O'Day 30 Cradle size

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Apr 28, 2009
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Oday 30 Beaverton
We have acquired a 1978 O'DAy 30 with a swing keel. We now need a cradle for it. Does anyone have dimensions or the size of cradle that will work for this boat. We have the opportunity to purchase a steel cradl that was used for another 30 ft sailboat (don't know what kind) How will I know if this will work?
 
Jan 24, 2005
4,881
Oday 222 Dighton, Ma.
We have acquired a 1978 O'DAy 30 with a swing keel. We now need a cradle for it. Does anyone have dimensions or the size of cradle that will work for this boat. We have the opportunity to purchase a steel cradl that was used for another 30 ft sailboat (don't know what kind) How will I know if this will work?
You won't know if it will work unless you can have the boat lifted and put on boat stands temporarily. The O'Day 30 is a keel/centerboard and chances are that the cradle you're thinking of buying was built for a full keel sailboat which means that you'll probably need to shore up under the keel of the O'Day to support it. If the boat that this cradle was built for was a Bristol which has a more narrow hull than the O'Day, you can't really be sure that it will fit width wise. I really don't know what you have in mind for a cradle. Is the boat close by? Are you planning on getting it with a low bed trailer? Why not have it put on stands and build a cradle out of wood? Why not have it hauled to your house by a boat hauler and have them put it on stands? I'm trying to understand your intentions and what you plan on doing when you get the cradle.
 
Apr 28, 2009
11
Oday 30 Beaverton
Thank you Trinka for your response. We have the boat at our marina. We spent a very eventful week sailing it from Northern Georgian Bay to Lake Simcoe. We are at a small marina with no lift. In the fall they hire a crane to haul the boats out and set them on their cradles. The cradles are transported to the "loading" area with a hydraulic trailer. The cradle has to be a steel cradle capable of holding and supporting the boat as it is transported to its winter home, only 100 or so feet away. The cradle is then set on blocks. So we have a very strict deadline as the crane is only there for one day and when he leaves it will be very expensive to get him back and ours will be the only boat sitting in the water waiting for the ice to set in for 6 months.
We will need to be very close to correct with the cradle as we will only have a short time to set it on and adjust the pads, the other boats will be waiting (lots of pressure here)
We have a lead on a cradle that was used for a C&C or CS 33. It was a full keel boat but the cradle is a folding one. We could remove the posts and fairly easily cut them to size to fit the Oday. The problem is knowing what size. If I had dimensions for the hull and the dimensions of the cradle I could calculate/estimate where the pads will meet the hull when the keel is sitting on the cradle. I could even have some extra wood available to put under the keel if the posts are still a little high. So I guess the questions is how high do I make the pads/posts. I will be looking at the cradle on Wednesday and take some measurements. Hopefully I can get some feedback from others as to the proper post height.

 
Jan 24, 2005
4,881
Oday 222 Dighton, Ma.
The only thing I could suggest is to mount adjustable poppets on the cradle if they'll let you do that. One of my friends has an O'Day 30, but it's in the water right now. I don't think he has a cradle for it. The marina where it's at, moves them and puts them on boat stands with the masts up in the off season. Good luck!
 
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