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Review of the Oday 222 by Joseph Alves Jr.

Year built 1986  
Location of boat Dighton Ma.  
The boat is sailed on Bays, sounds, or protected salt water  
How the boat is used Weekends and longer  
Normal wind strength 10-15 knots  
Average size of crew solo  
Liveaboard? No  
Owner bought the boat in 1986  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? This boat is undoubtedly the best little sailboat that I ever owned. I would most definately buy this boat again.  
Gear that's been added I added two new Thursden sails and did away with the roller furler and went with snap hooks and a set of reef points on my Genoa. I added a bow anchor roller, and the Fortress anchor that a friend gave me, works real well on this anchor bracket. I mounted the anchor bracket on an angle toward the port bow, and installed a Herreshoff Cleat in line with it to tie my anchor line to. Also, I bought two used snatch blocks to be secured to the bottom of both of my lifeline rails, so that I could run the anchor line through to be able to pull up my anchor from the cockpit in those rare times when I'm by myself, and need to be in two places at the same time. This allows me to be at my engine and holding my boat off an island or shallow area, while pulling up my anchor at the same time. This doesn't happen too often, but it has happened a couple of times when the wind turned around at night and I found my boat swinging a little too close to a shore. I got rid of the Mainsheet arrangement on the back stay and mounted a traveler on some Teak in front on the companionway hatch. Just recently, I bought a new autopilot to replace my old one that developed a problem holding a course. Last year I bought a throwable horseshoe Jim Bouy with the bracket in a yard sale, and mounted it on my stern pulpit. I also installed a manual bilge pump in the cockpit with the hose outlet mounted on the transom, and thank God I haven't had to use it. A friend of mine gave me a companionway screen last year and it works great, and is faster to install than the one that I made with soft screen and velcro. I'm still using the one that I made for the forward hatch.  
Structural or complex improvements I installed two O'Day 25 chainplates, and just recently had two Stainlesss Steel plates made up and welded to them to seal out moisture and provide more strength for my shrowds . These plates are bolted through the top of the deck with four bolts to each plate, with back up plates inside the cabin. I also mounted some oak to the inside of the bulkhead for the chainplates, and anchored everything to the settees in the cabin with 5/16 nuts, bolts, and washers. When I ordered this boat at the boat show, I asked the dealer if the manufacturer would leave off the Genie winches and tracks w/cars, so that I could mount them on the combing myself for ease in single handing, and they agreed to do this for me. Also, I asked for a full stern rail with the lifelines attached to it, and they also complied. This would give me plenty of protection in the cockpit as well as a place to mount a mast raising crotch that I was to design, and install with the help of a welder. I also added a detachable bow pulpit mast carrier for trailering. When I lost my mast due to a broken lower shrowd, I had the new mast made up with a S.S. hinged tabernackle, and had my internal Jib halyard re-routed to exit near where the Main Halyard slot is. This eliminated the sheave at the bottom of the mast, which was a nuisance at times. I also had thicker diameter lower stays made up, plus a steaming light installed on the mast. I changed the Mainsheet arrangement by installing a traveler in front of the companionway hatch and added a Johnson Handi-Lock to my backstay under my turnbuckle, eliminating the triangle plate that was used for the Mainsheet. The old turnbuckle was left so that I could take my backstay off my mast, which I do at the end of the season every year. I added a fastpin to the forestay to go with the Handi-lock for faster rigging. I had problems getting my 48 quart cooler behind my companionway hatch step in the cabin, so I made the step detachable with some Teak and two S.S. holding adjusters, and that solved that problem. I mounted a 1 by 4" Teak board across the opening over the sink and stove area using plywood gussets in back, to mount my kerosene lamp and smoke bell. I cut sawed the cover that hides the head under the forward matresses the width of my matresses, and added a S.S. piano hinge to it. This would allow the cover to lay flat on the matrosses instead of against my back when I was using the head. This idea was in the O'Day Owner's Newsletter years ago that was sent out free to anyone who owned an O'Day and signed up for it. I drilled a 5/16 " hole in the trailing edge of my rudder about 12 " from the pivot bolt, and added a pendant line with a couple of fairleads on the tiller, plus a self rescuing clam cleat on top of my O'Day 25 tiller. This would allow me to mount the rudder on the boat, tie the tiller in the center and launch the boat with the rudder in the up position. It also keeps the rudder from moving when the boat is at anchor, or on the mooring. I just ordered a new Long tandem float on sailboat trailer, to replace my terminal roller trailer. No more roller trailers for me. Also, I plan on installing a CDI furler next year and a detachable mast raising gin pole with a small boat winch that will hook on to my mast along with a detachable fitting for the mast to mount a bridle to steady the mast with the furler attached, as it's being raised. Also, I plan on installing a roller on my stern pulpit mast crotch so that I can roll the mast aft, instead of picking it up and walking it back to pin it to the tabernackle. I've observed this mast raising equipment on a friend's boat, and was amazed at how one man can raise his mast single handed with a small boat winch mounted on a gin pole. Outside of a slightly bent S.S. 1" pipe that I made up with a piece of Teak on the top, for a flag staff, that fits in the yoke for my detachable stern pulpit mast raising aid, that's about it for modifications.  
The boat's best features My 222 is fast, stable, and comfortable. Her shoal draft keel and tip up rudder, will allow me to go into my favorite shallow coves to anchor, where no other boats can go. Her cabin is spacious for her size and quite comfortable for two people with provisions for stove and sink and a place for a cooler, she affords cheaper living than a land trailer, if one anchors at his favorite destinations. With the right equipment, she is easily trailered with a full size sedan or pickup truck. This little boat will sail to most of the places that the larger boats sail to. She is easily sailed and menouvered with only the Mainsail. She also points up high.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. The rudder blades were manufactured in two pieces, put together and pumped with foam. If the rudder crept up, undue stress would cause it to break in time. I went through two stock rudder blades before I had Rudy at D&R Marine, build me a solid blade, and I haven't had a problem since. My starboard chain plate L bracket broke, so I did away with those chainplates, and installed two O'Day 25 chainplates. The Genie winches had a fiber component inside that would sieze up in hot weather, and the manufacturer made good for it at no charge to the owners. I got rid of the old tiller, and went to a stronger one that was much thicker. I had to lower the pintles to get the needed clearance on the transom. I also added stops on both sides of the rudder head, to keep the tiller from hitting the transom. I found a few voids in the gel coat in the cockpit and on the deck and had to fill them. I replaced the lense on the forward hatch after it broke. Also, the adjuster knobs have siezed up on this hatch and won't turn anymore. The Aluminum alloy hinged, mast tabernackle broke, and I had to have it welded. The roller furler never worked too well on a windy day, so I got rid of it and went to a conventional Jib snap hook up on the Forestay. The veneer on the plywood sink has lifted due to heat from the stove or old age. A couple of the thin plywood settee covers under the quarter bunks have delaminated and need to be replaced. The gas tank storage compartment was never built large enough for a plastic 6 gal. gas tank. However, I was able to find a plastic six gallon Dura-Tank that would fit in this compartment. I don't like metal gas tanks. They rust and leak. This happened to me one early spring when I stuck my head into the boat cover and smelled gas inside my boat. The metal tank had rusted out, and leaked over the winter, and the gasoline had eaten the hose for the selfbailing cockpit, and got into my bilge. What a mess, and it took months to get rid of the smell! The pendant line that holds the tip up rudder blade in, would always get caught between the rudder blade and the rudder head and bind up, so I added a bungey cord inside the rudder head and attached it to a bolt near the top to put tension on the line, when the rudder blade was in the up position. I also had to take the rudder head apart and shave the Teak wood spacers down a little, so the line wouldn't get caught. This was the most agrivating thing that I ran into with the tip up rudder on this boat, but thank God, I don't have this problem anymore since I fixed it.  
Sailing characterisitcs Her keel centerboard shoal draft keel offers a good compromise between a centerboard sailboat and a full ballasted keel. If you let go of the tiller, she'll sail around in circles due to her lack of gripe, which is no problem for me. But, with a good set of sails, this boat will out perform some O'Day 25s and 26s with the same set up. She can be a little wet on extremely windy days when the waters kick up, but I find myself either not going out, or sailing for an area that is blocked by these conditions. Like any sailboat, when it's time to reef, you reef, and that is easily accomplished with her fast and easy jiffy reefing system, even while sailing with the aid of my autopilot. This boat points up high, and sails with the best of them, taking me to some of the same places that larger boats go to.  
Motoring characterisitcs She can steer on a dime if you utilize the rudder and outboard at the same time, but for ordinary motoring, the rudder will steer her under outboard power. It is important to note, that the rudder needs to be kept away from the outboard prop in the event that the rudder blade pops up unexpectedly. Possibly a trim stabilizer on the outboard motor can solve this problem. I just repaired a few gouges on my rudder blade yesterday with some filler epoxy. Outside of that, she menouvers quite well with the outboard and rudder simultaniously, either forward or reverse. I'm presently using a Johnson Sailmaster 8 hp outboard, and find it large enough for this boat.  
Liveability This boat is quite livable for no more than two people. A good rule of thumb is 10 feet of boat to each person. My wife and I cruised Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands for four years in a row, and lived on the boat for a week. We always anchored and never bought a mooring. A poly tarp was set up on the boom, and tied to the mast and end of boom, as well as the lifelines. This made the cabin cooler on extremely hot summer days. A shower bag was hung at the end of the boom, and we were able to take showers in the cockpit while sitting on the sole plate where nobody could see us. All meals were cooked on board, on an alcohol stove with either a stove top grill, of stove top oven that I found in a thrift shop in Vineyard Haven. We were allowed to use two anchors in Vinehard Haven near the beach, Bahaman style. This allowed us to pole the boat ashore with a telescopic boat pole, and get off the stern ladder and push the boat back out, to go to the food market, or see the sites. A 150 ft 3/8" line tied to her stern cleat, and layed out on the beach, would allow us to retreave the boat when we got back. My wife is all cruised out these days and I find myself sailing with my First Mate, Penelope Pitbull. We tow a kayak and she hops in and out to get to shore and do her business, or run up and down the beach doing what dogs love to do. I have to admit though, she's great company on the boat, and she never complains. Although, this boat is good for two people, it's even better for a man and his dog with a 9 ft. kayak in tow.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) [builder]  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any I bought this boat at the Boston Boat Show from Gouch Brother's Marine, and I must have drove them crazy with all the questions that I asked them. But they answered all my questions and gave me everything that I asked for. The O'Day factory would never do special requests for just anyone, but Ron and Don Gouch did a tremendous business, and had a large stock of O'Day sailboats in at least four of their warehouses. So consequently the Lear Ziegler people complied with the things that I requested. I can only say that these two fellows were the greatest guys that I ever dealt with, and they would stand behind anything that they sold. I had the opportunity to take a tour of the O'Day factory on two seperate occasions to see my boat being built. The people at the O'Day factory were great and answered any questions that I had concerning winch and track placement on the combing of my boat. Every year after I bought my boat, and went to the boat shows and saw Ron or Don Gouch, they always remembered me, and took the time to ask how I was doing with my 222  
Other comments The O'Days had a few bugs that needed to be attended to, but all in all, it was fun modifying the boat and getting it the way I wanted. I had mixed emotions about whether I would be able to trailer this boat. I had a six cylinder pickup with a standard column shift, that I knew would tow it down the street, but would never pull it up a ramp. I also had a small compact Plimouth Horizon that was useless for the job, so I traded the Horizon in for a full size car that would tow it with no problem. I trailersailed this boat every week in the summer for 8 years, putting the mast up and taking it down by myself, before joining a local yacht club on the Taunton River. I have a mooring, but I still don't have bottom paint on my hull. I may give in and start using bottom paint next year, maybe! She's been a great boat and I've had a lot of fun with her. Before I retired from the power company, there were weeks that I had to be on stand-by for the company and couldn't get to the water, so I set the mast up on the boat while it was sitting on the trailer beside the house, and did some "dry sailing." It was the next best thing to being on the water and afforded me the same solitude, as long a I could hear my telephone ring while I was in the boat.  

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