well now that I'm at the end of the season I have been thinking about the good the bad and the ugly. The good .... I have worked in the saiboat industry as a technician all year and have learned some pretty amazing things (most of which I can now experiement on with my boat) the 2005 O'Day Owner's "rOnDAYvous" was a HUGE success. I won a race or two ( hard to believe on an O'Day 28) I got a USCG liscence, I raced offshore (twice!!!) The bad .... my 150% genow shredded to pieces in July and I have been using a really small 100% high cut clewed jib (which STINKS here on the Hudson) my mainsail ripped on Sunday during my second to last race and I broke one of my companionway hatch boards.... these things will all be replaced. I was planning on a new genny anyways, and I wanted some new teak boards ( I wasn't on planning on a new main but what the hell....) The Ugly.... my OMC saildrive (which I really do love to death) seems to be dying a slow death. There are things that I now get concerned over (like it starting) the gaskets are old and I have water leak in the engine compartment when the motor runs, I worry that it is not reliable anymore. So I was looking at new diesel motors and wanted to know if 1. anyone has repowered their O'Day 28 (with the OMC) to a new diesel and 2. has anyone repowered with a Beta Marine Diesel (Kubota block). How do they run?? the cost seems much better than Yanmar and Volvo Penta. do you like the motor, etc. etc.... I'm probably going to baby my omc for another year (unless I win the lottery...which of course mean I am going out and buying the new J46) but this is something I am seriously considering......FYI I was almost thinking of selling my boat and buying up but I LOVE my boat and don't want to get another.
