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Review of the Oday 30 by Bill Robb

Year built 1984  
Location of boat on the south shore of Lake Erie  
The boat is sailed on The Great Lakes  
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? I would certainly buy this boat again. I was able to aquire her for a price that made the step up worthwhile. I've been an O'Day owner since I've gotten into "big" boats - first with a 25 - and now with this 30. I've been on other boats; for me this O'Day is the best combination of values for the money.  
Gear that's been added Although she came with many of the factory upgrades, I added many minor cosmetic improvements to personalize her.  
Structural or complex improvements The only problem she had at survey was a case of blistering. It proved to be minor and was corrected with a good sanding followed by a vinylester barrier coat under a WC-17 anti-fouling. Cost to do this was $2,000 which was figured into the sale.  
The boat's best features In a word, roominess. The boat has as much room in her as many 34 footers. I felt that 30 feet was as much boat as I could reasonably handle and O'Day gives you more boat for the money. Handling-wise, she is a joy to sail. I have no trouble keeping up with our fleet of Wednesday night club racers.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. The holding tank and hoses had an odor that I found objectionable. I found a small crack in the bottom of the tank, probably caused by poor winterization. In addition, the old cloth hoses had absorbed odor over the years and needed to be replaced. This is a job I could have done myself - but elected to farm out. I continued to have problems with it all season due to a poor fitting on the tank. I think I finally got it fixed to the tune of $500, but I'll have to wait until next year to find out.  
Sailing characterisitcs She's a beautiful boat to sail! With relatively new sails, including a Harken furler, she handles under sail like a dream. Not a race boat, but able to sail rings around the Cape Dories and Island Packets out there. She has the stability to go off shore when needed but is most comfortable coastal sailing.  
Motoring characterisitcs When I first motored with the Universal M-18 and a folding prop, I thought she was seriously under-powered compared to my O-25 with the venerable 15 HP saildrive. She can maintain 5 knots all day in a relatively calm sea. I've yet to power her in adverse conditions so I don't know what she'll do but she seems to have lots of torgue - if not a lot of speed.  
Liveability This boats' livability is probably her best feature. There is all the room below that you could ever want in a 30 footer. One thing that O'Day just had to cut back on with this boat is the level of "fancy" woodwork belowdecks. Compared to semi-custom yachts found at your boat shows, she seems spartan. But, I like that look.  
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 from my dock neighbor at my marina. This is primarily why I got such a good deal. I knew the boat and - even though I still had it surveyed - I knew it's condition and problems with osmosis. That being so, the boat held no surprises for me.  
Other comments As an O'Day lover, I consider myself prejudiced in favor of the type. Many won't be. But O'Days' approach to performance cruising does it for me better than any other kind.  

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