O'Day 22 MH Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The 22 was a minimum boat built tightly to a price, yet attractively styled, with a stylish rake to the transom that Practical Sailor praised for exterior proportions. The solid fiberglass deck and hull follow the marque's hand-laid practice of the era, and the lead ballast is encapsulated in the fiberglass hull molding. Spars, rigging, and hardware are as high quality as seen in comparable boats, though the stamped stainless steel hinged mast step demands a steady hand and boat when the mast is raised or lowered anchor. Later examples acquired a centerboard and 300 advertised pounds, and Practical Sailor found the later 22s were frankly a mixed bag of quality and shabbiness. Reader reports note gelcoat voids against an otherwise historically high laminate standard, and there is consistent evidence of print-through across the fleet.

Rig and Handling

The original 22 carried a masthead rig; later boats acquired a fractional rig with a relatively small spinnaker, making her a fun boat on which to learn spinnaker handling. Jiffy reefing is standard, and the mainsheet terminates in a cam-action cleat 16 inches up the single backstay. The two #10 Barient sheet winches are inadequate for anything larger than a working jib, and halyard winches were not standard. Without a centerboard the 22 simply did not have the performance to go with her racy image; even with one she is hardly a ball of fire under sail. She does not point well, and tacking through 100 degrees is not uncommon. Tender, with a disconcerting desire to round up when a puff hits, she is under-canvassed and sluggish in light air with her three-quarter fore triangle and working jib, most hurt downwind. The 2-foot minimum draft is an unwarranted sacrifice of performance and stability if she is not ramp-trailered, and the fairing of the hull underwater is better than average.

Accommodations

Belowdecks the O'Day 22 epitomizes the "Clorox bottle" label for bare fiberglass interiors, with poor finish and decor: sloppily fitted teak trim against teak-printed Formica, and flimsy cabinetry. She is basically a daysailer with incidental overnight accommodations. The cockpit is almost perfect at a spacious 6-1/2 feet long, seats spaced for bracing feet opposite, and a coaming that gives security and an arm rest; it is self-bailing. The initial dinette gave way quickly to opposing settees that are a bit narrow for sleeping two adults but fit, though uncomfortable to sit on without backrests. Forward vee berths are terrible, suited only to small children, while seat locker space is excellent with a quarterberth below. A sliding door encloses the forward cabin and another the head, a rare enclosed head for this size. The galley has a small sink and space for a two-burner stove, but the bin/hanging locker opposite the head is inadequate and the boat desperately needs stowage.

Known Issues

Because the companionway sill sits low, the lower hatch board has to stay in place to stop water reaching the cabin in a knockdown. The centerboard, where fitted, will be difficult to maintain. The hose for the outboard remote gas tank can be pinched in use, despite a separate sealed well for the tank that is otherwise a sound detail. Gelcoat voids and print-through appear on the laminate surfaces.

Ownership and Refits

The advertised trailering weight of 1,800 pounds grew to a realistic 2,200 minimum (2,500 with trailer), above the limit without a heavy car and special gear. Owners adding a centerboard or fractional rig later in the production run inherited the mixed quality of those boats. O'Day boats have enjoyed good value on the used market, and the 22, despite her age, is still not outdated.

The Verdict

The O'Day 22 MH is a tightly priced Hunt-designed daysailer with excellent cockpit ergonomics and a self-bailing well, let down by a bare and flimsy interior, weak light-air performance, and a tender hull that rounds up. She suits a ramp-trailered racer-learner more than a cruiser.

Pros