O'Day Sailboats for Sale

From Day Sailer to 40-footer

George O'Day was an Olympic gold medalist and America's Cup sailor. He started as a distributor of small sailboats, then began building his own in 1958 at 168 Stevens Street in Fall River. Day Sailers, Rhodes 19s, Javelins, Widgeons, Sprites and early Mariners all came out of that plant. The Uffa Fox Day Sailer became the big hit, and Sailboatdata says more than 12,000 were sold.

In 1966 the conglomerate Bangor Punta bought O'Day for $986,600 in stock. At the end of 1969 it moved production to a new 164,487 square foot plant at 848 Airport Road. Through the 1970s and 80s O'Day pushed into trailerable cruisers and then bigger boats, eventually up to the O'Day 40.

Lear Siegler bought Bangor Punta in 1984. A leveraged buyout followed, and creditors forced O'Day into Chapter 7 bankruptcy on April 27, 1989. By then it had stopped all operations. Boats built after 1972 carry the manufacturer code XDY in the hull number.

Models you'll see most

O'Day 222 (1984 to 1988). A 21'9" fractional sloop by C. Raymond Hunt Associates. Beam 7'11", displacement 2,200 lb with 800 lb of ballast, and a keel-centerboard drawing 1'8" up and 4'8" down. Sail area is 207 sq ft. Only about 130 were built. It replaced the O'Day 22.

O'Day 272 (1985 to 1989). A 26'11" masthead sloop, also a Hunt design, with a wing keel drawing just 2'11". Beam 9', displacement 5,375 lb with 1,930 lb ballast, 299 sq ft of sail and 25 gallons of water. That shoal draft suits the Chesapeake, Florida and the Great Lakes shallows.

O'Day 22. Practical Sailor's review found a nearly perfect 6.5-foot self-bailing cockpit and good locker space, but poor pointing (it often tacks through 100 degrees). It's also tender and quick to round up in a puff. Reef the main early, and add a genoa for light air.

What they sell for

Most O'Days cost less than a good used outboard. In 2026 a 1969 Mariner 19 with sails and a trailer was listed in Bradenton, Florida for $1,450. A 1982 O'Day 23 with a trailer and a 2008 Nissan 9.9 was $3,900 in Michigan. A 1983 23 with a 2019 Mercury 9.9 and fresh bottom paint was $4,500 in Maryland. A well-equipped 1982 23 with a braked tandem trailer was $6,995 in Connecticut.

At those prices the trailer, outboard and sails can be worth more than the hull. Price each one separately.

What to check on a used O'Day

Centerboard and pennant. Many O'Days have a centerboard or a keel-centerboard. Check the pennant line, the pivot pin and the trunk for leaks. A jammed board is common on boats that sat on trailers.

Gelcoat. Practical Sailor notes reader reports of gelcoat voids and print-through on O'Days. These are mostly cosmetic. Soft spots under the deck hardware are not cosmetic, so sound the deck around the chainplates and stanchions.

Standing rigging. On a boat this old, original wire is past its life. Ask when the shrouds and stays were replaced. One of the Michigan sellers listed a new backstay and new upper shrouds in 2024.

Trailer. Check the tires, bearings, bunks and title. Some states don't title small boats, so get the registration and a bill of sale.

Parts. There's no factory support. Owner groups such as the O'Day Mariner community keep manuals and parts sources alive.