1984 Oday 25 Restoration

[noreaster222]

Greetings fellas. This is a continuation of my initial thread here, hopefully to get some input on various stages of restoration. Also to give some idea's to others who may face some of the same challenges.

Overall the boat seems to be in very good condition above and bellow decks. There are however a few problem spots which the first round of pictures will show. One at the tip of the bow, the mast step topside as well as something center top of transom. There does seem to be an issue on the starboard side center of topside, filled well but not properly prepared for gelcoat/paint.

My plan right now is to:

• Sand prime and paint topsides with Brightside line
• Sand, prime, and paint bottom with undecided line
• Repair bow
• Repair mast step
• Sand, prime and paint deck with undecided line
• Re-caulk and reinstall all deck hardware
• Move to interior wood work, electrical, plumbing etc for winter.

Any suggestions anyone might have for specific repair ideas or on the order of repair are welcome.

I plan on making the mast step solid glass, replacing the compression post and bulkheads

[noreaster222]

More pictures.

[noreaster222]

and more...

[noreaster222]

Last of the initial pictures

[DreaminFred]

Congratulations on your new boat! I had an ODay 25 for 15 years and loved it! It's a very simple boat and the loads are not huge, so don't stress too much about details. I am a boat owner who prefers sailing fun to boat work fun.

I loved having my boat ready to go in the water and sailed at a moments notice several days a week.

One problem point that you should check early on is the swing keel and attachments. You may want to replace the centerboard pendant and the pivot pin.

From your pictures the only things that I would deal with before putting it in the water and having fun are- The forestay attachment/fiberglass repair and (I couldn't be sure from the picture, but) the bow eye for the trailer winch cable. This is pretty heavy to pull out of the water onto a trailer, so make sure that eye is secure and well backed.


Mainly- this is a fun, easy sailing, yachty boat for the size. Enjoy.

[Drew13440]

I plan on making the mast step solid glass, replacing the compression post and bulkheads


Congratulations on your new boat. These items are structural and IIRC, the bulkheads support chainplates on these boats. If you remove them, your mast is going over the side. Enjoy but tread carefully...

[ebsail]

I've had the same boat for the last 6 years. We replaced over time:
The pivot on the centerboard (D and R Marine for the part)
All running rigging
All standing rigging
The jib (go at least 135%) and mainsail
rebedded every deck fitting and windows with butyl rubber (from Maine Sail)
Also rebeded rudder hardware.
replaced the large windows
replaced gaskets on small windows
Made new handrails and hatch slide wood
repaced drop boards with clear plastic ones
Added solar panel
new 6 HP 4 cycle outboard and new bracket
drilled holesfrom the inside and inserted 3/8" dowel epoxied every 6" from
inside to exterior to stiffen the transom
Made mast step solid
We did not have to replace the bulkhead as it had no leaks !
did the dowel treatment to stiffen the forward hatch
Added 2 new group 24 batteries. The solar panel keeps them charged up
And many other minor things. The only thing in the bilge is dust now

[noreaster222]

Originally Posted by DreaminFred

One problem point that you should check early on is the swing keel and attachments. You may want to replace the centerboard pendant and the pivot pin.

From your pictures the only things that I would deal with before putting it in the water and having fun are- The forestay attachment/fiberglass repair and (I couldn't be sure from the picture, but) the bow eye for the trailer winch cable. This is pretty heavy to pull out of the water onto a trailer, so make sure that eye is secure and well backed.

Great info Fred. Thanks. I'll look at the swing keel hardware when I'm ready to start the bottom.

I have it in mind right now to do the fiberglass repair to the bow and then fabricate a sleek looking anchor roller/mount that starts at the lower bolt for the winch cable eye, go's up to a anchor roller and the down and back to the two fore most cleats.

I think this would tie the entire bow together very well for structural improvement with the added bonuses of having a anchor roller/storage and reinforcing the eye for the winch. It might even add a hint of custom character to the boat.

Let me know what you think. I work in a welding shop so labor is free and materials may be cheap or free.

Originally Posted by Drew13440

I plan on making the mast step solid glass, replacing the compression post and bulkheads


Congratulations on your new boat. These items are structural and IIRC, the bulkheads support chainplates on these boats. If you remove them, your mast is going over the side. Enjoy but tread carefully...

Roger that. it does have chainplates on the bulkheads. I will do one at a time and don't plan on raising the mast until basically the restoration is 95% or so done.

Originally Posted by ebsail

I've had the same boat for the last 6 years. We replaced over time:
The pivot on the centerboard (D and R Marine for the part)
All running rigging
All standing rigging
The jib (go at least 135%) and mainsail
rebedded every deck fitting and windows with butyl rubber (from Maine Sail)
Also rebeded rudder hardware.
replaced the large windows
replaced gaskets on small windows
Made new handrails and hatch slide wood
repaced drop boards with clear plastic ones
Added solar panel
new 6 HP 4 cycle outboard and new bracket
drilled holesfrom the inside and inserted 3/8" dowel epoxied every 6" from
inside to exterior to stiffen the transom
Made mast step solid
We did not have to replace the bulkhead as it had no leaks !
did the dowel treatment to stiffen the forward hatch
Added 2 new group 24 batteries. The solar panel keeps them charged up
And many other minor things. The only thing in the bilge is dust now

Thanks for the info ebsail. Could you tell me a little bit about your experience for making the mast step solid? And pictures or video you took I would love to see. Seems pretty straight forward but I am the kind of guy that likes to do things right and do them once so the more information I can get the better.

How do you like the 6hp's power and how is the fuel economy? This boat came with a older 4hp Johnson 2 stroke. I will be motoring up the Merrimack river to get out to the coastal ocean which can have a very strong current at times. I'm curious how well the 4hp will hold up. I have been tossing around the idea of selling it or using it as a backup and getting a Honda or Mercury 9.9 4stroke to play it safe.

[ebsail]

The mast step was easy, as the rot was limited to bolt holes under the mast support plate. Holes were dug around, filled with epoxy and micro fibers and redrilled. Then the steel mast plate replaced with butyl rubber tape sealant. No leaks in the last 5 years. Love that butyl tape!. The plywood bulkhead and the square post support under the mast were OK and the remain original, ( I think). We re-caulk where the the chain plates enter the hull every two years to keep future leaks at bay.

As far as auxillary power goes, we started with a long shaft 2 cycle 9.9 Mercury and a 6 gal. gas tank. The electric start was nice. However it required too much TLC and was'nt reliable after being used since 1990 so it was replaced by a (extra long shaft and lower pitch prop) Tohatsu. Although the Mercury would push the boat to 6+ knots and the Tohatsu gives us 5.5, I much prefer the 6 HP. With its extra long (25") shaft it does'nt cavitate when the boat pitches badly, so its always pushing in a bad chop. It's 40 lbs lighter. It burns less than half the fuel and no smoke. We now use a 3 gal tank instead of a 6 gallon. The only thing I miss is the electric start on the Mercury. In a perfect world where money did'nt matter, I would get an extra long shaft, electric starting, 8 HP 4 cycle. That would bring me to hull speed, even against a strong wind, and the benefit of economy, and not having to reach down to pull the starter string.

[noreaster222]

Originally Posted by ebsail

The mast step was easy, as the rot was limited to bolt holes under the mast support plate. Holes were dug around, filled with epoxy and micro fibers and redrilled. Then the steel mast plate replaced with butyl rubber tape sealant. No leaks in the last 5 years. Love that butyl tape!. The plywood bulkhead and the square post support under the mast were OK and the remain original, ( I think). We re-caulk where the the chain plates enter the hull every two years to keep future leaks at bay.

As far as auxillary power goes, we started with a long shaft 2 cycle 9.9 Mercury and a 6 gal. gas tank. The electric start was nice. However it required too much TLC and was'nt reliable after being used since 1990 so it was replaced by a (extra long shaft and lower pitch prop) Tohatsu. Although the Mercury would push the boat to 6+ knots and the Tohatsu gives us 5.5, I much prefer the 6 HP. With its extra long (25") shaft it does'nt cavitate when the boat pitches badly, so its always pushing in a bad chop. It's 40 lbs lighter. It burns less than half the fuel and no smoke. We now use a 3 gal tank instead of a 6 gallon. The only thing I miss is the electric start on the Mercury. In a perfect world where money did'nt matter, I would get an extra long shaft, electric starting, 8 HP 4 cycle. That would bring me to hull speed, even against a strong wind, and the benefit of economy, and not having to reach down to pull the starter string.

Thanks a lot for taking the time to explain. Appreciate it. I'll take that all into consideration going forward.

Attached are some pictures of the compression post and seat. I'm a little concerned that it's full of water in there. Anyone know if I should be? I need to vacuum out all the water to get a better look of course.

[noreaster222]

Couple more pictures here. One of the compression post seat and the other the cut I made on the deck.

I can see the rot go's further out. Should I just cut a couple inches at a time until I get to good wood? Should I cut out as far as the most distant crack(far right in the picture) and square it around the current hole? The hole you see in the picture is an outline of the mast seat.