Oday Owner Reviews

Serving sailors online since 1997

Review of the Oday Mariner by Chris O'Brien

Year built	1974
Location of boat	Riverton, NJ
The boat is sailed on	Rivers
How the boat is used	Racing
Normal wind strength	10-15 knots
Average size of crew	2-4
Liveaboard?	No
Owner bought the boat in	2004
If the clock could be turned back, would owner buy again?	Absolutely.Having sailed an O'Day Javelin for many years in Long Island Sound (a 14 foot Daysailer with weighted centerboard), I can attest the Mariner sails like a smaller boat, but with much more room.The boat sails very well upwind and downwind and is very fun to race (the class association is very active and very welcoming to new sailors). With an O'Day centerboard, the boat handles heavy air with little difficulty and like other Uffa Fox boats can handle fairly heavy chop (It has a higher transom than the Daysailer or Javelin).It is also a great daysailer/overnighter for families since it is simple, stable, built like a tank, and has positive flotation. It's a great "project boat" as it is big enough to learn boat repair/maintenance on, but small enough that projects do not precipitate divorce....
Gear that's been added	A second outer jib track was added for heavy air racing (prior to my purchase)
Structural or complex improvements	I have replaced the companionway and hatch board runners-purchased from Stuart Marine this year.The mast had a support colum placed underneath for further support
The boat's best features	The boat handles heavy air well, but also performs well in light air.
Problem areas in terms of design, materials, maintenance, etc.	The jib jam cleats are not well placed for the crew-many boats have had these reconfigured to be more crew-friendlyThe centerboard bolt is prone to (small) leaks-though it is possible to get a watertight seal.
Sailing characterisitcs	Good light air boat-great downwind boat.Handles heavy air without much difficulty.
Motoring characterisitcs	Don't have one
Liveability	Small cockpit-useful for daysailing and camping overnight.
The owner's experience in dealing with Hunter (if any)	[builder]
The owner's experience with the boat dealer or broker, if any	From individual
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