Oday Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Oday Outlaw by Jason C Peck

Year built	1968
Location of boat	Patchogue, NY
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	2-4
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	1996
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Probably not but it really isn't the fault of O'day. I bought the boat from my uncle for $1,500 not realizing how badly he maintained it. I have replaced or repaired almost every single thing on the boat and still have more to do. Since then I have realized that I have very little use for a cabin for the kind of sailing I do and will eventually purchase a boat with a huge cockpit and minimal cabin.
Gear that's been added	I have added a VHF, AM/FM/CD deck with waterproof cockpit speakers, a dual battery setup, hand powered bildge pump, solar fan and a new outboard (with alternator and electric start). I am debating on whether to add a self-furling system for next season or not.
Structural or complex improvements	I had to refiberglass parts of the engine well due to a crack on the port corner reaching down to the waterline. I did this 5 years ago and the repair seems to be holding up fine.
The boat's best features	Once the sails are up it is very easy to use single handed and is quite fast compared to other boats of similar lengths despite it's age. The long tiller is a joy and does not require much effort. The boat is just small enough so that I can run the genoa in almost any wind condition without having to tie the sheet to a cleat. That way I can trim the jenny from the windward side while steering. I am rather large so I would not suggest that for most people. Lastly, by having an engine well I can hold the tiller in one hand while holding the engine throttle in the other. Like most sailboats it does not like to steer while backing up. I have found that by turning the tiller and the engine at the same time (takes getting use to) I can manuver quite well in tight spaces.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	Oh, where to start. The spinaker pole is welded to the deck. Since I basically run single handed (despite my wife being on board) that is not a big deal since I wouldn't use it anyway. I have already mentioned the crack in the engine well that I have fixed above. The teak around the outer edge of the boat where the deck meets the hull is cracked in many places. The unpainted fiberglass on the hatches to let light through itches badly if you rest against it. The genoa hits the bow rails and wears out the sail in that area. The sliding hatch for the cabin entrance hits the boom vang when open. The endcap on the boom snapped off a piece. The water tank snapped off the filler. Lastly, the well is not big enough for my 9.9hp longshaft to tilt up out of the water. The prop hits the back of the boat so I just put on a nice thick layer of anti-fouling paint on the lower unit each winter and leave it in the down position all of the time.
Sailing characterisitcs	It is very fast for it's age and size. It sails well in almost any direction to the wind and I can control lean very easily with trim adjustments. It tracks nicely in rough seas, probably due to it's very thick (heavy) fiberglass hull. The only real problem I have had is when trying to sail on only one sail, either the main or the genoa. The boat just wants to spin rather than move forward.
Motoring characterisitcs	I have a 9.9hp long shaft and for the most part it works well and has more than enough power. The boat does rock somewhat easily under power in even mild waves though. In addition, like most sailboats when bobbing the prop will occaisionally lost bite in the water. Also like most sailboats it is almost impossible to steer well in reverse using the rudder alone. As I have said above, the big advantage to the engine well is that the engine is close enough to the cockpit so I can hold the tiller in one hand and old the engine control shaft in the other. Then I turn the motor and the tiller at the same time and the steering works alot better. It's more work but you get much better results.
Liveability	Local laws by me require a holding tank for the toilet. I considered converting the water tank to a holding tank but instead just sealed off the through hull fittings and replaced the toilet with a port-a-potty. The original alcohol stove is long since gone and due to problems with the holding tank I haven't used the sink. That all being said, if I bothered fixing them, the sleeping areas are quite generous and there is a privacy curtain for the port-a-potty so overall it would not be a bad weekender. I would not really consider a longer trip than that. There is not a whole lot of storage room in the cabin.
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	Overall it's a fairly pretty boat that sails well and I am for the most part happy with it. Most of my problems are age related except for the lack of steerage when only using one sail.

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