ODay 27 for $500? Decent boat?

[7tiger7]

Hi everyone -
I was looking for something in the 25-30 foot range, mostly for daysailing, single handing around Boston area, and maybe a few three day weekend cruises to the Cape.

I found this ODay 27 for $500. (please see the link - but please note, it has ALREADY SOLD, yesterday actually).

http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/boa/268212313.html

Any opinions on Oday? On Oday 27s? I'm not looking for a blue water cruiser (yet), just something to sail on weekends - the longest cruise might be 60 miles to the Cape (which would put me at most 30 miles from landfall at any time).
How is Oday's reputation, as a builder? As a sailer? Any chance I could try to race (not to win, but just for the thrill) an Oday 27 and not always place last?

Thanks!

[Jotun]

O'Days are no longer being produced. As far as bay cruisers go, they will get the job done and are a good boat for a beginner who doesn't want to sell his or her soul for a boat. But I don't know that I would want to be 30 miles away from land in one. I would be especially wary of one for $500.

[pigslo]

There are many opportunities to buy an old boat for a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. I say what have you got to lose if it floats and sails, you have spilled more money than that on the rug at a strip joint!

[sailingdog]

The real problem on very low-priced boats is they are often what you pay for them... in need of a lot of work in order to make them usable and safe. Often, the cost of re-habbing a cheap/free boat is far more than the cost of getting the same boat in usable and good condition.

[hellosailor]

Tiger, don't believe everything you read on the internet. If you check out yachtworld.com you'll see those boats typically sell for $5000-$10,000 (asking prices) and there's usually an INBOARD ENGINE.

Apparently the CL poster neglected to mention, he's got no engine and that boat really is supposed to have an inboard. (Yes, you can bolt on anything, no, it probably won't ever sail right, that's a whole other discussion.) Price of installing an inboard engine? You guessed it, more than the price of buying a whole other boat that already has one. Without the soft spot on the deck, and whatever else the seller wasn't being honest about.

There are real bargains to be had out there, but if you're new to boats, and a boat is priced WAY below others, it is time to be very, very, careful. It isn't hard to sell a boat at or near market price--if there's nothing wrong.

[pigslo]

Some people have more money than time and those can be good project boats if such is the case. And you learn about boats in the process.
pigslo

[hellosailor]

pigslo-
For sure! One could certainly spend a couple of days bolting in, say, a VW engine bought cheap from a junkyard. Or some other creative option. But at a certain point...you just have to wonder, what else isn't being told about the boat? Little things like, "there's no engine, the right one would cost...". When I shake hands with someone like that, I count my remaining fingers afterwards to make sure I get 'em all back.

[pigslo]

hellosailor.
Sure enough but this one is sold and others are out there to be had cheap. My best freind bought a Hunter 25 for 2 k with outboard motor that sails just fine and is in good condition. His arguement is that after 2 years he will sell it for 2k and if something is really wrong then he will give it away but 2k is pretty cheap to get out on the water. I would not have believed it if I had not seen it myself.
pigslo

[7tiger7]

Huy guys,
thanks for all the feedback. I'm pretty handy around boats (grew up on Betrams and such), so sweat equity is not a problem (cash is another issue all together). But I see your points: I can buy something in good shape and well equiped for $5k, or something for $1k which I will pour in $4k - and still not have a boat worth $5k. I guess I'll take a good condition one, or a "bargain" fixer upper (as long as the fixing is just that - fixing; not rebuilding) - as long as both are safe and stable.

So I guess the next question is:
How are Oday 27's overall?

[blt2ski]

A few slips away from me was an ODAY 27. Granted not the BEST boat out there, but that person liked it, he was the 2nd owner, looked great, sailed reasonably well etc. No it is not a J boat for speed, but in reality, probably on par with a catilina or any other coastal cruiser. They do well here in the pugetsound, san juan islands etc in Northern Wash st and southern BC inland waterways. It would not be, nore was it my first choice for a sailboat when I bought a boat to get back into sailing for the first time in 20 yrs, but, if the price would have been right, spouse would have liked it, it would work, and work well for day sails, weekend etc.

Marty