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Review of the Oday 192 by Dave Kautz

Year built 1986  
Location of boat San Francisco Bay, CA  
The boat is sailed on Bays, sounds, or protected salt water  
How the boat is used Day sailing  
Normal wind strength 16-22 knots  
Average size of crew solo  
Liveaboard? No  
Owner bought the boat in 2005  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Absolutely! I am having a fabulous time with this boat. It has a big cockpit for daysailing with friends, the cabin is comfortable enough for one or two people to overnight. Sometimes I think about getting a bigger boat, but I love the easy trailering and rigging of the little 192 and know I'm better off just going more new places in the boat I have.  
Gear that's been added When I bought the boat it had a broken speed indicator, I replaced that with a compass that fit the same hole. The previous owner had already made some important upgrades - he put on a heavier motor mount for four-stroke engines, upgraded to a larger furling drum that has more leverage and capacity to roll up a 135 genoa, and led the main halyard back to the cockpit. During the three years I've had the boat, each year I've replaced one of the sails. I also added a "Boom-Kicker" last winter, but I have mixed feelings about it and don't know that I would call it an upgrade at this point.  
Structural or complex improvements The 192 strikes me as being really well made, I haven't found any structural problems to fix. Unlike some of the larger O'days, the 192 does not fasten the shrouds to a plywood bulkhead. There are stainless struts that transfer the rig loads to the liner and hull. The compression post is also stainless. I did replace the cockpit drain tube hose and fittings which were getting brittle from sun exposure  
The boat's best features I think the shoal keel / centerboard arrangement is the best compromise for a trailerable boat. I also think that O'day was wise to make the accomodations inside the boat "adult-size" rather than add more features in a doll-house scale like some of the other sub-20 foot boats do. A friend who has a Potter 19 told me "...your boat is missing all the stuff I never use!" The fact that the boat has nice lines doesn't hurt the pride of ownership either. A number of strangers have stopped to say "that is a nice looking boat, what is it?"  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. The rig took me a while to figure out. I was accustomed to a hank-on jib from my previous boat. In wind over ten knots, the wire-luff jib works best if it is tensioned with the winch on the mast to the point that the forestay is slack, then when the mainsheet rotates the triangle plate in the backstay, the increased tension tightens the jib luff rather than just pulling on the forestay. The rig is then rather "self-regulating" - when the wind goes light the the backstay reduces tension on the jib luff and it becomes fuller, when the wind picks up the opposite occurs and the jib flattens.  
Sailing characterisitcs I sail mostly on San Francisco Bay and it can be pretty windy here during the summer. The boat spends much of it's time with a reef in. I have sailed her a number of times is winds up to 30 knots with just the reefed main and she takes it all in stride. When the wind picks up, the limitations of the wire-luff furling system become apparent. In winds of 15 kts. or more I have to turn dead downwind and put the jib in the wind-shadow of the main to get it to furl neatly. This type of furler is not practical for reefing the jib, the top unrolls and the shape is terrible.  
Motoring characterisitcs I've been using a 2hp Honda that I already had. It's fine for maneuvering and will push the boat well into winds up to 15 kts., but the 2 hp is really too small for the boat. I think a 3.5 or 4 hp motor would be ideal. I've been sticking with the 2hp because it is air-cooled and I don't have to flush it out after use, since almost all my sailing is in salt water.  
Liveability My longest stay aboard the boat was five days on a trip out to Catalina Island from Long Beach. More headroom would be nice for getting dressed but there is enough so that one can sit on the head comfortably. The quarter berths are amply sized and a good place to sleep. My wife and I plus our dog spent a three-day weekend aboard in Monterey Harbor and it went surprisingly well, when you consider it is only a 19 foot boat.  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any I bought the boat used from a private party. He was honest and reliable and the deal went well.  
Other comments It is a real shame that O'day isn't in business today, it certainly isn't any fault of their products in my opinion. We are lucky to have Rudy at D&R marine for spare parts though - he has been able to help me with unique bits like fitted hatchboards, sails and parts for my running lights.  

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