New Sailor interested in Oday single handed sailing

[denverkh]

I'm a new sailor, only recently completed a Basic Keelboard Sailing course. I will primarily be sailing only on Colorado lakes initially. I think the best way for me to continue to learn sailing and to improve my skills is to purchase a small boat. I've been watching craigslist, etc, for any reasonably priced boat. I found a neat 1974 Oday 16' for sale, for $1800, and am attracted to the Oday's shape with the little open canopy on deck (like buying a car on looks!). I have not seen the boat in person, but the pictures make it look like it is in really good shape and the seller indicates "many extras". I think a small motor is important and this looks to have one, plus the trailer, which I believe are both included in the price.

My main question is, can I sail this boat by myself, or is it intended to have more than one person? My objective is to get a few hours in after work during the summer, but I may not always have someone with me. Trailer to the marina, drop in the water, sail around, trailer back up and drive away. I'm an athletic 40+ woman who is quite capable mechanically and have a lot of experience in towing trailers (just not in sailing).

Secondly, is the asking price decent? I think it is, but again, only based on the picture.

Any advice is appreciated.

Here is the link to the posting: http://denver.craigslist.org/boa/853201160.html

[Bob Damon]

The DS II can be easily single handed but best in winds under 15Knots. You might want to check with our local fleet there. Look under the tab for Day Sailer Assoc and scroll down to Fleets. Under Intermontain Region you will see infor for Fleet 126 in Denver. Someone can meet with you to look at the boat and better advise you. Generally the DS II is ok for cruising but not for racing. It also has a problem with taking on water between the hulls. Good Luck. Bob Damon

[denverkh]

Thanks Bob. I've now contacted Fleet 126 for additional information.

[persephone]

Hello,

Welcome to the world of daysailers. They can be sailed single handed, as Bob mentioned it's best done in light winds. After you have sailed (any boat) alone a few times you will begin to think about moving controls and equipment to make it easier. The tough part with any boat is setting up. When you go to look at a boat look to see if the mast is deck stepped (hinged on or above the deck) or passing through to the inside of the hull. I do not have a deck stepped mast and it is a BIG challenge to stand it up alone (I am 6'1 with long arms and above average strength). Compared to my first boat (an O'Day Javelin) it is lighter, quicker, and more agile. I feel it is less stable (jav has a steel centerboard ) and would be easier to capsize. I have come close in both boats, but never actually gone over and I am a self taught mediocre sailor.
As to the price it is tough to say. I would guess that is about the average for a daysailer. I paid about that much for my DS1 this spring. It had no motor and the sails (including spinnaker) are older. The hull is in fair shape, I need to replace the rub-rail and re-paint below the water line. It was complete with all rigging, a few spare parts and a nice set of floor boards (not present on the DS2). If I were in your place I would befriend someone in your local fleet, perhaps try to go sailing with them, or at the least see if someone knowledgeable about the daysailers would go with you to look the boat over with you. This could save you much money and down time in the future.
I hope this helps some. This forum is a wealth of knowledge on the DS and boating in general.

[John McGrath]

Hi--I live down in the Springs and sail my DS1 singlehanded all the time. Mostly, in fact. Had it three seasons now. It's really quite easy to sail singlehanded, as long as you're comfortable sailing singlehanded in general! It's your basic two-string/one stick sailboat, really forgiving. Pretty zippy, too, when it gets moving & planing. I bit the bullet and installed the tabernacle for the mast, and now raising the rig is child's play--well worth whatever loss of speed or coolness it may or may not incur (see other posts on that subject). If I lived in Denver or Pueblo, it would definitely work as an after-work boat. Total time to rig and launch I estimate at twenty minutes to half an hour. More at first, until you get your routine down. Unrigging is even easier. In the Springs we're about an hour from any of four bodies of water: Cherry Creek, 11-Mile, Chatfield and Pueblo. All DS-friendly for launching and so forth. It's a great two-person boat. Three starts to get crowded, I'd say. The one time I had four, it was a little much. This is a great site--read the whole thing! In the end--form your own opinions.

Cheers,

John

[Curry]

HI,

I would ask the sail number of the boat. From the picture of the boat and the obscured sail number, it looks more like a DS I than a DS II and likely a few years older. But it does look in really nice shape.
I too agree that the DaySailer is a great single-handed sailing boat.

Geoff, where abouts in the Merrimack Valley do you do your sailing?

Chris

[kokko]

It is hard to tell from the pictures, but the open cuddy suggests it is a DSI, not a DSII.I have sailed for 20+ years, but bought and restored my DSI this past Spring.
Still the Daysailer is a well designed, well built boat and a good choice for single-handing. Don't expect it to sail like the keelboats you have been on. Since the boat is not ballasted, you are the ballast. It is remarkably stable and handles well even during a blow.
THere are hundreds of daysailers to choose from, but the Daysailer is among the best. Parts are available, and there is an active user's group (this one) that can help you.

Since this may be your first boat-buying experience, take along someone familiar with small sailboats - maybe your sailing instructor or someone from this list. Most problems are easily identified and simple to fix.

I do agree that the hinged mast is a must. I think there is a conversion kit for the hinged mast step.

[denverkh]

Thanks everybody for your excellent comments. I too can’t read the sail number. I only speculated it was a DSII based on it being a 1974 and reading the Hull Number Index on the site.

I certainly have been reading the site and have now become concerned about capsizing the boat. There are quite a few entries of how people have capsized their boat, particularly in unpredictable winds that took them by surprise. Colorado can certainly have eratic weather. As a novice, this concerns me because I can definitely see me doing something I think is right, or turning the wrong way, only to learn the hard way. I’ve never been spilled in the water and have only trained briefly on a J22, which all the instructors raved about. Righting the DS also sounds complicated and difficult by oneself. Perhaps I should heed kokko’s warnings that the DS won’t handle like a keelboat, and maybe I would be better off starting with a keelboat or Laser or something else (anyone got a J22 lying around?). I honestly have no experience in single-handling so I guess I’m now a little nervous about my true skills and my ability to handle a DS.

I don’t need to jump into this purchase right away, especially now that I’ve learned so much from you all and the site. Until I can get a few more hours on the water, either on a DS or another boat, or a rental, I may put this aside for the fall. John, if you ever want a crew member, we could try to get together some Saturday.

[GreenLake]

My experience is that the DS is forgiving enough to allow you to learn by doing - if you give yourself some extra margin by avoiding days with stronger winds at first (or going out with crew - even if theyr're a bit inexperienced, they do provide ballast )

Your total sailing experience probably already exceeds mine at the time I bought the DS, so don't let that hold you back.

[kokko]

Good heavens. My reply was meant to encourage, not discourage you. Buy the boat and get sailing, if not that boat another. The key is to keep sailing. Crewing opportunities may not come along, and the experience crewing is not the same as handling a boat just by yourself.

[sunapeesailor]

Hi Denverkh -

Buy the boat! Daysailers are very forgiving boats. The stories you refer to are more uncommon than common. When you let go of the tiller, a daysailer will "round up" into the wind. When you let out the main sheet, they will flatten almost instantly. Generally, capsizing will occur when you are carrying too much sail for the conditions.
Good Luck!

[denverkh]

Well, I am feeling better about things now. I won't make any promises about buying this boat (assuming it's still available) but I'll check with the owner and try to get a better assessment of its condition. Thanks again for everyone's encouragement and expertise. Buying a DS in general would probably be a good idea since this organization is so viable. I'll check back later!

[kokko]

I had been thinking about buying a little daysailer for many years prior to buying Truelove (hull 3395). The O'Day Daysailer was on the short list of boats, but there were others - the Flying Scot for instance.

Certainly this group favors the O'Day, but they might also weigh in on other boats.

[Baysailer]

Here's a good site to start your search for a "dinghy" sailboat. From there start making a short list like Kokko said and further your research at the class web sites (if they exist). Luckily going into winter you'll have a lot of time to do this.

http://www.ruach.net/Dinghy.html

I sail both centerboards and keel boats, both are great but probably favor CB's since thats where I started. Sail conservatively and capsizing isn't an issue.

Fred

[persephone]

Just thought I'd update my input. I went sailing yesterday in 15-20 mph winds, short very variable gusts to 25. I sailed under the full main, no jib by myself. I found my DS1 handled it much better than I thought. I kept the mainsheet in hand and adjusted it (frequently) to keep the sail drawing but not fully trimmed. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and never came close to putting the lee gun'll in the water never mind capsizing. The boat handled normally and behaved perfectly.
As a disclaimer to my judgment, the wind picked up as I was setting up and I just couldn't stand the thought of taking it all down after i was all ready to go and on the beach.