Oday Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Oday 272LE by Bob Todd

Year built	1987
Location of boat	Warwick, RI
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	2-4
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	2000
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	There is no doubt in my mind! I would buy this boat again in a heartbeat. It has all the conveniences and appointments of much larger boats without sacrificing space. The galley is equipped with a two-burner non-pressurized Origo 4000 alcohol stove, The sink has a pressurized cold water tap and a hand pump for the icebox drain is a most welcome option. A thirty-gallon fresh water tank is located under the port settee along with the 12-volt Shur-Flo pump and filter. The enclosed head is much roomier than most on boats of this size. The fifteen-gallon holding tank is beneath the v-berth. A sink with vanity and mirrored medicine cabinet still leaves a generous amount of room to shower. There are two GFCI protected 110-volt outlets; one at the galley, the other in the medicine cabinet in the head. This model has Edson pedestal wheel steering. A major plus to this boat is that the original owner had ordered it with the Edson instrument pods along with the pedestal-mounted instruments, so there are no holes in the main bulkhead which would normally take away some prime lounging area. I don't know about anyone else, but I can't get comfy with a compass sticking in the back of my head. Instrumentation on this boat consists of the original Datamarine Dart system. I don't know much about reliability, but I haven't heard anything bad about it. This system works great and Datamarine in Pocasset, MA still provides service for it. Compass is the original Ritchie binnacle mount Navigator.
Gear that's been added	Sunbrella dodger by Thurston Sails, Bristol, RIComplete Garhauer traveler and mainsheet system with all ball-bearing blocks and car supplied by Rudy Nickerson at D&R Marine, Assonet, MAGarhauer triple rope clutchGarhauer triple deck organizer (port side) for topping lift and outhaulWater heaterShower1000 gph 12-volt bilge pump (this was a tight fit)New Sunbrella mainsail cover from Lee Sails ($140.00 delivered)Cast aluminum mast padeye for whisker pole
Structural or complex improvements	During next off-season will be chainplate upgradeDropped and re-bedded keel
The boat's best features	Boat is an excellent weekender and extended cruiser. Everyone who sees it cannot believe that all these amenities fit in a 27' boat and still leave you an incredible amount of living space. This is by far the best layout of any boat in her class.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	Without proper guidance in the owner's manuals, people had a tendency to over-stress the standing rigging causing the chainplates to buckle the bulkheads in the main salon. However, this is not a terminal problem and can be corrected with re-designed chainplates. Additionally, the CDI furling system is difficult to handle. A ball-bearing drum would correct this problem.
Sailing characterisitcs	The boat performs well. However, she does have a tendency to round up if you're flying too much canvas. The wheel steering is very responsive and I do not detect any loss of feeling from my previous tiller controlled boat, but I have always thought that this issue was a psychological one. I find the groove just fine be it wheel or tiller.
Motoring characterisitcs	This boat is powered by a Westerbeke 10-2 inboard diesel. Presently, she has 145 hours on her and performs exceptionally. The engine brings her up to hull speed just fine. As Tom Ehmke stated in his review of the 272, this boat moves well in reverse. I know of two owners who got rid of their folding prop conversions to restore their reverse maneuverability. The engine noise is somewhat annoying while motoring, but not so much that you can't carry on a conversation. Vibration from the engine is minor and tolerable. The boat is equipped with two batteries. The only bad thing about the electrical setup is that the alternator is not adequate for the charging task.
Liveability	The boat has all the appointments of a larger cruising boat without sacrificing space. The below-decks layout is probably the most efficient I've ever seen in a boat this size. The L-shaped galley is starboard just below the companionway. It is equipped with a two-burner Origo non-pressurized alcohol stove with cutting board cover, a voluminous and well insulated icebox, and a deep stainless sink with pressurized water and a hand pump for the icebox drain. The starboard settee is slightly shorter that the port side. This was done to accommodate the galley. Storage under this settee is for the second battery with plenty of room left over. To port is the full-length settee. Storage underneath is limited due to the thirty-gallon fresh water tank and water pump. Aft of the settee is a small storage pedestal (kind of like a nightstand) and aft of that is a roomy quarter berth with opening port. This quarter berth easily sleeps two adults. Forward of the main salon is a fully enclosed and very spacious head with a sink/vanity and medicine cabinet to port, head and wet locker to starboard. A teak panel bi-fold door separates the head from the main salon while an accordion door closes off the v-berth. The v-berth is roomy with storage shelves on the bulkheads and the forward hatch for ventilation. The holding tank for the head is located beneath the v-berth. The engine is located beneath the companionway and is accessed by removing the steps. Additionally, the entire teak enclosure can be removed to give unlimited and completely unobstructed access to the engine, transmission, and stuffing box. To me (since I do all of my own work) this is a MAJOR plus! The main salon has storage shelves port and starboard above the settees as well as galley storage behind the stove and sink.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	[builder]
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	Purchased from owner
Other comments	This is a first-class cruising boat for either the novice or well-seasoned. Comfortable and roomy, quite often we spend extended periods of time on her with no hassles. I highly recomment this boat.

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