Oday Owner Reviews

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Review of the Oday 322 by albert Strasser

Year built 1989  
Location of boat Dredge Harbor, Delran NJ  
The boat is sailed on Rivers  
How the boat is used Multi-week coastal cruising  
Normal wind strength 10-15 knots  
Average size of crew solo  
Liveaboard? No  
Owner bought the boat in 1989  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Yes. This was the first American-built vessel that featured a contemporary interior that was the equal to the French-built boats. We owned an Oday 25' with the typical interior of most American sailboats which meant that even the 35' Oday of the time hardly seem to offer more usable space. My only carps are the undersized primary winches, the too-small 16hp Yanmar aux., and the poorly attached bolted-on wing keel.  
Gear that's been added Added: 1. Jib sheet turning blocks. Should have been included because without them, it is difficult to control the sheets on tacks in most winds. 2. Replaced main track with adjustable line-controlled cars. 3. Added additional jib blocks to jib tracks for better sheet handling. 4. Mounted large blocks in cockpit rail area for spinnaker sheets.  
Structural or complex improvements Completely recontructed the keel bolt-on system by replaceing the individual washer-like backing plates with a single large plate shaped to the bilge dimensions with individually drilled holes for each keel bolt. Keel now supported by a larger surface than offered by separate backing rings. Also faired the keel into the keel stump for additional strength and streamlining. Added cross-brace to bilge area for more rigidity.  
The boat's best features We refer to ours as the biggest little boat ever because of the clever management of interior space. Even today, 12 years later, the salon is equal to new and larger boats. The furling main is also a big plus (once we finally got it to work properly!) and has added to the longevity of the sail. Both the main and the genoa are the original Neil Pride sails that came with the yacht. They have experienced seven years of charter boat use both in the Chesapeake and the Jersey coast and are still in good shape. The little Yanmar still sports its original fan belt and hoses, etc., after nearly 2000 hours and zero maintenance.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. As noted above, the keel and the furling main. The main furler required nearly 10 years to finally get it to work to my satifaction.  
Sailing characterisitcs Heavy weather helm. The shorter main mast doesn't permit a larger area sail because of the Isomat behind-the-mast furling system. Additionally, the mainsail itself has to be triangular (no roach) with no battens and a loose foot. The 140 genoa is too large for a vessel this size and should really be no more than 120. For all this, the 322 still points surpisingly well and sails even better in a still beam wind because of the ability to shape the loose foot.  
Motoring characterisitcs Because of the smallish diesel, the yacht barely holds its own in strong currents or for long distance motoring. The 18hp rating is not borne out by the 16hp plate on the engine itself. With a three-bladed adjustable feathering prop the engine performs better.  
Liveability Great. The wide-ish beam and European styled interior offer lots of room and space.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) [builder]  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any Yes. This was the second boat that we purchased from the same Oday dealer. He never fulfilled his initial promises and refused to even compromise on a disputed service work charge of $150 even though he knew he would lose any future business and we would leave his marina. From that day in 1990 to the present, we have never done another dime's worth of business with him or berthed our boat in his marina.  
Other comments We love our Oday and it will be our only sailboat. My wife and I are now both retired and even though our 322 is principally used as a day sailer now (too far from our beloved Chesapeake Bay) we plan to own her till we're too old to sail.  

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