O'Day 28 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used O'Day 28 means looking at a late-1970s American 28-foot coastal cruiser drawn by C. Raymond Hunt Associates and built between 1978 and 1986, with several keel and rig permutations still on the market. The design was conceived as an approachable family cruiser with a touch of club-racing spirit, and the surviving boats reflect that brief: moderate displacement, a masthead-sloop rig, and a fiberglass hull with cored deck areas typical of the era.
Layouts on the Used Market
Production spanned fixed fin keel, early centerboard, and later shoal-draft fixed keel versions, plus a deep keel with tall rig for those who wanted more upwind reach. Below, the boat is a moderate-displacement fin-keel design with an internally mounted spade rudder controlled by a wheel. Inside, expect a beamy saloon for the size, an enclosed head, a practical galley, a generous V-berth, and a proper quarter berth, with headroom respectably near six feet on many examples. When viewing, step into the cockpit to confirm it is deep and secure yet not tight, and walk the wide side decks to feel the sensible handholds before committing.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
A bimini is commonly fitted, and an autopilot is often seen as a comfort addition on brokerage boats. Beyond those, a spinnaker, dodger, chartplotter, hot water, solar, and lithium batteries appear as occasional owner upgrades rather than standard kit. For a buyer, the canvas and sail-handling cluster (bimini, dodger, occasional spinnaker) matters most for cockpit livability, while the power-and-energy cluster (solar, lithium) signals whether the boat is set for anchoring out or still leans on shore power.
What to Inspect
Chainplate and stanchion leaks can wet bulkheads and local deck core if hardware hasn't been rebedded on schedule, so check the forward chainplates for staining or softened surrounding deck. Through-bolt penetrations, portlights, and mast partners on these cored-deck boats can leak and eventually demand core repairs if neglected, so probe those areas for spongy laminate or discoloration. Rudder moisture and play in bearings or the stock are not endemic but are worth inspecting by checking for freeplay at the wheel and listening for water sloshing in the blade. Original OMC gasoline saildrives are widely regarded as noisy, thirsty, and expensive to support, so confirm whether the boat still carries that drive or has been repowered with a small Yanmar or Universal inboard.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found in the United States. Before you commit, run a short checklist: check the chainplate bedding; probe the deck core at penetrations; verify rudder play; confirm the drive type; inspect the mast partners for leaks.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the O'Day 28. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 12 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 25 | 1 | $9,500 | — |
| Mar 25 | 2 | $10,500 | +10.5% |
| Jul 25 | 1 | $15,500 | +47.6% |
| Aug 25 | 4 | $8,900 | -42.6% |
| Sep 25 | 2 | $8,850 | -0.6% |
| Oct 25 | 1 | $11,995 | +35.5% |
| Jan 26 | 6 | $9,900 | -17.5% |
| Feb 26 | 4 | $9,800 | -1.0% |
| Mar 26 | 3 | $8,900 | -9.2% |
| Apr 26 | 4 | $10,047 | +12.9% |
| May 26 | 3 | $9,800 | -2.5% |
| Jun 26 | 4 | $9,900 | +1.0% |
Where they're listed
O'Day 28 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 27.
Country view
27 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $9,900 | 27 | 4 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
5 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina 28 | 28.5' | $ 25,000 | 38 | 7 |
| Oday 28You are here | — | $ 9,900 | 27 | 4 |
| Colvic Countess 28 | 28' | $ 10,481 | 23 | 3 |
| Cape Dory 28 | 28.1' | $ 18,750 | 20 | 6 |
| Marlow-Hunter 28 | 28.01' | $ 17,924 | 15 | 5 |