o'day 222 sailboat review

Update of the ODay

Min./max. draft: Bridge clearance: Power: B/D ratio:

21' 5" 23' 0" 19' 7" 1' 874' 8" 29' 6"

outboard 3 to 6 hp 36%

Designer: Builder:

Years produced: Sail area: Fuel tankage: Water tankage:

C. Raymond Hunt Assoc.

O'Day Div. of Lear Siegler

Approx. trailering wgt.: 3,200 lbs.

The 21- and 22-foot size range is a good length of boat for newish sailors starting out or those moving up from a beach boat or small daysailer. All four boats in this comp group fit that category. The O'Day 222 shown here is a follow-on to the popular O'Day 22 (page 118). The 222 has a deeper board-up draft, but also a deeper board-down draft, which improves upwind performance. Best features: The O'Day 222's size and modest sailplan and masthead rig make her relatively simple to sail. Worst features: Her Space Index is lowest of the comp group, as is her headroom. Beware, big and tall people. Her outboard is mounted on her transom, a long way from the helmsman's control. The mainsheet, led aft to the transom, can become entangled with the outboard under certain conditions; some owners have installed a traveler in the forward end of the cockpit to eliminate this problem. The O'Day 222's rudder was made in a sandwich of two fiberglass skins with foam in between. Owners report their rudders are easily broken (e.g., carried away for the same reason as the O'Day 22's rudder). Chainplates also seem to be a weak point, and bear frequent inspection.

Continue reading here: Cute and elegant pocket cruiser

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Readers' Questions

Does oday 222 have positive floation?

No, Oday 222 does not have positive flotation. Flotation refers to a boat's ability to float and the Oday 222 is a sailboat which does not have any special features to increase flotation.

Is oday rudder made of led?

No, it is not possible to make a rudder out of LED. Rudder and other controlling surfaces of a boat usually use materials such as metal alloys, fibreglass or wood, as these provide more strength and durability than LED.

How to rig a oday 222?

Prepare the rigging for sailboat: Attach the jib halyard to the sail head, lashing the jib sheet to the clew and leading it aft to the cockpit. Connect the topping lift to the boom, running it aft to the cabin top. Install the mainsail halyard and mainsheet, tying it off to the boom. Adjust the outhaul: This is the rope that runs from the clew of the mainsail to the end of the boom. Adjust the length of the rope to make the foot of the sail tight. Adjust the Preventer: This is a line that runs from the starboard stern of the boat to the end of the boom. It helps support the boom in high wind situations and should be adjusted so that the boom is at an appropriate angle while sailing. Secure the jib sheets: Make sure the jib sheets are tied off at the jib clew, and that the sheets rotate freely in the fairleads. Adjust the jib halyard: Make sure the jib halyard is adjusted to the correct length so that the sail sits at the correct angle. Rig the downhaul: Attach the downhaul line to the clew of the jib, running it forward to the cabin top. Adjust the line so that the sail is flat and tight when tacking. Secure the traveler: Attach the traveler line to the port side of the cockpit and adjust so that the boom is positioned at an appropriate angle to the boat. Secure the mainsail traveler: This is a line that runs from the base of the mast to the aft of the boat. It helps control the angle of the mainsail and should be adjusted to the appropriate angle. Check the boat’s balance: Make sure the

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• Sailboat Reviews

O’Day 22

A nice cockpit, a touch of privacy and good looks, but performance is not a strong suit here..

O’Day Boats was around a long time by fiberglass boatbuilding standards—about 30 years. Originally O’Day was a leader in small boats typified by the Fox-designed Day Sailer.

By the early ’70s O’Day had moved into the trailerable cruising boat market. In the meantime the firm was acquired by Bangor Punta along with such other major boat builders as Cal and Ranger Yachts. In later years, with the decline in volume sales of small boats, O’Day had problems. To help alleviate these, O’Day produced larger and larger boats, first a 30, then a 32, and more recently a 34 and a 37.

All the cruising size boats in the O’Day line were designed by C. Raymond Hunt Associates in one of the most enduring designer-builder relationships in the industry (rivaled, in fact, only by Bill Lapworth’s tenure as Cal’s house designer and Bruce King’s with Ericson Yachts). The result of the relationship is a family resemblance in the O’Day line that is more than superficial. What proves popular in one boat is apt to be adopted in subsequent kin. Therefore, any study of the O’Day offerings over the years reflects a process of evolution.

When it was introduced, the O’Day 22 was touted as a competitive contender on the race course, a contrasting companion to the rather hazy 23-footer which it would soon phase out. The 22 had a masthead rig, a stylish rake to the transom, shallow (23″) draft with a short stub keel and no centerboard, light weight (advertised 1,800 lbs) for trailering, and a price under $3,000.

Later, the 22 acquired a fractional rig, a centerboard, 300 advertised pounds and a price tag almost $7,000 higher.

Construction

O’Day once set a standard for small boat construction and styling. That was before on and off labor problems in its plant, management changes under Bangor Punta, the decline in sales of boats in its size range, and increasingly fierce competition for buyers who became more cost than quality conscious. The later O’Day 22s were, frankly, a mixed bag of quality and shabbiness.

The spars, rigging, and hardware are as high quality as we have seen in comparable boats. Our only reservation is with the stamped stainless steel hinged mast step that we know from personal experience requires a steady hand and boat when raising or lowering a mast.

We also think that a mainsheet which terminates in a cam action cleat 16″ up the single backstay may be economical and simple but it is neither efficient nor handy, again a reflection of scrimping to keep price low.

The quality of O’Day fiberglass laminates was historically high but there have been reader reports of gelcoat voids and there is consistent evidence of print through (pattern of laminate in gelcoat). Exterior styling and proportions are superb, an opinion iterated by owners who have returned the PS Boat Owners’ Questionnaires. The O’Day 22, despite her age, is still not outdated.

On a boat of this size and price, a minimum of exterior trim is understandable. What is less understandable is the poor quality of the interior finish and decor. Belowdecks the O’Day 22 epitomizes the pejorative label Clorox bottle , used to describe fiberglass boats. Sloppily fitted bits of teak trim are matched against teak-printed Formica, at best a tacky combination. Cabinetry, such as there is, is flimsy, and in general the whole impression is of lackluster attention to details.

Performance

Without a centerboard the O’Day 22 simply did not have the performance to go with her racy image. Even with the centerboard she is hardly a ball of fire under sail. She does not point well; tacking through 100 degrees is not uncommon and she is tender, with a disconcerting desire to round up when a puff hits. In light air, with her 3/4 fore triangle and working jib she is under-canvassed and sluggish. In such conditions a genoa with substantial overlap is essential.

Since changing jibs is at best a dicey exercise on a 22 footer, the first step in reducing sail is to reef the mainsail. Jiffy reefing is standard and owners of the O’Day should have a system in good working order and know how to use it. Owners of the boat in waters where squalls are a threat may also want to consider roller furling for the larger jib, trading off the loss of performance and added cost for such a rig for the convenience and, in the case of this boat, the safety.

The O’Day is most hurt in light air downwind and most owners will want either an 8′-or-so whisker pole for winging the jib, or a spinnaker. It is a fun boat on which to learn spinnaker handling. With her fractional rig the spinnaker is relatively small and yet the boat is big enough to provide a foredeck platform for setting the sail.

The trouble is that the O’Day 22 scrimps on the hardware needed for ease of handling with or without a spinnaker. The two #10 Barient sheet winches are, in our opinion, inadequate for anything larger than a working jib and we suggest replacing them with optional #16s. Similarly, the working jib sheets lead to fixed blocks whereas lengths of track with adjustable blocks (fitted to some boats as an option) are far better for optimizing sail trim.

The O’Day did not come with halyard winches as standard. It is a large boat for setting and reefing sails with hand tension alone. Most owners will want at least one small winch (#10) on the cabin roof, with the jib and main halyards led aft through jam cleats or stoppers to the winch.

The fairing of the O’Day 22 underwater is better than average, helped by the fact that the lead ballast is encapsulated in the fiberglass hull molding. The centerboard will, however, be difficult to maintain.

Like many other boats of her size on the market, the O’Day 22 is basically a daysailer with incidental overnight accommodations, notwithstanding that her builder (or its ad agency) made much of its questionable comfort, privacy, and space.

The cockpit of the O’Day is almost perfect: a spacious 6-1/2′ long, the seats are spaced to allow bracing of feet on the one opposite, and the coaming provides a feeling of security and serves as a comfortable arm rest. It is also self-bailing although the low sill at the companionway means that the lower hatch board must be in place to prevent water going below in the event of a knockdown.

Seat locker space is excellent for a boat of this size with quarterberth below and we like the separate sealed well for the outboard remote gas tank (but not the fact that the hose can be pinched in use).

O’Day literature boasts berths for two couples in “absolute privacy.” Privacy in a 22 footer has to be one of the more relative features. A sliding door encloses the forward cabin and another, the head.

The layout of the O’Day 22 is a noteworthy example of the tradeoff between an enclosed head and berth space. It does indeed have a head area that can be enclosed, a rare feature indeed on a boat of this size. With a conventional marine toilet and throughhull discharge where permitted, this would be a most serviceable facility.

The tradeoff is a pair of terrible vee berths forward. Coming to a point at the forward end, there is simply not enough room for two adults on even the most intimate terms. They are thus suitable only for a pair of small children who do not suffer from sibling rivalry.

By contrast the two settee berths in the main cabin are a bit narrow but a fit place for two adults to sleep. In contrast to the dinette layout of other boats, we think the more traditional layout of the O’Day would be the choice for most owners, especially those cruising with children. However, the settees are not comfortable to sit on, lacking as they do backrests.

The initial version of the O’Day had the then fashionable dinette arrangement but this was quickly replaced by a pair of opposing settees. We doubt if many owners would bother setting up the portable cabin table between the berths, as it prevents the fore and aft passage through the cabin.

The galley with its small sink and space for a twoburner stove is rudimentary but adequate for a boat of this size, Inadequate is the bin/hanging locker opposite the head. Its usefulness escapes us. Enclosed, it could have been better used space. But then the O’Day 22 desperately needs stowage space.

Conclusions

At a minimum trailering weight of 2,200 lbs. (more realistically 2,500 plus the trailer), the O’Day 22 is above the maximum for trailering without a heavy car and special gear.

If she isn’t going to be trailered and launched off a ramp, the 2′ minimum draft is an unwarranted sacrifice of performance and stability. We would look for a fin keel boat unless shoal draft is the highest priority.

On the other hand, with some additional sails and hardware the O’Day 22 should appeal to the sailor who wants a minimum size (and therefore price) boat primarily for daysailing and occasional weekend cruising (maximum one couple plus two young children).

Clearly the O’Day 22 is a minimum boat built tightly to a price. She is attractively styled. As she is apt to be a first boat, resale is important. O’Day boats have enjoyed good value on the used boat market. For about $6,000 for a ten-year-old model, you get a sleek looking small boat with a good cockpit, a modicum of privacy and two good berths. You also get a schlocky decor and a slow boat.

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hi, do you sell parts for boat 22ft o-day ? are you in england ? the part i want is the part the black boat

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• Sailboat Guide

O'Day 222

O'Day 222 is a 21 ′ 9 ″ / 6.6 m monohull sailboat designed by Raymond Hunt (C.R. Hunt & Assoc.) and built by Bangor Punta Corp. and O'Day Corp. between 1984 and 1988.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

A replacement for the O’DAY 22.(1972-1983)

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Oday 22/23 vs 25/26

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I am looking at a trailer boat, and was wondering what the differences between the Oday 22/23' vs the Oday 25'/26' are? I am new to sailing and would be sailing alone 80% of the time, with occasional guests, for daysailing to traveling/weekending. I live in Wisconsin, so there are pleanty of options for locations to sail, madison, appleton, castle rock, lake michigan, and apostle islands. unfortunately I would have to trailer to all of these, hence the need of a trailer sailer. Any help will be welcomed. Im planning on taking some sailing courses in Milwaukee next spring Thanks kurt  

also would they be good first boats??  

I had an O'Day 23 for 14 years. It's a great boat. Had a great little cabin for weekend trips and enough room in the cockpit for four adults. I kept it in a slip though. I would not have used it nearly as much (at least 3 time a month) if I had to step the mast each time. Trailer-able boats of that size are nice if you want to take one to a distant lake for a long stay but I would not want to have to do it each time I wanted to go sailing for a day or two.  

I have a 26 its great for weekends/week stays. Think any one of them would be a great 1st boat. I Agree with LakePirate, stepping the mast and setting it up each and every time would be a bear. But I'm sure with practice and an established routine, and if you do not mind giving up the time, it could be done  

Hello, The main difference between the two boats is that the extra size and weight of the bigger boat will make it much more difficult to trailer. My first boat was a Catalina 22. I trailer sailed it the first year. It was a real hassle to step the mast, connect the boom, launch the boat, etc. The 22' boat is small and light enough that one or two people can easily do the work to rig and launch. It will take you about an hour, but you can do it. It can also be towed with a minivan, small truck, suv, etc. By the time you get to a 25' boat, it's going to be much harder to step the mast, launch, tow, etc. You will also need a real truck to tow it. There are people who tow 25' boats (and bigger) but they are pretty rare, and for a reason. IMHO, if you want to trailer sail a boat, start with something in the 20-22 range. Good luck, Barry  

My first boat was a 1984 Oday 222 (22 footer). Great little boat, took good care of me and the wife while learning to sail. I had looked at an Oday 25 before purchasing the 22, and from what I remember, the main difference between the two were size, of course and price. I purchased the 22 footer for about half the cost of the 25 footer, both in similar condition. If I remember correctly the 25 had a head whereas the 22 doesn't. Also the 22 has a retractable centerboard, great for anchoring out in small coves with skinny water. Like Pirate said, great little cabin for weekend trips. Be sure and rig you up a cockpit canopy to use while anchored. Being able to use the cockpit as extra living area makes the boat feel much bigger.  

I have a 1999 chevy tahoe that is rated for 10800 so I don't think I'll have problems  

There are some significant differences between the 22, 23 and 25, but they are a "family" of boats with many similar design features. I am less familiar with the Oday 26, but it appears to be very similar to the 25, just with a more angular appearance. All are great first boats. There are also significant differences in features of each based on model years. Check out the I Heart Odays website for lots of detail. I Heart O'Days  

how difficult is it to step the mast and attach the boom? Can it be done alone? Are there winches or how are they set up?  

stepping the mast I'm not familiar with the O'day set up, but I can describe how you step the mast on a Catalina 22. When trailering the boat, the mast will sit on the bow and stern pulpits. To step the mast you need to move the mast aft, so that the mast butt is at the mast step. I built a simple mast crutch, because the top of the mast (now moved quite a bit aft of the stern) must be elevated. With the top part of the mast resting on the crutch, it was simple to insert a pin through the mast step and base of the mast. Now you can get ready to raise the mast. Since the mast on a Catalina 22 isn't that heavy, a STRONG person could raise the mast by hand. The side stays prevent the mast from falling over and the backstay will prevent it from falling too far forward. I raised the mast like that once or twice, but it was very difficult. An easier way was to tie a line around the forestay and connect that to the winch on the trailer, that is normally used to winch the boat back onto the trailer. With the winch on the trailer it was pretty easy to crank the mast up. When the mast was vertical you connect the forestay and disconnect the line. You tension the forestay, the other stays and shrouds are fine. It's pretty easy to put the boom on, just clip the end of the boom to the topping lift, then put the pin through the gooseneck at the mast end. I used to leave the mainsail on the boom when the boat was trailered. Put the outboard engine on, put the rudder on (if the ramp wasn't too steep I could leave the rudder on the boat), back down the ramp, float the boat off, pull the trailer out and you are ready to sail. After doing it a few times I could go from arriving at the marina to motoring away from the dock in about 1 hour. Nothing was that difficult or complicated, but there is a good amount of things to do. And expect to take at least the same amount of time at the end of the day when the boat has to go back onto the trailer. Make sure you note that as the boat gets longer, the weight of everything goes up quite a bit faster. I believe that an Oday 222 weighs 2200 lbs, and the 25 weighs 4800 lbs. The extra 3' of length doubles the weight of the boat. For me, trailering was a real hassle, and after 1 year of doing it I got a mooring and was much happier. Good luck, Barry  

I owned the 25. The 23, 25 & 26 were very similar in design and sailing, very capable and comfortable boats for their size.. The 22 is a older design. I would avoid that boat. The 23 would be the best pick for trailerability. The 25 is a beast to trailer, but you can. The mast is raised with the boom as a gin pole, and can be careful done by one person or done quite easily by 2. OdayOwners.com - Home  

thank you very much. That was very helpful. I grew up around milwaukee, and if i lived there i probally would look at a slip, however since i live about 2 hours from the nearest place to sail i will need a trailer sailer for now. Anyone know the weight of the mast on an oday??  

firefitn said: thank you very much. That was very helpful. Anyone know the weight of the mast on an oday?? Click to expand...

If you really have to trailer that much I wouldn't consider anything over 23'. I owned one for 25 years, and getting on and off the trailer was never enjoyable (if we did it more frequently, it may have become easier--we launched in the spring and retrieved in the fall). I think it's the "Practical Sailor's Book of Used Boats" that has the remark along these lines: "the 23' O'day is a great pocket cruiser in the water, great when on the trailer, but hell in between". In my opinion, stepping the mast is not a solo experience--a minimum of 2 to avoid injury or damage. The 23' is fine for 2 people overnighting so long as you're willing to crouch down in the cabin--I'm 5'7" and adequate headroom was the #2 reason I moved up to an O'Day 27'. We have slept 3 adults and 1 child on the boat--it was helplful that everyone was very friendly and not overly modest--the head is at the head of the V-berth. But I loved the boat--25 years worth--and spent very little money maintaining it.  

My family had an O'Day 23 when I was growing up. We only trailered it for winter storage. We could have trailered it for weekends (instead of the slip) with a lot more work of course. My point is only that I don't think we'd have considered weekend/daysail trailering with a 25. All that said, we really loved our 23, and cruised for as long as two weeks with a family of 4 (my brother and I were fairly young). Later we moved up to an O'Day 28 when our family started to outgrow the 23, and made trips as long as 6 weeks on that boat (Virginia Beach to Newport and back), though it sounds crazy to me now!  

Once I determined that I would keep the boat in a slip anyway, I went right for the O'Day 272. When the Bay picks up to 2+ feet I'm glad I did!! 22-26ft boats are just too big to trailer regularly. Opinions vary. Most boats I know of in this range are trailered only to the lot and back to the slip twice a season after the owners realize what a PINA it is to step the mast every time they want to go out. For me, a trailer boat must be -20ft. Anything bigger/heavier will wind up in the slip. If it winds up in the slip, you may as well get a bigger, more comfortable boat. That's how I wound up with a 272. (But it took nearly three years of thinking about it to come to this conclusion)  

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O'day 222

The o'day 222 is a 21.75ft fractional sloop designed by c. raymond hunt associates and built in fiberglass by o'day corp. between 1984 and 1988., 130 units have been built..

The O'day 222 is a light sailboat which is a good performer. It is stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a day-boat.

O'day 222 for sale elsewhere on the web:

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Capsizing an O'day 222

• Thread starter mccadamsoday
• Start date Jun 26, 2017
• Oday Owner Forums
• Ask An Oday Owner

mccadamsoday

I have a 1984 O'day 222 and have been sailing it for about 5 weeks. Has anyone ever had to the boat to capsize from high winds or will the sail spill the wind out before going over? How do I know how far to let the boat heel before it has reached its limit?  

Flat is fast. Heeling more than 10-15 degrees generally will have you slipping more sideways rather than going forward. If you are heeling more than that, you need more crew weight on the rail to counteract the force up high or you need to trim the sails differently to depower the rig.  

mccadamsoday said: How do I know how far to let the boat heel before it has reached its limit? Click to expand

Richard19068

https://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/capsize-an-oday-222-would-you-admit-it.80774/  

David in Sandusky

A well designed keel ballasted boat (like the C-22) can be knocked down with sails on the water by a strong enough wind. But they will recover under the steady force of the ballasted keel. The only way weather/waves will capsize such a boat is if it is struck on the beam by a wave higher than the beam of the boat. In a coastal cruising scenario, it takes about twice as long for high winds to build up such waves over a long fetch, as it would take to reach a safe port, so the scenario is avoidable.  

Roland5048 said: When in doubt, let it out. The "it" being the mainsail. Click to expand

The angle of maximum righting moment (GZ) of a keelboat is normally around 60 degrees. It takes A LOT to get a sailboat to heel past that, as the breeze starts spilling over the top of the tilted sailplan around that point. WAY before you get to this point you are no longer 'sailing'. Even knocked down flat with the masttop in the water, most boats have positive righting moment and will pop back up if the pressure is eased and downflooding does not occur first. Be careful once the mast starts going in the water however.  

Most of the O'Day's I had (DS, 23POP, 23, 25,28) all tend to have a bit of a weather helm which is a safety feature. In a big wind if the boat keeps driving you into the wind, you need to get rid of some sail. Burying some rail is fun sometimes, but beyond that it becomes work and potentially problematical.  

Jackdaw said: ... Even knocked down flat with the masttop in the water, most boats have positive righting moment and will pop back up ... Click to expand

This may have nothing to do with the OP's boat.. but the "issue" with a knockdown is if water can rush inside the cabin when this happens. Water inside the cabin reduces righting moment.. and then you may have a real problem. Most boats have no issue at all with this but if you are worried about it.. just keep the hatch boards in if there is any risk of wild weather..  

I have heeled my 192, which is the smaller sister of the 222, so far that water has come in over the cockpit coaming. In order to heel that far, you must have a great gust while close hauled, and you must deliberately steer the boat aggressively so that she doesn't round up. Needless to say, this is not optimal from a sailing standpoint. On other days like this, I have sailed with reefed main alone without jib. Some boats will heel far enough that the rudder breaks free of the water, and they round up automatically. Not sure I want mine to heel more than I have, to find the point where she automatically rounds up. There would be a lot of water in the cockpit in that case! You'll have to recognize that this is a coastal cruising/daysailing boat for mostly protected water. Which, is pretty much most boats in this size and functional range. Unless you get a small bluewater boat like a Flicka. When the wind is gusting to 30 knots, it's best to be headed in with reduced sail, or not go out in those conditions. All that being said, having grown up an unballasted dinghy sailor, it did take me a season or so to get over concern about heeling, and to learn to trust the ballast. Perhaps that big heeling day, I trusted the ballast too much? The other weekend she was just heeling enough to wash the toe rails, and not the coaming. I moved up to sitting on top of the coaming, which is perfectly sculpted and angled for this. I was still washing the coaming "sitting out" like that, so I hove-to and tucked in my reef. Things were a bit more calm after that.  

Thank you to all who have replied with your wisdom and knowledge. I sail the Tennessee river so I don't have to worry about mega waves, just occasional thunder storms that crop up sometimes quickly. I've been sailing in 10 mph constant winds with maybe 15 or so gusts. I felt like the 222 with its ballast would probably be a little hard to knock down completely.  

Stick with those wind conditions if you are new. I pushed my luck twice in Lake Guntersville with gusty conditions 20+ and small white caps. The family and wife did not have a good time when we got knocked around trying to come about with too much sail up. I've learned to watch weather closely and drop sails / reef when my wife starts to get too nervous. Relaxed and family fun is more important to me then sailing fast and pushing it.  

When I had a Bandit 15, a centerboard boat, I had that very question. So I went out in a moderate wind to see if I could "Capsize" it. It wasn't that hard. Then the mast stuck in the bottom and I had a hell of a time to get the boat turned around, the mainsheet released and the boat uprighted. A few minutes of extreme bailing and I had drifted into shallow water... All in all I learned it isn't fun to recover from a capsize. It's nice to have done it, to know what has to be done, to have done it on a cheap boat. But, after that, while sailing in windier conditions I always had the main sheet in hand.  

Brian Schwerdt

When I had some less experienced crew (i.e. friends who had never before been on a sailboat), a little bit of heel would bring up this question. I always told them that with 600' of lead ballast in the keel, the mast would come crashing down before the boat capsized. Then one day, I went out in really wild weather. Blowing steady over 20mph, gusting over 30. Waves were 4-6' (and that's on a lake, so a short wavelength). Franky, I had FAR too much sail out. Sure enough: https://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/dismasted.143110/  

Marlow Currie

I have a 240 and i agree with much of what has been said here. the trick is sizing the sails and don't be afraid to keep the foresail smaller (jib or storm jib) or drop it out ODays sail easy with just the main sail with little wind and stronger gusts. Enjoy  

Ron 20324: Interesting picture. But the boat in the picture is not a ballasted keel boat like the C-22. Its an unballasted racing boat. They easily capsize when knocked down, if the sail gets in the water and the crew is not quick to get on the center/dagger board. (As this crew is doing.)  

LeslieTroyer

It took 50+ Kts of wind to knockdown my C22 (when I had it). Reeefed Main only.  

As far as wondering how much the O'Day can heel over - ask yourself why. The O'Day is lightweight and sensitive to high winds. The boat will sail faster, more comfortably, and the experience will be much gentler on the boat if you Reef. Yes - the boat will actually sail faster reefed in 15 knots than heeled over. I have been sailing my 222 for over 14 years- generally within 10 miles of shore in the sometimes very windy Channel Islands. I have thousands of miles on the boat per my Garmin gps. I have buried the rail and still felt secure. However, I sail faster with the main reefed, and both sails adjusted out a bit than drawn close and heeled.  

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