rigging at this point too. For a 25 with centerboard, D&R has the entire set of everything you need for $530. Not bad for the peace of mind knowing it is all new.word of caution.....it's exciting to have a new boat but listen to her carefully...if your bulkheads show water staining and even the broker mentioned chainplate issues....then you need to consider bulkhead replacement .....I wasn't as lucky as the previously pictured dismasting....mine catastrophically came down under sail and was lucky no one was seriously injured.....replacing the damaged rigging, roller furler, maststep which tore out of the cabin top and softball sized hole where the chainplate shot through the deck cost about $3000 plus labor.....then replacing the bulkheads added lots more ....made for an expensive daysail.
if you are getting the boat at a good price, it sounds like a boat you can proudly work with and get up to snuff without too much aggravation. These are items that are certainly fixable without significant expense. It's really time more than money, but a good learning experience if this is your first sailboat. The O'days do sail well for a cruiser. Make sure to have the rigging professionally tuned after you do the bulk head work.
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