Yet another new DSII owner.

[itguy1010]

All the sailing gods smiled on us today and provided good weather for a maiden voyage on our "new" DSII.

Put in from the DNR boat launch at around 10:00AM after a purposely slow rigging to make sure all was right. Conditions at embarking were overcast and 5 - 7 mph with a forecast of 10 mph later in the afternoon. Had the outboard ready but we pushed off from the dock, raised the jib and moved out. Raised the main and just basically had a great time on the water getting to know this sweetheart of a boat. The CB worked flawlessly as the PO had promised and my only complaint is the jib sheet cars that have cam cleats on them. The angle needed on the sheet to cleat it in the cams is too much abeam and really needs to be angled back aft to facilitate single handing. Pretty minor stuff that can be ironed out later.

The wind forecast was a little off though. We experienced a stiffing breeze steady at 15 and gusting to 20 mph by 2:00PM. It was a little variable around the compass as well but the boat took it all in stride and this rusty skipper was able to just smile and hang on for the ride.

I've got to work on setting the correct main downhaul and outhaul tension. Was not all that happy with the main shape and the tendency to luff on a close reach. My rookie first mate did her best on figuring out which jib sheet to pull on during tacking and I refused to nag her about jib trimming so it was probably affecting my main shape to some degree. I also probably should have rigged the vang since the boom was getting a little high but I was trying to keep it simple today.

Tomorrow is our anniversary (4 years) and we're trailering to a lake I basically spent most of my early adult life on that has a sailing club. Hoping to stick my tongue out at a few Lightnings and Rebels.

Eric

[SUNBIRD]

To determine the "Class or Sail Number" from the 12-digit HIN.
The HIN should usually be of one of the following formats:

XDYDxxxxM73m or XDYDxxxxmm73
Being a 1973, I'd guess it will be the XDYDxxxxmm73 format.

XDY = O'DAY
D = Day Sailer (no differentiation between DS I and DS II)
xxxx = the Class# or Sail Number
mm = month of construction
73 = Model Year (year built)

For newer boats, O'DAY switched to the other format, XDYDxxxxM79m

XDY = O'DAY
D = Day Sailer
xxxx = Class or Sail Number
M79 = Model Year
m = Code for month of construction (where A = August, B = September, C = October.....) The Model Year ran August to July, for instance, the 1977 Model Year ran August 1976 to July 1977

My boat is XDY10201M79E-D

Class# 10201
M79 = 1979 Model Year
E = December 1978
D = Day Sailer
Once O'DAY reached Day Sailer number 9999, they had a problem! So, after that the HIN looks like: XDYxxxxxM79m-D They had to add a character to the HIN to include the "D" for Day Sailer since hte class3 now exceeded 4 digits.

In August of 1984 the HIN format changed again, XDYxxxxxmymm where the mymm characters translate:
m = month of model year
y = last digit of build year
mm = actual Model year, 84 for 1984

For instance: DS number 12022 might have had a HIN of XDY12022A484 (built in January 1984 as an 1985 model)

And finally, for boats built prior to the November 1972 start of the 12-digit HIN requirement:
Hard to tell exact year of build....... but those boats have a little metal plate pop-riveted to the inside of the transom (or on forward flotation tank of the DS I) that has 2 numbers stamped into it, Hull# and Class#
Hull# refers to total production of all O'DAY boats
Class# refers to how many of that Class (in this case Day Sailer) Class Number is what goes on the sails.