Question: As a novice...What can I learn from these differences in specs?

souljour2000 · #1 (**permalink**) 07-13-2008

I am a fairly inexperienced sailor who just bought an 1983 Hunter 20. I am wondering why her mast height is so high compared to an 2006 oday 20? The displacements of the two boats are similar though my Hunter is wider. I understand that the Hunter is wider in relation to length and that stability is may be a strong reason the Oday needs a shorter mast but are there any other factors that made the oday designer choose a shorter mast? What can the difference in mast heights tell me about sailboat design? Hunter has 170 sf vs. 150 sf sailarea for the Oday. These two designs are from different eras so what has changed if anything in design thinking...? Penny for your thoughts...sorry it is hard to read the specs.. gets compressed when u post

loa lwl beam mast height disp. #keel

"H" 19'8 16'9 7'6 29'6 1700 400

"O" 19'8 17'4 7' 22'9 1600 400

The Oday has a swing keel swing keel 1'2 - 4.5' The Hunter has a swing keel 1'6" - 4 foot

jnsailing · #2 (**permalink**) 07-13-2008

In general the Hunter masts tend to be longer because they use fractional rigging (the jib sheet does not go to the masthead). This lets them use a larger main without overpowering the boat with the jib/genny.

denby · #3 (**permalink**) 07-13-2008

A 2006 O'day?

I thought O'days went out of production in 1990 or 91.

souljour2000 · #4 (**permalink**) 07-13-2008

Okay...thanks for your reply about mast height and Hunters...I think the oday was actually called mariner these days

sailaway21 · #5 (**permalink**) 07-13-2008

It has more to do with the sail plan than the similarities or differences between boats. Of course the sail's foils should interact properly with the keel's foil. And the keel's ability to work will also depend on the hull desiogn and weight of the keel. They're all interconnected and mean little when considered seperately.

A taller mast and it's resultant taller main will be desirable in lighter airs. There is better wind flow higher off the water and if the wind is light it may be profitable to have a tall mast. Of course you should be prepared to reef the mainsail a bit earlier on the other end of things.

The differences shouldn't mean a lot to you as long as you can easily achieve a balanced sail plan, thereby sailing effectively and fast.