Genny's

[Stu Timm]

Happy New Year Folks!We're under a foot of the white stuff up here and all we can do is ponder just what to do to our boats until Spring eventually gets here. My thoughts are concerning the use of genoas on O'day 22's. I would like to get a genny made for my 22, but am not sure what size is right for the boat. I currently have a working jib on a old roller furler with a broken sleave, making the fore stay very loose, and bendy. My upwind performance is not so stellar as I can't maintain good sail shape up forward, without torquing the heck out of the back stay. I am thinking of going back to a straight wire forestay, tossing the roller furler aside for the time being, and experiment with several sail choices up forward.Is a 110% genny a good balance for a light, shallow draft vessel like the O'Day 22? What have you folks done out there?Thanks for your replies,Stu Timm"Karakahl"

 

[Justin - O'day Owners' Web]

Genny stuff

Stu -Whatever you do, I would address the sloppy rigging issue as paramount. The rig needs to be balanced to be able to sustain the loads it is designed for. If the headstay is really loose, you are subjecting the boat to unbalanced loads and possibly subjecting the headstay to shockloads when you tack.As far as the genny itself, 110 is an appropriate size, but so are a host of other sails. I would want to be able to hoist a smaller headsail if necessary, so if you are not going to use or replace the roller, I would want a smaller working jib for heavy air, too. Particularly on a lighter boat like your 22, I find a simple roller furler like a CDI with a headsail designed to keep its shape when partially rolled ideal. I use a 150% headsail on my boat, but here in Casco Bay we get a lot of wind, and I rarely shake the whole sail out.The cost of a new roller and headsail is not small, but I think if you compare the cost of purchasing a series of headsails for different conditions, you'll find the cost comparable. Justin - O'day Owners' Web

 

[Wes Carroll]

genneys

As said get your forestay fixed first. You can do little to tune the system if you have a lot of slop in it. Second My old Oday 22 had both a 110 and 180, I used the 180 the most and it sailed quite well. If you are going to use a furling system I would suggest a sail a bit larger than 110%. 180 is very large, but can be quite manageable on this particular boat. I hope this helps, sincerely Wes Carroll Oday 30.

 

[Russ Marcks]

I have to agree with what was stated so far. Tackle the rig first. I recently replaced the standing rigging on my 25' and it wasn't hateful. Your's should cost less.The CDI is an great furler for a boat your size, but make sure you opt for the ball bearing option. It's about $80 more, but the standard plastic bearing makes furling a chore.As far as sails are concerned, I have an 85% and a 155% on Lake Erie. I seldom use the 85% since the 155% with the foam luff can furl to a 110% w/o to many problems and the boat handles well.I wouldn't go with anything less than a 150% for a Genny.Russ

 

[Stu Timm]

Thanks!

Thank you all very much for your very informative and courteous responses. I am happy that there is such a site where a first-time owner like myself with loads of questions, can obtain expert answers from experienced owners and sailors.Again, my sincere thanks!Regards,Stu Timm"Karakahl"1979 O'Day 22 centerboard

 

[Randy]

110 % Genny

Dear; KarakahlI have a 1978 O'day 22 Keel weight is 600 lb. I can fly a 110% genny in winds up to 10 knots with out any problems in fact the larger sail forward tends to balance the boat out nicly with about a 20 degree heel. in less wind the performance far exceeds the working jib. As far as the dimensions go, if you talk to your local sail maker or do a search on the web, all the instruction for making the proper measurements are right there. good luck and happy sailing.