# O'Day 272 - thoughts?



## DonScribner (Jan 9, 2011)

I've seen a few O'Day 272s around for reasonable prices. Wing keel, shoal draft, trailerable (a couple of times a year). These work for me. How about pros and cons? Tender/stiff? Fit and finish? Overall quality? Performance? Keep in mind I'm a weekend cruiser, not looking to round the buoy in record time but sailing close to wind, make 6 knots on a regular basis, that sort of thing.


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## CalebD (Jan 11, 2008)

I have sailed on an O'day 272 on Long Iisland Sound.
Because of the shoal draft wing keel it is a bit tender and may require reefing before a deeper keeled boat. This also leads to slightly less pointing ability.
The fit & finish of the O 272 I was on was quite nice. The cabin is huge compared to my older 27 footer. The build quality rates about average to good - there are still a lot of O'day sailboats out there (with happy owners).

We did an overnight on the O 272 but we grounded the wing keel on a falling tide and could not get the boat off. With a tidal range of about 8' all the water disappeared leaving the boat standing on the wing keel on the sand - a very peculiar sight indeed. After about 6 hours the tide came back in and we floated off. This experience has put me off of the winged keel design somewhat.
I think an O 272 could work for you if you can accept the pros & cons of this model.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

You can probably get an Oday 30 for about the same price. =-O


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## DonScribner (Jan 9, 2011)

Denise,

One of the things I am trying to keep in the picture is trailerability. A 30 footer just isn't. A 27 I can get away with but probably not that often. At least to launch and haul home for the long, cold winter.

Caleb,

Do you really think it tender? My Lancer 25 draws 30". There have been many, and I mean many, times that we have been stick straight while other, lager boats, are heeling like crazy.


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## CalebD (Jan 11, 2008)

don,
The winged keel design is very different than your Lancer. You should ask for a sea trial if you are at all concerned about how the boat sails and feels.
Your Lancer: LANCER 25 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com
The 272: O'DAY 272 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com
The wing keel 272 "fin" is 2.9' deep that you are dragging around under water. More like a stub than a fin. 
All I'm saying is that the boat makes a bit of leeway and is a tad tender. If you can live with that it is a good boat for you.


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## DonScribner (Jan 9, 2011)

I am hoping to talk somebody local into taking me out on one before I get too deep. I see what you mean. My Lancer's keel is long (fore/aft) where the wing is short in all directions.


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## tweitz (Apr 5, 2007)

We had a 272LE for a few years. We enjoyed the boat, did not find it particularly tender and the overall quality was good. The wing keel had the great benefit of giving us shallow draft that we needed go over a sandbar at low tide. We did run aground in sand a couple of times, and it was not especially hard to get off the sand by kedging. Never tried trailering.


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