O'Day 19 saved

[Mike19]

Hi all:

I found this sad looking little boat in a storage facility where my Dad keeps his recision 21. It had literally blown off the trailer. Not only was the boat not tied properly to the trailer, but the trailer had not been tied to the ground in any way. Upon making enquiries, I found out this was the SECOND time the boat had been blown off the trailer. The first time the owner had brought 7 guys out with him to put the boat back on the trailer. And even though it only weighs about 1400 lbs, that wasn't enough brawn to lift it. So they somehow managed to drag it back on to the trailer only to have it blow off again in another storm - slow learner!

The sails had been tied on the boom and forestay and and left to rot. The jib is usable, the main is pretty well shot. There was an almost brand new electric motor sitting on the stern in plain sight of any thieves who might happen along. Amazing that it had sat there for months untouched!

The boat was actually partially leaning on the trailer. I managed to lever it off so I could get a look inside. There were piles of junk inside left over from the owner BEFORE the last. Turns out the boat had been for sale at a local Colorado dealer for years for as much as $3900. The last owner showed me his Bill of Sale for $1800 from just last year.

I determined that the hull was sound, and the mast and rigging was intact except for one inner shroud that was almost completely frayed through. He was lucky it hadn't parted in a blow! There are a number of scratches on the port side where the boat had been on the rocks. The cushions are original, but in decent shape. The interior all looks good, and no obvious evidence of hull damage outside of a little paint cracking where the hull obviously flexed.

The trailer is in decent condition for it's age, with one runner busted - an easy fix.

I offered $500 for the boat and trailer and $50 for the electric motor, which I feel was a fair price given the uncertainties and the inability to put the boat in the water. It may not even float!

So with a little bit of elbow grease to fix the port side scratches and a new (Probably used.) main, this could be a nice little boat. With some more effort, it could be brought back to close to new.

Any advice, insight or pictures of clever ideas from current owners would be much appreciated! I am pondering handicap racing and setting it up with adjustable backstay, and running controls to the proper crew spots, etc. And it doesn't have winches! They're some kind of odd snubbing jam cleat I've never seen before.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Ward H]

If that pic is current, it looks much better than some neglected boats I have seen. Nice find.

 

[CalebD]

Good for you for saving that old O 19.
If you are handy you might be able to replace the broken shroud yourself. Or have the whole thing re-rigged.
Here is the spec for the O 19 model you mean (I think, there are 2 19's): http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=38

Advice: check the center board pivot pin and control line/lanyard for wear. Also check the center board where the line connects to it.
Cheap(er) used sails: http://www.baconsails.com/sailsearch

Mockery: I hope you enjoy sleeping in a cuddy cabin!

Nice boat at a good price.

 

[Joe11688]

I think you've found a nice little boat which is well worth fixing. Check with this guy for any O'Day parts you may need. http://www.drmarine.com/ Ask for Rudy.

Joe

 

[Mike19]

Good advice on the CB and pivot. I am trying to figure out a way to do that. Once I get the trailer fixed, I will need a crane to lift the boat, and can hopefully take a look then.

The mast and the rest of the rigging looked in good shape, although hard to see the mast fittings.

Any suggestions for a couple of little cheap (used) winches?

I also really appreciate the links for sails and parts! I will post pics as I get along.

 

[CalebD]

The hull of your O 19 only weighs about 1400 pounds, if my O 19 spec link is correct. You could use any car jack with pads of wood to lift it and push it around on the trailer or off. In fact, with enough hunks of wood (12" of 2x6 or 2x8 etc) you could probably jack up the bow enough to get it up to trailer height and then use the trailer winch to pull her back on the trailer - no crane needed. It would take time, patience and some careful work but it could be done. Hopefully the hull is on a hard, flat surface.

As for checking the center board hardware it might be easiest to check when the boat is in the water and you can put on a mask and snorkel. A less easy option is if you use a car jack and wood blocks like I mentioned you could get the forward part of the boat on the trailer and jack up the back, or stern. Then you should be able to lower the board at least partially. I'm not sure what you'd be able to see unless the center board could be dropped most of the way.

As for used winches and other hardware I'd suggest checking both ebay and craigslist (particularly north east areas) over the winter as somewhere near 60,000 boats were knocked about pretty badly by h'cane Sandy. I expect a lot of used gear to start showing up soon.

 

[Joe11688]

Caleb is right Mike. You really don't need to have it lifted. Just jack it up and get it on wood blocks. If you can get a couple of boat stands to put near the stern to keep it from tipping, it would be good. Four stands, two on each side close to the stern would be even better. All you need is your trailer. Line it up with the bow and keel so that it lines up nice and straight.
A roller trailer would go under the hull pretty fast and easy by using the trailer winch, but you would need to rope off the boat's stern to something solid like a tree.

I'm assuming that you have a bunk trailer and if so, you would need to jack up the bow and keep moving the trailer under the hull, pushing it by hand. As the trailer gets further under the hull you'll need to hold the height that you have and move the jack to the other side of the trailer's cross members. You could use a car stand, a straight powerboat stand, or another jack to hold the boat up while you move the jack and get another grab. If the bow is over the trailer axle, you could shore up the bow with blocks on the trailer and let it rest on the trailer while you move your jack.
A good set of sailboat stands can raise or lower your boat. They're not meant for this purpose but my Brownell's Boatyard SB-3 sailboat stands can raise my O'Day 222. It goes without saying that whenever you're dealing with heavy weights, it can be dangerous. My boat goes about 2200 lbs. If you need additional pics feel free to email me and I'll send them to you.
sailtrinkka1986@verizon.net

 

[Sunbird22358]

What do you need winches for on that boat?? The jib wil lbe small enough to not need winches, just sheet it in before it fills with wind. We sailed for 38 years on a larger CAL 21 without winches, never wished we had them. On a small boat like this winches are just added expense and really only seem to feed the owner's delusions of grandeur.
If you were going to race the boat, then winches might be helpful, especially if yo uadded a large genoa jib..... but for general sailing i wouldn't waste any time and money adding winches.

 

[weh5748]

I tend to agree with Sunbird. I have an ODay 19 that I bought this past spring. It came with winches which I haven't yet used despite being out in some stiff winds. Mine was built in 1979 and looks like yours in terms of the insignia on hull. I replaced the main and fixed a small leak related to the cockpit drain and am very happy with her and excited about more sailing in 2013 on Lake George, NY. By the way this forum has been extremely helpful in answering questions and solving problems. I agree with the others ... your 19 looks beautiful .. great buy.
Bill

 

[Mike19]

I will try to keep my "delusions of grandeur" under control. Perhaps there are good reasons for winches - like mechanical advantage? OR safety? My primary crew is 5' 1" and 120 lbs dripping wet. I DO plan to race, and would like to add a larger genoa of 130% - 140%. I feel winches are by far the safest way to control the jib in a strong puff. You also can't cross sheet with any other kind of system. Most cleats are simply not easy to release under load and under control, and some require a lot of strength.

The O'Day 19 hull shape looks a LOT like the Santana 20, except for the fin keel. It's about 200 lbs lighter overall, but the hull shape and topsides look an awful lot alike. I have salied in the S-20 a LOT, and I can't imagine it without winches. The O'Day without a few hundred pounds of lead in a fin keel to keep it upright will need better sail control.

Many thanks to Trinkka for a pile of pics that shows how to get the boat off a trailer!

 

[drumbeater]

Great looking boat! I love saving derelicts.

 

[Joe11688]

I will try to keep my "delusions of grandeur" under control. Perhaps there are good reasons for winches - like mechanical advantage? OR safety? My primary crew is 5' 1" and 120 lbs dripping wet. I DO plan to race, and would like to add a larger genoa of 130% - 140%. I feel winches are by far the safest way to control the jib in a strong puff. You also can't cross sheet with any other kind of system. Most cleats are simply not easy to release under load and under control, and some require a lot of strength.

The O'Day 19 hull shape looks a LOT like the Santana 20, except for the fin keel. It's about 200 lbs lighter overall, but the hull shape and topsides look an awful lot alike. I have salied in the S-20 a LOT, and I can't imagine it without winches. The O'Day without a few hundred pounds of lead in a fin keel to keep it upright will need better sail control.

Many thanks to Trinkka for a pile of pics that shows how to get the boat off a trailer!

It was my pleasure Mike.
In regard to the winches for your boat. You could get away with swivel cam cleats on your boat but if you can find some small winches pretty cheap and mount them on your combings, they would look a lot better and provide that large boat feel in a small boat. You don't even need the winch handle. I have a handle on my boat that I never use. The winches on my boat are Barlow #15 I think.

You would also need some kind of a sheet snubbing device behind each winch. I use open clam cleats and they're the greatest thing I've seen yet for snubbing the sheets off. They fast and easy to use.

Try to get the boat level by placing blocks under the high side of the hull and digging a hole for the jack under the hull on the low side of the boat if you have to. Then place blocks under that side and remove the jack. You can also place pieces of rug on the blocks so the hull doesn't get marred and scratched. You need to get the boat leveled in order to lower the mast anyway. After that you can either have it lifted with a boom truck or keep jacking it and shoring under with blocks and try to get your trailer under it. you may need to do it the way I do it, or rope the stern of the boat off to your truck and try to winch the trailer under the hull. A plank is needed for the tongue jack wheel and a little lubrication on the bunks may enable the hull to slide on easier. Myself, I'd opt for the DIY approach. It's not only cheaper but fun to do. I wish you lived closer to my home, I'd go down there and help you. My back has been killing me all week long, but I'd still enjoy the challenge of doing that.
Good Luck Mike! Let me know how you make out.
Joe

 

[Joe11688]

Mike,
I just wanted to add something that I forgot. Years ago I bought one of those hydraulic Speedy Jacks at Pep Boys. I've used it more for raising my boat and moving my trailer than I have for raising my truck. It's a great jack in that when you depress the handle the lift goes right up quick. The jack also has steel wheels on it and I've found that I can actually lift my 23' tandem trailer off the ground enough to slide it side ways by hand. I simply jack the trailer up somewhere close to the middle of the center of the length of the trailer. If the trailer is sitting on the ground, I just put the jack on a short plank and the wheels will roll on it.
Some would ask the question, "Why would you need to do that?" Well, I take my boat on and off my trailer to boat stands and sometimes the trailer might not be centered so that the keel can rest on the trailer's keel board and not crooked. With the boat raised up off the trailer, this jack can be used to center the trailer.
It would be ideal for your situation because it's fast and low to the ground for the task you need to do.
Years ago I raised my friend Ray's O'Day 26 off its tandem trailer using four of my sailboat stands and my hydraulic speedy jack. His boat's keel was a little off center on the trailer's keel board and the tide was going out. We were able to raise the boat off the trailer with no problem but we had one heck of time trying to move his trailer a couple of inches sideways. We finally succeeded but it took a lot of doing. I just never thought of using the jack to roll the trailer sideways and we could have pushed it over by hand and let the wheels of the jack roll on the cement. Anyway, this jack is worth owning.
Joe

 

[RichBone]

The way I feel, if you want winches then you need winches. Easier handling and more precise control.

Here's a nice little winch that would work on the boat.
http://www.forespar.com/products/winch-marelon.shtml

Next step up would be a Lewmar or Harken #6. An 8" winch handle would almost be too long. Years ago I crewed on a boat where the skipper was a tool and die man and he made up a set of 6" handles. They were sweet.

 

[RichBone]

Here's a #6 on my cabin top for the halyards. I don't know if the Forespar winch in the previous post ratchets. Probably not.

 

[oliversdad]

Hi Mike,
Congrats on the purchase of your 19.I got mine a year ago and restored her last winter.We sailed her this past summer and enjoyed the heck out of it as I had been out of sailing a few years...
As for winches mine came with Lewmar 6's.These are nice to have in a breeze although I haven't purchased a handle yet.You can see how mine are set up in my profile album.Good luck and share how you plan to set up your chute as I would like to do the same.
Cheers,Barry