NEW OWNER 25C/B ODAY NEEDS HELP

[sailormanbigd]

Howdy y'all, i just this hour purchased a 1975 oday 25 with c/b. I bought it on ebay for a rediculously low price(from a salvage co.) I have to go down to islamarada in the keys to pic up. My question: i will be towing it on a bunk type trailer, i need to know how tall the bunks need to be above the axle at what width, to clear the shoal/c/b. it is advertised as 2'8" draft at waterline. but, what depth say at two foot from center? don't wanna hurt my new old boat pulling it out the first day! also, where's a good reasonable place to buy used sails. i does'nt come with any. will my mac26d sails work for a joyride in the fabulous keys?i purchased the oday cus i'm hopping its a stronger-more cruiser oriented vessel than my mac dinghy. thanks patrick

 

[Ross in Tampa]

I have a guy for you...

Call Jack at Quickload in St. Pete. He built my trailer and has all the specs in his archives. My trailer is awesome pulls my 1979 25 Oday no problems. I would loan you my trailer, but mine sleeps there. Talk with you soon,Ross in Tampa1979 Oday 25 Lola

 

[gene]

new owner

Patrick, your boat weight rests on the keel with minimal weight on the bunks to support it from tipping over. The centerboard will slide completely up into the stub keel and no weight will be applied on the centerboard unless the housing is fouled and keeps the c/b from rising all the way up to its stowed height. You should be able to guess/try pull out, guess again/try pull out till you get it close. Then you can pull to flat ground and use jacks and blocks to get it adjusted for your trip. 2 or 3 guys can push to correct height for one side. Then you may have to jack gently to get other side adjusted. This is assuming you have to retreive on the trailer. If a marina is loading it, you of course can allow them to keep it hoisted above trailer while you adjust the bunks. gene

 

[PATRICK]

WOW,

THANKS a whole bunch people. I now have good information to go on. i never thought to sit on keel-thanks gene!!!!!!! I will most likely jack board to all-up position, then jack them down on keel. Have done it before, with car jack and blocks. I just hope my single axle will handle the 375 trip? just take it slow i guess. thanks again all of you. I will post the outcome and pics when-and-if we make it. patrick

 

[gene]

wow

your trailer will be overloaded a lot. 50mph would be tops to be cautious. I would go ten miles and check tire temperatures and bearings. If bearings are okay I would check every 20 miles till I knew tires were not getting hot. then every 50 till home. If tires get warm, wait half and hour to let them cool. If bearings get warm you probably won't make it. gene.

 

[Herb Parsons]

Salvage Boat

Patrick,First, to answer a couple of questions about the sails:Try these guys: http://www.usedsails.com/Also, if your Mac main sail uses the same size sliders, it might work. According to Sail Rite's site (I use them to get sail measurements), the luff is 6" longer, but the foot is 16" longer. I'd be worried about the foot. You might have to start off with it reefed to fit the boom and mast. Don't judge the performance based on that sail.I saw the same boat, and started to put in a bid. I forgot to bookmark it, so I don't know what it eventually sold for. When I last saw it, is was less than $200! The boat was VERY rough looking on the interior.Not meaning to sound like a vulture, but if you decide it's too much work to restore the boat, please contact me off-list at hparsons@parsonsys.com

 

[Herb Parsons]

I Reread Your Post

Patrick, I re-read your post. I'd recommend against towing that boat with a single axle trailer, and especially not the distance you are talking about.Try to find another trailer. Here's a suggestion (and Ross may be TOTALLY uninterested), try to work something out with Ross. He's almost on the way. Find a marina in Tampa that has a transient slip, and pay to put Ross's boat up there. Maybe you can find a place he wants to sail. Maybe you pay for a week or so. Get creative.Maybe you can even have Ross go with you, and fill you in on some of the details of your new/old boat.However, that's an almost 5,000 lb boat. That's a LOT of boat for that trailer. In my opinion, the O'Day 25 just barely qualifies as "trailerable". It's a task that shouldn't be taken lightly.

 

[patrick]

My bubble is popping

ok, now reality is setting in. Yes Herb, i got the ebay boat for $102.50. When I talked to the guy that took the pics he said even though it was an insurance vessel he saw no physical damage.he states i should be able to use my motor and take right off.  As far as using someone else's trailer(Ross). I have a very narrow window at which to pick up the boat-5days. If the trailer don't work...i may try and sail her back. Adventure or lunacy?

 

[gene]

popping bubble

I would say either sail it to another marina or sail it home. I didn't want to be the one to tell you to not use a single axle trailer so I gave 'helpful? hints'. I agree though that you shouldn't use a single axle trailer. gene

 

[PATRICK]

GENE,GENE THE INFORMATION MACHINE

Thanks Gene, you are a welth of info. I have checked your other advice in archives-good stuff! I took Ross' advice and called Jack at Quickload. He agrees...the single axle is rated for 35oo# max. So, i am picking up another axle, wheels,tires, and installing myself. He said only two bolts hold it on. What a great guy-guys, this internet is an invaluable reasource!!! I would'nt be too awfully affraid of sailing back if trailer don't get it, but my fiance don't wanna drive truck and trailer 375mi back-alone. Can't blame her. thanks again, Patrick

 

[Ross in Tampa]

Drop me a note when you get her back to town

Patrick,Drop me a note when you get her back to town. I would be happy to offer any assistance to you that I can offer. You can use my boat as a ready reference if you need to. It would take much arm twisting for us to bring our boat up to Anclote for a weekend of sailing. My boat is as stock as they come, but it will definately show you what they are supposed to look like. She is very well rigged, sturdy and clean. Let me know if you need a motor for her. I will have my 7 1/2 honda fourstroke back from the shop soon.Best Regards,Ross ross_in_tampa@yahoo.com1979 Oday 25 LolaTampa FL

 

[Herb Parsons]

Good Decision

Patrick, that's a good decision. It's not only the weight differential, but the single axle with that weight.My trailer (I don't know if I mentioned I have an O'Day 25) is dual axle and has surge brakes. I bought the boat in Alaska, and towed it to north Texas, and have done several trips from n. TX to the TX gulf coast with it, so I've had some "experience" trailering an O'Day 25.Your sail it option probably wouldn't have worked. Assuming you got sails rigged, and assuming nothing went major wrong along the way, you had a long way to sail in a small window. It would have been tight. Folks forget that a steady 5k is considered fast.I think you'll like the boat better than your Mac, but then I'm biased.

 

[patrick]

purchased all things needed

ok, thanks for the offer Ross. Probably will take you up on it. Come over have a few bruskies, maybe a sail on a mac26d, or whatever.  I just bought;6'torsion axle, fenders-dual, longer bunk stands, all the bolts and hardware needed to convert my trailer to 7000# capacity! Nearly broke the bank! Jack at quickload saved the day though, all parts and good instructions and dimensions to do it right. Thanks guys, will keep you posted.

 

[Herb Parsons]

Breaking The Bank

"Nearly broke the bank!"Hah!!! You've just started.When I picked up my boat and trailer in Homer AK, one of the first things I did was get brakes put on it ($1500). I thought, back then, "Whew, glad THAT'S over". It was just the beginning.But, if you've got another boat, you know that already.At the same time, I wouldn't trade the experience for all of the money back, plus interest. MUCH MUCH cheaper than psychotherapy!