O'Day Outlaw 26 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used market for an O'Day Outlaw 26 means looking at a Philip Rhodes-designed American cruiser built by O'Day Corp. between 1965 and 1968, with 80 completed and the molds later moving to Northern Yachts of Ajax, Ontario. These are scarce boats, so patience is part of the search, and availability centers on the United States.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Outlaw 26 is a 26-foot monohull with a long keel, spooned raked stem, raised transom, and tiller-steered keel-mounted rudder. Below she carries four berths with storage shelves above each, four fixed cabin ports, translucent hatches, and a galley unit with formica top, locker, and shelf — but originally less sink, tank, and pump. The molded-insulated icebox is part of the layout. The 8-foot self-bailing cockpit dominates the deck, served by an outboard motor well with plug and a stern flag socket.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Factory equipment centers on a masthead sloop rig with anodized mast and boom, wire halyards, Dacron running rigging, roller reefing, a full-width mainsheet traveler with cam-action cleat, winch pads, and two top-action jib and genoa winches. A small outboard in a transom well provides docking power. A tall rig with a mast about two feet higher was offered for lighter-wind regions and is a meaningful variant for a buyer to verify. Because the galley lacked sink, tank, and pump from new, a pressurized-water or foot-pump galley setup is a typical owner upgrade rather than original gear.
What to Inspect
The known construction facts show solid fiberglass hull and deck with teak exterior trim and anti-fouling bottom paint from the builder. Check the outboard motor well and plug for cracking or softening around the transom penetration, since the well is the propulsion mount and a flooding path if degraded. Verify the self-bailing cockpit drainage flows clear and the teak exterior woodwork is sound, as original trim is integral to the deck finish.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The Outlaw 26 appears in the United States. For a buyer, the short checklist is: confirm standard vs. tall rig for your wind regime, inspect the outboard well and cockpit drainage closely, and budget for a galley water system the factory omitted.
- Verify rig height (standard or tall) and mast/anodized hardware condition
- Inspect outboard well, plug, and cockpit self-bailing paths for water intrusion
- Assess teak trim and anti-fouling bottom; note galley needs sink/tank/pump added
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the O'Day Outlaw 26. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 25 | 1 | $2,800 | — |