Interesting to me

Davidasailor26 · Oct 16, 2023

We had an 85 O’Day 28 with a bolt-on lead keel. I think there were changes made in the middle of the 85 model year also. Ours was a “later” 85, and had new features like enclosed storage behind the settees. I don’t know if they changed the keel as part of that.

Ours was also a shoal draft drawing 3’7”. I think the deep draft was 4’7”. That probably affected rudder shape too. This was ours:

Clutch Cargo · Oct 19, 2023

My '85 28 was built in May of 1985, near the end of the model year. FYI, model years from from 1 July of the previous year to 30 June. Mine has the aforementioned enclosed storage about the settees and the bolted keel. Mine is also the standard 4.5' draft. My build sequence number is 624, which is interesting because according to Rudy Nickerson at D&R Marine, 544 28s were built. Another FYI, O'day, like many builders of that era, started their BSNs at 100 or 101 vs. 001. This eliminated having to purposely skip hull #13, and it was thought that it also reduced some customer's resistance to purchasing "the first one off the line." Believe it or not, some builders still do this.

dlochner · Oct 19, 2023

Boats are not cars, where standardization and efficiency are of parmount importance for the bottom line. It is not at all unusual for builders to make changes mid year and from year to year. As the boats are built they realize now more efficient ways to build them and equip them. Also there are the supply chain issues and owner options. Two boats built side by side may come out of the factory looking the same on the outside, but very different in how the systems are installed.

Model years are also 14 months long. So a boat started in June 2000 may be built along side of a 2001 model.

Clutch Cargo · Oct 21, 2023

dlochner said:
Model years are also 14 months long. So a boat started in June 2000 may be built along side of a 2001 model.

I don't know what builders you work with, but my customers are a who's who (including the nice folks who built your vessel) of the upper end of the market, and it is 12 months long. That being said, production planners do use the overlap period allowed (since 2012) by the Coast Guard as a way of dealing with their inability to level load (relative to the auto industry) and also the different Takt times related to semi-custom serial production.

dlochner · Oct 21, 2023

Clutch Cargo said:
I don't know what builders you work with, but my customers are a who's who (including the nice folks who built your vessel) of the upper end of the market, and it is 12 months long. That being said, production planners do use the overlap period allowed (since 2012) by the Coast Guard as a way of dealing with their inability to level load (relative to the auto industry) and also the different Takt times related to semi-custom serial production.

Right, the last boat or two of a model year may be completed while the first boats of the next model year are being built. However, the HIN numbers will each show the same year, although, the designed model years may be different.

Clutch Cargo · Oct 21, 2023

Regardless of how you describe it, the MY is 12 months, not 14.

dlochner · Oct 21, 2023

Clutch Cargo said:
Regardless of how you describe it, the MY is 12 months, not 14.

But if you use a 14 month year, you'll be younger.

eherlihy · Oct 21, 2023

FWIW: Per the HIN the HULL of my 1987 MODEL year O'day 35 was built in June of 1986:
XDY Z nnnn F 6 87
O'day 35 #nnnn Built: June 1986 Model Year:1987

Clutch Cargo · Oct 21, 2023

dlochner said:
But if you use a 14 month year, you'll be younger.

Well, I certainly can't argue with that!!

Clutch Cargo · Oct 21, 2023

eherlihy said:
FWIW: Per the HIN the HULL of my 1987 MODEL year O'day 35 was built in June of 1986:XDY Z nnnn F 6 87O'day 35 #nnnn Built: June 1986 Model Year:1987

Interesting. It would seem to me that they laid up your hull in June, and played it safe figuring it would not roll out of the shop until after 1 July.