O'day 27 projects...help!

[sailingescape]

Hi all -

we are first time sailboat owners with a new to us and very loved 1977 O'day 27. I have a few minor projects that we want to tackle in between sails this summer in the Puget sound. Would appreciate any insight you can provide.
1. need to replace the starboard bowlight. I am hoping this is a singular bulb replacement since the port side works well. is this a D&R marine find?
2. We want to remove our alcohol stove and utilize a coleman propane stove since we have the original alcohol stove. Has anyone done this and if so, what did you use to fill the space in your galley?
3. I am thinking I would like to remove the head sink and eventually build in some more storage here. How big of an undertaking are we looking at?
4. Is the fresh water tank under the V-berth? I have a large tank also on the starboard side of the boat under the lazarette so it is unclear to me which is the fresh water (not really planning on using this anyways just curious).
5. Finally, my wife wants to rip out all the carpeting on the sidewalls of the cabin... as someone who hates carpet I am in favor of this but again am worried at the magnitude of this project. Has anyone else done this and if so, what did you replace it with?

That is all for now, we are super excited to be apart of this group. I will post some pictures as these projects get done.

svescape

 

[Project_Mayhem]

1. need to replace the starboard bowlight. I am hoping this is a singular bulb replacement since the port side works well. is this a D&R marine find?
>>I used these as a replacement on my O'Day 25. It's nearly a perfect match. Holes were close enough that I didn't have to drill new ones. Use BedIT to seal everything. There's a guide on using this sealant on MarineHowTo.com

2. We want to remove our alcohol stove and utilize a coleman propane stove since we have the original alcohol stove. Has anyone done this and if so, what did you use to fill the space in your galley?
>>I've seen many people use butcher block to maintain counter space

5. Finally, my wife wants to rip out all the carpeting on the sidewalls of the cabin... as someone who hates carpet I am in favor of this but again am worried at the magnitude of this project. Has anyone else done this and if so, what did you replace it with?
>>I did this on my '25. It's tedious. I was impatient and ended up using an angle grinder to remove the leftover foam/glue on the wall. It makes short work but a huge mess. Dust will get everywhere if you use an angle grinder. You can use a stiff grill or welding brush. To each their own

The glue you use can make a big difference. 3M 77 and 90 have a very easy to control spray pattern but costs a fortune. I can lookup what I used if you'd like. It was OK. You have to be careful not to use too much or too little as wrinkles can occur.

The fabric that you use makes the biggest difference. I used some outdoor canvas with no backing and no stretch. The 25 has a stringer that runs the length of the hull. Getting the fabric around the ends of its complex curves was a nightmare. I spent four hours trying to get it to look good and in the end it still looked bad because the fabric didn't stretch. The fabric I used was thin and had no backing. This resulted in some wrinkles. If it had some stretch, I probably could have worked them out. If it had some backing, it wouldn't have been an issue in the first place (although tight curves wouldn't be possible)

In the end I used trim to hide imperfections. I believe I cut up the original trim to make it work

 

[Tally Ho]

Congratulations on your new boat.

I have a 1988 O’Day 322. A few answers from my perspective…

1) Remove the lens from the bow light and remove the dead bulb. Then you can find a match, maybe from D&R, or from an auto parts store. It depends on what sort of bulb it is.

2) What kind of stove is in the boat? Is it an Origo stove (with round canisters under the burners)? If so, these are safe stoves, but I had one on another boat and didn’t love it. There is a resale market for them, so you could sell it.

3) Removing a sink should not be too big of an ordeal, but working under any sink/counter is a pain, and more so on a boat. “Boat Yoga” comes to mind. You do need to be aware of how the drain is plumbed and if it is below the waterline. You will also need to terminate the water line(s) somehow.

4) I am not sure where your water tank is. On my O’Day 322, I have 2…one under each settee. I would imagine the tank you found is it. There may be storage under the V. There is on my 322. Interestingly, I removed one of my 30 gallon tanks because I didn’t need that much water and I needed the storage space. But I kept the tank in case I ever need to put it back in.

5) I just pulled some carpet out of my rear berth that was nasty. Pulling it out was not too bad, but it was well glued to the wall. It was hard to get the carpet out from under the portlight in my berth and out from behind the locker and other furniture. Once the carpet is out, you probably need to sand down all of the glue and carpet remnants. Wear a mask! My fiberglass is very rough and I can’t just paint it. I had to rebuild the shelf that was back there too. I am still looking for something to put back on the wall….vinyl headliner or something. I think that the trimming and getting behind various obstructions will be a pain



Greg