What to Look For in a Family Cruiser

1. Insist on a boat that performs. It may seem obvious, but every sailboat that’s fun is a sailboat that really sails. It should handle easily, deliver reason- able speed on every point and provide an enjoyable experience in light, moderate and even heavy breezes. As your sailing ability improves, so will your scorn for a clumsy boat, and your appreciation for a good performer. O’day Cruisers are first and foremost sailboats which are both forgiving and docile in the hands of a new sailor, as well as lively and challenging to the one who’s accomplished.
2. Demand attention to safety. No one respects open water more than the experienced seaman, who has seen all its moods and sudden whims. It would be foolish to trust your family to a boat that is not designed to cope with foul weather. Look carefully at each boat you are seriously considering, and trust your judgment. Are the stem head and chain plate fittings custom stainless steel components, substantially constructed and properly attached? Are the topsides smooth and is the sheer line an even, fair curve? Is the centerboard totally sealed within its well? Can you remove it for inspection or is that a boat yard job? Are the rigging, spars and deck hardware non-corrosive stainless steel and aluminum alloy, and do they look strong enough to handle an unexpected problem? O’Day boats are designed and built by people whose whole life is sailing, and who enjoy the boats with their families just as you do with yours. All the loyalty in the world wouldn’t get them to buy an O’Day if they didn’t believe in its safety.
   
   
3. Look for a boat that’s built to last. Sailboats have to be tough because lakes and oceans are tough on sailboats. The rig must stand in heavy air. The hull must endure the punishment of sharp, choppy waves. The fittings must withstand the corrosion of salt water. Our theory of building calls for boats to be made a little stronger than they have to be. We lay up the fiberglass decks and hulls by hand instead of spraying them with chopped fibers. Each component used is considered for its ruggedness and durability. And the Quality Control Inspectors signed report accompanies every 1979 O’Day out the door. If the boat isn’t right, his name won’t go on it. O’Day boats are built to last. And because they do last, they command unusually high resale prices.
   
   
4. Look for an honest sail away price. If cars were sold the way sailboats are, they’d come without tires or engines. Sails, running rigging and other important details are optional. Buy an O’Day, and you’ll sail it away pretty much the way you’ll sail it for the next five years.
   
   
5. Buy from a respected company. There are hundreds of firms making sailboats today. Many are decent products. Many others are not. And, as in most hobbyist businesses, some of the least satisfactory products are sold by the sincerest people. Before you place an order, ask yourself if the company will still be around when you need warranty help or replacement parts. O’Day has helped provide a satisfying boating experience to over 46,000 sailing families, more than any other cruising boat manufacturer in the world. And O’Day is a Bangor Punta Company, with the resources and technical assistance of one of Americas major Corporations.
   
   
6. Choose a boat that fits your needs. Don’t make an investment in a boat that’s too cramped for your family or not suited for the waters you intend to sail. Will you moor or trailer the boat? What boats are raced near you? Is your area known for light or heavy air? Is the water deep or shoal? How often will you use the boat, and how far will you usually sail? If you’re not sure how to judge those requirements, your local O’Day dealer is a good place to look for help. We choose each dealer for his knowledge and sincerity. And hell stock the kind of boats that are most likely to fit his area and please his customers.
   
   
7. Even if you’re only interested in cruising, don’t completely discount racing. Unfortunately, racing puts many sailors off. To some, the anxiety and pressure seem unnecessary. To others, the rules and skills seem complicated and difficult. It’s pleasing for us to see that some O’Day owners race the very same boats in which they and their families cruise. And many do very well. John Deknatel, Winn Willard and Peter Boyce of Hunt Associates design each new O’Day cruiser to be a good performer. Where rating rule advantages conflict with cruising advantages the latter always takes precedence. But you’d be surprised how often the two are quite compatible. Were not saying that O’Day cruisers will win against flat-out racers. But we are saying that you can expect to do well, and with good judgment and boat handling, perhaps even win. Race winners will tell you that there’s no faster way to gain sailing proficiency than in competition. And even persistent race losers will tell you there’s no better way to have fun.
   
   
8. Read the Warranty. Most boat owners get around to reading the warranty just after they’ve had their first problem. We suggest that you read it before you buy the boat. Each is different. Some are written to protect the manufacturer. The good ones are written to protect you. And remember, a written warranty isn’t much better than the intention of the company that created it. Enforcing an insincere warranty can cost more in time and money than the problem is worth. Critical design and construction features you should fully understand. When you’re out having fun on the water, you’ll take good design and construction for granted. With the right boat you can. But when you are at the point of making a serious investment in that right boat, you have an obligation to yourself and to your family to really understand why some boats can be trusted, and some cannot. O’Day builds keel center boarders. Others build swing keelers. There are important differences. The problems of swing keelers. The very first trailerables all had swing keels-heavy metal blades that retracted completely within a box in the cabin. While swing keels solved the trailer-loading problem, they introduced other very questionable characteristics.

1) With the board retracted the boat has to be substantially less stable. (Basic physics: the center of gravity is much closer to the center of buoyancy.)

2) With the board up, the directional control is substantially diminished. (The boat has become a saucer on the water.)

3) The pin on which the keel pivots penetrates (and is supported by) the centerboard trunk within the cabin. Leaks are common, in spite of continued efforts to the contrary.

4) Should the side of the keel strike a submerged object, the keel can act as a lever against the vulnerable trunk within the hull. Serious damage is possible.

5) Raising and lowering a heavy metal keel is hard on the equipment, and hard on the crew.

6) The keel trunk clutters valuable interior space and dictates the entire accommodation layout.

7) Paint will chip from a metal board. Permanent sealing is impossible. Rust is an inevitability.

8) Removing the keel for inspection is a job for a boat yard.

 

The advantages of O’Days keel/centerboards:

The O’Day trailerable cruisers are built with a ballasted fixed keel into which a lightly ballasted centerboard can be drawn. No centerboard trunk penetrates the cabin. Yet trailer loading is still quite easy.

• Even with the board retracted, the ballast is well away from (below) the center of buoyancy, and the hull has very good inherent stability.
  
  
• A fixed keel maintains directional control in shallow water when the board is up.
  
  
• The unique O’Day keel/centerboard installation permits the hull and centerboard housing to be molded in one secure, totally sealed component. The implications of this construction are incredible.
  
  a) The hull integrity is never penetrated, even to accommodate a centerboard pivot pin. The possibility of centerboard leakage is practically nil.
  
  b) The board is readily removed by the owner for inspection and painting.
  
  c)The ballast in the keel is totally enveloped by the fiberglass hull, not bolted to it. (Keel bolt holes are sources of potential leaks.) There is no keel exposure to water.
  
  
• A lightly ballasted centerboard is easy to raise and lower, even for a child. You have a right to ask if keel/centerboards have any disadvantages. They do, one. Without question, they are more expensive to build. And that’s it.

 

Desirable design features you should appreciate:

O’Day doesn’t cut comers. Just as Hunt Associates developed the hull, rig and layout, industrial designers Banka Mango Inc. have refined the surface materials.

• All main bulkheads are easy cleaning laminate with a teak appearance.
  
  
• All interior components are structural -the fiberglass pan, the fiberglass headliner, the wood joiner work are tied together in such a way as to contribute to the integrity of the boat.
  
  
• All have outboard rudders -no chance for loading or launching damage. Easy to see and remove snagged objects underway.
  
  
• All are fitted with mast tabernacles -a hinged element, which allows two people to rig the mast with the boat on the trailer before launching. Yes, even the big O’Day 25.
  
  
• All fabrics are soft spun synthetics, treated with Scotchguard for stain and mildew resistance.
  
  
• All ports are made with tinted glass -reducing glare and cabin heat, and improving privacy to the point where curtains are not really necessary.
  
  
• All forward hatches close flush to the deck. No leaks, nothing on which to trip or catch a line.

THE O’DAY 25.

The O’Day 25 is an extender of horizons –a distance traveler on the water or trailering behind your car It is also Americas most successful 25 footer, ever. Families who really love their sailing, love their 25. John Deknatel and the designers at Hunt Associates conceived of the 25 as a maxi-trailerable that had big boat performance and feel, and 100% usable interior space. They moved the settees right out to the point of maximum beam, raising the deck for plenty of sitting room. Then they narrowed the trunk cabin, keeping maximum headroom above the walking areas, and leaving nice wide side decks for sunbathing. New raised storage bin /seat backs hold more gear that can be accessed with less hassle, and create a space beneath which allows each settee berth to gain almost an extra foot of width. Keel and Centerboard. The two 25s are identical in just about every way from the bottom up. The cockpit is 7 feet across (wider than most are long). Both share that wonderful quality of good handling, a result of a beautifully balanced rudder. And both are very fast. The center boarder, however, is game for shallow water sailing, drawing only 23” with the board up (and a whopping 6’ with the board down. It also trails obediently and easily, right at the national speed limit. With the tabernacle, a small crew can raise or lower the mast in no time at all. The keel version is for sailors blessed with deep water, or sailors who want to race. Drawing 46” with 1775 pounds of ballast, its solid as a church when bashing to weather in a breeze. The beauty within. If you have a couple of restless children, you’ll be pleased by the space and openness of the O’Day 25s interior. There’s a full 56” headroom in the main salon. The table folds out of the way against the bulkhead. A slide out stove abaft the starboard settee allows the cook to work in the companionway fresh air, then stores out of sight when not in use. Two adults can share the V-berth forward. Two or three more can sleep on the spacious settees (the huge port berth is either a lonesome single or a cozy double). Another will find the quarter berth snug and welcoming. The head is fully enclosed and is complemented by a built-in vanity, sink and water pump. There’s a hanging locker and boot bin, and every nook and cranny is a place for dry storage. If the O’Day 25 wasn’t the most satisfactory trailerable boat on today’s market, 1,200 happy owners wouldn’t have chosen it.

STANDARD SAILAWAY EQUIPMENT

Pleasure Group	25'	23'	22'
All hardware non corrosive or stainless steel	S	S	S
Anchor locker	S	S
Berth cushions-Fabric-4*	S	S	S
Built-in insulated icebox	S	S
Cabin handrails (teak)	S	S	S
Cockpit gas tank storage locker	S	S
Cockpit seat hatch	S	S	S
Dining table	S	S	S
Double berth w/cushion-slide-out	S	S
Forward hatch & forward cabin door	S	S	S
Galley unit (stove area, sink, pump, water tank and storage compartment)	S	S	S
Hanging locker	S	S	S
Head medicine chest	S	S
Main and jib	S	S	S
Mainsheet traveler	S
Mooring and trailing bow eye (not on 25 keel)	S	S	S
Outboard bracket	S	S	S
Storage locker	S	S	S
Storage shelves	S	S
Tabernacle	S	S	S
2-year warranty	S	S	S
Head vanity	S
Vinyl gunwale guard	S	S	S

Accent Group
All colors molded in	S	S	S
Colored mast and boom	S	S	S

Safety Group
Jiffy reefing	S	S
Roller reefing gooseneck			S
Lights-interior, running and mast light, with battery box, switch panel with circuit breakers	S	S	S
Nonskid deck and seats	S	S	S
Positive foam flotation			S
Self-bailing cockpit	S	S	S
Self-righting	S	S	S
Stainless steel rigging with swaged terminals	S	S	S
Thru-bolted mooring and stem cleats	S	S	S

Performance Group
Best Dacron running rigging	S	S	S
Boom vang	S	S	S
Full masthead rig	S	S	S
Inside lead ballast (except 25 keel)	S	S	S
Quick-release cam cleat for mainsheet	S	S	S
Stainless steel turnbuckles	S	S	S

*4- main cabin. All others 3 except 25 quarter berth is 4

OPTIONS

	25'	23'	22'
Bilge pump hand	X	X
Block action outhaul	X	X	X
Bow pulpit	X	X	X
Carpet, cabin floor	X	X	X
Cockpit cushions	X	X	X
Compass (Ritchie) 4 bulkhead mount	X	X	X
Cowl vent - 4	X	X	X
Cradle	X	X	X
Curtains	X	X	X
Genoa	X	X	X
Genoa gear less winches	X	X	X
Genoa/jib winches w/handle	X	X	X
Halyard winch, main or jib w/handle	X	X	X
Head, self-contained	X	X	X
Head, self-contained set up for shore pump out	X	X	X
Inboard engine- OMC Saildrive	X	X
Insulated icebox	S	S	X
Lifelines with stanchions	X	X	X
Mainsail cover	X	X	X
Mast raising device	X
Recessed storage bins in all berth tops*	X
Special color charge, hull only	X	X	X
Spinnaker gear w/pole	X	X	X
Spinnaker turtle bag	X	X	X
Stern pulpit	X	X
Stove - 2-burner	X	X	X
Tiller extension-adjustable length	X	X	X
Two opening ports in head	X
V-berth insert	S	S
Whisker pole	X	X	X
Winch - # 10 halyard less handle (Barient)	X	X	X
Winch- #lO small jib/spinnaker less handle (Barient)	X	X	X
Winch - # 18 genoa/spinnaker for larger sails less handle (Barient)	X	X	X
Standard handle	X	X	X
Slide-out vanity		X

X = Optional - extra cost
S = Standard equipment
*Keep contents completely dry