O'Day comparable to which other mfr?

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Reed, have you ever owned an O'Day? I have, years ago. Granted not a circumnavigator but a good boat for coastal cruising. You depiction as crap if invalid crap. I would not have given a second thought to Bermuda with a good weather window.

[CarlF]

A 1983 Oday 34 "Yukon Jack" won the 1989 Marion-Bermuda race Class F

And here's the blog of a couple who cruised from Florida to the Caribbean five years ago on the Oday 40 Tybee Time Adventures of s/v Tybee Time

Oday was the largest New England sailboat builder in the 1980's and built a high quality product. They built 1500 boats in 1984 compared to 1000 by the 2nd largest Pearson.

To the OP's question, I agree with those who consider Odays most comparable to Pearsons.

I learned to sail and then race in 1964 in a blue 14' Oday Widgeon. The boat I learned to sail in is still being used at the same Cape Cod sailing school. It's been painted a different color but is still going strong.

[scgilligan]

So, lots of good opinions here about the O'Day. It is not necessarily something I am looking at tomorrow, was just curious as I had no knowledge of the boat. If given the options of O'Day 27, Catalina 25, or Hunter all around mid 80's build for about the same price (3500-4500) what would be your personal choice, and why? I know that a lot depends on how the boat is cared for..but, lets just say all things equal..which brand do you trust more? Intended use is still inland lake..no more than 15 knots wind generally.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by scgilligan

So, lots of good opinions here about the O'Day. It is not necessarily something I am looking at tomorrow, was just curious as I had no knowledge of the boat. If given the options of O'Day 27, Catalina 25, or Hunter all around mid 80's build for about the same price (3500-4500) what would be your personal choice, and why? I know that a lot depends on how the boat is cared for..but, lets just say all things equal..which brand do you trust more? Intended use is still inland lake..no more than 15 knots wind generally.

Given that criteria....I'd go with the best maintained sweetest smelling of the three.


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[Black Diamond]

I was in the factory in Fall River where they made the boats. Cal and O'Day came off the same floor and largely using the same processes. Cal had slightly better finish work. I owned an O'Day 40 from 1986 to 1998, when I bought an Island Packet 45.

Anyone who says Catalina are better built than O'Day or Pearson needs to look at the construction a bit better. Like the hull-to-deck joint. O'Day, Pearson are about equivalent, Catalina and Hunter are similar, but (as said before) the earlier Hunter's (pre-84) were better built than the later ones. In Hurricane Gloria in 1985 the boats in our marina basically slammed into each other for 10 hours or more before floating off their pilings and ending up on the Amtrak tracks about 100 yards inland. The Hunter 33 from 1981 (ours) smashed into a Hunter 34 (1985) and when all was said and done the Hunter 34 was a total loss. You could see the construction differences when the damage was exposed. The thickness of the hull, the different mat used, etc. The Hunter 33 was sailing next season after a new gelcoat job and some patch work.

My advice... don't listen to blogs like this (even me). Do your own research and let the blowhards rationalize their own bad decisions without your help. :-)

Rick

[end80]

Grampian Marine built many of the Odays until the late 1960's. Also of note is that O'Day offered to buy Grampian Marine out around that time, but Grampian declined the offer.

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by Black Diamond

I was in the factory in Fall River where they made the boats. Cal and O'Day came off the same floor and largely using the same processes. Cal had slightly better finish work. I owned an O'Day 40 from 1986 to 1998, when I bought an Island Packet 45.

Anyone who says Catalina are better built than O'Day or Pearson needs to look at the construction a bit better. Like the hull-to-deck joint. O'Day, Pearson are about equivalent, Catalina and Hunter are similar, but (as said before) the earlier Hunter's (pre-84) were better built than the later ones. In Hurricane Gloria in 1985 the boats in our marina basically slammed into each other for 10 hours or more before floating off their pilings and ending up on the Amtrak tracks about 100 yards inland. The Hunter 33 from 1981 (ours) smashed into a Hunter 34 (1985) and when all was said and done the Hunter 34 was a total loss. You could see the construction differences when the damage was exposed. The thickness of the hull, the different mat used, etc. The Hunter 33 was sailing next season after a new gelcoat job and some patch work.

My advice... don't listen to blogs like this (even me). Do your own research and let the blowhards rationalize their own bad decisions without your help. :-)

Rick

IMHO O'Days are a pile of junk. One of the worst built boats America ever produced. Few ever tried to compete in yacht club sponsored races. Few were looked at as serious offshore boats, and most of the time club members would treat an O'Day owner as a neophyte that hopefully would come to his senses and buy a decent boat.

[puffcard]

I use to race on a O'Day 30 many years ago, we had some good sails and a smooth bottom and it was a nice sailing boat. I thought it wasn't a bad boat till we did the Down the Bay race on the Chesapeake. The race was +25 kts on the nose, the boat started out ok but by the end the hull to deck seam was leaking so bad that the bilge pump couldn't keep up. We won the race with water above the floor boards and all thru-hulls were shut. I was doing all of the driving and had no idea we were sailing on a sinking piece of junk. I never did another distance race with that boat. Day sailor OK, weekend cruiser maybe, any further no freaking way.

[Black Diamond]

Everybody has an opinion. That's fine. You cannot look at all O'Day boats the same way as they were NOT all designed by the same person or come out of the same mold. Pre-1980 boats versus post 1980 boats versus CAL, etc..etc.. If you bought new versus used, etc..etc..

For example: The O'Day 40 was a variant of the O'Day 39 which was originally the Jeanneau Sun Fizz (a Phillipe Briand design). O'Day had been bought by Starcraft, which also owned Jeanneau. The 40 and the 39 were fast boats with a tall rig and quality similar to Jeanneau or better. Other O'Days were designed by C Raymond Hunt, and they looked and behaved quite differently.

The hull to deck joint on the O'Day 40 (inward turning flange glassed in and overlapping) was far superior to the Catalina, which basically used self-tapping screws to make the connection.

I agree its a weekend cruiser or occasional vacation week boat. I would not recommend Hunters, Catalina, O'Day, Bendy-Toys or many other production boats for Newport to Bermuda races or anything offshore. Its not the design center for the boat.

FWIW

Rick

[SteveSails]

What model, size, year? Smaller models (20'-26') were usually built light and cheap, thinking was that the original owner would move up or out within 5 years. By now O'days and all the comparable boats of that era are >25yol so use and maintenance will be the biggest factor.

Steve

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Black Diamond

Everybody has an opinion. That's fine. You cannot look at all O'Day boats the same way as they were NOT all designed by the same person or come out of the same mold. Pre-1980 boats versus post 1980 boats versus CAL, etc..etc.. If you bought new versus used, etc..etc..

For example: The O'Day 40 was a variant of the O'Day 39 which was originally the Jeanneau Sun Fizz (a Phillipe Briand design). O'Day had been bought by Starcraft, which also owned Jeanneau. The 40 and the 39 were fast boats with a tall rig and quality similar to Jeanneau or better. Other O'Days were designed by C Raymond Hunt, and they looked and behaved quite differently.

The hull to deck joint on the O'Day 40 (inward turning flange glassed in and overlapping) was far superior to the Catalina, which basically used self-tapping screws to make the connection.

I agree its a weekend cruiser or occasional vacation week boat. I would not recommend Hunters, Catalina, O'Day, Bendy-Toys or many other production boats for Newport to Bermuda races or anything offshore. Its not the design center for the boat.

FWIW

Rick

Well stated. I had a 27 O'Day in the days of yore not a thing wrong with it. Not an ocean crosser but a good boat for its price point an intended us. An honest family coastal boat.

[billdre]

I'm surprised this thread was resurrected. As a current owner of a 1979 O'Day 28 I think many of these posts are emotional and inaccurate because they treat all O'Day's by the same brush. My 28 is not an offshore boat but the hull is solid glass and it's great is light air because of the shallow, canoe style hull. It maneuvers wonderfully with it's fin keel and spade rudder. In heavy seas because of its design it pounds the waves but it's well built and if fun to sail. I've now had this boat 7 years. If you're going to sail along the coast or any bays or lakes if it's been cared for it will take care of you. My hull has it's original gel coat, no pox, the deck was wet and needed to be redone. All the hardware is Schaefer and in great shape. So ... each boat needs to be evaluated on it's own merits against how a person is going to use it. This is a great forum but people need to be specific about what they actually have and how it has performed. All generalities are worthless, including this one.

[30yearslater]

I'm in my 4th year of sailing my 27 since a complete restoration. If you can find one that has proper care go for it. If not and you are willing to spend some time, effort and money you can have a boat that will be rewarding on small lakes or offshore. In fact I know of two that have successfully made multiple transatlantic crossings. Here's one in particular: https://books.google.com/books?id=aP...ybreen&f=false
Here is a link to my own restoration: And so it begins | SailboatOwners.com Forums
For about a third the price of a new boat the 27 will embarrass a good many Jennys and Bennys. I regularly see 7+ knots and occasionally 10 knots. Remember Jim Gleason the President of Oday woned one and is reported never to have lost a race although he did have the shoe option installed on his keel. It was designed by the late Alan Gurney of Maxi boat fame. His maxi Windward Passage shattered the Transpac record and held it for decades. Here is one more link: O’Day 27 I hope this helps. I find my 27 very satisfying and solid enough to take the big stuff on Lake Ontario while others stay in port.

[Cujo665]

Originally Posted by Caliber40

Anyone suggesting O'Days are on par with Catalinas and Hunters either have never seen an O'Day up close or has owned too many Catalinas or Hunters to know better.

Much stronger boat. Better fit and finish, gel coat much nicer, interior finish much nicer.....not evn close.....some of the newer versions.....the " grey hulled versions" maybe not.

O'Day made 2 27's.....either one will do fine!

This is accurate. Foot for foot an O'Day is a much heavier boat than a Catalina.
Heavier and slower. our family has owned both.

[Island Time O25]

Started sailing almost 20 years ago in O'Day/Cal 39, one of the last built. Club owner bought 3 at builder's bankruptcy auction. Boat was very solid, good sailor and very forgiving considering the abuse it would take from the club members, incl. groundings, etc.

Last few years owned 1979 O'Day 25. The only 2 complaints - low headroom and an outboard. Otherwise would still own her.

IMO when comparing 30-40 year old boats it's all about maintenanceX3.