od25 centerboard

[lwi101]

I am looking to buy an Oday 25. looked at a 75 which has what looks like a winch assembly in a steel tube in the middle of the cabin floor. Looks like it doubles as a dinnette table leg. The 78 has a simple line into the cockpit, with a flat cabin floor. Is it possible to retrofit? Does the board hinge or slide straight up and down? Thanks for your help.

Lou

 

[Sunbird22358]

The CB on a 25 is hinged and pivots as it is raised and lowered, sort-of like a jacknife opening and closing.
The 1975 and some 1976 models used that winch on a post in the cabin, a carryover from the old O'DAY 23, although the 23 had a fiberglass CB inside a cast-iron keel and the 25 has always had a fiberglass CB inside a molded fiberglass keel.
You might be able to reconfigure a 1975 25 CB to the newer setup, but in the long run, unless that 1975 model is a GREAT buy, it may be better to shop for a newer model instead of converting the older version. The owners who have boats with that post and winch setup find that it works quite well, and in fact if the CB should jamb.... it is a lot easier to stick a stick down that pipe to unstuck it than to try to figure out how to unstick the CB on a newer boat.
One of the few disadvantages of the post is that it may get in the way when the table is folded up while not in use?

 

[HukilauMike]

I would doubt that the retrofit you describe is realistic. The pendant run in the earlier models requires bilge access and a centerboard attachment point at the centerboard both well forward of where the same points are in the later models. I suppose if you have access to the bilge directly under the dinette tube, you could reroute the cable as it enters the bilge and redirect it aft thru the bilge until it is under the bridge deck, then direct it up to the cockpit. However, this would require at least two turning blocks (and a way to affix them to the bilge), greatly increasing friction and decreasing the utility of the setup.

I agree with Sunbird; if you really like the later model centerboard set up, pass on this early model and go for what you want. This is not a retrofit that makes sense.

 

[lwi101]

Center board

Thanks for the sage advice. The 75 is a boat trailer combo and quite close by. There is a 78 in the same yard, but it is not in such great shape. The winch pole is not a deal breaker, I was just curious. Seems the Pole cable goes through the front of the keel, and the rope line exits the rear of the keel, so I wondered if they changed the hinge points. Thanks again for your help.
Lou

 

[Joe11688]

Thanks for the sage advice. The 75 is a boat trailer combo and quite close by. There is a 78 in the same yard, but it is not in such great shape. The winch pole is not a deal breaker, I was just curious. Seems the Pole cable goes through the front of the keel, and the rope line exits the rear of the keel, so I wondered if they changed the hinge points. Thanks again for your help.
Lou

Lou,
I sailed a 1975 O'Day 25 for about 17 hours straight one day and I can tell you that this boat sails great. I'm not too keen on having the centerboard pendant line cable on the dinette table stanchion, but I think that I would overlook this if I wanted this boat. I don't think that it's that big of a deal except that I'm pretty sure that the metal cable can be swapped with a braid line according to Rudy Nickerson of D&R Marine. http://www.drmarine.com/ I'm not sure if it's possible to change the pendant line over so that it can be operated from out in the cockpit. I know that some people on this forum have brought it up from time to time and at least one guy was successful at doing it a few years ago using various sheaves to direct the line. You may be able to set it up so that you could reach inside the companionway hatch and work the centerboard. I think the Seaward 22 has this type of arrangement. To my way of thinking, that would be just as good as having the pendant line exit directly into the cockpit, similar to the later models. The 75 OD that I brought up from Cape Cod is owned by one of our SYC members and he loves this boat. I had her laying on her combing most of the time as I sailed her through Buzzard's Bay and Rhode Island Sound, and she handled as beautiful as my 86 O'Day 222. I can't say enough good things about this particular year and model O'Day 25. If you like this boat, look it over good and scoop it up. Here's a picture the I took of this boat, with courtesy of my friend Floyd.
Joe