my "new" DS II

[affrey]

I am totally new to sailing and I just got my first sailboat, a 1979 O'Day Day Sailer II. The sail reads 6735. It appears to be in really good condition. Everything is there and the sails are in excellent condition. The owner was asking for $1150 and I got it for $500 with a trailer in above average condition.

I doubt that I will have time to get it out this season. I am planning to take sailing lessons this spring which will give me time to learn about this boat and figure out how everything works.

I am sure that I will be leaning on everyone here for advice in the near future! I am proud to be a part of the DS community. Please bear with me on this journey!!!

I hope to have some pictures up soon!

[TIM WEBB]

Welcome to "The Club" affrey! Sounds like you got a great deal. I'm sure you'll find lots of help here. Lessons are a great idea - since you're completely new to sailing, they will (hopefully) help you avoid developing any "bad habits". However, in the meantime, don't be afraid to explore your new toy. You can yard-rig it and see ahead of time how it's set up, etc. There are manuals and rigging guides in the Technical Info section of this site. DS-specific parts and supplies can be found here:

http://www.drmarine.com/categories.asp?cat=64

My boat is also a '79, #10099, which makes me wonder if your 6735 sail might be from a different/earlier boat? There should be a hull ID stamped into the outside of the transom. Mine is XDY10099M79L-D. The codes are explained here:

http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/hin.html

So, the first number after the manufacturer ID code is your hull/sail number.

Looking forward to the pics!

[affrey]

Thanks Tim!

I check the number stamped into the transom.
It reads: XDYD67350773

I am going to check your link to see exactly what those numbers mean. I do notice the sail number is in this number as well. Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Dave
aka affrey

[affrey]

According to the HIN link, my boat is a 1973 and not a 1979? She claimed that it was a 1979 craft though. I will have to check the paperwork when it comes in the mail.

[jeadstx]

That sail number would be correct for a 1973 as your hull number indicates. Where are you located?

John

[affrey]

I am located in PA near Pittsburgh. Why?

[TIM WEBB]

I think what John is getting at is that different states have different ways of record-keeping. PA might do things differently than say FL or TX. It'll be interesting to see what your paperwork says, but I have to agree that you have a '73 - your HIN follows example 1 in the link: XDYD (mfg code) 6735 (hull SN) 0773 (date: July '73)

My FL registration says "XDYD ...", even tho there's no second "D" stamped on the transom. Just another quirk in the weird paper trail!

Hey, at least you can say you have original sails!

It's going to be important for you to know when your boat was built, because a lot of changes were made to DS2's during those years, mostly to the CB uphaul/downhaul system, and you're going to want to know what you're dealing with when reading posts/asking questions here.

[GreenLake]

As far as I can tell by reading all the links describing the HIN, there are several variants, but all of them are federal, that is they do not vary by state. That said, the recordkeeping by the various states seems to be a bit haphazard, especially before the HIN, in that we've now seen several instances where information was entered into the record that physically can't match the boat. (E.g. boat sports a design variation from a different year, hull and class numbers (separate before HIN) are used interchangeably and inconsistently etc.).

[affrey]

I hope that the year doesn't change the value of my purchase.

I didn't realize that each state may do somethings differently. When I asked "why" with the location, I was hoping that he was close to me to educate me on how everything works. So far, we stepped the mast, hooked up and raised the jib and main. I am still trying to figure out the main sheet with all it's blocks. It is a Harkens and appears to be newer. I found that there are a few of the screws in the gudgeons in the transom need replaced. The lower one that holds the rudder on are a bit loose, rusted and may be stripped.
Thanks for everyones input. So far, it has been very enjoyable learning about it and a big help!

Dave

[jeadstx]

Reason I was asking where you were located was that someone with a DS may be near you to help you learn to sail your boat. If you were in central Texas, I would have been willing.

Tim is right about the different states do have different ways of keeping records and sometimes they record the years wrong. The year being wrong on the title does not (or should not) affect the value of your boat. As has been said, knowing the correct year of your boat can help identify problems. The DS is still in production so there have been many variations in the over 50 years these boats have been built.

John

[affrey]

Thanks, John! I wish you lived near me. I did just order Roger's Daysailer II book in PDF format. I hope that helps me out a lot too. Any thoughts?
Dave

[GreenLake]

If you run into very specific issues, post them here (with pictures) and you might receive "remote assistance."

[affrey]

Thanks! I appreciate it! I did read on drmarine website that they sell the gudgeon plates and they use a 10-24 bolt with nut to go through the transom to hold the rudder in place. The top is solid but the bottom bolts, of the 4, 2 are rusted and broke. Does that sound lkke fhe right size and how long should the be? Do I need to seal around the new bolts to prevent any leaking?
Thanks,
Dave

[Breakin Wind]

Hi affrey

I had to replace my gudgeon screws as well, and I'm nearly certain I used 10-24 x 3" screws with cap nuts for a cleaner inside (less sharp edges to catch things on). I was suprised how thick the transom was (probably swollen with wet wood) but after one or two tries and misses (too short) I finally took a small wire, fed it through and then measured it's length. Yours may be different.

Good Luck! - Scott

[GreenLake]

It's a good idea to seal any hole you drill with epoxy.