Design and Construction
The 302 is a recreational keelboat built predominantly of fiberglass, with a solid-fiberglass hull and a fixed wing keel. At just under 30 feet overall with a 24-foot-2-inch waterline, a 10-foot-9-inch beam, and roughly 7,200 pounds of displacement balanced by 2,400 pounds of lead ballast, the boat sits at a 33 percent ballast ratio. A 1987 review in Motor Boating and Sailing described O'Day's addition of a patented winged keel said to smooth the ride in a seaway, and the wing configuration keeps draft in the 3.9-to-4.2-foot range depending on load, letting the hull reach shallow marinas. The immersion rate runs about 841 pounds per inch, and the wetted surface measures roughly 247 square feet.
Rig and Handling
The 302 carries a masthead sloop rig with a fully-battened mainsail and a mast standing about 41 feet above the waterline. Database comparisons rate the sail plan as carrying more rig than 100 percent of similar sailboats, which frames the boat as significantly overrigged for its size. The hull form pairs a raked stem and reverse transom with an internally mounted spade rudder steered by a wheel. A theoretical displacement-hull speed of about 6.6 knots sets the upper bound for sustained passage-making under sail.
Accommodations
Below, the 302 sleeps six: a double V-berth forward, two settees in the main cabin, and a double berth in the aft cabin. The galley sits to port just forward of the companionway ladder and carries a two-burner propane stove and a sink with pressurized hot and cold water, while the head includes a sink and vanity. A 1987 Motor Boating and Sailing review praised the bright, airy interior created by expansive plexiglas and a half dozen opening hatches and ports, a layout trait that distinguishes the 302 from more enclosed cruisers of the era.
The Verdict
The O'Day 302 is a compact cruiser that squeezed a six-berth layout and a winged keel into a late-1980s O'Day hull. The overrigged masthead sloop and shallow-draft wing keel read as a boat meant for accessible coastal cruising rather than offshore passage work, and the bright cabin volume was a deliberate design selling point.
Pros
- Six-berth layout with forward V-berth, two main-cabin settees, and a private aft double
- Winged keel holds draft near four feet for shallow marina access
- Generous natural light from plexiglas and numerous hatches per period review
Cons
- Brief two-year domestic production before O'Day ceased operations
- Sail plan assessed as significantly overrigged versus peer boats
