Oday Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Oday Daysailer by Rod Johnson

Year built	1979
Location of boat	Wareham,Ma
The boat is sailed on	Bays, sounds, or protected salt water
How the boat is used	Day sailing
Normal wind strength	10-15 knots
Average size of crew	solo
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	1996
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Yes, the DSII is a really good boat for my needs!
Gear that's been added	I added a complete set of navigation lights for use under sail or power. I added a boom vang, jiffy-reefing on the mainsail, stowage bins in the cuddy, and a deck across the stern area like the Day Sailer I had. I have also added a 4 hp outboard that clamps directly to the transom offset to port.
Structural or complex improvements	I repaired the area of the cuddy floor where the mast-step had cracked through the fiberglass. This was done by replacing the rotted out plywood under the floor and adding a 1/4" thick aluminum plate on top of the floor.
The boat's best features	The layout of the sailplan, which with the large mainsail and small jib, allows the boat to sail very well with just the main on windy days.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	Well, the standard roller-reefing on the main boom is almost useless. The bolt-rope on the mainsail luff interferes with the design of the gooseneck to lock back in after rolling the sail around the boom.I would also say the the self-bailing cockpit is a good idea, but does not always work perfectly. the bailer will often let water in instead of out.The jib sheet camcleat location is not very easy to use when singlehanded, the combination fairlead and camcleat mounted on adjusting tracks along the inside of the coamings keeps everything out of the way, but makes singlehanding the boat harder.
Sailing characterisitcs	Well-balanced when the rig is tuned and raked correctly. She handles a breeze very well, tacks easily (although the jib sheet camcleats are not easy to use if singlehanded), I find the Day Sailer to be a very stable predictable boat when sailed carefully as any small centerboard boat should be.
Motoring characterisitcs	This will depend on the size and type of outboarg used. For a gas outboard, 2-4 hp is about the best size. A longshaft is best, but a shortshaft will work as long as you sit on the same side of the boat as the motor and do not run into a lot of waves.Some owners use electric motors if they are on a lake or only need power to get home if the wind dies. The electric may not work to push the boat against wind or current. Electrics also need heavy deep-cycle batteries.
Liveability	Cockpit is pretty comfortable, cuddy is only comfortable for kids or very small adults.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	[builder]
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any
Other comments	For anyone looking for a great boat to start out in sailing, with room for a family or several friends, the Day Sailer is definitely worth a look!

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