I have A 1988 O’Day 322 (hull #159). Yes it is a concern, but not necessarily a reason not to buy one of these boats.
i knew about the keel concerns when I bought my 322. I had the boat hauled out just for a below the waterline inspection and told the surveyor about my interest in the keel.
He found no items of concern, and I bought the boat…that was 6 years ago.
I torqued the 3 large bolts ( can’t find a socket yet that is deep enough for the smaller one). And I will check them again this winter.
If I keep my 322 in retirement ( I do have dreams of a 37-footer of some kind), I will probably drop the keel as
@Voyager1 did. That would give good access to inspect the fiberglass thickness and layup in the stub (which I think has been the reason for the keel failure). The theory is that the quality of the boats built towards the end of the receivership period was poor. Checking the bolts and rebedding the keel should give some peace of mind.
I do not baby my O’Day 322 and take her out in some challenging Lake Michigan seas because I am confident in her ability to bring me home safely.
But, I would not sail her on the open ocean…
Search for the poster The Tanqueray. He did an exhaustive review and inspection on his O’Day 322 to prepare to take her to the Caribbean.
Greg