New to me O'Day 222, "Just Chillin II"

[anchorclanker]

She was Christened "Just Chillin II (aka "Misty)" by former owners back in early '02, and she literally just fell into my lap. I've wanted a sailboat like this for many years, over 30 actually. It just wasn't really an option until recently, and then just like that, a prayer was made, and bang there she was on CL for what I could afford. Last registered in 05, if shes left the slip once in all that time it would surprise me. Sad on the one hand to find her a derelict, great for us on the other because most of what she needs is elbow grease.

The boat appears to be in good solid condition. The PO said he last visited her at the slip a year and a half ago, and if so I was the first to enter her cabin in all that time. I found her basically dry inside, there was only a cup or two of water in the starboard compartments under the seat cushions. No smell of mold or mustiness which I found rather surprising. I found a lot of neat and very useful items aboard, not the least a log book, hand written by previous owners who Christened her. Theirs are the only entries in the book, ending in 03. Our hope is that we can continue that book, taking up where they left off. I had intentions of renaming her, but after finding and reading "the book", were not sure if we can now. Looks like she has just been chillin for a while and needs to be cut loose, as I have also been cut loose recently myself. In fact if I were to rename her that name might be most appropriate

She has no trailer, so for the time being she is water bound. I have not yet untied the keel board, I fear the rope may break, the keel will stick. Perhaps a lil diving underneath to have a looksee of the underside wouldn't be a terribly bad idea. There were three usable sails inside. Plus the main makes four, at least until I can open it up and see its full condition. The main sailcover is pretty filthy, but from what I can see at the ends and peeling it back a bit the main looks alright. I plan to go back up and pull the main off and bring it home to clean it and check it out, clean the sail cover, etc.. I strung the other three sails out yesterday. They were wet and damp in their bags, and there is some light and minor staining of rust on the two Dacron sails, and a small nasty one on the nylon Gennaker. I soaked it in the bathtub overnight in some mild soap water, its not coming out so we'll have to live with it. All the ropes are nasty and need replacing, or washing at least. The top side isnt too bad, but it clearly needs a good and thorough scrubbing.

I pulled the motor and brought it home, an 8 HP sailmaster. It needs the carb cleaned, tune it up, replace a part for the throttle. It likely hasnt ran in a long time either.

This is my first sailboat. My only experience was about 4 or 5 hours tacking a small sailboat around a small lake by myself, getting myself to the far to the downwind end, and having to swim her back. I have a great deal to learn and remember, books to read, etc.. Any help or advice would be greatly and deeply appreciated.

 

[fireman416]

enjoy your new boat and just take it one day at a time and when you set sail do so in fair winds and take it slow....in no time you will be an old salt with many great adventures behind you and ahead to look forward too...

 

[Joe11688]

Congrats on the O'Day 222. I know you're going to love this boat as much as I love mine. You'll also enjoy doing modifications on this boat. I stopped counting my mods after thirty. I've done at least four of them in the past couple of months and they were simple. It all takes time.
Check the centerboard pendant line especially the shackle, by swimming under the keel, if you can. Also, check the rudder blade to make sure that it isn't opening up around the seam. They're good for that. Make sure that the stays do not have broken strands. If they do, replace them.
Check the "L" brackets on the bulkhead that are attached to the side chainplates. Make sure they aren't cracked at the bend.
The Johnson 8 hp Sailmaster is a great engine. Try to get it into working condition. If you don't, you will need to change the engine bracket on the stern for a four stroke engine, and heavy duty brackets are pricey.

These boats shouldn't leak at all if they're maintained. The likely suspects for leaks are those thin toe rails at the screws, the gunwale rail, and the cockpit self bailing hose inside the bilge. You can see it by opening the cover of the lazarette and peeking inside. I really doubt if it's a chainplate leak or a lifeline stanchion base leak. If it's the self bailing hose, don't crawl in that hatch. You may get stuck. Instead, just buy an 8" Beckson Deck plate and install it in the center of the inside transom like I did. This way, you'll have access to the hose, the gudgions, and the stern light wire. You can also run the charging unit wire from your outboard through a small outlet hole in the transom and lead it through and around to the hatch opening of the lazarette.
I had changed my charging wire to a duplex #10 copper stranded wire and mounted a terminal block on the bulkhead just under the lazarette cover on the right. I screwed a PC mouse pad over the term block to keep stray metal from coming in contact with the wires. Another duplex runs from the other end of the term block to my battery. It provides a great connection and the wire is heavy enough to carry the load.
Anyway, good luck!
Joe

 

[anchorclanker]

I am curious how the factory put the cockpit drain down in there if no one can fit down in there? Maybe had the boat on its side, lol. Yeah, a deck plate would provide much easier access. So you put the deck plate on the vertical section (transom) above the drain??

 

[Joe11688]

I am curious how the factory put the cockpit drain down in there if no one can fit down in there? Maybe had the boat on its side, lol. Yeah, a deck plate would provide much easier access. So you put the deck plate on the vertical section (transom) above the drain??

I'm not sure how they installed the hoses in that area but your O'Day 222 has a single sheave block way up inside the centerboard slot for the centerboard pendant line to ride through, and this sheave/U bolt assembly was inserted through the bottom of the lead keel with a long tool.

Yes. I cut a hole in the center of the inside transom for access to the hose. I think it's one of the smartest things you can do on this boat. It allowed me to remove and rebed my gudgions all by myself without any help. It also assists me in installing and removing my outboard charging wire twice a year. So it's an access plate that can be used quite a bit.

I made some changes to my hose. The original hose was a bent rubber hose and I used a regular reinforced vinyl hose with a 90 degree L fitting and four stainless steel hose clamps. This stuff can be purchased at any hardware store, Home Depot, or Lowe's.
The outboard charging wire in the pics is a #10 copper stranded duplex cable that I installed on the engine. It runs over the top of the transom through an outlet hole and around to the bulkhead just under the lazarette cover. I mounted a term block for this wire and covered it with a PC mouse pad to prevent any metal from coming in contacts with the wires. I crimped some eye connectors to the wires with another set of wires going to the house battery from the other side of the term block.
Where the duplex wire enter the outlet hole on the inside transom, I pulled enough wire through so that I can get at it through the access hole to run a few beads of tape around it. Then I pulled the cable back up to the tape and added some caulking to the cable at the outlet to keep moisture out. The term block is a better connection than any marine outlet and plug that can be bought at "Worst Marine." It never gets corroded and has great current carrying capacity to keep my battery up. At least I never need to bring my battery charger down to the dock like I did years ago before I made this change.

 

[anchorclanker]

I'll take a look down under there, but I dont believe its leaking there, its somewhere along the starboard side. But apparently not much, or all the time. Last Tues we were up there and I put all the cushions up on edge and left all the compartment covers off so it could air out somewhat. Then it rained three days, quite hard several times, all toll probably over 2 inches of rain. We went up the yesterday to take down the main sail, and she was virtually dry inside. No sign of any wetness anywhere.

So after shooing away a bunch of wasps, I began removing the sail cover. The sail was full of wasp nests from end to end. How or why I wasn't stung I don't know, but I removed and tossed all their hives in the lake. All ropes that were exposed to sun were dry rotting. Hard to undo, but I was able to get them all so I'll be able to put them back properly. Or at least the way they were until I figure out my own way.

After soaking in the tub in mild soap, and rinsing off, the Main has some moss and possible mildew between layers in a few spots, but overall its actually in pretty good shape. I hung it up on a line to air out and dry, see what it looks like tomorrow. The sail cover, winch covers, grill cover, and tiller cover, are another story....

I read that sunbrella material could be machine washed. Well, the grill and tiller cover came out nice. The winch covers were so impregnated with moss I didnt have much hope for them, and I was correct. They didnt look any better and the elastic was coming unraveled on one of them... I tossed them. The sail cover totally disintegrated. Well not totally, just the material that faced up toward the sun and elements.

Also, while I was up there I noted the teak is in very, very poor condition. The rub rails are black in places and growing fungus, the hatch rails are splitting, and the hand holds arent anything you would want to use to hold onto for dear life. Soooo, I have a wood project, too. I'm thinking I will just do it up in mahogany for now. I can do teak later if I want, for now I just would like to take her out and learn her.

On a better note, I did find a soft wash sponge in the aft compartment, and thought I would see if she would clean up any. I dunked it in the lake and rubbed a corner of the boat, and streams of whitish oxidized filth ran down. Just a few swipes and that corner looked years better, nice actually. But it looked like I just dumped a cup of milk in the lake. I'm thinking nobody will be happy if I wash her at the slip?

 

[estopa]

Congrats!!! Clean her up and enjoy her on the water.

 

[Rick19372]

I just bought an 1984 in Jan. I've got her looking good and sailing fast. Very happy with this boat.. Long time sailer. Many mods taking a break from mods and just sailing the rest of the year. Get back to it next season. Happy sailing.

 

[emergpa1]

I'll take a look down under there, but I dont believe its leaking there, its somewhere along the starboard side. But apparently not much, or all the time. Last Tues we were up there and I put all the cushions up on edge and left all the compartment covers off so it could air out somewhat. Then it rained three days, quite hard several times, all toll probably over 2 inches of rain. We went up the yesterday to take down the main sail, and she was virtually dry inside. No sign of any wetness anywhere.

So after shooing away a bunch of wasps, I began removing the sail cover. The sail was full of wasp nests from end to end. How or why I wasn't stung I don't know, but I removed and tossed all their hives in the lake. All ropes that were exposed to sun were dry rotting. Hard to undo, but I was able to get them all so I'll be able to put them back properly. Or at least the way they were until I figure out my own way.

After soaking in the tub in mild soap, and rinsing off, the Main has some moss and possible mildew between layers in a few spots, but overall its actually in pretty good shape. I hung it up on a line to air out and dry, see what it looks like tomorrow. The sail cover, winch covers, grill cover, and tiller cover, are another story....

I read that sunbrella material could be machine washed. Well, the grill and tiller cover came out nice. The winch covers were so impregnated with moss I didnt have much hope for them, and I was correct. They didnt look any better and the elastic was coming unraveled on one of them... I tossed them. The sail cover totally disintegrated. Well not totally, just the material that faced up toward the sun and elements.

Also, while I was up there I noted the teak is in very, very poor condition. The rub rails are black in places and growing fungus, the hatch rails are splitting, and the hand holds arent anything you would want to use to hold onto for dear life. Soooo, I have a wood project, too. I'm thinking I will just do it up in mahogany for now. I can do teak later if I want, for now I just would like to take her out and learn her.

On a better note, I did find a soft wash sponge in the aft compartment, and thought I would see if she would clean up any. I dunked it in the lake and rubbed a corner of the boat, and streams of whitish oxidized filth ran down. Just a few swipes and that corner looked years better, nice actually. But it looked like I just dumped a cup of milk in the lake. I'm thinking nobody will be happy if I wash her at the slip?

Hello, and may I add my congratulations and welcome.
I'll start with my usual advice on basic library and useful links:
Don Casey's "this old boat"
A subscription to Good Old Boat magazine, plus their audio podcast of the newsletter
The Blue Book Of Sailing
and a great website for knots, with how to animations is "grogs knots"www.animatedknots.com

useful for parts, best website to search, lots of animations and how toos. good product info and comparison information, and best for fasteners, nuts etc: jamestown distributors

decent prices :defender marine

easiest epoxy to get started with: west system

best sealent for abovve the water line, hands down, butyl rubber

good how too site and the moderator of this website www.pbase.com/mainecruising/boat_projects

and you must learn how to upload pix to your posts!

 

[anchorclanker]

Thanks for all the welcomes guys. Yeah, I have some reading to do, so thanks for the suggestions, i'll look for them.

Went up and gave her a bath Sunday. She came a lot cleaner, and a lot faster that I thought she would. Found the leak, its the forward hatch, the glass panel came unglued. Im going up tomorrow to re-glue it but will need to find a new hatch at some point.

Got the part I needed for the motor. A piece on the throttle that was broke. Pumped in some fuel, gave it a pull and vroom. Houston, we have a motor. I plan to run it in a tub for a while to make sure its 100%, then put it back on.

One last thing I want to do is check the stays and chain plates for secure fit, ship worthiness. Any advice on that would be very much appreciated.

 

[Joe11688]

Thanks for all the welcomes guys. Yeah, I have some reading to do, so thanks for the suggestions, i'll look for them.

Went up and gave her a bath Sunday. She came a lot cleaner, and a lot faster that I thought she would. Found the leak, its the forward hatch, the glass panel came unglued. Im going up tomorrow to re-glue it but will need to find a new hatch at some point.

Got the part I needed for the motor. A piece on the throttle that was broke. Pumped in some fuel, gave it a pull and vroom. Houston, we have a motor. I plan to run it in a tub for a while to make sure its 100%, then put it back on.

One last thing I want to do is check the stays and chain plates for secure fit, ship worthiness. Any advice on that would be very much appreciated.

I had the same problem with my forward hatch. It had a tiny leak coming in from around the Lexan lens that I had replaced in it a few years ago.
The best thing to do to that is to remove the lens completely. That cover can be removed from the hatch with an Allen Wrench, a small hammer and a thin pin punch. The pins on the hatch hinges can be removed with the pin punch. Just make sure that you remove the pins from the right end. These pins have ridges on one end that are designed to cut into the plastic to hold it in place. Whatever end the ridge is on, that's the end that needs to come out on that side of the hinge.

I used two metal blade putty knives to remove the lens. I heated the blades with a blow torch to loosen the adhesive. If you break the lens you can replace it with Lexan or Plexiglas.

After I removed the lens, I cleaned the frame up good using a chisel to scrape off the old adhesive and my Dremel wheel sander to rough up the area. Then I used denatured alcohol to clean it good. Do not use Acetone. You need to clean it up good or the adhesive won't stick.

For the adhesive I used DAP Silicone Rubber Adhesive Caulking and I haven't had a problem since.
Joe

 

[anchorclanker]

I hadnt read any of your comments before I went up to the boat yesterday. My main concern was getting back up there before the lens blew away, and getting it sealed up before we get more rain. I forgot to get silicone, and truth is, I wouldnt have had the time to wait around for it to cure if I had. I used some 5 minute epoxy. I dont know what it was originally sealed or fixed with, but the old stuff is hard as rock, definitely not silicone, also likely epoxy. If not original then it was done by someone in the past.

The other problem with the hatch is its missing one of the lock downs. Not only is the entire screw assembly missing, the hatch is broken away at the mounting point. So I will either have to live with it, find a replacement hatch cover, or replace the entire hatch.

I think for now ill just live with it, lots of other work to do before thats a major concern. Next time im up ill run a bead of silicone around it just to make double sure the lens wont leak. It doesn't need to be snarped down uber tight to keep out rain, and its doubtful a wave on this lake will ever reach it.

My next problem is the cushions. I thought they were nice, but up forward where the water has leaked in, I found some mildew/mold issues. One cushion actually has a greenish area, possible moss growing? I thought I could pull off the material and wash them, sponge out the cushions and dry them, etc.. Wife is afraid the fabric will disintegrate like Dracula in the sun if we wash them, but whatever, cant really use them the way they are. But the zippers are froze solid so I have to lube them up and try and work them loose. I would hate to lose the fabric, its actually really cool looking stuff, and it would likely be $$$$ to have it all redone.

After swabbing her down good last week, we were pleasantly surprised to walk up to her and see she was looking quite sharp for a change. Rather than standing out as the nastiest looking boat at our dock, she now stood out as one of the sharper ones. There are a group larger sail boats off another dock, so with new found pride, I walked out there to see some of the other "competition". Wow!

Its just amazing to see boats sitting at paid slips just rotting away. There was one, approx 27 foot, obvious inboard engine, and I searched in vain to find a name without success, but it is in utterly deplorable condition. The top is almost black with stain, the sail cover looks twice as nasty as ours had, teak trim splitting and chunks missing, but the worst is clearly the companion way. Made of teak boards running vertically in a quasi fan shape (perhaps a clue to the make?), it is literally falling apart, with several of the boards falling inward. It looks like it has been sitting that way for quite some time. It is so completely open you can see inside a bit, any rain falling on it will clearly go in, I hate to imagine what condition it must be inside. Some of the others, one possibly 30 foot, looked only slightly better. But OTOH, there was a very sharp 30 something footer over there anyone would be proud to own. She made up for the other "crap".

 

[Joe11688]

I hadn't read any of your comments before I went up to the boat yesterday. My main concern was getting back up there before the lens blew away, and getting it sealed up before we get more rain. I forgot to get silicone, and truth is, I wouldn't have had the time to wait around for it to cure if I had. I used some 5 minute epoxy. I dont know what it was originally sealed or fixed with, but the old stuff is hard as rock, definitely not silicone, also likely epoxy. If not original then it was done by someone in the past.

The other problem with the hatch is its missing one of the lock downs. Not only is the entire screw assembly missing, the hatch is broken away at the mounting point. So I will either have to live with it, find a replacement hatch cover, or replace the entire hatch.

I think for now ill just live with it, lots of other work to do before thats a major concern. Next time im up ill run a bead of silicone around it just to make double sure the lens wont leak. It doesn't need to be snarped down uber tight to keep out rain, and its doubtful a wave on this lake will ever reach it.

My next problem is the cushions. I thought they were nice, but up forward where the water has leaked in, I found some mildew/mold issues. One cushion actually has a greenish area, possible moss growing? I thought I could pull off the material and wash them, sponge out the cushions and dry them, etc.. Wife is afraid the fabric will disintegrate like Dracula in the sun if we wash them, but whatever, cant really use them the way they are. But the zippers are froze solid so I have to lube them up and try and work them loose. I would hate to lose the fabric, its actually really cool looking stuff, and it would likely be $$$$ to have it all redone.

After swabbing her down good last week, we were pleasantly surprised to walk up to her and see she was looking quite sharp for a change. Rather than standing out as the nastiest looking boat at our dock, she now stood out as one of the sharper ones. There are a group larger sail boats off another dock, so with new found pride, I walked out there to see some of the other "competition". Wow!

Its just amazing to see boats sitting at paid slips just rotting away. There was one, approx 27 foot, obvious inboard engine, and I searched in vain to find a name without success, but it is in utterly deplorable condition. The top is almost black with stain, the sail cover looks twice as nasty as ours had, teak trim splitting and chunks missing, but the worst is clearly the companion way. Made of teak boards running vertically in a quasi fan shape (perhaps a clue to the make?), it is literally falling apart, with several of the boards falling inward. It looks like it has been sitting that way for quite some time. It is so completely open you can see inside a bit, any rain falling on it will clearly go in, I hate to imagine what condition it must be inside. Some of the others, one possibly 30 foot, looked only slightly better. But OTOH, there was a very sharp 30 something footer over there anyone would be proud to own. She made up for the other "crap".

I imagine that the lens in these Gray Marine hatches were adhered with some kind of an epoxy when they were in the manufacturing process, but I've tried using Devcon Plastic Epoxy twice on these lens and I've never been able to seal out the water completely. This time I tried the DAP Silicone Rubber Adhesive only because a friend told me that he used it on his Pearson hatch with great success.

The U shaped plastic mounts for the bolt/knob cover hold downs are noted for breaking on these hatches. I have one that is broken on just one side on my hatch. I don't know if these plastic pieces can be glued with anything. These are cheap hatches and they weren't meant to last. I'm not sure if the new Bomar plastic hatches are any better. I know of two people who have installed them so far and it's too early to tell.

I bought some fabric similar to what was on my cushions years ago and my wife did the work. The stuff is worn and torn and needs replacing again. The next time I redo them I'm going with Sumbrella and choose a pattern that I like instead of trying to copy the same pattern.

I have to see if I can do something with my hatch this coming week along with some needed work on my deck and mast while I'm waiting to have my engine repaired again. The boat is sitting on the trailer in my yard, so I really don't need to go too far to work on it.

Good luck!

 

[anchorclanker]

copy on the cheap hatch. Cheap except for the cost.

Whats sad about the cushions is they are not worn or torn, nothing wrong with them at all except some mold/mildew. I put some penetrant on the zippers and will try them in the next day or so.

 

[srojoetoo]

Once you get the kinks out, you will love this boat. Too bad you can't get it out of the water....yet.

Don't forget about the archives for info.

A couple of good books are:

HandBook of Trailer Sailing (best I've read so far)
Robert E Burgess

The Trailer Sailor
Gregg Nestor (2008) [he owns an OD222]

"Sailing for Dummies" is pretty a good start

tom c

 

[anchorclanker]

Those sound like fun books. I have always liked the "for dummies" books, they are generally quite informative and give you a lot of the basic facts. I would imagine its a good primer and wife and daughter could catch up as well.

We motored out to meet the big flotilla last night. Left the dock just before it was too dark to see. As we came around the south end of the peninsula, what an awesome sight awaited us. 100's and 100's of boat navigation lights, spread out over several miles, drifting, all waiting to watch the fireworks. Just as the fireworks ended, the Moon came up over the mountains, and we spent the next few hours just drifting on the water in the moonlight. It was stunning, and we all wished we could stay out there till dawn. Maybe next time. But now the wifes trepidations are gone and she wants to go again, only with sails up next time.

 

[emergpa1]

Those sound like fun books. I have always liked the "for dummies" books, they are generally quite informative and give you a lot of the basic facts. I would imagine its a good primer and wife and daughter could catch up as well.

We motored out to meet the big flotilla last night. Left the dock just before it was too dark to see. As we came around the south end of the peninsula, what an awesome sight awaited us. 100's and 100's of boat navigation lights, spread out over several miles, drifting, all waiting to watch the fireworks. Just as the fireworks ended, the Moon came up over the mountains, and we spent the next few hours just drifting on the water in the moonlight. It was stunning, and we all wished we could stay out there till dawn. Maybe next time. But now the wifes trepidations are gone and she wants to go again, only with sails up next time.

Very very nice! Glad it's going well.

 

[emergpa1]

Very very nice! Glad it's going well.

That should be a smiley face!