O'Day 27 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used O'Day 27 means looking at a Gurney-designed 1972–1979 production boat built at Fall River, with more than 700 hulls produced. These are compact 27-footers with a 9-foot beam and internal lead ballast, and on the used market they show up as either tiller or wheel-steered boats with assorted power and navigation refreshes. Knowing the early-versus-late layout changes and the few structural watch points will steer a buyer toward a sound example.
Layouts on the Used Market
The O'Day 27 carries a long cockpit with tiller and an ample entry to a cabin that feels roomy for its length. Older boats had the galley along the starboard side; from 1976 the interior was reworked so the galley sits aft near the companionway, with a quarterberth to port and the head tucked in athwartships to port. A fold-up table and two settees fill the saloon, and the V-berth forward takes a couple. The headroom runs just over six feet. Later boats may show wheel steering from the 1975 option, but tiller versions keep more cockpit and cabin space.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Power and energy systems on these boats commonly include an inverter, which matters for running small AC gear at anchor without a generator. For navigation, autopilots and chartplotters are often seen, useful for short-handed sailing and unfamiliar harbors. The original 12-volt panel and battery box form the base, but a buyer should confirm the wiring behind any added electronics. Canvas and sail-handling upgrades are less standardized, though the factory rig already supports a big genoa or spinnaker.
What to Inspect
The chainplates pass through the deck and should be checked for crevice corrosion, as owners have seen water intrusion there over the years. The main bulkhead carries those chainplates and must be sounded for delamination. Stanchions and their bases can be wobbly, and the large forward hatch gasket is prone to leaking, so confirm its condition. Beyond those points, the boats left the factory with no anchor hardware aside from a small hawsepipe, so any ground-tackle setup is owner-added.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found on the United States market. A buyer's short checklist:
- Confirm chainplate and bulkhead condition; look for deck stains near fittings
- Test the forward hatch gasket and stanchion rigidity
- Prefer a tiller boat unless wheel steering is a must
- Verify inverter and any autopilot/chartplotter wiring
- Note the 1976 galley relocation when judging layout age
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the O'Day 27. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 6 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 25 | 1 | $9,000 | — |
| Aug 25 | 1 | $0 | -100.0% |
| Feb 26 | 1 | $6,000 | +Infinity% |
| May 26 | 2 | $27,500 | +358.3% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $27,500 | 0.0% |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $3,500 | -87.3% |
Where they're listed
O'Day 27 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 6.
Country view
6 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $16,750 | 6 | 2 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
6 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina 27 | 26.83' | $ 7,900 | 77 | 20 |
| Moody 27 | 27.67' | $ 14,957 | 28 | 9 |
| Oday 28 | 28.25' | $ 9,900 | 27 | 4 |
| ODay 30 | 29.92' | $ 15,000 | 13 | 5 |
| Mirage Yachts 27 | 27.17' | $ 5,000 | 9 | 4 |
| O'Day 27You are here | — | $ 16,750 | 6 | 2 |