Identifying Old Daysailer

[Guest]

I have recentliy acquired(free)an old daysailor. The stern coaming board has a plaque which reads;
Made by Marscot Plastics, Inc.
Fall River Mass
for
G.D. O'Day Association, Inc.
Boston
Hull No:4152 Class No.:147

Can anyone tell me what year this boat was made?
It is need of repair and I want to know if it worth restoring. The center board box is lifting from the floor. There are curves in the floor from sitting on a trailer and it needs cleaning and painting. The mast stay hardware on the bow (brass) is broken. I am not sure about the sail. It has a funny symbol. Not the traditional DS. Did Daysailer have a different symbol in the beginning? It could be these are not the original sails. I acquired it from a friend on Cape Cod. Any help/suggestions with this would be appreciated.

Odette (mkodette-at-attbi.com)

[Guest]

My guess is that this boat was built in late 1958, maybe early 1959. O'days were built by Marscot Plastics (also known as Palmer Scott) until the very early 1960's, when Marscot switched to building powerboats only, and George O'Day suddenly found himself as a boatbuilder, not just a seller. At that time, production moved to Fall River, MA. First to 168 Stevens St., later (early 1970's) to 848 Airport Rd.

Parts for the Day Sailer I are available from D&R Marine (508) 644-3001 and from Cape Cod Shipbuilding (508) 295-3550.

Unless this boat is absolutely "dead", I would say it is worth restoring! Besides being a very early DS, she will be a great family daysailer!

Rod Johnson, "SUNBIRD" (rjohnson24-at-juno.com)

[Guest]

Here is some information for benchmark purposes. My DSI is class # 795. It has the bronze center board handle, mohagany floor boards, gunnels and curved transom. It also has fiberglass seats/flotation tanks and an external mount for the kicker. The drain is a small 1/2" hole in the keel about 4" behind the centerboard housing. The boat also has a mahogony "shelf" that fits athwartships aft of the seats beneath the stern overhang. I guess it was built in 1960 and may be one of the "transition" 1st gen boats. I would appreciate any clarification anyone could provide.

When I bought it for $500.00!!! 3 years ago, it had few mechanical fittings. The jib sheets passed through bronze holes in the gunnels and were cleated to a brass jam cleat mounted to the top of the centerboard housing. The main sheet had no block system other than the transom triangle traveler and small blocks on the boom. The working end of the main sheet was just cleated to another jam cleat mounted on the aft curve of the centerboard housing. I promptly installed a harken block and jam cleat arrangement...trying to trim that big sail without the help of some physics scared the hell out of me.

Thanks to those who maintain this site. Great information. Fair winds all!

Steve Link (sjlink502-at-aol.com)

[Guest]

Also purchased a DS 1, Class # 129, at Cape this fall. From documentation with the boat, it was built by Marscot in 1959. So yours is 1959, or later. The boat I have has a lot of crazing in the hull, but for casual day sailing, I dont intend to worry about it much. A bunch of minor things to get to as may be expected for an antique boat. I am used to sailing more modern boats, it seems that this one has only fairleads on deck for jib, with holes in the coaming to bring sheets inboard. One small jam cleat on top of the trunk, and thats it, although a block had been added each side at stern end of coaming, possibly for extended jib sheet???, No cleat at all for main ( has the small deck mounted blocks for triangle traverler).

John Hampe (ghampe-at-rcn.com)