Forgive me for what's probably a stupid question, but as a brand new sailor, can anyone give me an idea as to the maximum "safe" angle of heel for an Oday 22, or what's a "normal" angle when sailing? I'm never sure if I should feel unncomfortable because I'm not used to a boat heeling, or if I should feel uncomfortable because it's heeling too much!
Safe angle of heel
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15 degrees
15 degrees seems to be a standard answer to this question. Some boats can take more, but most boats sail best upright. You start to lose power past 15 degrees. It the wind is blowing you past 15 degrees, try reefing. You will find that your boat sails more upright, more comfortably and faster.
15 degrees seems to be a standard answer to this question. Some boats can take more, but most boats sail best upright. You start to lose power past 15 degrees. It the wind is blowing you past 15 degrees, try reefing. You will find that your boat sails more upright, more comfortably and faster.
Tenderly
The Oday 22 is, like all trailerable sailboats, "tender". That means she will heel to a greater angle and more quickly than fin or full keel boats. This is the inevitable result of the design compromises necessary to allow for the boat to be trailerable (shallow draft and less ballast carried higher to allow for the boat to be able to be hauled and launched from a trailer). That being said, the 22 is not unstable, just tender. In 15 knots of wind, you should be have the main reefed down. If you have any nervous sailors aboard, reef even sooner. The boat ain't going to tip over; the rudder will lose its hold on the water and you will round up into the wind before that happens. I have found that my Oday 23 sails fastest in about 15 knots of wind with the main reefed, the 135 genny out in full, and heeled at about 15 degrees. Any further heeling is just uncomfortable.
The Oday 22 is, like all trailerable sailboats, "tender". That means she will heel to a greater angle and more quickly than fin or full keel boats. This is the inevitable result of the design compromises necessary to allow for the boat to be trailerable (shallow draft and less ballast carried higher to allow for the boat to be able to be hauled and launched from a trailer). That being said, the 22 is not unstable, just tender. In 15 knots of wind, you should be have the main reefed down. If you have any nervous sailors aboard, reef even sooner. The boat ain't going to tip over; the rudder will lose its hold on the water and you will round up into the wind before that happens. I have found that my Oday 23 sails fastest in about 15 knots of wind with the main reefed, the 135 genny out in full, and heeled at about 15 degrees. Any further heeling is just uncomfortable.
I used to have a 22 swing keel
She was a Chrysler 22 with 900 pounds of swing keel and was a very forgiving boat. I'm not sure of the definition of "tender", but she would heel over in not very much wind. Albeit, she was very stable at those angles of heel. As far as what's "safe", I knew that a sailboat could heel at 30 degrees and sometimes more without flipping. That knowledge didn't do a lot for my comfort level at that kind of an angle. So, I learned to control my angle of heel by putting in a reef or two in the sail, feathering the mainsheet, etc. Once I'd been sailing for a while, the bigger angles of heel became more comfortable and more fun. Go with what your comfort level is and learn that you CAN control your boat and the amount of heel. One thing to remember is that a sailboat MUST heel somewhat. It's designed to do that. BTW, 180 degrees of heel is not safe.
She was a Chrysler 22 with 900 pounds of swing keel and was a very forgiving boat. I'm not sure of the definition of "tender", but she would heel over in not very much wind. Albeit, she was very stable at those angles of heel. As far as what's "safe", I knew that a sailboat could heel at 30 degrees and sometimes more without flipping. That knowledge didn't do a lot for my comfort level at that kind of an angle. So, I learned to control my angle of heel by putting in a reef or two in the sail, feathering the mainsheet, etc. Once I'd been sailing for a while, the bigger angles of heel became more comfortable and more fun. Go with what your comfort level is and learn that you CAN control your boat and the amount of heel. One thing to remember is that a sailboat MUST heel somewhat. It's designed to do that. BTW, 180 degrees of heel is not safe.
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Hi Paul; I have a Oday 22 centerboard and have had her on her beam ends in a knock down during a squall. She righted herselft fine once the load was released on the mainsail. The 22 will start to loose not only power but helm conrol when she starts to heel past around 20 to 25 degrees. The heel angle raises the lower end of the rudder up near the surface and there's no bite for the rudder. The lack of counter-effort of the rudder to balance the wind's point of force on the sails automatically makes the boat tend to turn upwind, thus turning the boat into the wind and luffing her. I have yet to hear of a 22 capsizing. Having sailed a few years on a Laser, I am well aware of wet sailing and getting dunked. I have known directly of masts coming down on these boats from deck hardpoints left untended over time. The 22 will luff up or stall out when heeled beyond her liking. She's tender, but forgiving. Fair Winds, Stu "Karakahl" 1979 O'day 22 CB
Hi Paul; I have a Oday 22 centerboard and have had her on her beam ends in a knock down during a squall. She righted herselft fine once the load was released on the mainsail. The 22 will start to loose not only power but helm conrol when she starts to heel past around 20 to 25 degrees. The heel angle raises the lower end of the rudder up near the surface and there's no bite for the rudder. The lack of counter-effort of the rudder to balance the wind's point of force on the sails automatically makes the boat tend to turn upwind, thus turning the boat into the wind and luffing her. I have yet to hear of a 22 capsizing. Having sailed a few years on a Laser, I am well aware of wet sailing and getting dunked. I have known directly of masts coming down on these boats from deck hardpoints left untended over time. The 22 will luff up or stall out when heeled beyond her liking. She's tender, but forgiving. Fair Winds, Stu "Karakahl" 1979 O'day 22 CB
Nock down, but no drag out.
I too have been in a nock down. We were enjoying a 2 knot day when a wall of wind caused be a close tornado hit us. The boat was an O'day 22 shoal keel. She had her main fully deployed and a Genoa 135 on a roller furling fully deployed. My wife was on the bow holding on to the pulpit (doing a Kate Winslet) and I was behin her with a foot on each toe rail. the boat was blown over instantly. You can say we were caught off guard. No one went in the water. The wind continued very strongly for 10 minutes or so. By 15 minutes is was tapering off. She went on her starboard beam and stayed there. The sail spilled their wind when it was all the way over. If the boom wasn't close hauled, it would have been in the water. The boat never headed up wind. Infact, we tride to heave to, but couln't. With the sails down, we headed with the wind at hull speed. Man we were moving. Every time we tried to turn into the wind, the wind would hit the side of the boat and push us over again. We just coulnd't get around fast enough for comfort. We finally got the six horse power motor started and got it around and got to the lee shore where we found protection from a cliff. My wife is still scared of healing over. I had her out on my boat on a nice day. We could have been doing hull speed and healing nicly, but she was white knucled at 10deg heel. My daughter loves 30deg or better. I get nervous at 30 deg, but I know better. You can't blow an O'day 22 over no matter what keel she has with just wind alone. It takes a series of wave to capsize it and that is with a capsize screen of 2.2. Imagine what it would be like with one well below 2? Sail safley, have little fear, but great respect. Been there heeled that.
I too have been in a nock down. We were enjoying a 2 knot day when a wall of wind caused be a close tornado hit us. The boat was an O'day 22 shoal keel. She had her main fully deployed and a Genoa 135 on a roller furling fully deployed. My wife was on the bow holding on to the pulpit (doing a Kate Winslet) and I was behin her with a foot on each toe rail. the boat was blown over instantly. You can say we were caught off guard. No one went in the water. The wind continued very strongly for 10 minutes or so. By 15 minutes is was tapering off. She went on her starboard beam and stayed there. The sail spilled their wind when it was all the way over. If the boom wasn't close hauled, it would have been in the water. The boat never headed up wind. Infact, we tride to heave to, but couln't. With the sails down, we headed with the wind at hull speed. Man we were moving. Every time we tried to turn into the wind, the wind would hit the side of the boat and push us over again. We just coulnd't get around fast enough for comfort. We finally got the six horse power motor started and got it around and got to the lee shore where we found protection from a cliff. My wife is still scared of healing over. I had her out on my boat on a nice day. We could have been doing hull speed and healing nicly, but she was white knucled at 10deg heel. My daughter loves 30deg or better. I get nervous at 30 deg, but I know better. You can't blow an O'day 22 over no matter what keel she has with just wind alone. It takes a series of wave to capsize it and that is with a capsize screen of 2.2. Imagine what it would be like with one well below 2? Sail safley, have little fear, but great respect. Been there heeled that.
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