O’Day 28 for coastal cruising?

[Don C L]

I have a friend who just got an O'day 28 for coastal cruising. Seems like a perfectly good boat to me, we've been out sailing on it a couple times. As you grow into it and get to know the boat you will see if there are any things you'd like to upgrade for longer trips. As you gain experience you may decide a different boat may suit you better too. But as a boat to start on I'd say it is a good choice.

[Seanmcclain]

Outstanding! Thanks Loneshark64!

[loneshark64]

Agreed, I sold mine but bang for your buck-wise it is hard to beat. The boat sailed quite well. I enjoyed sailing it. The space in the cabin is great for a 28 footer. Just get one with an engine in working order, because repowering it is not going to be worth it. And just recognize it is a 35-40 production coastal cruiser so there will be work to do and things not perfect. But if you want to sail and overnight for short money you can’t do better.

[OldManMirage]

I would also consider Catalina 30's. There were literally thousands of this model manufactured, and it's hard to beat the amount of room you have, both on deck and especially down below. For extended cruising that interior room can really make a difference in comfort. Plenty of them around in your price range.

Whatever you look at, some of the things I would prioritize would be sails, engine, and most recent haul-out. I would take an older boat with newer equipment rather than vice-versa. As many people would agree - maintenance is everything ! Things like running rigging, the blocks and lines that control your sails, are all very important. If they have been updated/replaced recently, that's a big plus as they can easily run into hundreds of dollars - or more ! Remember - you want to go sailing !!

I'm also a fan of the Catalina 28, mainly because of the walk through transom. That's just a feature that really appeals to me when I think of cruising in the Keys or the Bahamas and such. They're harder to find in your price range because they are newer - which is not a bad thing - but I have come across them. Also, Hunter makes similar models in 27 and 28 foot range. Catalina also updated their 27 into a walk through model, but I rarely see them. The original C27 is a great boat too, I know because I have owned 2 of them.

Good luck, the search is half the fun ! Well, maybe 25% ?

[kayakerChuck]

We recently bought an O-30, which is pretty much the same as the 28. We have found her to be easy to sail and comfortable in anything up to about 30 knot winds. We have not had experience in heavier winds, except when we got slammed by a 70(ish) knt microburst. She handled that fine, but the crew was a bit nervous.

We found ours nicely equipped and mostly nicely maintained for about $10k. She's 40+ years old, so there are some issues, like a collapsing mast foot. We'll fix that this winter.

We sailed her 600 miles home (up Lake Michigan, down Lake Huron) and enjoyed the trip.

[cr180]

Cruised with an ODay 28 in the Abacos, Bahamas. The boat did fine. The owners compensated for limited fuel and water tankage.

[ebsail]

Originally Posted by GRH

Hello, just wanted to get some forum input on the O’Day 28 as a potential coastal cruiser. I live about an hour from Annapolis, and I’m looking for my first sailboat. Most of my sailing will be here on the Chesapeake, but I would like to find a boat that would also be well suited for coastal cruising down to the Florida Keys and Bahamas.

Would the O’Day 28 be a good fit? Would I need to modify the standing rigging or make any other mods that are typically done to be better prepared for rough weather? I have a long way to go in terms of experience before I would be leaving the Chesapeake, but I’d like to start with a boat that I can grow into. Any other boat suggestions? Maybe Cal, Catalina or C&C? I want something in the 30 foot range, and I can’t afford to spend more than roughly 20K. Thanks for all helpful replies.

I recently bought a 28 and had to bring it down from mid New Jersey on the Atlantic coast to the Chesapeak. In the Atlantic for about 60 miles to get to Cape May with wind about 20K the entire way, under power and sail, the boat handled just fine and was suprisingly cofortable. Also coming north in the Delaware and going against the wind and tide and a short 3 foot chop. we were slow but still making progress. Not bad for a boat with only 10 HP

[Seanmcclain]

Originally Posted by loneshark64

Hi I sprayed it with Better Boat Mildew Stain Remover Cleaner

Then I used a Bissell carpet cleaner, just a portable one we use around the house. I put the Bissell Professional Spot and Stain Oxy solution in it. It came out very much improved.

I just came across this thead again while reviewing reefing setups for my '81 28 and I noticed that I never thanked you for sharing your carpet cleaning method. Thanks for that, and your other comments on the 1980s O'Day 28. I am still sailing mine and along with my family am enjoying her very much!