I am looking at a 25 and can see an outdrive sticking through the hull but am not sure where you access it. It is not an inboard diesel. I am thinking it is similiar to a cape dory I looked at. I can see a shift lever in one of the pictures. It is called Inboard sail drive...can anyone shed any light on this? It is a 1980.
Oday 25 inboard sail drive
- Thread starter Piece of Work
- Start date
- Status
We had two members of our yacht club that had sail drives in their O'Days. One had an O'Day 25 and the other guy had an older O'Day 27 and both had gasoline engines that had problems. The guy with the 27 installed a bracket on the transom for an outboard and later on sold the boat. He also had an O'Day 25 with outboard power. Some guys like these sail drives. Myself, I don't like them. They have too many problems with them. I don't like the idea of having an inboard gasoline engine in a sailboat. I think it's dangerous. I've seen a powerboat blow up due to a gasoline leak. The guy who was in the cockpit got thrown into the water from the blast and thank God he was OK. I can't help thinking what would have happened if he had been in the cabin at the time. What would happen if someone was down below in a sailboat under these conditions? I would prefer an inboard diesel engine, or an outboard on a transom bracket. If the boat doesn't have a fuel compartment in the cockpit that vents outside, I'd build one for a six gallon poly tank. I'm partial to keel/centerboard sloops so if this boat has a K/C and I wanted it, I'd consider buying it and making the changes.
Is it an outboard motor or is it a gas motor mounted to the hull with an outdrive? The capedory I looked at just has an outboard mounted in a compartment at the back of the boat and the motor just sticks down through the hull. It has a hatch over it with ventilation. I guess I will have to drive down and see the ODay to understand what it is. I will try and attach a picture. I am between this Oday 25 and the capedory 25 The capedory is a quality boat but seems a little cramped. It is a fixed keel and I am a little leary of loading and unloading. I have been onboard the capedory and suppose I will be making the 4 hr drive to see the ODay in order to not have any regrets. I just sold a venture newport 23 and am looking to move up a little. I am fairly new to the sailing world and afraid it is getting under my skin
Attachments
![picoday25108b[1].jpg](/data/attachments/19/19527-5086791d8c322fa6fbc5758e469a0794.jpg)
Piece of work let me tell my story. I was on the cusp of buying an Oday 25 with the infamous OMC saildrive unit. Infamous since OMC went belly up. Bombardier bought out the OMC, Johnson and Evinrude brands but discontinued support on OMC outdrives and saildrives. Parts are a crapshoot at best and a nightmare at worst. I opted on an Oday 27 with a shot deck core and several other problems instead. Perhaps you will have better luck than I on finding support/service. This is the main reason you see so many 25's with post production outboards. If you're willing to tackle a repower and the associated bottom repairs, Joe is right, a little diesel is expensive but a great way to go.
thanks for you alls input, I am glad I found this site this afternoon. Can you see the outdrive hanging down from the oday? Is that on the oday or a boat parked on the other side of it? I looks rather large and similiar to a mercruiser.
It's a two stroke inboard engine with the gasoline tank in the bilge, and it has an outdrive that sticks down which is attached to the bottom of the hull near the stern. The forward and reverse as well as the acceleration, are controlled by a single lever with a button I think. It's been a long time since I've seen one.
One of our members has a Bristol 24 with the outboard in the well of his cockpit very similar to what you had with your Cape Dory. He says that he likes it. He got a good buy on his boat and he's been trying to fix it up. Getting back to these sail drive engines though. Like I said, some guys like them if they run well, but these engines have issues. They either have problems overheating, or they start sucking water into the gas for some unknown reason. This was the problem that my friend had with the O'Day 27 that he picked up real cheap. He later sold the boat and just about broke even. One important thing should be kept in mind with these engines. You need to mix oil with the gasoline and they have a built in tank. This Ethanol raises a lot of problems with two stroke engines. It attracts water and it also breaks down the vital lubricants in the gasoline. I have a 1999 two stroke Johnson long shaft outboard on "Trinkka" that runs like a charm. I don't have a gasoline/water filter in my fuel line and I'm not about to get one at this stage of the game. My solution to the Ethanol problem is; When I first get to my boat on the mooring, I open the fuel compartment and shake my six gallon tank up good before I start my outboard. I can't imagine how I could do that with a built in gasoline tank. This Ethanol crap is ruining a lot of two stroke engines and my question is; If this is happening with 10% Ethanol, what chance has my engine have if they decide to add 15% Ethanol? Anyway, that's the story. An inboard diesel or an outboard on the transom is the way to go as far as I'm concerned.
One of our members has a Bristol 24 with the outboard in the well of his cockpit very similar to what you had with your Cape Dory. He says that he likes it. He got a good buy on his boat and he's been trying to fix it up. Getting back to these sail drive engines though. Like I said, some guys like them if they run well, but these engines have issues. They either have problems overheating, or they start sucking water into the gas for some unknown reason. This was the problem that my friend had with the O'Day 27 that he picked up real cheap. He later sold the boat and just about broke even. One important thing should be kept in mind with these engines. You need to mix oil with the gasoline and they have a built in tank. This Ethanol raises a lot of problems with two stroke engines. It attracts water and it also breaks down the vital lubricants in the gasoline. I have a 1999 two stroke Johnson long shaft outboard on "Trinkka" that runs like a charm. I don't have a gasoline/water filter in my fuel line and I'm not about to get one at this stage of the game. My solution to the Ethanol problem is; When I first get to my boat on the mooring, I open the fuel compartment and shake my six gallon tank up good before I start my outboard. I can't imagine how I could do that with a built in gasoline tank. This Ethanol crap is ruining a lot of two stroke engines and my question is; If this is happening with 10% Ethanol, what chance has my engine have if they decide to add 15% Ethanol? Anyway, that's the story. An inboard diesel or an outboard on the transom is the way to go as far as I'm concerned.
We still have gas with no ethanol in it which is what I use in ski boat lawnmowers weedeaters all small engines. Everyone one says the other breaks down fuel lines and all sorts of bad stuff so I just stay away from it. Thanks for all your information My eyes be wide open now! I definitely like the capedory setup and was hoping the ODay was the same.
What I see plainly in the photo is the lower unit of a powerboat's outboard or outdrive behind the 25. The OMC ZEPHYR Saildrives were located further forward and access was through the cockpit sail locker (a tight squeeze I'll admit!). I'm not sure that the access to the later 7.5hp Diesel in the 25/26 was any bettter.
The ZEPHYR was based on the powerhead of an Evinrude/Johnson 35 hp outboard motor, detuned to 15 hp. Parts should still be available for the powerhead...... but Bombardier does seem to be phasing out "older" parts.
The CAPE DORY Typhoon Senior (22'), the original CD 25 and the later 26 all had outboards located in "inboard" wells located just forward of the transom at the aft end of the cockpit (actually under the afterdeck). None were originally designed to allow tilting the outboard while not under power, so you were dragging the lower unit (and normally a 3-blade prop) under sail. I personally like the look of these wells as oposed to a bracket on the transom, however... you can't beat the ability to tilt a bracket mounted OB out of the water while sailing or while moored.
Incidently, if you consider how many gas powered inboard boats are out there, and the fact that many numbskulls never follow the simple safety precautions needed for these boats..... it is amazing that more don't blow up. However, with PROPER and SIMPLE precautions, one can very easily go a lifetime of safe operation of any inboard gas engine!! Most explosions are caused NOT by "mechanical" failure, or by "unsafe" engines, but by pure and simple STUPID lack of careful operation by the operators. Diesel boats can and do still burn and/or explode. I'd be much more concerned about many of the Propane installations on boats than about having a gas inboard. Butane stoves are also getting popular, and far too many people store the gas cartridges inside the cabin, can you say BOOM!! when they leak?
thanks for the clarification, that outdrive had me scratching my head. Couldnt have photoshopped it any better!
It might be easier to just keep your eye out for a later model O'Day 25 k/c with an outboard on the transom than to try and convert a saildrive over. I say a later model because earlier model O'Day 25s have the centerboard pendant line mounted on the table pedestal down below via a winch and wire cable. They're still nice boats and they move fast through the water. I sailed one and I know this for a fact, but the later models have the c/b pendent line (braid line) accessible right in the cockpit.
Another point that needs to be taken is the outboard model sloop will have a special block on the transom with the outboard motor bracket attached to it. The bracket may or may not be a heavy duty bracket built for four stroke outboards, but the transom itself should be strong enough structurally for outboard power. The idea of the block is to conform to the curvature of the stern and provide the outboard motor bracket the needed angle for the outboard. On my boat, I'm able to tilt my outboard up without messing with the transom bracket. I leave my bracket at a certain height, and that's where it stays. So the block provides the distance between my transom to be able to tilt my two stroke Johnson 8 hp long shaft outboard up. I don't that think this would be the case if I ever need to switch over to a four stroke engine. Also, I would need to go to a more heavy duty transom bracket because the four strokes are not only heavier but the engine torque is higher.
Here's a picture of a block on the transom of my friend's 86 O'Day 272. He has a four stroke engine with a heavy duty bracket.
Joe
Attachments
- Status