oday 28' owners

[Dragon Fly]

[
about to purchase an 28' oday 1984.
2 questions:
1. 10 h.p. universal diesel enough power? 2cyl. seems small ?
2. any oil canning issues or structural hull issues or?? issues
i ought to know before i put my money down.
she's a real clean well cared for 28' I would be sailing the coastal Maine
and down to the icw for points south. she's shallow draft, a real plus for tropical waters.
If u can: send word soon?
steve.
thanks.

 

[Stu Jackson]

The engine will be just fine for local sailing down your way.

 

[Davidasailor26]

Steve,

My parents are the original owners of a 1985 28 that I pretty much grew up learning to sail on. It's a great boat that after all these years is still as sound as the day it came out of the factory. I've never felt it was underpowered, although most of our motoring is through a very sheltered river to get to the bay. Half throttle is generally enough to get pretty good speed in those conditions. Structurally I like the design more than many manufacturers in the sense that the load of the primary shrouds (uppers and aft lowers) is carried by stainless rods to the pan, rather than being held by chainplates in rot-prone bulkheads. The forward lowers are anchored in the deck itself, which is an area that seems to deflect on many of these boats (including my parents), so watch that there is no water intrusion into the core there. Over all the years, the only costly repairs I can remember are the exhaust elbow, engine water pumps, and fuel tank replacement. Not bad for 27 years in a salt water environment. For the most part, I have nothing but good things to say about the boat, although I guess I may be biased. Good luck!

-David

 

[Dragon Fly]

thanks so much david that helps.

Steve,

My parents are the original owners of a 1985 28 that I pretty much grew up learning to sail on. It's a great boat that after all these years is still as sound as the day it came out of the factory. I've never felt it was underpowered, although most of our motoring is through a very sheltered river to get to the bay. Half throttle is generally enough to get pretty good speed in those conditions. Structurally I like the design more than many manufacturers in the sense that the load of the primary shrouds (uppers and aft lowers) is carried by stainless rods to the pan, rather than being held by chainplates in rot-prone bulkheads. The forward lowers are anchored in the deck itself, which is an area that seems to deflect on many of these boats (including my parents), so watch that there is no water intrusion into the core there. Over all the years, the only costly repairs I can remember are the exhaust elbow, engine water pumps, and fuel tank replacement. Not bad for 27 years in a salt water environment. For the most part, I have nothing but good things to say about the boat, although I guess I may be biased. Good luck!

-David

thanks david that helps ! steve

 

[Dragon Fly]

David, this is the best kept 84 oday I've seen , no crazing or spider cracks or stress cracks or fading. a bit oncerned about 10 h.p. but if she does hull speed at 1800rpm's i'm happy.
sails are great, jib almost new; taking shake down sail tomorrow.. we'll see how she handles.
thanks
steve.

 

[Dragon Fly]

The engine will be just fine for local sailing down your way.

thanks stew ! i've sailed boat's with 22 and 30 h.p. before,
so if this pushes her along at around 6k, i'm happy !
thanks
steve

 

[Dragon Fly]

The engine will be just fine for local sailing down your way. "quote"
Shake down cruise and motoring, the boat performed wonderfully.
motoring at 1800 rpm we had hull speed easily.
she's capable of 3600 rpm max.
The fog rolled in and we were lost for a while on the mid-maine coast
but the hand held gps brought us home doing around 7k under sail.
She seems just the right size at 28', not big not small; seems beamy
and spacious below for a 28. And the shoal draft suggests she' be in tropical waters if i have any thing to say about it.
I see good sailing on my horizon!
thanks
steve

 

[skisil]

I too own an '85 Oday 28 and it's a great boat. The engine has plenty of power and sips fuel. It will run all day at 2K RPMs at 5.5kn. Interior is spacious for a 28 although more than 2 adults is a squeeze. Quarter birth is mostly used for storage. It sails extremely well with little weather helm up to about 15kn wind. I have wheel steering and fin keel and it almost sails itself. I single hand about 50% of the time and although my halyards are NOT led back, still find it a pleasure. The only structural change I would like to see is a little more cockpit room, which would obviously compromise the cabin.

 

[Dragon Fly]

skisil
thanks !
the cockpit is smaller i admit, but i'm not buying this boat for entertaining.
ooe enought for 2 folks. My boat has extra wenches in cockpit added for sgl. handing
all sails. While she's short on storage for cruising, coastal cruising ought to be ok.
exapmpl there's no hanging locker and small drawers to stash stuff.
But for the size, 28' and the condition of the boat asnd the price, i'm delighted to be sailing again/
thanks for replying

 

[Dragon Fly]

ode for a true guage?

The engine will be just fine for local sailing down your way.

stu;
engine IS
just fine !! but
temp. guage in cockpit looks to be original 84, and sometimes she gives indication of running hot, sometimes stucks in place till engine is re started.
is there a sending unit to the guage and if it needs replacing, where might
i find one???
appreciate your reply
steve

 

[Davidasailor26]

Steve,

What do you mean by the gauge seeming stuck? The normal behavior is that whatever the gauge reads when you turn the key off, it will continue to stay at until the key is turned on again. Also, how hot does it say it is getting?

-David

 

[Dragon Fly]

guys:
long story shortened:
replaced the heat gauge in the cockpit, removed thermostat, added antifreeze to h/water heater hoses till it overflowed at filler; removed/replaced heat sending unit; still overheating.!!!~ burped the engine, no help really, only slight improvment.
then a friend mechanic came to help. said the engine model #12, wasn't overheating; the sending unit i bought wasn't sending correct readings due to ohm's or compatibaly with gauge..
reinstalled the old sending unit and the temp dropped significantly on the new gauge to about 160*- 170*.
So false info being sent suggesting overheating. seems ok at the moment, but need to take her out for a run when weather improves here onj the mid-coast.
thanks all for advice and suggestions.