I am looking to buy a small trailerable cruiser that would be suitable for long weekends for my wife and I (and maybe a couple of kids). An O'Day 23 may be a reasonable choice, but I am worried a bit about how difficult it is to launch at most boat ramps. The little fixed shoal-draft keel raises it up off the trailer a bit, making me wonder if most ramps are steep enough to float it off the trailer. A couple of other boats that I am looking at (South Coast 6.7 and Macgregor 25 or 26) sit lower on their trailers. I will be keeping my boat on the trailer, so I'll have to launch each time out. Is this a good boat for what I want?
How trailerable is an O'Day 23?
- Thread starter Wayne Steinhour
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I've got an Oday 22 with a similar keel design, but my trailer makes it even worse because it is a converted motor boar trailer - so there is no Vee to accommodate the keel - it sits up pretty high.
I do have to scout out suitable ramps and aim for high tide, but really its has not been too bad the few times I launched. The main problem was having to back in so far that the rear truck wheels would go in the water - I never got stuck but I feared spinning the tires on the algae. 4WD would help here. You should ask the current owner if he's ever had a problem.
I do have to scout out suitable ramps and aim for high tide, but really its has not been too bad the few times I launched. The main problem was having to back in so far that the rear truck wheels would go in the water - I never got stuck but I feared spinning the tires on the algae. 4WD would help here. You should ask the current owner if he's ever had a problem.
Wayne,
If you get a tandem roller trailer complete with keel rollers, you could launch an O'Day 23 from almost any ramp in the same way that you would launch a powerboat. I did it for years with an O'Day 222. I only had to back down the ramp with the water up to the trailer's wheel hubs. The trailer was a Load-Rite single axle roller trailer with 15" tires, and that boat would roll off that trailer fast, as soon as I took the winch off and coast about 50 or 60'. I used to tie a long line to the bow cleat when I launched it. With the right mast raising equipment and a good roller trailer, this is an excellent boat. Some boats like Catalina 22s and MacGregors can only take a flat bunk trailer. The O'Day sailboats have strong hulls that can take a flat bunk or a roller trailer with no problem.
This is the only sailboat I've had but it's working for me. My trailer is a converted pontoon trailer so a "real" trailer would only make it better. The boat sits higher than I'd like it to.
How far are you from the water? I wouldn't want to trailer my boat cross country on this trailer but it's fine from storage to the ramp. Also, what are you going to pull it with?
How far are you from the water? I wouldn't want to trailer my boat cross country on this trailer but it's fine from storage to the ramp. Also, what are you going to pull it with?
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Joe,
Thanks for the advice. I'll pay close attention to the trailer the boat is on. Rollers sounds like the way to go. The first O'Day 23 I looked at was in rougher shape that I expected. (I figure that taking on water is a bad sign.) I'm planning to look at another one in the near future. I hope it's less of a project.
Thanks for the advice. I'll pay close attention to the trailer the boat is on. Rollers sounds like the way to go. The first O'Day 23 I looked at was in rougher shape that I expected. (I figure that taking on water is a bad sign.) I'm planning to look at another one in the near future. I hope it's less of a project.
My husband & I just bought an 1984 O'Day 23 and took her out today for the first time. It was pretty straight forward on launching her and getting the boat back on the trailer. No problem.
Wayne,
Just keep in mind that the earlier O'Day 23's were built with cast iron keels. The keels would rust and the centerboards were getting stuck in the keel slots. There were a lot of issues with them back then and from 1974 on, the issues were resolved when they started using lead for the keels. Also, I think that some of the O'Day 23s had keel stepped masts. You would want a 23 with a hinged Tabernacle on the cabin top for easy mast raising and trailering. Good luck with your search.
Joe
Joe,
I had heard of the corrosion issue with the swing keel. Am I correct in assuming that it would be less of an issue in a boat used in fresh water. (Here in Michigan, I am a long way from an ocean.) Also, do you know what year they converted over to the use of lead?
Wayne
I had heard of the corrosion issue with the swing keel. Am I correct in assuming that it would be less of an issue in a boat used in fresh water. (Here in Michigan, I am a long way from an ocean.) Also, do you know what year they converted over to the use of lead?
Wayne
They converted over to lead in 1974 Wayne. I think that the cast iron keel will rust regardless of whether it's in fresh or salt water. These boats have what is called a keel/centerboard and the centerboard fits into the keel slot with only a fraction of an inch to spare. It wouldn't take much rust to bound up a fiberglass centerboard. Take your time and find a nice O'Day 23 with a lead keel/centerboard and keep us posted. Good luck!
Joe
Wayne,
We trailer our Oday 23 all over the foothills and mountains around here, we have an ez loader trailer with tandem axles and surge brakes, we've never had a problem up hill or down......(unless you count the people behind us that wanted to do 60, not 45-50 on the steep grades) I pull it with a F250 4wd truck.
Launching is no problem with the roller trailer, as long as there is some floatation so the keel slides, it comes right off and right back on with the winch. The only thing on my wish list to add is some kind of gin pole for the mast, we currently use the halyard from the main sail and an extention to the stern rails, lifting the mast from the bow. I lift, my wife cranks the halyard with the sheet winch and up it goes.
We love our 23, it's a very stable family boat with lots of room for 3 teenagers and their friends too. Best of luck in finding a good one, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
We trailer our Oday 23 all over the foothills and mountains around here, we have an ez loader trailer with tandem axles and surge brakes, we've never had a problem up hill or down......(unless you count the people behind us that wanted to do 60, not 45-50 on the steep grades) I pull it with a F250 4wd truck.
Launching is no problem with the roller trailer, as long as there is some floatation so the keel slides, it comes right off and right back on with the winch. The only thing on my wish list to add is some kind of gin pole for the mast, we currently use the halyard from the main sail and an extention to the stern rails, lifting the mast from the bow. I lift, my wife cranks the halyard with the sheet winch and up it goes.
We love our 23, it's a very stable family boat with lots of room for 3 teenagers and their friends too. Best of luck in finding a good one, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
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