I recently purchased 1977 25ft O'day sailboat. I am a first time owner and have a lot to learn. My first questions is regarding the power and electronics. Does this model come shore power ready? It doesn't seem to, but I am not sure. It has a battery, but doesn't appear to have an ability to recharge or a visible connection to shore power. Any help on this would be appreciated.
Shore Power
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If you have an inboard engine on this boat, maybe it has a generator. My 1999 8 hp Johnson outboard has a charging unit that seems to keep my 100 Amp hour battery up. As far as I know, O'Day didn't furnish shore power provisions to these boats. Are you planning on putting it on a slip or a mooring? I prefer a mooring myself. At our club the guys usually run a long electric cord down the dock to a small battery charger on the boat. I've don't this at times.
Myself, I try to use very little power on board. I run a tiller autopilot most of the time and I turn on my VHF radio occasionally when I need to open or close a drawbridge.
I no longer do much night sailing which can use a lot of power depending on how many hours I leave my running lights on.
I always keep a "C" battery type radio on board and as far as interior lights are concerned, I use"AAA" battery type LED lights.
If you don't have any form of charging unit on board you may want to think about purchasing a solar charger for your boat. I've been able to get away without one myself and I usually do at least two overnighters a week on my boat in the summer. You may want to talk to someone in your area who is familiar with these boats and have him check it out and give you the scoop.
Myself, I try to use very little power on board. I run a tiller autopilot most of the time and I turn on my VHF radio occasionally when I need to open or close a drawbridge.
I no longer do much night sailing which can use a lot of power depending on how many hours I leave my running lights on.
I always keep a "C" battery type radio on board and as far as interior lights are concerned, I use"AAA" battery type LED lights.
If you don't have any form of charging unit on board you may want to think about purchasing a solar charger for your boat. I've been able to get away without one myself and I usually do at least two overnighters a week on my boat in the summer. You may want to talk to someone in your area who is familiar with these boats and have him check it out and give you the scoop.
It appears the 25's have a very basic DC electrical system. Mine does. Running lights, a steaming light, compass light and four cabin lights. Mine has only the switch panel, not even a battery switch but it might have had one at one time. My outboard charges the single battery and it appears to be enough for daysailing and occasional late evenings.
I like my O'day 25 because the electrical/mechanical systems are simple. Adding shore power will only complicate things.
And when the admiral decides to stay on the boat and wants AC, TV etc, I may have an excuse to move up to a bigger boat which does has shore power.
I like my O'day 25 because the electrical/mechanical systems are simple. Adding shore power will only complicate things.
And when the admiral decides to stay on the boat and wants AC, TV etc, I may have an excuse to move up to a bigger boat which does has shore power.
Thanks to both of for your help. I like the idea of running a drop cord when docked and then getting a battery charger (solar or otherwise) to help maintain the battery life.
That's the way to go, believe me. A few years ago I replaced the charging cable on my outboard with a #10 copper stranded duplex marine cable. I made it long enough to enter into a small outlet hole in my inner transom and wind around inside to a terminal block which I mounted on a bulkhead just under the cover of my lazarett hatch. I used two crimp on type eye connectors at the ends of the wires. Then I made up another cable from the term board to the battery. This to me, is a better electrical connection than a regular marine type outlet and plug. I screwed a mouse pad over the block to insulate it.
I have an 8" Beckson deck plate in the center of my inside transom which makes it easy to get access to this wire twice a year when I mount my outboard on the transom in the spring and remove it in the fall. I can also gain access to my cockpit self bailing hose and my gudgions if need be. It's a great set up.
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Depends
If you're going to be spending a lot of time in marinas, then shore power is a nice thing to have. But if you're spending most of your time on a mooring, then it's less important. My old boat didn't have shore power or an alternator on the outboard, and since I was always on a mooring, I got by fine with just a small 10W solar panel. The "new" boat came with shorepower and its awfully nice to pull into a marina, plug the power in and not worry about draining the batteries when using the fans consistently, plugging in the minifridge (note that I didn't add this, it was already installed), or using other electronics. If I haven't been running the engine, then I can recharge the batteries while at the dock. Still, I probably wouldn't add shorepower if it weren't already in place given that I still spend most of my time on the mooring.
Dave
s/v Lagniappe
O'Day 25
If you're going to be spending a lot of time in marinas, then shore power is a nice thing to have. But if you're spending most of your time on a mooring, then it's less important. My old boat didn't have shore power or an alternator on the outboard, and since I was always on a mooring, I got by fine with just a small 10W solar panel. The "new" boat came with shorepower and its awfully nice to pull into a marina, plug the power in and not worry about draining the batteries when using the fans consistently, plugging in the minifridge (note that I didn't add this, it was already installed), or using other electronics. If I haven't been running the engine, then I can recharge the batteries while at the dock. Still, I probably wouldn't add shorepower if it weren't already in place given that I still spend most of my time on the mooring.
Dave
s/v Lagniappe
O'Day 25
Hi Dave!
Myself, I love a mooring. Last year the club added some new slips to our docks and they're charging a $900 flat rate for them for the season which is pretty cheap money I think. With that said though, I'd still take a mooring over a slip. The largest boats in our club are about 27' long and the rest are smaller.
Usually, slips are hard to get in and out of depending on current and wind conditions. A lot of sailors get slips in large marinas that may have boats which are in the 30 and 40' range. An owner of a smaller boat on a slip will in time develop "big boat-itis" or maybe, "keeping up with the Joneses." When this happens, you're stuck with a large cottage on the slip that needs a crew to sail and is too much of a hassle to get out of the slip.
But then on the other hand, (four thumbs and a finger) If you have a mooring and a kayak or a dinghy to get out to it, you can motor up to the club dock and load up gear and guests and be off sailing in a jiffy. I practice sailing off my mooring to the dock or sailing to the club dock or to my mooring from my trips out in the bay. It's great practice. The important thing is, you're out sailing and you're not hanging out at the club dock.
Sail to a favorite cove with good holding ground, drop the hook and hang out there. You can read a book, cook up some grub, or paddle to shore in the kayak with the pooch and go beach combing.
Do an overnighter in that cozy nook and the next day, do it over again.
I usually have a couple of scented candles burning in the cabin and a LED light for reading. You really don't need to use your house battery power that much. At least, I don't. I save my power for my autopilot and that thing runs on milliamps. This is where it's at, believe me.
Myself, I love a mooring. Last year the club added some new slips to our docks and they're charging a $900 flat rate for them for the season which is pretty cheap money I think. With that said though, I'd still take a mooring over a slip. The largest boats in our club are about 27' long and the rest are smaller.
Usually, slips are hard to get in and out of depending on current and wind conditions. A lot of sailors get slips in large marinas that may have boats which are in the 30 and 40' range. An owner of a smaller boat on a slip will in time develop "big boat-itis" or maybe, "keeping up with the Joneses." When this happens, you're stuck with a large cottage on the slip that needs a crew to sail and is too much of a hassle to get out of the slip.
But then on the other hand, (four thumbs and a finger)
If you have a mooring and a kayak or a dinghy to get out to it, you can motor up to the club dock and load up gear and guests and be off sailing in a jiffy. I practice sailing off my mooring to the dock or sailing to the club dock or to my mooring from my trips out in the bay. It's great practice. The important thing is, you're out sailing and you're not hanging out at the club dock. Sail to a favorite cove with good holding ground, drop the hook and hang out there. You can read a book, cook up some grub, or paddle to shore in the kayak with the pooch and go beach combing.
Do an overnighter in that cozy nook and the next day, do it over again.
I usually have a couple of scented candles burning in the cabin and a LED light for reading. You really don't need to use your house battery power that much. At least, I don't. I save my power for my autopilot and that thing runs on milliamps. This is where it's at, believe me.
Hey Joe -
Good to hear from you. I also like the mooring and am not interested in a slip at this point. Anchoring out is great, but when I'm harbor hopping on the Wisconsin side of Lake Michigan, there aren't a lot of options for anchoring out until you get up into Green Bay. You're pretty exposed from all but westerlies. The Michigan side is another story as they have quite a few inland lakes connected to Lake Michigan and if I'm not mistaken, you can anchor out on those lakes with no problems. I do love anchoring when I get up to Green Bay and I try to conserve power in those situations but I do have quite a few things that draw power (cabin lights although they are now LED's), outside running lights and steaming lights (for the occasional night sail), anchor light (One of those Davis LED's that I run up the mast), the VHF when underway on Lake Michigan, stereo (I sometimes like music when sailing), and the autopilot. The key is to manage the power consumption. I've got a bank of two batteries, plus there is an alternator on the motor so they typically don't get discharged. Just in case, I've got a couple of spares on-board, and I've also got one of those portable batteries for starting the motor if needed.
All in all, it's all about individual preferences and with the availability of good LED's, it's pretty easy to manage power consumption even when away from the dock. Things are looking up. It will get into the double-digits tomorrow here in Milwaukee, the days are getting longer (we get a lot of additional sunlight in Feb., Mar. and Apr.), and assuming I keep to my schedule, I expect to launch in about 5 months.
Dave
s/v Lagniappe
O'Day 25
Good to hear from you. I also like the mooring and am not interested in a slip at this point. Anchoring out is great, but when I'm harbor hopping on the Wisconsin side of Lake Michigan, there aren't a lot of options for anchoring out until you get up into Green Bay. You're pretty exposed from all but westerlies. The Michigan side is another story as they have quite a few inland lakes connected to Lake Michigan and if I'm not mistaken, you can anchor out on those lakes with no problems. I do love anchoring when I get up to Green Bay and I try to conserve power in those situations but I do have quite a few things that draw power (cabin lights although they are now LED's), outside running lights and steaming lights (for the occasional night sail), anchor light (One of those Davis LED's that I run up the mast), the VHF when underway on Lake Michigan, stereo (I sometimes like music when sailing), and the autopilot. The key is to manage the power consumption. I've got a bank of two batteries, plus there is an alternator on the motor so they typically don't get discharged. Just in case, I've got a couple of spares on-board, and I've also got one of those portable batteries for starting the motor if needed.
All in all, it's all about individual preferences and with the availability of good LED's, it's pretty easy to manage power consumption even when away from the dock. Things are looking up. It will get into the double-digits tomorrow here in Milwaukee, the days are getting longer (we get a lot of additional sunlight in Feb., Mar. and Apr.), and assuming I keep to my schedule, I expect to launch in about 5 months.
Dave
s/v Lagniappe
O'Day 25
Hi Dave,
Good to hear from you too. I'm very familiar with your O'Day 25 from the pics and info you sent me. I know you have a lot of goodies on board.
I can imagine that there are a lot of areas on that lake that are wide open to the elements and you're always better off finding a safe mooring or dock to lay over for the night. Anchoring is fun but as I found out last year, you can be anchored in what you think is a safe snug cove and have a fierce gale come up all of a sudden from a different direction and find your boat washed on the shore.
It's true though that you need to manage the power consumption. I guess you're boat is set up to do just that.
I'm like you. I like to listen to the tunes on my radio while I'm sailing.
Years ago I used to bring some of my Linda Ronstadt/ Nelson Riddle tapes with me and play them over and over. I still love listening to all those old jazz standards that she did with him. I had another tape by Larry Carlton that I enjoyed listening to.
It's been cold here, South of Boston. We had a light snow last night. Hopefully we won't get too much more of that.
After we're clear of this miserable month it will be all down hill. I hope!
Joe
My ODay 272 didn't have shore power and since I'm in a slip I wanted to take advantage of the free (included in dock fee) electric. The first year I purchase a 30Amp to 110 converter at westmarine and ran extention cords to charge my battery and listen to tunes at the dock.
The next year I purchased this system to retrofit shore power onto my boat http://www.ezacdc.com/boat-wiring-products/marine-electrical-shore-power/
It seemed expensive until I started pricing out the parts. It also stopped any concern that I wired everything correctly and safely.
It was an easy install and now the system looks factory installed.
The next year I purchased this system to retrofit shore power onto my boat http://www.ezacdc.com/boat-wiring-products/marine-electrical-shore-power/
It seemed expensive until I started pricing out the parts. It also stopped any concern that I wired everything correctly and safely.
It was an easy install and now the system looks factory installed.
electrical systems oday 25
I have owned my 1977 oday 25 for one year now and really like it. I kept her slipped last season, but my docks have no shore power, because the docks are pulled out of the lake in late october, before it freezes. The very first thing I did the day I brought her home, I ripped out all the 12 volt wiring, except for the wiring in the cabin top for the lights. I made up a harness, and ran from the batteries, through fuses and then to the switches over the icebox area, then the stereo, etc. etc. I ran three extra pairs for future expansion. It already had a marine male plug, 30 amp 125 volt liquid tight connection on starboard side. the po ran romex to several outlets, and it looks ok, so I tried it out and ran a heater this past fall when I overnighted a few times on the permanent docks and it was great. I am putting a window ac in the cabin this spring and am planning on getting a honda 2000i generator. I have yet to install a solar charger I got last summer, but I may skip that since I will have the honda gen. We anchored out many times, untill the heat made it impossible, this summer I will be ready. The oday 25 seems to be a great small boat, I like it much better than my mac 25 I owned. It also came with roller furling, and an assym spinnaker I used this summer.. I love the atn snuffer I bought for it and I can handle it by myself I also ran the main halyard and reefing lines to the cockpit, so I can pretty much stay in the cockpit while sailing except for the spinnaker lines.It appears the 25's have a very basic DC electrical system. Mine does. Running lights, a steaming light, compass light and four cabin lights. Mine has only the switch panel, not even a battery switch but it might have had one at one time. My outboard charges the single battery and it appears to be enough for daysailing and occasional late evenings.
I like my O'day 25 because the electrical/mechanical systems are simple. Adding shore power will only complicate things.
And when the admiral decides to stay on the boat and wants AC, TV etc, I may have an excuse to move up to a bigger boat which does has shore power.
It had two panels, one had an oday label on it so I thinks it was original, with fuses next to the rocker switch, a couple were burned and melted on the back so I did not wire them, I have about 10 switches. When I rewired the boat I installed new style fuse blocks, and then went to their prospective rocker switch. I have had no problems. I then switched out all the interior lights with led type to get more mileage out of my two group 27 batteries, and yesterday I got my new mast head light off ebay. It is an old perko one which was never used and in the original box. Seems like it is well made with chromed metal not plastic. I will replace those two bulbs with leds. I also wired the spreader lights independently. I am glad I did that because they are so bright, that I cant see above them. I usually just turn on one when I set the hook or take down the sails. I have a real nice dodger for it but I want a bimini. Know where I could get one?
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