O'Day 37 Center Cockpit

[msl]

Comments welcome regarding an O'Day 37 (center cockpit) for Great Lakes and Atlantic coastal family cruising. Lots of anchoring out, while sailing Maine to Florida and Bahamas.
We usually keep a boat for years - so upkeep and repairs are understood - we are currently doing a full refit of our old (smaller) boat after years of heavy use - The O'Day 37 center cockpit looks like a good boat for coastal cruising, visits from friends and grandkids and so forth. It seems very affordable for the size, too.

• Build quality
• handling, comfort (we are inclined to wait for good weather for open seas)
• comfort below - not looking for a floating "condo".
• known weaknesses
• best "plusses" - worst "minuses"

Thanks,
msl

[wendellej]

I have an ODay 37 CC that we have been sailing for 10 years. We got it so my wife and I could have privacy in the rear cabin with our own head. I have had a long list of boats and this is a very good sailer. I am 6'2" and can move around below without hitting my head in the main or rear cabin. Maintenance has been good, less than my previous 31 footer. We have taken it offshore from the Chesapeake to Mass. The previous owner sailed it to the Carribbean and it did fine. It handles well and is easy to manuver in the marina. It is narrow by today's standards but that helps it sail well when the waves kick up. The build quality is better than most of the competetive boats from the early 80s (it is an 82) with the biggest drawback being a plastic rubrail and plastic ports. I am now looking at trading down to a 30 ft again since all the kids have moved away but it is hard to part with the 37.
E.J. Wendell

[sailingdog]

Doubt they much care, considering that they posted FIVE YEARS AGO.

[wendellej]

OK, I obviously didnt realize that.

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by wendellej

OK, I obviously didnt realize that.

Welcome to Sailnet....I'd recommend you read the POST in my signature to help you get the most out of your time here. Also, recommend you check dates in upper left hand corner of a post before replying to it. Sometimes these old threads get dug up by a spammer posting to them.

[denverd0n]

It happens. Every now and then I'm searching for something specific, come across an interesting posting, and end up replying to a thread that is ancient. Then you realize it and... DOH!

Nonetheless, this is fortuitous, because I am looking for my "next boat" and have seriously considered an O'Day 37 that is available not too far from me. So I've been looking for someone who is familiar with them, in hopes I could pick their brain. Do you mind a bunch of questions?

Now that it's just you and your wife, do you still use the aft cabin, or have you moved forward? Is yours the type with the aft berth that goes across the boat, or the one that is more like a wide v-berth. Does one of you have to climb over the other during the night for visits to the head, and if so, just how much of a pain in the backside is that? What's access to the engine like? What kind of speed do you average on long runs? What's the center cockpit like during a good blow? You say that the previous owner sailed it to the Carib. Do you know if they took the offshore route, or island hopped?

Sounds from your previous post like you were happy with the boat, and would recommend it to someone who wanted that size. True?

Thanks!