I’m looking at an ODay 27. How hard is it to step the mast by hand? And how hard is it to launch and retrieve from the trailer? Would this be a decent boat to trailer if I was going to use it for weekends and gunkholing?
Oday 27 stepping the mast?
- Thread starter kendyoozed
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An O'Day 27 weighs in around 6700 pounds. Not a trailer sailer or trailerable boat. Its a mast head rig with an "I" dimension of 35 feet. Some more info here https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/oday-27. You want something smaller for weekend trailering around.
Could the owner have miss idientified the boat? They said the mast was raised and lowered by two people and it has a trailer.
Those are good questions for the previous owner. You might find this thread helpful on trailing sailboats:
Largest Trailerable Sailboats | Sailboat Owners Forums
From the owner's manual attached: Stepping the Mast This will have to be done with the assistance of a crane. Open the turnbuckles at ends of stays to full open position. When mast is in position, attach the stays to their chainplates, with clevis pin and cotter ring (See Fig.) and proceed to attach Sidestays, both uppers and lowers, to the side chainplates. The lower Sidestays that run up to the spreader bases are attached to the forward and aft chainplates, while the upper Sidestays running from the top of the mast are attached to the middle chainplates (See Fig.). Attach the back- stay to the stern chainplate on the transom with the clevis pin and cotter ring. Attach the Headstay to the bow stem fitting (See Fig.). After all stays are securely attached, take the slack out of the rigging and tighten. With the mast plumb (in a vertical position), the Headstay, Backstay, the two upper Sidestays, should he tightened 3-5 turns more than hand tight. Lowers should be hand tight. After the stays have been adjusted, insert the cotter pins in the holes provided in the turnbuckles and bend over the ends to keep them from falling out. This will prevent the turnbuckles from unwinding. To be on the safe side, we strongly recommend that you wire and tape the turnbuckles so they will not unwind.
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Possible but, that is a question for them. I had a O'Day 25 and that pretty much needed a crane to get in the water though, with the shoal keel it all depended on the ramp. We did raise and lower the mast once without a crane and it was a bit, sketchy though, a lot of 25 owners do it. I wouldn't recommend a 25 or an O'Day due to water intrusion issues but, that has been discussed quite alot across various forums.
I sail an O'Day 272 (1986-Water Music) and I can attest to the effort needed to step and secure this mast. After several years of using multiple systems we are now leaving the mast up over the winter. It requires several strong individuals and nearly quiet wind, even with mechanical advantage. She weighs in at 4870, including an 1870 lb fixed winged keel (35" draft) and the mast height is 34' 10" DWL. So, we love this boat as she sails wonderfully in light or heavy weather, although I wouldn't describe her as easy to trailer and set up for daysailing or gunkholing. We keep Water Music in a slip all summerI am not certain how the 272 compares with a 27, although I would think quite similarly.
might be actually a 272, one clue would be the Year, 27 was built from 1973-78, the 272 from 1986-89. They are really 2 VERY different boats, with the 27 being much closer to the 28 in design (though, again, not the same boat and different designers, 27 was an Alan Gurney Design, the 28 was a C. Raymond Hunt Associates Design) The 272 was "trailerable", but not like say, a 25 or 26, Even with her 2'11" draft, she was over 5000# and 9'0" wide. Mast was hinged on some of the 272s, but still a big job to step/unstep.
The 27 could be put on a trailer, but is not "trailerable" with a 4'0" draft (some had 5'0"), 9'0" beam, and 6800# weight. plus the mast could only be stepped by crane (or some heavy-duty owner-built hinge and tackle).
The 27 could be put on a trailer, but is not "trailerable" with a 4'0" draft (some had 5'0"), 9'0" beam, and 6800# weight. plus the mast could only be stepped by crane (or some heavy-duty owner-built hinge and tackle).
