Offshore O'Day 302 ?

[seadog]

GET THIS! My wife pointed me towards an online boat! Seems she liked the 'open' feeling of the cabin. After I got back up off the floor I checked out the URL, found it to be a 302. I know nothing of the O'Day make, other than some of the older hulls seemed, well, shall we say equipped with generous freeboard and rather light.

What are your experiences & thoughts of a 302 in chop, large rollers, and/or twenty knots? (In other words, 'offshore') I've read the knowledge base reviews posted elsewhere on this site... Helpfull, and looking for more!

 

[31seahorse]

How far is "Offshore"?

We will probably never sail in a true offshore setting, but my wife and I have both become better sailers while handling an O'Day 30 and 34. Both boats were heavier and more dependable than the Irwin 31 we sailed for 4 years. Irwin - 9300lb; O'Day 30 - 10,500lb; and O'Day 34 - 11,500lb. While those are not "heavy" boats the weight is more than we had sailed earlier.

Both boats have taken us safely through 20 - 25 knot winds, and they have carried us through, into, and over 4 ft waves. My wife has become very comfortable at the helm, and that translates into lots of sailing time.

The interior comfort of each boat is adequate. We spent 12 days on the 30 cruising from Ft Myers to Marathon and back. We spent 8 days on the 34 in the upper Chesapeake.

Where do you plan to sail? Does keel depth make a difference? Have you sailed on a boat similar to the one your wife discovered? How much time do you plan to spend on the boat? What are your sailing skills, and what are your wife's sailing skills? Will you and your wife be the only crew available to handle the boat? Those questions will probably lead you to a particular boat too.

Best Wishes, Phil

 

[seadog]

Re: How far is "Offshore"?

Thanks for your insight Phil.. The 302 seems to me to be a boat best suited for protected waters and occasional coastal sailing near ports of refuge. On the one hand, I like its shallow draft resulting from the wing keel for our local, very tidal shallows. On the other hand, it is likely too shallow a keel for offshore. I thought the boat might be capable of spanning the entire boat curve for us... shallow service in a weekender capacity followed eventually by adventures further afield.
As the boat market becomes softer I've concluded that it is possible to purchase a gently used inexpensive weekender cheaply, use it for three years and sell again without too much loss. The follow on craft to be more suitable to longer excursions offshore if they actually are to take place.

 

[JOEPUT]

I sail my Oday 30 on Block Sound as well out to Marthas Vineyard with no problems, The best off shore small boat I have owned

 

[Larry14133]

O'Day 302

I keep an ODay 302 on Lake Champlain. I have sailed it in 20 to 30 kt winds and it is wicked fun. The boat handles the the chop well. Seams to be very solid boat.

 

[Capn Pete]

I'm on my second O'day (a 272LE, now a 322) and I've found them both to be pleasingly stiff in a blow. (God, does that ever smack of double-entendre!) My 322, very similar in design to the 302, handles 20 knots with no problems. I don't think I've ever bothered to reef the sails at "only" 20 knots. As for handling chop and/or large rollers, I think a lot of it has to do with the helmsman as much as the boat. Any boat that falls off the edge of a wave is going to slam hard, but if you can manage to drive it at a decent angle to the waves, you'll probably minimize the impact. I'd much rather pitch in a heavy sea than slam -- it feels better to me, and I'm sure to the boat as well.

FYI, the 322 displaces just over 11,000 pounds, with a 4-foot-2 draft and 10-foot-6 beam. I've sailed my boat down the Jersey Coast in the teeth of late-autumn weather, with no adverse effects. I keep wondering if she'd make it to Bermuda -- although for a trip liike that, I'd start by having the rigging professionally inspected, and probably replace the stock portlights with something a little more rugged.

I can't see how you'd be unhappy with a 302.

Pete
s/v EmmieLou (O-322)
Little Silver, NJ

 

[Juggernaut]

I started a thread on another board. Apparently an O'Day 34 won the Newport - Bermuda race a few years back. I can't confirm this yet, but the source is reliable.

 

[Joan/Bill]

O' day versus O'Day 302

I sail my Oday 30 on Block Sound as well out to Marthas Vineyard with no problems, The best off shore small boat I have owned

What the difference between the two boats?

 

[rajhnsn]

I can't speak to the 302 but my 35 has handled large ocean rollers, steep inlet rollers that looked to be as tall as a house and sustained 25+ knts in the Chesapeake that created a 3 to 4 foot chop for seven hours. The boat has handled these conditions extremely well. On the other hand, I have been in a 25+ on the Chesapeake in a Catalina 36 MkII that did nothing but slam and soak everyone. The 34/35 will probably better suit your needs if you are planning to do coastal cruising. I don't doubt that the 302 could handle these conditions however.