O'Day 25 - standing rigging

[vandykep]

New owner of an O'Day 25. Can anyone tell me where I would get standing rig tuning specs?

Also looking to replace some of the deck teak - especially the tracks the hatch runs in. Looks like something I can run up on a table saw, but is this something that is stocked, maybe on line somewhere?

Thanks
Pete

 

[rs8684]

Pete - Can't help you with your tuning specs, but I am in the process of of repairing my teak on my O'day 23'. I removed the handrails, sanded them, and am about to stain and varnish them. Already, they look great! However, for the hatch slides, I am not going to remove them - it is much harder then the handrails. I am just going to sand them on the boat, stain and varnish them.

You can buy the teak (expensive) at D&R Marine. Check out their website: http://www.drmarine.com/

 

[Joe11688]

Pete,
You may be better off investing in a tension gauge. I have a Loos gauge that I bought many years ago and I use it once in a while when I want to check the tension of my rig.
The gauge has a series of numbers that correspond to various tension choices based on the thickness of your stays. You may have a choice for about four different numbers and what you do is set your upper stays to one of those numbers. Your lower stays should have a little less tension than your uppers. So you pick a number and tension them with that number.
Myself, I like this method because it takes all the guess work out of tensioning your rig, plus the fact that the equal tension of the stays all the way around is going to insure that your mast will be straight when you get through.
I may be wrong but the gauge is easier than using your main halyard with reference points to measure the straightness of the mast, and laying on your back on the sliding hatch trying to sight up the mast for straightness. Then they tell you, "Well you tighten up your turnbuckles until you can hear a "plongggg!" when you pluck it with your finger." That's like trying to read those old instructions on how to tune an Ukelele by singing "My dog has fleas."

Like the man said, Rudy at D&R Marine would have these Teak hand rails and slider moldings.
A friend of mine replaced his Teak rails and slider moldings with StarBoard on his Seaward 22. He also built companionway pen boards out of it. I think that Trex would be a good choice also. I've used both Trex and PVC trim board on my boat for certain things and it worked out fine for me.

 

[geehaw]

Pete, I found the specs myself once through "Boat Info" at the top of this page. But the instruction are pretty vague. Tell you to just hand tighten. Like Joe said the loose gauge is well worth it. I never could understand what hand tightens equates to. I have smooth barrel type turn buckles and hand tight means the stays are still flopping around loose because you can't grip them. I use the lowest tension on the chart that comes with the gauge recommends minus a bit. When sailing windward shrouds should be slightly loose according to the Oday specs. Greg

 

[ebsail]

It's not hard to replace the hatch slide guides. We did it last year. About 2 hours work.

 

[vandykep]

Thanks for the tips - D+R looks like a good source.

 

[Joe11688]

D&R is a great source but you need to call them because they get so many emails that their response is slow.

 

[vandykep]

Hatch slides -OD25

It's not hard to replace the hatch slide guides. We did it last year. About 2 hours work.

I went down to the dock to eye ball it. Looks like it's just pop out the teak plugs and back out the screws. Does not appear to involve the headliner at all. Am I on mark?

 

[vandykep]

Pete - Can't help you with your tuning specs, but I am in the process of of repairing my teak on my O'day 23'. I removed the handrails, sanded them, and am about to stain and varnish them. Already, they look great! However, for the hatch slides, I am not going to remove them - it is much harder then the handrails. I am just going to sand them on the boat, stain and varnish them.

You can buy the teak (expensive) at D&R Marine. Check out their website: http://www.drmarine.com/

D&R - great tip - thanks.
I went to a lumber yard on LI that specializes in exotic woods the other day.
I would need to buy a 10' board - then mill it down to the rough sizes I need - then do the fine shaping. Certainly doable with a good table saw, but with the waste factored in the ready to go at D&R seems to make sense - and I can apply that time to my other projects.

 

[vandykep]

Pete,
You may be better off investing in a tension gauge. I have a Loos gauge that I bought many years ago and I use it once in a while when I want to check the tension of my rig.
The gauge has a series of numbers that correspond to various tension choices based on the thickness of your stays. You may have a choice for about four different numbers and what you do is set your upper stays to one of those numbers. Your lower stays should have a little less tension than your uppers. So you pick a number and tension them with that number.
Myself, I like this method because it takes all the guess work out of tensioning your rig, plus the fact that the equal tension of the stays all the way around is going to insure that your mast will be straight when you get through.
I may be wrong but the gauge is easier than using your main halyard with reference points to measure the straightness of the mast, and laying on your back on the sliding hatch trying to sight up the mast for straightness. Then they tell you, "Well you tighten up your turnbuckles until you can hear a "plongggg!" when you pluck it with your finger." That's like trying to read those old instructions on how to tune an Ukelele by singing "My dog has fleas."

Like the man said, Rudy at D&R Marine would have these Teak hand rails and slider moldings.
A friend of mine replaced his Teak rails and slider moldings with StarBoard on his Seaward 22. He also built companionway pen boards out of it. I think that Trex would be a good choice also. I've used both Trex and PVC trim board on my boat for certain things and it worked out fine for me.

Thanks for the tip Joe. I'll look around for a Loos. Hopeing to get out for another day or two before I pack it in for the winter - then I'll start my projects.

 

[Joe11688]

Pete,
They make two sizes on the Loos Gauge so it is important that you know your stay wire size in advance before buying one. The Gauge I have is the model A which which will measure stays at 3/32", 1/8" and 5/32". My upper stays are 1/8" and my fore stay and lower stays are 5/32".

 

[Stu Jackson]

Pete, it is not unusual for a boat to require two Loos gauges because of wire sizes. This link discusses rigging and tuning for a masthead single spreader rig which could work just as well for your boat without using gauges.

http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=147689

 

[Joe11688]

My O'Day 222 has two wire sizes which are in the range of my loos Gauge. My boat came through with 1/8" stays. When I had a new mast made up for my boat back in the mid 1990s, the rigger increased the size of my lower stays to 5/32". I usually just pick a number on my Loos Gauge for my lowers and use that. With that said though, I think that most O'Days come through with just one wire size and it's important to get the gauge that will fit on that wire.

The model 91 Loos Gauge is made for cable diameters of- 3/32"- 1/8"- and 5/32".

The model 90 Loos Gauge is made for cable diameters of -3/16"-7/32"-1/4"- and 9/32". All you need is one gauge. The darn gauges are expensive though. I really don't think that this particular gauge is worth the asking price. It works OK, but you need to hold it on the wire each time you want to get a reading. They do make another gauge that can stay attached to the wire without having to hold on to it. You can get an instant reading as you turn the turnbuckle. It's a real neat gauge and I wish I'd have bought that one before buying the model I have.

A few years ago I was checking out the cellar at Newport Nautical Supply in Newport RI and I saw a model 90 Loos gauge on consignment for only $ 5.00. I think I paid about $30 for my gauge back in the 1980s. Today I think they're well over $60.

 

[vandykep]

Thanks for all the tips! Very appreciated. I sailed today and tomorrow....maybe the end for this year. I will then get on with the projects, and I guess measure the stays gets added to the list.