Piper OD Buyer's Guide
A 24-foot 5-inch David Boyd one-design from 1966, the Piper OD was built by Alex Robertson of Sandbank, Scotland, for Clyde racing; 57 glass hulls came from a mould taken off the wooden prototype Sandpiper. On the used market you are looking at a compact fractional-sloop daysailer with solid GRP hull and deck, a fin keel with encapsulated lead, and an open cockpit — a boat meant to be sailed, not camped in.
Layouts on the Used Market
Because the class was a one-design racer, there is no spread of interior layouts to choose between. The boat is three-quarter decked with an open cockpit and deep well, a centre thwart for the mainsheet, and a sliding aft thwart for the helmsman. Shelves under the sidedecks are the only relatively dry stowage, and any bunks would be improvised over a buoyancy box rather than factory-fitted. Buyers should expect a racing daysailer footprint, not a cruiser's cabin plan.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Standard fitting on these boats is a cantilevered port-sidedeck bracket for a long-shaft outboard, which is stowed under the foredeck with its bracket when not running. Sail handling is by two bronze Lewmar sheet winches on the sidedecks and a halyard winch at the mast base. The mast is black anodised alloy, keel-stepped, with stainless steel rigging and a varnished spruce tiller on the keel-hung rudder. For a buyer, the consequence is that propulsion and sail control are simple and self-contained; the only meaningful upgrade path is the sail wardrobe, since a 325-square-foot spinnaker is part of the original spec.
What to Inspect
The one documented operational quirk is that under outboard power the boat can only come alongside on the starboard side, a direct result of the port-side engine bracket. At a viewing, confirm the bracket is sound and the outboard stows cleanly under the foredeck. Check the teak comings, splashboard, and toerails for rot, since these are the only timber on an otherwise glass hull. Inspect the ring frames at the cockpit ends, mast, and stern post for any cracking where they meet the shell, and verify the keel-hung rudder pintle and the spruce tiller are free of play.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
With only 57 built and small fleets scattered beyond home waters, the Piper OD is a rare find wherever it appears.
- Confirm port outboard bracket and starboard-only docking behaviour
- Check teak trim for rot and glass ring frames for cracks
- Verify keel-hung rudder and tiller have no play
- Inspect mast step and stainless rigging for corrosion