Fin or centerboard?
I have a '79 O'Day 23 with a keel/centerboard. The previous posts are right on; when I was looking for a boat, I wanted a keel/centerboard boat. I thought it represented the best compromise between performance, safety and convenience. I must admit, I like the idea of being able to avoid grounding by raising the board.However, after sailing her for a season, I think that advantage is not as great as I thought. The 23, and I imagine the 25 as well, is a tender boat, made more so by the keel/centerboard arrangement. Heeling doesn't bother me, but it tends to make my wife and young children a little nervous. I might be willing to trade the centerboard convenience for the additional stability of a fin keel now.As to maintenance and reliability, my centerboard stuck twice before I figured out a cheap and easy way to free it (a four foot steel rod inserted into the pennant hole).Good luck.