I have a '73 O'Day 22 that I am pretty happy with, and have finally gotten fixed up the way we like. Yesterday, I bought an '83 O'Day 22'...it was too good a deal to pass up. The main reason for my buying it was that the '83 came with an almost new Suzuki 4-stroke, 6 hp. my wife and I never liked having to keep the fuel tank for our Mercury 4.5 hp on the deck of the cockpit on our '73, but with no fuel locker, that's the way it was. Now that I have the '83 in my yard, I'm starting to wonder if maybe I should try to swap whatever improvements we can from our '73 to the '83, keep the '83 and sell the '73 or vice-versa. I've never sailed one of the swing - keel '83's , so I don't know what to expect to be different/better/worse than the '73 shallow-draft fixed keel version. The only things we haven't been enthralled with about the '73, are that she tends toward weather helm in gusts and is rather tender, as well. I wonder if the fractional rig on the '83 will allow us to sail as well when broader than a beam reach. Does anyone out there have experience with both of these models? I really can't complain, as I have two wonderful boats right now...but I can only afford to keep one. Which will it be?? Thanks, Hollow guy
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O'Day 22 keel centerboard
Brian, I've never sailed an O'Day 22 with a stubby keel, but I've sailed my 222 fraction rig with the centerboard up and the centerboard on my boat really makes a big difference when it's down and the boat is going to weather. I think that the 1983 O'Day 22 was the last boat they made before they came out with the 222 in 1984. So they must have like the performance of the 83 and decided to make some extra changes and call it the 222. The 83 probably handles the same as my 222. If this is true, I think that you're going to love it as much as I love my 222. The only way you're going to find out is to try it. Of course, when the wind kicks up you need to shorten the sail and maybe sail her without the Jib. Try sailing her with just the Main Sail. Mine handles beautiful with just the Main, alone. I can sail her right up to a dock with just the Main, as easy as anyone with a day sailer. Some boats can't do that. It's quite possible that this 83 can. I talked to a guy who bought an older O'Day 22 with the short mast and stubby keel, and this is what he prefers for the area in which he sails. He finds that the short mast can make it under a certain bridge in his area, and the keel is good for the shallow waters where he moors his boat. He loves to just hang out on his boat in the same way that I do, and really isn't interested in speed or having to be somewhere at a certain time. I've reached a point in my life where long cruises don't appeal to me anymore. I've been there, and done that. So I'm content to just go to my favorite nearby coves and hang out, but if you want a boat that will go to weather and get you to further places up the coast, I think that this 83 can do that. I may be wrong, but you'll never know until you sail it. Good Luck! Joe
Brian, I've never sailed an O'Day 22 with a stubby keel, but I've sailed my 222 fraction rig with the centerboard up and the centerboard on my boat really makes a big difference when it's down and the boat is going to weather. I think that the 1983 O'Day 22 was the last boat they made before they came out with the 222 in 1984. So they must have like the performance of the 83 and decided to make some extra changes and call it the 222. The 83 probably handles the same as my 222. If this is true, I think that you're going to love it as much as I love my 222. The only way you're going to find out is to try it. Of course, when the wind kicks up you need to shorten the sail and maybe sail her without the Jib. Try sailing her with just the Main Sail. Mine handles beautiful with just the Main, alone. I can sail her right up to a dock with just the Main, as easy as anyone with a day sailer. Some boats can't do that. It's quite possible that this 83 can. I talked to a guy who bought an older O'Day 22 with the short mast and stubby keel, and this is what he prefers for the area in which he sails. He finds that the short mast can make it under a certain bridge in his area, and the keel is good for the shallow waters where he moors his boat. He loves to just hang out on his boat in the same way that I do, and really isn't interested in speed or having to be somewhere at a certain time. I've reached a point in my life where long cruises don't appeal to me anymore. I've been there, and done that. So I'm content to just go to my favorite nearby coves and hang out, but if you want a boat that will go to weather and get you to further places up the coast, I think that this 83 can do that. I may be wrong, but you'll never know until you sail it. Good Luck! Joe
'83 O'Day comparison
Thanks for the reply, Joe. Yeah, I suspected that to windward, the swing keel would help a lot. You are absolutely right - I've got to sail her before I make a decision. We're not really concerned with performance either, adventure sailing has a place in our lives, but not on the lake - we just love to be on our boat, on the water, in our back yard. Hollow guy
Thanks for the reply, Joe. Yeah, I suspected that to windward, the swing keel would help a lot. You are absolutely right - I've got to sail her before I make a decision. We're not really concerned with performance either, adventure sailing has a place in our lives, but not on the lake - we just love to be on our boat, on the water, in our back yard. Hollow guy
Shoal keel/centerboard combo works well
In my opinion, the shoal keel with the centerboard is the best compromise for a trailerable boat. Like Joe says, if you raise the centerboard when going to windward the increased leeway is immediately apparent - the centerboard is effective. I have the 192, the baby sister to Joe's 222, and it has the shoal keel/centerboard arrangement too. I was sailing this afternoon and during the few hours I was out the wind shifted 90 degrees and kicked up to 25-30 knots. I had to claw my way back to windward flying just the reefed main but the boat performed beautifully. pointing high even in those winds. If you don't mind me pointing out the obvious, the '83 boat - with the centerboard and the longer spar - was a more expensive boat for O'day to produce, so I'd think it likely that they wouldn't have made those changes unless they were worthwhile
In my opinion, the shoal keel with the centerboard is the best compromise for a trailerable boat. Like Joe says, if you raise the centerboard when going to windward the increased leeway is immediately apparent - the centerboard is effective. I have the 192, the baby sister to Joe's 222, and it has the shoal keel/centerboard arrangement too. I was sailing this afternoon and during the few hours I was out the wind shifted 90 degrees and kicked up to 25-30 knots. I had to claw my way back to windward flying just the reefed main but the boat performed beautifully. pointing high even in those winds. If you don't mind me pointing out the obvious, the '83 boat - with the centerboard and the longer spar - was a more expensive boat for O'day to produce, so I'd think it likely that they wouldn't have made those changes unless they were worthwhile
Sailing adventure
Adventure on the water! Now that's what I like, Brian. I think that this O'Day 22 keel centerboard is the closest thing to the O'Day 222. 222s are getting hard to find. They only built about 300 in Fall River Ma., and probably about that many on the West Coast, so I'm told. These small O'Days are great coastal cruising boats. I've sailed my boat all over the Cape to places like Cuttyhunk, Martha's Vineyard, and Chappaquiddick Island. I've even sailed her to Block Island and she handled great. Today, I'm content with just cruising to local coves to hang out and go fishing and beach combing. I tow my little green 9' kayak behind the boat everywhere we go. Kayaks are light and offer no resistance in the water. I keep plenty of food on board in plastic containers under the settees, and when we go out I bring my 50 Quart cooler with all the perishables. We cook on board, and even take showers on board in the cockpit. The two most important cooking utensils on my boat is a stove-top grill and a round stove-Top "Stanley Ovenette" oven circa 1950s. I bake my catch right on board and it don't get fresher than that. Brian, when you get the 83 O'Day ready please post some pictures of it on this site. I don't know whether Dave K. has ever seen these boats close up, but I never have. Your hull number should tell you what year, month, and hull production number your boat is. That alone, could be pretty interesting. Good luck with that. Joe
Adventure on the water! Now that's what I like, Brian. I think that this O'Day 22 keel centerboard is the closest thing to the O'Day 222. 222s are getting hard to find. They only built about 300 in Fall River Ma., and probably about that many on the West Coast, so I'm told. These small O'Days are great coastal cruising boats. I've sailed my boat all over the Cape to places like Cuttyhunk, Martha's Vineyard, and Chappaquiddick Island. I've even sailed her to Block Island and she handled great. Today, I'm content with just cruising to local coves to hang out and go fishing and beach combing. I tow my little green 9' kayak behind the boat everywhere we go. Kayaks are light and offer no resistance in the water. I keep plenty of food on board in plastic containers under the settees, and when we go out I bring my 50 Quart cooler with all the perishables. We cook on board, and even take showers on board in the cockpit. The two most important cooking utensils on my boat is a stove-top grill and a round stove-Top "Stanley Ovenette" oven circa 1950s. I bake my catch right on board and it don't get fresher than that. Brian, when you get the 83 O'Day ready please post some pictures of it on this site. I don't know whether Dave K. has ever seen these boats close up, but I never have. Your hull number should tell you what year, month, and hull production number your boat is. That alone, could be pretty interesting. Good luck with that. Joe
You're probably right
Dave K., I'm sure you're right about the swing keel being as good as it can get with trailer-sailers. I will likely have to fix up the '83 and sail her before deciding what to do but, the longer she sits in my driveway,and the more puttering I do on her, the less likely I'll be to be able to part with her. Now I'm leaning quite strongly towards keeping both boats, whether I can afford to or not. What a hoot it would be to put the kids on one and the bride and myself on the other, rig serious water cannons on both, and see who rules! I'll let ya know..
Dave K., I'm sure you're right about the swing keel being as good as it can get with trailer-sailers. I will likely have to fix up the '83 and sail her before deciding what to do but, the longer she sits in my driveway,and the more puttering I do on her, the less likely I'll be to be able to part with her. Now I'm leaning quite strongly towards keeping both boats, whether I can afford to or not. What a hoot it would be to put the kids on one and the bride and myself on the other, rig serious water cannons on both, and see who rules! I'll let ya know..
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