New Member & Needing Oday Advice

[lake_harley]

I've only been sailing a bit over a year, and not much at that. My wife and I took the ASA basic keel boat class (very helpful) August '09, and we've sailed our own boat a precious few times over the summer. We currently have a '65 Rebel 16' but have decided to get a boat with a cabin for longer daysailing with the convenience of having a place to get out of the sun, use the head, have lunch, etc. We want something that is trailerable, but also have thoughts of possibly docking it in a marina at KY Lake.

I've looked at a '77 Oday 22' and have another similar boat, year unknown, on the radar to look at. Is there anything in particular to pay close attention to, like "regular" trouble spots on these 30+ year old boats. One of my brothers-in-law is an avid sailor and had a good opinion of the Oday 22' as a decent fit for our purpose, but didn't have advice on any known recurring issues. The second boat is a transplant from FL and he did mention potential "crevice corrosion" on places where stainless steel is joined due to exposure to salt water, ie. possibly standing rigging cable/fittings joints.

I'd welcome input and advice to help me do a good job of looking over the potential new-to-me Odays.

Thanks, in advance.

Lynn

 

[Freedom77]

O'day 22 is a good boat but you might have a little trouble finding original replacement parts although they are very adaptable. Suggest Catalina 22, headquartered in Woodland Hills, Ca. Or a similar sized MacGregor. Also check with local YC's to see which has a better handicap rating. Hope this helps. Fair winds and full sails...

 

[Ed Schenck]

There are so many good freshwater boats available that I don't know why you would consider anything else. I owned a Catalina 22 but also have a friend with a Hunter 22. His boat makes so much better use of interior space, felt much larger and more comfortable. And it was faster. FWIW

 

[RECESS]

It is no problem to find original replacement parts. It is actually a very well supported line of boats out of production. A manager at the O'Day plant bought out all the molds and can get you anything you need. It is usually easier to get Rudy on the phone than e-mail at D&R Marine. He is really easy to deal with and will answer any question you have about an O'Day. He knows all of them inside and out.

Look at the chainplates, the area where you sidestays, backstay and frontstay connects to the boat. make sure they are solid and look closely inside at the carpet that is right below them for stains. If there are stains right there then water has got past the old bedding material and there could be an issue. If they have never been reseated, they will probably need to be. Not a problem directly related to an O'Day but one you should look at very well. Look at the wood that is in the transom. If there is a hole though it for a fuel line it can fool you. The wood around the hole could look rock solid and the wood at the base of the outboard backing could be rotted. I replaced mine after it failed and it was a pain to dig out the old marine plywood but not a terrible job to do.

Is it a center board? Check the center board, they can get water in them if neglected and swell and then get stuck. I had to repair a mother of all blisters on my centerboard. Often owners will do a good job of bottom painting the bottom but the center board gets no love.

 

[lake_harley]

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions.

I did "wiggle" the port sidestay and the aft stay brackets. They seemed solid, but forgot to specifically look at the underside of any or check the rest. It's more difficult to take time to look things over when you're freezing cold while looking at a boat! Thanks also, for the suggestion to look at the transom from the inside. I'll take a flashlight along on my future looks at either boat. Since I looked at the first boat, I did a lot of internet searching on the Oday 22's and will now have a better idea of the standing rigging, etc. to better evaluate the boat(s).

Thanks, for now.

Lynn

 

[RichH]

Before you inspect the boat again ... get a copy of "Inspecting the Aging Sailboat" - Casey

Will save you $$$$ in finding hidden problems, problems that can be negotiated from the Selling Price, etc.

http://www.amazon.com/Inspecting-Aging-Sailboat-Don-Casey/dp/0070133948

 

[higgs]

I had an O'Day 20, which is a smaller version of the 22. It was a good , safe boat for inland waters. We had a lot of fun with her. I would echo the suggestion of looking for a fresh water boat as opposed to one that has been used in salt water.

 

[garyc]

look for an O'Day 23 you will like it. Better use of space

 

[kenn]

The nice thing about a small boat is that it's fairly easy to inspect, if you've prepared a bit beforehand. I can recommend "Your First Sailboat"; it's the book I digested before going looking.

When buying our boat, there was the usual fiberglass oxidation, weathered wood, softer sails and scuffs of a well-used 32 year-old (freshwater) boat, and I found that some interior plywood bulkheads had evidence of rot. Otherwise the boat was sound.

I used the rot as a bargaining point, saving over a thousand dollars there. The rot did not significantly affect the hull strength, so we simply cleaned her up a bit and started sailing. over the next 4 years, we've replaced all rotted bulkheads, removed and replaced all waterlogged foam, rebedded the acrylic windows and other sundry small jobs.

There's a whole other forum about the joys and freedom of trailerable sailboats, so I won't mention that delightful aspect here. Other nice things about a small boat; small boats have mostly small problems. And you're not financially ruined if you have to dump or give away the boat.

 

[JoeSellsHomes]

Hi there, I literally just bought an O'Day 22 at Thanksgiving. I bought my boat with out a trailer which made my purchase price much cheaper as it limited the audience of potential buyers. My boat is a '74 model. I found it on Craigslist after looking for cheap boats for a few months. By cheap I mean cheap to buy but more importantly inexpensive to own. My boat was taken care of reasonably but not excessively. I lowered the mast without issue even though it'd not been lowered in over twenty years. I'm impressed with the amount of knowledge and enthusiasm for the O'Day boats. I'm sure that some other boats are better, nicer, and probably have more features. In my search I was more concerned with strong basics and parts support. I think that I did well with my boat purchase. Feel free to message me with any questions, while I'm not an expert I'm happy to share what I know. Joe

 

[lake_harley]

Thanks to all for the responses. I appreciate all the advice and suggestions. I should probably be ruling out the FL boat, but the price is so attractive (50% of the other boat), I almost HAVE to at least take a look at it. I'm trying to convince myself that it's not worth the almost 6 Hr. round trip. I'm wanting to stay under $3K for a boat so we can get a feel for our interest in sailing at this new-to-us level of overnighters and possibly docking the boat for the better part of the year at a choice of marinas that would be 1.5 to 2.5 Hr. away (about the closest thing that's really an option).

Joe....If you wouldn't mind sharing a bit more about your boat, perhaps some pictures and a description, I'd sure appreciate it. If it would be easier, or if you'd prefer to do it directly by e-mail rather than through this forum (although that might be helpful to someone else), my e-mail address is winter@ccilink.net I realize the Midwest is a long way from you and market conditions vary, but a recent, similar boat purchase would have to be a good compairable.

Thanks again, to all.

Lynn

 

[adirondackbob]

Lynn, I second the recommendation to read Your First Sailboat. It was very helpful to us when we bought our first, which was a 1983 O'Day 23, which we still have and which we love. It was a terrific boat to learn on, and we love sailing her. Like you, we took some courses, but mostly we spent time on the boat, which we sailed on Lake George in upstate NY. One benefit of the O'Day's is that there is an active and very helpful community of O'Day owners to serve as a resource.

I also second the recommendation to check chainplates along with the mast step. On our O'Day, both chainplates and the mast step were leaking along with the grab rails. I ended up having to pull the bulkheads and repait them when I pulled the chainplates. These are common leaks, so check for a wet core around those areas.

Too bad you're not closer. We might be selling our O'Day. Don't want to, but I just don't have enough time for two sailboats!

Bob

 

[mark_swart]

Lynn,
I owned an O'Day 23 (79), 26 (84) and 272 (87) over the past 10 years. Haha, my 26 and 272 are still on Kentucky Lake!! O'Days are great boats and in MY humble opinion, the build quality is much better than comparable-age Hunters, Catalinas and Macs. They used teak veneer inside instead of plastic, and also the cabin soles are molded which holds up really well over time.
- Check the chainplates for leaks, and if they have leaked they can rot the bulkhead they are attached to. If the bolts are damp or wet, or more importantly if the wood itself is distorted or squishy, it will have to be fixed before you sail. It can be done without replacing the whole bulkhead so it shouldn't necessarily be a showstopper if you are getting a good deal.
- The anchor locker on my 23 leaked when I bought the boat, the designer routed the drain through a piece of wood and then out of the front of the boat. Eventually a bee made a nest in there and it clogged, then stayed wet enought to rot the would. Easy enough to fix, hard to find at first. If the vee berth is wet, that's probably where it's coming from. This applies only to models with the anchor locker.
- My 23 also had some leaks around the front pulpit that had gotten into the deck coring. If the pulpit or stantions are shaky, then the coring is likely wet and rotten. Fixable, thanks to the magic of epoxy and silicone sealant.
- The age of the engine can also play a big factor in cost of that type and size of boat. Also little extras like bimini, grill, radio, anchor gear, etc will add up if you are comparing a bare bones boat versus one with goodies included. You'll want those things if you are going to be staying on the boat.
- The 23 (77-about 83?) has a better layout and more room inside than the 22. Plus it has a built in cooler in the cockpit and that's just darned cool! I looked at 22s when I bought my 23 and even though the 22 I looked at had a trailer for the same $$, I picked the 23 and never regretted it.
- Kentucky Lake is wonderful sailing with great anchorages literally all the way down LBL. The north end has the most open sailing area, but there is plenty of great sailing all the way down to Paris Landing especially with a small boat. Over the years, I kept various boats at Lighthouse Landing, Paris Landing and Kenlake. Lake Barkey winds are fluky and it is shallow even for your boat so if you are going to leave her in I'd recommend staying on the Kentucky Lake side. The KY Dam state park has a very nice marina that is probably the most affordable of the larger marinas. Check the Kentucky Lake Sailing Club website, sometimes boats pop up on there too!
Best of luck!
Mark