Oday Owner Reviews

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Review of the Oday 27 by David Plante

Year built 1973  
Location of boat Jamestown, 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 1994  
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again? Yes  
Gear that's been added Major refit; all electrical & plumbing, running & standing rigging, outboard version - 15 hp long shaft, substantial garelick motor mount, replaced marine head & enlarged holding tank, added inboard fuel tank & blower system, refinished all countertops, all Schaefer sail handling hardware incl. traveler system, Andersen 2 spd self-tailing winches, new dodger in a couple of weeks, extensive safety equipment, replaced galley stove w/twin Origo. The list goes on...I wanted this to be a safe, secure boat that we didn't have to worry about falling apart when the weather gets nuts!  
Structural or complex improvements Had new rudder fabricated; replaced bearings, reinforced the rudder tube & reglassed exterior of tube. Insulated the icebox. Reinforced some lifeline stanchions w/backing plates. Added thru-deck filler ports for water & fuel. Added bow anchor roller.  
The boat's best features Outhaul, reefing lines and vang can be reached from the cabin while underway. A solid, well built boat. The fiberglass is well laid up. A "real" bridge deck. Double lifelines. Leech lines on both the Jib and the Main with velcro covers.  
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc. No matter how much I work at sealing the darn ports & toerail it continues to spring small leaks just when I think I've got 'em all. Of course they only show up when we're stuck inside during a 2-day storm and the wind's howling. Also agree with another review about the poor stanchion reinforcements. Probably moisture somewhere in the deck with a boat this old, but no flexing yet! Original winches too small (fixed that). Cheap foredeck hatch. Storage opens right into the bilge, so if the bilge gets wet, the stored material will too (fixed that). Side decks are narrow. No foredeck anchor storage (fixed that).  
Sailing characterisitcs Very manageable & easy handling boat. Easy to balance w/quick response on jibes & tacks. Feels like a Big Boat when sailing. Big Boat style rigging. Stays on a heading alone for quite awhile when trimmed. It's an absolutely dependable weekend sailboat that has allowed us some decent bluewater experiences.  
Motoring characterisitcs Have had to motor 50 miles (more than once) to beat a storm when there was no wind. We've gone on several 2 wk trips so there's often a lot of motoring required. With our 15 hp o.b. & sailprop we easily cruise @ 6kt. Following rough seas can be a problem when going dead down wind with the o.b. cavitating.  
Liveability We chose it because we were looking for an affordable boat with 4 berths. This one has 2 qtr berths, and despite what i've seen written about overcrowding the interior of a sailboat, it was just what we needed at the time to get my young kids introduced to sailing and increase my own skills. It is expectedly getting "smaller" as my teens get older, but, it remains a perfect size for my wife and I to enjoy sailing on our own (as rarely as that occurs).  
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any) [builder]  
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any N/A - private purchase  
Other comments Have taught both my teens since they were 9 & 10 years old; very stable...has held up in 4-6 ft seas & 35kt gusts off Edgartown, MA. Loves to surf the waves off Newport under right wind conditions. In 20kt winds this week, double-reefed, still had a great day sailing the boat on a 35 mile day sail. I could go on...been a great experience for our family. One of the prettiest looking pocket cruisers out there if the compliments we've received are any indication (also my humble opinion).  

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