Just purchased DSI

[Thomas P. Bews]

Hey All. Been looking at this site for a while now. Just purchased a DSI that I found on the internet. If one goes to Yahoo or Google and searches for "used O'day Daysailer sailboat" all sorts of stuff comes up. The add for my boat said used 1974 DSII for sale. Just out of curiosity, I punched it up and was looking at pictures of a nice DSI. Add said boat was used for racing, mint condition, racing mast, two sets of sails, spinnaker, custom rudder etc. Wow-sounds very good. Called the guy up and yes, boat was still for sale. Some of these adds on the internet could be years old!! Apparently, boat was owned by the guys father who raced it at Spruce Run Reservoir in NJ-Fleet 86 (now inactive?). Father died five years ago and boat has been sitting since then. After talking to to seller seems boat has all that I am looking for. I used to race a Daysailer in Fleet 86 in late 80's, moved to Ohio and sold the boat in 90 or 91 after being "barn sailed" for a couple of years. I had my brother drive to the sellers place in NJ and look at the boat for me. Over the phone I got a good description of the boat and the equipment. "Is the mast tapered?" "Yes". "What name is on the mast?" "Proctor". "What name is on the boom?" "Proctor". Ah, my excitement builds!!! "Is the rudder head a heavy white fiberglass thing?" "No, it looks kind of funny, made of aluminum with a bunch of holes drilled in it-the rudder looks thin like an airplane wing." Gets better all the time. "Does it have a spinnaker pole." "Yeah". "What is the condition of the hull?" "Very good, still shiny, no damage-some non-skid painting done on the deck, needs some varnish on the woodwork". "What does the centerboard look like?" "I ain't crawling under the boat to find out, but it is there." Apparently everything I want is here. Good sails, excellent spinnaker, life vests and other boating gear. From the pictures I could tell the boat had all the racing controls, Harken blocks and a Harken Midboom Traveller. Trailer in good condition. Told my brother to snag the boat. Bought it for $3000 bucks. Might seem a bit high to some people, but all the racing gear alone is worth more than the boat itself. Interesting finding with the sail #'s. Seller said the boat was built in 1974. It is a DSI not a II. The sail # is 6999, or so he says. I thought the O'day DSI went out of production in 1972. My Last DS was sail # 4288 and a DS my father had in the 70's was sail # 4587, both DSI's. This might be the very last O'day DSI made!! It would be cool if it was!!. I will be sailing out of Smith Mountain Lake in VA. I am downsizing my sailing. I currently have a C&C 30 Mark I on the lake. I only use it sporatically and do not need to live aboard on weekends like I used to. Boat is beautiful, but much more than I need. Anybody want to move up a bit? I plan to race the DS a little in a handicap fleet and also to singlehand. I have a fantacy of maybe starting a fleet here at Smith Mountain, but I know how difficult it can be. In the meantime I still haven't seen the boat and my brother will haul it down sometime this spring. I will join the Association as soon as I get the boat. Happy sailing or dreaming if snowbound!

Thomas P. Bews

[KHFlanagan]

You probably already know that VISA at Smith Mountain Lake has a great Centerboard Regatta during the first full weekend of October each year. Daysailers come from all over for a fun weekend. It will be great to have a local fleet there!

[Bob Damon]

Tom, Glad you will be on board. Your name is familiar and perhaps we have met in the past. Your boat is a Can-Am. A group bought the last 10-20 hulls from O'day and fitted them out for racing. I previously had 6962 so it is a good boat. Fleet 122 is located in Richmond and we usually have a group that goes to VISA for their centerboard regatta in October. Feel free to contact me as needed at nomadbob@aol.com or at (804) 739-9332. Bob Damon