Looking to buy an O'Day

[Lou illiano]

Hello, I stumbled across this forum while researching an O'day 28. I am looking at a boat which has been on the hard since 2006. It is currently on a cradle, and the starboard hull has been pushed in by the cradle. The yard man says this is no big thing, that it will pop right out when it is off the cradle. Any thoughts?

I started looking for a 25, and am up to a 28 because of the number of boats offered for sale. I am looking at a 30 for about the same price as the 28. The 28 seems big, as I currently sail a 22. The 30 seems HUGE! Is there much difference between a 28 and a 30? I know it 's about 24 inches, but sailing qualities, maintenance etc. can there be that much difference?
I've been sailing the Navesink and a couple of excursions to Raritan Bay, All day sails. I'd like to do some coastal cruising in the area. None of the numbers seem dramatic. 6" of draft, 4' in mast height etc. Thanks,
Lou

[John]

Lou,

I bought my Oday 30 three years ago. I started looking at 28s and soon fell in love with the 30. The only real difference that I noticed was the amount of space in the v-berth and salon. The 30 just had more space, so if you are going to be bringing others along for overnights, the 30 offers more living quarters. Its probably not as nimble as the the 28 but its a pretty stable cruiser. My 30 sails wonderfully and handles well even in heavy weather. I'm actually thinking about moving up to a boat in mid 30's.

[Terri]

Hi Lou, I've only been sailing for five years and now own a boat. On the pushed in hull done by the cradle...maybe it's just me but I'd be looking at another boat. When looking for boat's I asked a surveyor what I shouldn't look at. He said be very careful of the older O'days. Squishy decks. I've never heard of a hull " popping back out"....i could be wrong..but don't think they do. On the going up a few sizes...if u can handle a 22' you'll be able to handle a 30'. I bought a 25' as a first boat and wish I had gone 30' now. Yeah they all look huge outta the water..and even huger when you're rounding the bend aiming for the first time at your slip...but gets easier. As for mtce. probably about the same, easier money wise if u do most yourself. If in a slip and storing at marina...$$$$$ up per foot. Depends on if you're gonna daysail or spend days and weekends on.... go for the 30' and you'll be satisfied for a few years..until you want the 43'.... good luck, Terri

[George Boase]

Hello Lou,
I have a 25 and you just gave the reason my boat never spends more than a week on the hard. NO it will NOT just "pop out." My boat stays in the water all the time except for bottom maintenance once every two years. A boat is designed for the water not a cradle. A cradle if not set up exactly right will warp the hull. Staying wet is the only way to insure proper support all the time. Another note is that wet winter storage is cheaper too. Another plus.

The biggest difference in cost is (as Terri mentioned) the cost of dockage. Those extra feet really add up when renting your dock space for the season. If you take a lot of small weekend trips, transient rates can get pretty steep as well.

Over all characteristics of sailing a 25 or a 30 are minor. Hull, keel and rigging design are the biggest factors there. A friend of mine has a smaller boat than mine. It has a full keel and a totally different rig. I swear it handles more like a 40 than a 24 foot. Slow to respond, needs a stiff wind to move along, but a soft ride and great in weather.

As long as both boats have the same keel, hull and sail configuration you won't notice a lot of difference in how they handle. The bigger boat, being heavier, will of course be more comfortable in a choppy sea and the interior room is always nice to have. Back in late September I spent two full weeks aboard without leaving the boat once. I can tell you that I really wished I had that bigger boat after about the first week. I think after three weeks on board, the Queen Mary would have felt cramped.

With boat prices dropping like a rock, I'd take advantage of the situation and go for the most boat you can afford to dock and maintain. I've seen some 40s and 50s selling for what my 25 used to sell for. I found a Gulfstar 36 the other day for $18,000 and recently a 32 Downeaster for $19,000. We're about to become full time live aboard cruisers so we're looking at boats from 36 - 50 feet right now.

Go for it. Size DOES matter!

George Boase

[Lou illiano]

Thank you all for the quick and honest responses. I bought my current boat, a MacGregor Venture 2-22 because it was cheap, $500.00,. I was terrified of buying a white elephant and figured that was a walk away price. I've done most of the maintenance and some upgrades myself. The club I moor the boat at has a flat mooring fee, so the only additional fixed cost is the haul out and winter storage, currently 35/foot, so 70.00 /year.
The yard is in the process of obtaining the title on the 28. I will ask them to lift the boat on stands to take the pressure off the indent and see if it pops out. The boat is under mechanics lien for non payment of fees. I am always hesitant to buy from someone with $$ difficulties as it often means skimping on maintenance.The 30 is currently being sailed by a guy who has owned it for 14 years. I'm guessing I will take which ever seems to represent the best price/value, assuming no deal killer mechanical issues. Plus my sailing buddy just had his bid accepted on a Catalina 30, and is already joking that his is bigger than mine. When I stand behind the wheel of a 30 my first thought is to ask what channel you contact the tugboat on. I can vividly remember the heart pounding experience when I first launched the 22, after sailing nothing larger than a sunfish. It turned out alright AFTER I remembered to lower the keel, an isue I will no longer have. Thanks again.
lou

[Lou illiano]

An update if any one cares. The O'Day 30 didn't turn out so well. The boat had such soft decks, I thought I was walking on foam rubber. Stepping near the lifelines caused the stantions to wiggle back and forth! Missing sails, engine a mess, and some see through spots in the transome. Shrouds so tight the hull was creased along the chain plates, and the head doors wouldn't close. I passed on it. I'm going this week end to ask the yard if they can put stands under it to take the weight off the cradle and see what happens. Thanks again.

l\L

[Terri]

Morning Lou, I'd be passing on that one also. How about a Catalina or a Pearson? They are built well and not huge money for a used one. Think that 28 has moisture problems. If a boat's been on the hard you can check with a moisture meter. You using a surveyor? Terri

[Lou illiano]

That depends. The 30 was so bad, I didn't need a professional to tell me to walk away. The 28 is not officially for sale yet, but is being sold to cover yard bills. If it's cheap enough, and there are good records, I may gamble. I am expecting to, put some money and time into it. I'm planning to replace all the standing rigging anyway, ditto belts and hoses on the engine and head. And working at rebedding everything on deck. Not all at once, but working through the boatThe cost of a surveyor is almost the cost of the new rigging . I have looked at Catalinas, Pearsons and Hunters, but for some reason I like O'days. I'm 6'3', so after the Cats and ODs, the Pearson seems cramped. I owned an auto repair garage at one point, so mechanical work doesn't scare me. However on another boat, that was more expensive, and was in "good" condition, I would get it surveyed. Lou

[Terri]

Hi Lou, If you are still looking for an O'day... there's a 27' for 1800.00 in Rhode Island..Craigslist "boats". Looks decent for an older 70's O'day..from the pics anyways..and we know how that can go. Has 18hp diesel..needs a lil deck work. Of course I forgot to copy link to apply here... will go get and return. Terri http://providence.craigslist.org/boa/1521754839.html

[Pete]

Lou,

Sorry I didn't latch on to this discussion earlier. I'm now on my second O'day (a 322, after having started with a 272), and I think you'll find that you can get some great coastal cruising out of an O'day in good shape. Don't be bummed because the first one didn't work out -- the first 322 I looked at had a spongy deck too, and I walked away from that one. But not long afterward I found the one I now own.

Either a 28 or a 30 will handle coastal cruising very very well. We've had several of those sizes attend past owners' rOnDAYvous, and I've never heard an owner say they were uncomfortable or uneasy about sailing their O'day in any coastal waters they tackled.

I used to be a Navesink River and Sandy Hook Bay sailor (until I got tired of drawbridges and sandbars). Now I'm up in Jersey City. If you're in the neighborhood, give me a shout. And if I can help you with O'day related matters, don't hesitate to ask.

[Joe Goodrow]

Hey Lou. I would walk away from that one, It sounds like whoever set the stands let the weight of the boat sit on the stands. I've always been told that the stands were for balance and The Keel takes most of the weight when your on the hard.
Sometimes if the boat is stored on an unstable surface, and if the keel is not blocked properly it will sink into the soft ground
or mud when it is wet. that's a lot of pressure on the hull. There are a lot of boats out there. I have an O'day 25, Fin keel. tall rig.....Love it!