small o'day sailboats

Boat Profile

O’Day Day Sailer

A proven performer for 61 years

From Issue   July 2019

T he production of small boats was booming in the 1950s on both sides of the Atlantic, and really took off in the late ’50s with the introduction of fiberglass. Famed designers Uffa Fox and George O’Day teamed up in 1956 to create the O’Day Day Sailer. Fox is credited with introducing the technique of planing to dinghy racing and designed many significant classes of boats, including the International 14. The story goes that Fox wanted a pure racing dinghy but O’Day wanted the small cuddy added to increase appeal to the recreational market in the U.S., so Fox designed the planing hull and O’Day designed the cuddy. The resulting Day Sailer was a 16’9” centerboarder with a displacement of 575 lbs, which makes for a light load to tow behind the family car. The fractional sloop rig includes a generously sized spinnaker for exciting downwind sailing.

The first Day Sailer was sold in 1958 and immediately became popular in the recreational and racing markets. It was later designated as the Day Sailer I as four different models have since been built, with over 10,000 boats hitting the waterways. Day Sailer (DS) models I through III have been built by eight different manufacturers, with the current Day Sailer being a modified DS I with a few DS II attributes, such as the internal foam flotation and cuddy thwart. The original DS models I, II, and III were built from 1957 to 1990 by the O’Day Company in Fall River, Massachusetts. The DS I and modified versions of it were later built by Can-AM Sailcraft, Rebel, Spindrift, Precision, McLaughlin, Sunfish/Laser Inc. The current builder of the DS I+ is the Cape Cod Shipbuilding Company (CCSC) in Wareham, Massachusetts, holder of the exclusive license since 1994. The Day Sailer Class Association owns the molds that are currently used by CCSC.

The long side benches in the cockpit provide uncrowded seating for six. The sole is above the waterline and is self-bailing.

The early DS I can be identified by wooden thwarts, seats, and cockpit sole, a centerboard lever, open cuddy, and a transom deck. The DS II came out in 1971 with built-in foam flotation. The cuddy opening is smaller than the opening on the DS I because it also acts as a thwart, and a thinner transom allows mounting a small outboard motor without the need for a bracket. The Day Sailer I and II are considered class legal for one design racing, but the DS III is not considered race-legal due to higher freeboard on the transom, which was a departure from Fox’s hull design. O’Day built the III from 1985 to 1990, so to race in One Design regattas it is important to buy a DS I or DS II. The current Day Sailer in production is a modified version of the DS I with improved self-rescuing capabilities, two sealed air tanks, and a cuddy flotation tank with a smaller hatch.

The Day Sailer, no matter which model, is a very versatile boat, easy to rig, sail, transport, and store. With the mast down the boat and trailer take up just a few feet more than an average family car, so can be stored in most garages, though the mast may need to be stowed diagonally. At the ramp, the Day Sailer can be rigged in under 30 minutes: step the mast, add the boom, bend on the jib and main, clip the pop-up rudder onto the transom, and sort out the sheets.

Stepping the mast is the biggest challenge. The 23′4″-long racing mast is stepped through the top of the cabin onto the maststep fixed to the floor of the cuddy, and that can be tricky for one person. The mast does not weigh much, but it is helpful to have a helper at the foot of the mast to guide it into the cuddy opening. The good news with this arrangement is that once the mast is stepped, it is secure, and there’s no rush to attach the forestay.

A mast hinge, a popular option, makes raising the mast much easier.

About 75 percent of the new boats are delivered with a hinged mast, eliminating the awkward gymnastics of stabbing the mast through the cuddy. Once the mast is raised and the forward hole on the hinge pinned, securing the forestay to the bow fitting takes the strain off the hinge. Side stays can then be tightened to take out the slack, but no more than hand tight. Stays that are too tight can damage the hull. Tighten the nuts on the turnbuckles and tape over any cotter pins.

There are different sheeting arrangements for the boom. Some boats have sheets attached in the middle of the boom; the sheet on a DS II starts from a traveler on the transom and ends forward on a swivel cam cleat mounted to the centerboard case. The DS II boom also has a spring in the gooseneck that allowed for roller furling— disconnect the sheet, pull the boom aft, and roll the sail onto the boom. A reefing claw has to be added to connect the sheet to the sail-wrapped boom, but this design is not optimum, nor is the wad of rolled-up sail by the boom’s gooseneck. A better arrangement is to add a conventional set of reefpoints to the mainsail. The boom also has a vang to improve sail control.

The 6′ 3″ beam gives the Day Sailer good stability, enough to keep the boat under someone standing on the foredeck.

The jib on the racing version of the DS is a standard affair, attached with hanks onto the forestay and raised with a halyard. Some skippers add a downhaul to lower the jib from the cockpit. Both the main and jib halyards are led aft on the top of the cuddy. The recreational version of the new DS I comes with a roller-furling jib, which we consider essential for sailing dinghies, especially if singlehanding. We have added a roller-furling jib to our DS II along with the mast hinge. We also added the hardware and rigging for a spinnaker, halyard, spinnaker pole, spinnaker pole control lines, sheet blocks, and jam cleats.

T he Day Sailer is a treat to sail; it handles well, tacks with ease, and powers up quickly with its large sail area. The planing hull is responsive to the tiller, and the wide beam makes it stable. The boat will roll quickly but then sets on a tack, holding it with stable and positive helm control. The centerboard can be easily adjusted from amidships.

We sail a Drascombe Lugger and a Sunfish; the Lugger drives like the family sedan and the Sunfish like our Mustang. The Day Sailer handling is closer to that of the Sunfish—when the breeze picks up, the mainsheet needs to be held in the hand and someone should be ready on the jibsheets. The jibsheets run through the coaming on the DS I and through small cars on the DS II. For the highest performance, skippers have added tiller extensions and hiking straps. There is an outhaul on the battened main; racing versions have barber-haulers and travelers added. Pop the spinnaker, and it will scoot along quite nicely in a light breeze.

The Day Sailer carries 100 sq ft in the main, 45 sq ft in the jib and, for sailing off the wind, another 95 sq ft in spinnaker.

The Day Sailer’s 7′ 4″-long cockpit provides plenty of room for three adults, or two adults and two kids. With four adults it gets cozy; there is not much moving around, so whoever is sitting next to the tiller or foredeck needs to know what to do. It is easy to depower the main, reef it, or furl the jib as needed.

The cuddy is spacious for storing picnic or camping gear, and it affords a space equivalent to a two-person backpacker tent for sleeping aboard for overnight cruising. Adding a topping lift makes the boom nice ridgepole for a boom tent; there’s plenty of room to sleep in the uncluttered cockpit. The Day Sailer has completed many endurance cruising events, such as the Texas 200, Florida 120, and the Everglades Challenge.

A small kicker can be added for auxiliary power. We have used both an electric trolling motor and gas outboard, with best results coming from a 2-1/2-hp four-stroke that pushed push the boat to 6 knots at one-third throttle. The DS I will require a bracket to support and outboard; the DS II transom is thin and sturdy enough for a direct mount. If we’re not going far from home, we occasionally skip the outboard and carry a paddle; with her low coaming we have paddled her a bit, even backward over the transom.

The transom of the Day Sailer II will accommodate an outboard for auxiliary power. The Day Sailer I will require a bracket.

D ay Sailers are easy to find and inexpensive, considering their capabilities. If you come across one, there are few important things to check. Make sure the centerboard moves in the trunk, see that the forestay tang and bow seam are not pulled up, inspect the cuddy deck for noticeable depression which would indicate failure of the maststep under the cuddy floor, and if it is a DS II look inside the flotation compartments. Rinse her off and get her ready to sail. There is a great Day Sailer Association with a web-based forum, and excellent parts availability.

Audrey and Kent Lewis enjoy time with CYANE, along with their small fleet of kayaks, canoe, sailboats, and lapstrake runabout. They blog about their adventures on smallboatrestoration.blogspot.com

Day Sailer Particulars

Length/16′ 9″

Draft, board up/9″

Draft, board down/3′ 9″

Displacement/575 lbs

Main/100 sq ft

Jib/45 sq ft

Spinnaker/96 sq ft

The Day Sailer is built by Cape Cod Shipbuilding Company . Prices start at $18,335 (less sails). For more information about the Day Sailer Class, visit the Day Sailer Association .

Is there a boat you’d like to know more about? Have you built one that you think other Small Boats Monthly readers would enjoy? Please email us!

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Comments (35)

Great article Kent! I have a sister to your boat, right down to the racing mast and blue hull!! But since we’re moving to the Pacific NW, I’m about to sell it. I’m limiting myself to only 3 boats for the move (and it’s a hard sorting out!!!!). Great write-up about a fantastic boat! Thanks! Charlie

My father was George O’Day. It is nice to know the basic design that my Dad helped create is still vibrant 60 years later. I always find it interesting since Dad was a pure racing sailor that he designed a boat and saw the importance of appealing to the recreational aspect of sailing. He wanted to open the door to the bigger audience to share his passion of sailing.

I sailed with your father on a Hobie 16 at a Red Cross small craft instructor program. So much fun sailing with a legend.

Charlie we know it’s hard, the Day Sailer is such a timeless boat. If she has to change skippers, find her a good one.

Miss Beth, so wonderful to hear from a family member, it must have been quite an adventure to grow up around boating and racing. That Day Sailer hull was Cap’n Jack’s favorite, we enjoyed looking at it. Thank you for the insight into your family’s history.

Cheers, Skipper and Clark

I’ve had an O’Day for years, my first sailboat. I love sailing her around our little lake.

This boat is the best for a small family. In Brazil it’s a great option.

O’Day DS was my first brand-new boat. I was a “veteran”of maybe six months sailing in the late 1960s and she taught me to love sailing.

Great boat design. I’ve sailed different ones on and off over the years. Still a favorite.

Beth, your father made great boats as my father still has an O’Day 20 he bought new in ’76 and it’s still like new and a great sailing boat!

I recently bought a 1966 model after downsizing from a Viking 28. My father owned a Rhodes 19 and we sailed that boat for years on the western end of Lake Ontario. The design was similar, so the transition to the 16 was easy. I love the boat because even in high winds I can make a simple adjustment to the main with reef points. Solo sailing is fun and safe. I can see why so many were sold.

Hello, I just bought O’day sailboat. I do believe from what I’ve been reading that it’s a Daysailer 1. I was told this boat has never been registered and never had a kicker motor on it, I can’t find the metal tag on the transom but I see the two rivet holes where it should have been. Is there any other place on this boat to find the serial number? I would like to put a kicker on it and register it and, if not, is there a way to register this boat? Thank you for helping

The requirements to register a small boat that has not been registered before is different for each state. In NY, a boat is registered through the DMV. HIN numbers are placed on the right side of the transom. If you do not have one your boat was made prior to 1972.

Thank you for the reply, I’m working on getting a HIN number now.

Check with O’Day. Some manufacturers hide a second HIN onboard. Worth a shot.

My boat has a plate on the inside toward the front of the boat. On the bulkhead (might not be the right term) behind the mast. You’ll have to crawl into the cubby to see it. It’s a little plate 2″ x 4″ and shows Hull no. and Class no. The paperwork I have says the boat was made in 1967. Does anyone know the difference between Hull number and Class number?

Can anyone give me today’s value of a 1960 O’Day Day Sailer, #333, with a small motor that goes on the mount with sails that all sit on a Dilly trailer? It has all the original woodwork that my husband redid. It does not have a spinnaker but has the jib and main and a Proctor mast.

My daughter and I are looking for an older (less expensive) sailboat. Not sure where your at , we are South of Boston. The O’Day is our first choice. If you are going sell, please reply to this comment. Thanks

[I’ll connect sellers to John. Ed.]

16′ O’Day Day Sailor with trailer and motor

2013 DS for sale in Sharon,MA. needs work on floatation tanks

At 30 years old, I just bought my first sailboat which is a 1965 DS I. The boat has sat for a few years and she needed a good power-washing plus painting of the hull and inside the cubby and several new lines. I’m completely inexperienced with sailing (plenty of time cleaning boats, though) and couldn’t be happier to learn on such a beautiful vessel. Thanks for this article! It’s great to get some background info. Plus, plenty of words to highlight as I expand my boating vocab.

Day Sailers are easy to find? I guess you know where to look (certainly no offers in Craigslist). I have not been lucky enough to come across a good one that is 10 to 20 years old. I live in Massachusetts. Would you mind sharing where to look for one?

I have an O’Day day sailer 16.5 ‘ up for the taking. Our family had years of good times sailing and camping with It. Great family boat. Wooden seats and rails. Needs some work. In central Massachusetts

I am assuming you have gotten rid of your O’Day day sailer – if not, I may be interested. I’m new to sailing at 57 years young! I just took lessons at KYC here in Blue Hill, ME and am looking for a great starter boat that I can learn in and have fun on the bay.

Thanks, Kelly

Actually, I just bought a 1989 DS2 from Craigslist, on trailer, for $300. It needs only minor work and a lot of cleaning. I hope to float it Saturday to see if it sinks like a rock (I know it has flotation), and will need glass work, but I could see nothing amiss while on the trailer.

So, never say never.

Hi Laranja, I just read your comment about trying to find a used O’Day Day Sailer. I live in Wareham where Cape Cod Shipbuilding is located, they are the current builders of the Day Sailer. They usually have used boats available. I have a 1971 DS, a wonderful boat.

I have a 2013 DS for sale in Sharon,MA. needs work on floatation tanks

Fantastic article

Interested in purchasing a fine example that was actively sailed

I agree with the many positive comments above. Great article! I was a longtime owner of an O’Day Widgeon (14′), and after many boat-less years I’m pleased to have purchased a 1984 O’Day Daysailer II just last week. It’s in good condition, and after sourcing a few needed part, I’ll enjoy it on lakes here in Georgia. Thanks for the great article, which has served as an orientation of sorts for me as to what to expect when I launch her for her maiden voyage under my ownership. A long-time marketing and sales executive, I’m naming her SAILS CALL!

I just got a DaySailer, thought it was a 67 DS1 but the transom is thick with a box on the port side by the transom so not sure now DSII?

I just today bought and brought home to MA a 1966 O’Day Day Sailer (as shown on the registration from NH), and it has a thick transom with lidded box on the port side. Also has a wide cuddly opening and wooden cowling and thwarts as described above for a DSI.

We’re down sizing from a 53′ Pearson to an O’Day 18 that someone offered us. I have no qualms about the sailing, but the temperature of the water here (Massachusetts to Connecticut) worries me very much, after a lifetime in the tropics. Are these dry boats when sailed conservatively?

I have a 2013 Cape Cod built DS for sale in MA. Needs some work on floatation tanks.

I just sold our Venturer 22 and picked up (rescued) an O’Day 16 DS. A couple weeks in the shop and it looks ready to sail. One question: the roller reefed main (boom) does not “lock in.” I suppose I could jiffy reef it but does anyone have experience with the roller reefing boom? Am I missing a part (the claw) or do I just not get it.

I want to buy an O’Day sail 17′

We have a 1976, 17′ foot O’Day DSll (?) on trailer that we are transferring to another family member. We are trying to figure out the best way to get it from Oregon to New Hampshire. Any ideas out there?

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• Sailboat Reviews

O’Day 30

With good performance, low maintenance, and a big interior, the 30 is a good coastal cruiser..

The first O’Day 30 we saw back in 1977 was named Moby Dick . Compared to most of the boats in our boatyard, she did look a lot like a great white whale: beamy white hull with high topsides, white deck, white cabin trunk, and not much exterior wood trim. But what really struck us about the boat was the amount of interior volume. The boat had as much interior space as most 34-footers built at that time.

With her straight sheerline and short overhangs, the O’Day 30 was not as handsome to our eyes then as more traditional-looking boats, but the design has held up surprisingly well. Today it still looks quite modern, yet more conservative than many newer Eurostyled boats.

Over 350 O’Day 30s were built between 1977 and 1984. During 1984, the 30 was modified by changing the keel and rudder, and the stern was lengthened to accommodate a European-style boarding platform. This “new boat” was called the O’Day 31, and it stayed in production until 1986.

O’Day 31 hulls are numbered, quite correctly, as a continuation of the O’Day 30 series. About 150 “stretched” O’Day 31 models were built.

Sailing Performance

With a typical PHRF rating of 177, the O’Day 30 is very close in speed to other modern cruiser/racers of the same length. The boat was never marketed as a racing boat: performance cruising has always been an O’Day concept.

The boat was originally built in two underwater configurations: a keel/centerboarder, and a fin keel of moderate depth. The centerboard version of the boat is about 500 pounds heavier than the keel version. The extra weight is mostly in ballast to give the two boats similar stability. Where PHRF committees distinguish between the two underwater configurations, the centerboard boat is rated about three seconds per mile slower—about what you would expect for the difference in displacement.

Upwind performance is good. Shrouds and genoa track are inboard, and the hull and keel shape from C. Raymond Hunt Associates is clean and modern without being extreme. Downwind, the boat is slow without a spinnaker.

The mainsail is very high aspect ratio, almost 4:1. Off the wind, this is ineffective sail area, and a poled-out headsail will not provide enough area in light air to really keep the boat moving. At the very least, an asymmetrical cruising spinnaker is called for.

Because the mainsail is small, the boat needs large headsails, and they will need to be changed frequently for optimum performance. With a small main, reefing is a relatively ineffective way to reduce sail area.

Standard sails with new boats were a main and 110% jib. In addition, the boat really needs a 150% genoa and a 130% genoa for good performance in a wide range of wind velocities. With a wide waterline beam and 40% ballast/displacement ratio, the boat can carry a fair amount of sail.

Unless the original owner specified the optional larger headsail sheet winches, you’ll have to consider upgrading if you go to big genoas: the stock winches are too small for headsails larger than 110%.

Most owners report the boat to be well-balanced under sail, but some early boats suffered from a lot of weather helm due to an excessively-raked mast. The solution is to shorten the headstay and eliminate almost all mast rake. This may require shifting the mast step aft 1/2″ for the mast to clear the forward edge of the mast partners.

Although the rig size did not change over the course of production, spars from three different manufacturers were used in the boat. The original rigs are by Schaefer. Kenyon spars were used in the middle of the production run, Isomat rigs in later boats. All the rigs are stepped through to the keel, and are properly stayed.

The standard location for the mainsheet traveler is on the bridgedeck at the forward end of the cockpit. From a purely functional point of view, this is a good location. Several owners in our survey, however, complain that the traveler limits the installation of a cockpit dodger. As an option, the mainsheet traveler was available mounted on a girder atop the deckhouse.

This is a tough call. The bridgedeck location is very handy for shorthanded cruising, since the person steering can reach the mainsheet from the helm, particularly on tiller-steered boats. At the same time, a good dodger is almost a must for cruising, and the midboom sheeting arrangement simplifies dodger design.

Although wheel steering was an option, you’ll find it on a large percentage of boats. Owners report no problems with the wheel installation. Early boats have a conventional, centerline backstay. On later models, a split backstay was standard, permitting a stern boarding ladder to be mounted on centerline.

All things considered, the O’Day 30 is a boat that performs well under sail. She’s not really a racer, but she will stay up with almost any boat of her size and type, and is easy to handle, to boot.

O’Day was one of the first big builders to take the all diesel route, even though the Atomic 4 was still a popular engine when this boat went into production. Not all of the engine installations in the O’Day 30, however, have been equally successful.

Originally, the boat was equipped with a singlecylinder, salt water cooled, 12 hp Yanmar diesel. This was one of the first Japanese diesels on the market, and one O’Day 30 owner reports that Yanmar replaced his engine—three years after the boat was built—due to a series of problems that simply could not be solved.

During 1978, the engine was upsized to a Yanmar 2QM15, since the boat was really underpowered with the smaller engine. Owners report that Yanmar installations are noisy, which is partially due to the fact that there is no sound insulation in the engine compartment.

As first built, the engine beds were attached to the walls of the engine box. According to one owner, this was such a bad arrangement that the vibration from the engine loosened the beds. Later boats have a molded fiberglass engine bed/drip pan combination, which is far better than the original installation.

With 1980 models, the Yanmar engine was dropped in favor of a two-cylinder, 16 hp Universal diesel. Owners report no problems with this engine.

Engine access is very good, particularly on later models. In early models, a panel behind the companionway ladder must be unscrewed to get to the front of the engine. On later models, a sloping panel in front of the engine can be removed, and the galley counter over the top of the engine can be lifted out of the way for complete access.

Lack of sound insulation is the weak point of the engine installation. It probably would have cost about $100 to provide halfway-decent sound insulation in the engine compartment when the boat was on the assembly line. You can do it after the fact, but not as simply or cheaply. We’d highly recommend this project, since without insulation the engine compartment resonates like a drum.

With the exception of the original, single-cylinder Yanmar, all of the engines are big enough to push the boat to hull speed in most conditions.

The standard, exposed, two-bladed solid prop causes a fair amount of drag under sail, but you should probably keep it unless you race. We feel a folding prop is not the way to go on a cruising boat, and a feathering prop would be disproportionately expensive on this boat.

Early boats have an 18-gallon aluminum fuel tank. Later models—after 1980—are usually equipped with a 26-gallon aluminum tank. The larger tank gives better range under power, despite the fact that the more powerful engines used late in the production run also use more fuel.

Construction

The hull of the O’Day 30 is an uncored fiberglass laminate. Hull stiffness is increased through the use of a full-length molded body pan, glassed to the hull. Construction is basically solid, but is certainly not fancy. Owners in our survey report a fairly standard number of minor production-boat complaints: surface crazing in gelcoat, leaks around mast, leaks around deck hardware and ports, poor interior finish quality. Gelcoat blistering is neither more nor less common than on other boats.

The O’Day 30 was one of the first small cruising boats to use Navtec rod-type chainplates, which are anchored to the body pan. This is a good, strong arrangement.

In our experience, O’Day’s approach to building was to use good-quality fittings, combined with reasonably sturdy construction. The boats generally have pretty mediocre finishing detail, and costs were kept down by keeping the standard boat fairly simple.

For example, there is no sea hood over the main companionway. This may seem like a minor shortcoming, but it means that this hatch is going to leak if you take solid water over the deck. Instead of a labor-intensive full-length teak toerail, there are short, thin teak strips screwed to a raised, molded fiberglass toerail. The strips do not have to be curved or tapered, since they can be easily bent to shape.

Likewise, most of the interior furniture is part of the molded body pan, trimmed out with teak. The cabin sole is fiberglass, with teak ply inserts. You do not buy these boats for their high-quality joinerwork, nor do you buy them for sophisticated systems or creature comforts.

A single battery was standard, as was a two-burner alcohol stove without oven. Propane cooking was not an option. Double lifelines were optional. Even a spare winch handle was an extra-cost option: only one winch handle was supplied, although four winches were standard!

Because the O’Day 30 is a relatively heavy boat, its basic construction is fairly expensive. To keep the price comparable to other boats in its size range, costs had to be cut somewhere, and they were cut in finish, detailing, and systems. You simply can’t build a boat that weighs 500 to 1000 pounds more than the competition, provide the same systems and detailing, and keep the price the same.

All in all, this is a reasonable tradeoff. You could, if you wanted, add a propane stove, bigger batteries, engine compartment insulation, bigger winches, and many of the other things that you might expect to find on a well-equipped 30-footer. But you won’t get your money back when you sell the boat. The price of your used O’Day 30 will be controlled by the price of other O’Day 30’s on the market, even if they are less well equipped than your own.

The standard water tank varies in capacity from 25 to 30 gallons, depending on the model year. On late models, which have the smaller tank, you could also get an extra 25-gallon water tank, which is mounted under the port settee. With this tank full, the boat has a noticeable port list. Without the optional tank, water capacity is inadequate for cruises extending beyond a long weekend.

Deck layout is reasonably good. There is an anchor locker forward, although its so large that it’s tough to straddle while hauling in the anchor rode. You can walk forward on deck outboard of the shrouds on either tack.

The cockpit is fairly small, thanks to the big interior. There is a large locker to port that can be used to store sails, and a small locker to starboard at the aft end of the cockpit.

With 1980 models, ballast was reduced by 350 pounds in the keel version, 400 pounds in the centerboard boats, according to factory specifications. Still later, ballast in the keel version was increased by 150 pounds. Although these are significant changes, owners of later boats do not report that the boat is noticeably more tender, nor do the PHRF ratings reflect any change in performance.

With her wide beam and long waterline, the O’Day 30 has a big interior. In fact, we have little doubt that if the boat were still in production, O’Day would have figured out how to modify the interior to get three in separate cabins, which has become fairly common on contemporary 30-footers.

For the first three years of production, the boat had a very standard interior, with settees on either side of the main cabin. In 1980, the interior was retooled. The starboard settee was replaced with a U-shaped dinette with permanent table, and the head compartment was shifted to the starboard side of the boat.

The forward cabin in the old layout is bigger due to the placement of partitions and doors, which gave more cabin sole area. With the V-berth insert in place to give a double berth, you could still stand up in the forward cabin to dress. In the newer interior, there is no place to stand in the forward cabin if the door is shut.

Headroom is 6′ on centerline in the forward cabin. There is a molded fiberglass hatch in the forward end of the cabin trunk. In our experience, molded glass hatches are a compromise. They are easy to distort by overtightening hatch dogs to compensate for old gaskets. If dogged unevenly, they tend to leak. It is also next to impossible to fit a dodger on a hatch like that on the O’Day 30, so it must be kept shut in rain or bad weather. Since the boat lacks any real provision for foul-weather ventilation, it can be stifling below.

Although the head compartment in both interior layouts is small, it’s a fairly good arrangement. To use the optional shower, doors to both the main and forward cabins can be closed off, giving plenty of elbow room. Unfortunately, the shower drains to the bilge, a nasty arrangement.

In the original layout, a dropleaf centerline table divides the middle of the main cabin. Four people can sit comfortably at the table using the two settees.

Four diners are far more cramped in the dinette than with the two-settee arrangement, even though O’Day’s literature claims space for five. There’s no way that anyone seated on the port settee opposite the dinette can reach the table. On the plus side, fore and aft movement through the boat is not restricted by the dinette, as it is in the two-settee interior when the table is in use. You pays your money and takes your choice on this one.

Storage space behind the settees shrank in the new interior, a significant loss on a boat this size.

The dinette table drops down to form a good-sized double berth, but because the mattress is made up of five (count’em) separate cushions, this is not a very comfortable berth to sleep on. Its shape is so complex that making sheets fit well is just about an impossibility. In the old layout, the port settee can be extended to form a more normally-shaped double.

Even with opening ports, ventilation in the main cabin is pretty mediocre. There is room atop the cabin aft of the mast for a small aluminum-framed ventilation hatch, and this was an option on later boats. If you don’t have the hatch, you should add it. Cowl vents—other than one on the foredeck—weren’t even options, but could be added.

Headroom in the main cabin is 6′ 3″ on centerline aft, slightly less at the forward end of the cabin. The galley and nav station are the same in both interiors, but some detailing varies depending on the year. Aft to port there is a stove well, with storage outboard.

The icebox is in the aft port corner of the galley. It is not particularly well insulated, and drains into the bilge. There is a deep single sink next to the icebox.

Originally, there was a long step from the companionway to the top of the galley counter, to which a teak board was fastened to form a step. Stepping on galley counters offends our sensibilities, since we prefer to delete the sand from our sandwiches.

Later boats have a more conventional companionway ladder, eliminating the giant first step and the possibility of a foot in the middle of your lasagna, but making it difficult to use the galley counter, now hidden behind the ladder. There is a compact nav station opposite the galley. It has a small chart table, and some storage and space for electronics outboard. The chart table must be kept small to give access to the quarterberth.

You’ll find the electrical panel in one of two places: under the bridgedeck in the galley, or outboard of the chart table. The nav station location offers more protection from water coming down the companionway—which it will—but space for electronics is sacrificed.

Sales literature refers to the quarterberth, which is 41″ wide at its head, as a “cozy double.” Cozy isn’t really the word for a “double” berth that tapers to less than 2′ wide at the foot. Forget it. Many owners have added an opening port from the quarterberth into the cockpit, and this helps ventilation a lot.

The interior of any 30′ boat is a compromise. For the coastal cruising for which she was designed, the interior of the O’Day 30 is spacious and functional, and is probably the boat’s best selling point.

Conclusions

With her good performance and big interior, the O’Day 30 makes a reasonable coastal cruising boat. This is a low-maintenance boat, with little exterior wood. Along with low maintenance, you get pretty plain-Jane appearance.

The boat still looks modern. If she appeared in a boat show today, she wouldn’t look dated.

Unless you need shoal draft, we’d opt for the deepkeel boat, for its simplicity, if nothing else.

The extended stern of the O’Day 31 makes that boat much better looking in our opinion, since the big, fat stern of the 30 is probably her least attractive feature. The 31′ boat is far more expensive on the used boat market, however, so you have to decide how much you’re willing to pay for improved looks and a boarding platform.

Compared to a lot of newer 30-footers, the O’Day is quite heavy, but we consider that a plus for a boat that may sail in fairly exposed waters. For the type of use most boats this size will get, the boat looks like a good value on the used boat market. You could spend a lot more money for a lot less boat.

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

Good day to you. I am having a hull problem with my 1980 oday30. I bought it only a few years ago and when i was getting her ready for this season sailing i noticed a small hole where the bilge pump sits so i took it off and apparently ice had formed over the winter causing the inside layer to crack. This allowed moisture to enter and soak a good section of the hull above the fiberglass hull. I am getting conflicting reports how to fix this. Some say take all of the first layer out and re core it and fiberglass again. And some say you can fix the core with little attention to really fixing the problem. I have a hole about 1 foot by 5 inches and all cleaned up but i am pretty sure there is still moisture forward of the hole and near the mast. Ok so i am looking for your opinion please and thank you!!!

I just used Injectadeck. Worked great for a similar problem in my cabin.

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Classic Plastic: O’Day 27

• By Jim Carrier
• Updated: January 7, 2021

There was a day, before wide screens, all-night buffets and king-size beds, when a family would cruise happily on a boat like the O’Day 27. Solid and simple, the little sloop was just right for lake, harbor or coastal exploring. Small enough for a quick daysail with friends, big enough for a weekend or week gunkholing, the 27 was hugely popular: Between 1972 and 1979, 720 boats were produced at O’Day’s factory in Fall River, Massachusetts.

George O’Day, who founded the company in 1951, wasn’t a cruiser (he won a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics in the 5.5 meter class), but he understood that an ­uncomplicated sailboat was something a whole family could enjoy.

Alan Gurney designed it. Famous in the high-end yachting world for Windward Passage and other one-off race boats for millionaires, Gurney is said to have worked with what sailing writer Ted Jones called “a seaman’s eye; he thought like the water through which he had sailed.” Commissioned to create an everyman’s sailboat, Gurney sketched a ­compact, almost blocky hull with a 22-foot-9-inch waterline and 4-foot draft. Half of its 5,000-pound displacement was in the lead keel, which balanced a mast 38 feet above the water, 320-square feet of sail, and the heft to carry a chute or big genoa. The hull was solid, hand-laid fiberglass, with teak brightwork to dress it up. It came equipped with outboard motors or, later, an inboard gas or diesel engine.

Step aboard, as I did on ­Jonathan Heller’s 1974 O’Day 27, moored on Lake ­Champlain in Burlington, ­Vermont, and you will first find a long cockpit with a ­tiller, an ample entryway and an interior that is surprisingly spacious, due in part to its 9-foot beam, with a fold-up table, stepped mast and 6-plus-foot headroom. According to Jones, writing in Professional Boatbuilder , an O’Day salesman complained about headroom in Gurney’s initial design. Gurney handed him a pencil and “asked him to draw where he thought the headroom should be.” If the cabin “appears to be a bit high,” Jones wrote, “that’s the reason!”

O’Day’s sales brochures for its first keel boat were hyperbolic: a “luxurious cruiser,” “big, airy sleeping accommodations for five,” “a truly superior yacht.” But at a sail-away price of under $7,000, the first O’Day 27s were an instant hit. By the end of their run, they cost $14,500.

By today’s standards, the boat’s galley and head remind me of a small ­camping trailer—adequate but tight. There’s an icebox, an alcohol stove and an ­optional shower (if you watch your ­elbows). One striking compromise is the absence of any ­anchor hardware. A bow ­pulpit was standard but nothing on which to hang a hook. Over the years, owners have also had to deal with water ­intrusion on chainplates.

The good news is that these boats can be had for a song, from $3,900 to $8,000, and that many parts are still ­available. Heller, a ­handyman, musician and father of a 3-year-old girl, purchased the boat for $7,000 from a college student who had been ­living on the hook. Still learning how to sail his yet-unnamed love, he plans to explore Champlain, a cruising ground “big enough to be challenging but not big enough to be scary.” The same could be said of the O’Day 27.

Journalist and author Jim Carrier is a CW contributing editor.

• More: classic plastic , o'day , print dec 2020 , Sailboats
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Better Sailing

Are O’Day Sailboats Good? A Closer Look at a Classic Brand

For many, sailing is not just a hobby; it’s a passion, a lifestyle. It’s about the rhythm of the waves, the dance of the wind, and the thrill of the voyage. Certain names have made their mark at the heart of this world, and one such name is O’Day. An iconic brand in American sailing, O’Day sailboats have been a staple on the waters for decades. In this comprehensive review, we dissect what makes these boats unique and ask the central question: Are O’Day sailboats worth the hype?

Genesis: The Birth of a Legacy

Understanding O’Day requires a trip back in time. Founded in 1958 by Olympic sailor George O’Day, the brand’s inception was rooted in a clear vision: produce competitive sailboats that were both accessible and user-friendly. This dedication to quality and accessibility would become the hallmark of O’Day.

Stability Meets Performance

O’Day sailboats are often celebrated for their exceptional stability, a boon for both beginners and seasoned sailors. This stability doesn’t come at the expense of performance. Boats like the O’Day 22 and 25 were meticulously designed to ensure a stable voyage, even in challenging conditions. Combined with a carefully crafted hull, their keel configurations allowed for speed, agility, and safety.

Durability: Standing the Test of Time

The world of sailing is replete with tales of O’Day sailboats that have weathered countless storms and still sail proudly. The secret lies in their robust fiberglass construction. These boats have been known to provide decades of reliable service with proper maintenance. Their longevity is not just a testament to the quality of materials but also to O’Day’s craftsmanship and engineering prowess.

>>Also Read: Best Sailboat Brands

Inside an O’Day: Where Comfort Resides

Beyond the technical aspects, the interiors of O’Day sailboats speak of a dedication to comfort. Practical design ensures maximum space utilization. Ample headroom, cozy berths, and generous storage make them perfect for extended trips. While they might not compete with luxury yachts, the interiors have a charm that exudes warmth and coziness, making every journey memorable.

Value Proposition: Quality at the Right Price

George O’Day’s vision was not just about crafting exceptional sailboats but also about making them accessible. Throughout its history, O’Day’s pricing has reflected this commitment to value. Their boats, especially when compared to some competitors, often came with an appealing price tag. This accessibility has opened the world of sailing to many who might have found other brands prohibitive.

A Thriving Community

Brands that stand the test of time often foster strong communities, and O’Day is a shining example. Owners share a bond forged in the waters and reinforced at marinas, clubs, and online forums. This camaraderie is invaluable for new owners, providing a platform for shared experiences, maintenance tips, and even sailing adventures.

Moreover, the widespread popularity means that service, repairs, and spare parts are easier to find. Even decades after their prime, O’Day sailboats find support, love, and care from a dedicated community.

Limitations: Every Coin Has Two Sides

No review is complete without addressing potential drawbacks. Despite their many strengths, O’Day sailboats may not satiate every sailor’s needs. Some sailors looking for ultra-modern aerodynamics and speed might find them a tad underwhelming. Moreover, given their age, older models can demand significant investment in upgrades or overhauls to align with contemporary standards. However, many purists argue that this is a small price for owning a piece of American sailing history.

Are O’Day Sailboats Good? – The Verdict

O’Day sailboats have firmly anchored themselves in the chronicles of American sailing history. Their emphasis on stability, performance, and affordability made them a favorite among recreational sailors. And while they might not be the epitome of luxury or racing prowess, they undoubtedly offer a balance of quality and value.

O’Day sailboats are more than just vessels; they are narratives, stories of a brand that made sailing an attainable dream for many. Their boats aren’t just machines; they are companions on countless adventures, silent witnesses to the joys, challenges, and thrills of the open waters.

So, are O’Day sailboats good? The answer is nuanced. O’Day might not top your list if you seek modern, high-tech marvels. But if you’re looking for reliable, durable, and historically rich sailboats that offer a blend of performance and value, O’Day stands tall.

In the grand sailing arena, O’Day sailboats have etched their legacy, not just in fiberglass and sailcloth but in the hearts and memories of countless sailors. They represent a chapter in American sailing that speaks of innovation, dedication, and an undying love for the sea. Owning an O’Day is not just about possessing a boat; it’s about holding a fragment of history, a testament to the timeless allure of sailing.

Peter is the editor of Better Sailing. He has sailed for countless hours and has maintained his own boats and sailboats for years. After years of trial and error, he decided to start this website to share the knowledge.

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Michael R. Wing

Daysailers, pocket cruisers and other small sailboats.

Daysailer Designs

I love small boats!  I always have, ever since I was a kid.  If you gave me a mega-rock star’s money I would not buy a bigger boat, although I might buy some nice waterfront real estate to sail from.  But even if you love the small boat you have, you might like the looks of some of the others and be curious about them.  (There’s a reason they call boats “she.”)  The following are my notes from a life of noticing and sailing small boats.  I am arbitrarily not considering anything longer than twenty feet or weighing over one ton, or sailboats used only for class racing. 

“Daysailer” can mean any sailboat that’s not in a race or on an overnight cruise.  It also means a specific 16’ 9” sloop designed by Uffa Fox which was mass-produced in fiberglass by the O’Day company in Fall River, Massachusetts and is still made today by Cape Cod Shipbuilding.  I own one of these, built in 1963.  So from now on DaySailer will mean the boat designed by Uffa Fox and “daysailer” will mean a boat you sail for a few hours at a time.  A pocket cruiser has a small cabin with berths for sleeping, which mine (kind of) does.

A major division in these boats is between those with centerboards and those with keels.  You lose versatility when you put a fixed ballasted keel on a sailboat.  Keel boats are heavier, slower and more expensive than centerboard boats.  You can’t run up on a beach and step out onto the sand, which for me is part of the fun of sailing.  You avoid shallow water.  You need to tie up to a dock, or use a tender to get to and from the shore.  They may fit on a trailer, but because of their draft and weight it’s a chore to trailer-sail them.  However, they are safer in strong wind because they won’t capsize.  They have more room, and a steady motion.  Once a sailboat gets over 20’ long, rail meat isn’t enough to keep the boat upright.

Don’t buy a new boat unless you have to.  New boats are expensive compared to used ones, which sell for 10% – 50% of the price of new.  Any fiberglass boat can be restored to a “practically new” condition with a few weeks of work.  All fiberglass boats end up in landfills eventually, so by purchasing a used one you reduce waste as well as save money.  And the production boats designed years ago are at least as beautiful and functional as those being designed today.  Some of the most popular small sailboats ever were designed fifty or sixty years ago and have been made continuously for decades by more than one builder; the hull mold and production rights passing to a new company whenever the old company folds.

The Alcort Sunfish and other popular “wet” boats:  The Sunfish and the Laser have a lot in common.  They are identical in length (13’ 9”) and nearly identical in beam, draft, weight, sail area, price, and popularity.  Today they’re even made by the same company, LaserPerformance , but that wasn’t always true.  The Sunfish was designed by Alcort, Inc. and produced by Alcort for decades.  With its colorful striped lateen sail, tiny footwell of a cockpit, and flat fish-shaped hull it didn’t look anything like any other boat.  The designers had previously build iceboats, then experimented with paddle boards.  The Sunfish has won many design awards.  It is the most-produced fiberglass sailboat ever.  The Laser is more of a performance boat.  Even though it is wider than the Sunfish, its round-bottomed hull and tall rig make it faster and tippier.  Both boats have been produced by the hundreds of thousands.  On both boats, you are just inches off the water with little protection from getting splashed.  They aren’t for winter sailing.  A third boat in the “wet and popular” category is the Hobie 16 catamaran.  There’s no cockpit; you sit on a fabric trampoline.  Multihulls are inherently fast but their width makes them awkward to handle at the dock or on a trailer. 

The DaySailer was marketed as the “boat that launched 10,000 weekends.”  I have not sailed mine that many times yet, but I’m closing in on 100.  For me, it’s a right-sized boat: small enough to single-hand, big enough to take a few guests comfortably, fast enough not to be boring, with good-looking curves.  The cuddy cabin deflects spray and provides a place for tired children to rest.  I sleep overnight sometimes, head-forward under the cuddy on some camping foam pads with my feet sticking out into the cockpit.  She draws only a few inches with the board raised so you can sail up onto a sandy beach.  When the tide falls while you are on shore, the boat is light enough to push back into the water.  The DaySailer’s 145 ft 2 of sail area are really too much for my northern California climate, where winds in the double digits are the norm.  When I sail alone or on windy days I reef the main before I go out and use a smaller-than-standard jib taken from a 14-foot O’Day Javelin.  Then when the wind gets really hairy I slacken the main sheet, leave the tiller, go up on the foredeck and drop the jib and secure it.  The boat naturally heaves to in this situation and is quite stable.  Jib secured, I go back to the tiller and sail under reefed main alone.  She’s fast and well balanced under all these sail configurations. 

One other caveat – I keep my boat on the shore with the mast stepped all the time.  I don’t trailer-sail it and if I did that 25’ keel-stepped aluminum mast would be a problem because I cannot raise and step it by myself.  Even with two people it’s tricky.  If I was going to trailer-sail I would get a boat with a shorter, lighter mast. 

The DaySailer was the model that made the O’Day Corporation prosper but they built smaller and larger boats too, up to 40 feet long.  The O’Day Javelin is the DaySailer’s 14-foot little sister; it looks different because it has no cuddy cabin but sails similarly.  Even smaller than that is the 12-foot O’Day Widgeon .  The DaySailer’s twin big sisters are the Rhodes 19 and the Mariner .  The Rhodes 19 looks a like a larger, two-and-a-half-foot-longer DaySailer with a cuddy cabin.  The Mariner has the same hull as the Rhodes 19 but it has a real cabin for overnight cruising with a bulkhead separating the cabin from the cockpit and a big V-berth below with storage space, room for a small camp stove, etc.  The Mariner and the Rhodes 19 are both available with either a centerboard or a fixed ballasted keel. 

There have been over ten thousand DaySailers built, and several thousand each of the Widgeon, Javelin, Rhodes 19 and Mariner models as well, so you see these boats everywhere.  A rarer cousin of these is the 15’ 8” O’Day Ospray (yes, that’s Ospray with an “a” not “Osprey”.)  This boat is only a foot shorter than a DaySailer and looks just like one except that the mast is stepped forward of the raised domed cuddy cabin instead of through it.  The cuddy cabin is smaller.  I don’t know why O’Day bothered to build a boat so similar to its best-seller and they only did it for a few years.  I have only ever seen one of these.  The Widgeon, Javelin and Ospray are no longer built but Cape Cod Shipbuilding still builds DaySailers and Stuart Marine in Maine builds new Mariners and Rhodes 19’s.

West Wight Potter P-15 :  I had one of these boats when my kids were small.  It looked like a bathtub toy, but in a good way.  There are famous stories of people making long ocean passages in them, but really if you want to make a long ocean passage a 15-foot centerboard dingy is not the best way to do it.  A boat with a ballasted keel is.  If you absolutely have to go on a blue-water voyage in a dingy this is probably the one to use.  Most P-15 owners trailer-sail them on lakes and bays and they are very good for that because they don’t weigh much and the mast is stepped on deck and is only 15’ 6” tall and is thin also so it’s easy to put the mast up.  The mast is so short because the “simulated gaff”-rigged mainsail is compact and wide for its height.  The mainsail is in the shape of a gaff sail plus a gaff topsail, with a sturdy batten taking the place of the gaff boom.  Plus, the boat is under-canvased (main + working jib = 98 ft 2 ) compared to other boats of similar size and weight.  This was rarely a problem for me, sailing in windy northern California.  On the occasions when it was a problem I just put on a big genoa jib.  The reason the boat is under-canvassed is that it was originally designed to sail in the waters around the Isle of Wight, in English Channel, where it’s blowing a gale most of the time.  Strong winds and choppy conditions are built into this boat’s DNA, which is funny because today they are produced by International Marine in southern California where the wind is much lighter.

I miss sailing dry (the Potter deflects spray efficiently) and I sure do miss those two big 6 ½ foot-long berths down below.  The Potter is faster than she looks like she would be; I had no complaints about her speed.  I did find the cockpit uncomfortable.  The P-15 has a lot of big boat features and one of these is a self-bailing cockpit.  This means the floor of the cockpit is above the waterline, which makes the cockpit quite shallow.  I don’t have very long legs but I wished for more legroom.  It was like sitting in a bathtub.  And the cockpit coaming didn’t make it easy to sit on the rail.  As my kids grew there wasn’t room in the bathtub for four people anymore.  So I traded up to my O’Day DaySailer.  Then my kids lost interest in sailing.  Oh well, the DaySailer is a great boat too.  Some other “big boat” features I could have done without are the bow pulpit (what’s it for?) and the bulkhead between the cabin and the cockpit.  I like a more open arrangement.  But if I were a trailer-sailer I would go back to the Potter in a heartbeat because it’s so easy to wrangle on and off the trailer. 

The same company also builds the P-19 which is more than twice the boat even though it is only four feet longer.  One difference between them, besides size, is that while the P-15 has a typical centerboard that pivots backwards and up, the P-19 has a 300-lb. metal daggerboard that goes straight up and down.  So even though this boat only draws 6” with the board up, you can’t just sail towards the beach until the board bumps.  You have to slowly raise it using a winch.

West Wight Potters, especially the P-15’s, hold their resale value much better than most boats.  I sold mine for more than I paid for it.  Many owners keep them in their garages and polish them obsessively, so used Potters are often in Bristol condition. 

Some pocket cruisers similar to the Potters (but with deeper drafts) are the Montgomery 15 , the Montgomery 17 , the Com-Pac 16 and the Sage 17 . In the 1960s and 1970s the MacGregor Yacht Corporation produced thousands of Venture-21’s,and their little sisters the Venture-17’s .  These were inexpensively made trailer-sailers with ballasted swing keels, big cockpits, low headroom in the cabin, and very few frills.  They are not pretty by anyone’s standard (they look like skinny Clorox bottles with sails), but if your budget is tight they can be had for next to nothing. 

The Herreshoff 12½ and its relatives: (12 ½ refers to the waterline length; the boat is almost 16’ long overall.)  Nathaniel Herreshoff, its designer, was a member of a prominent family of naval architects and yacht builders in Bristol, Rhode Island.  He designed many of the America’s Cup defenders of the Gilded Age and the early 20 th century.  Those elegant yachts were his inspiration for this charming little gaff-rigged sloop.  It was conceived as a safe and stable boat for beginners and children.  It has been in continuous production since 1914.  Today you can buy one from Cape Cod Shipbuilding or from Ballentine’s Boat Shop , also on Cape Cod (where they call it the Doughdish) but there are used ones, in wood or fiberglass, all over New England.  Warning: these boats aren’t cheap.  Expect to pay what you would for a car.  The Herreshoff 12½ has a fixed ballasted keel with 735 lbs. of lead in it that draws 2’ 6”.  It must be the smallest keel sailboat in common use.  There is no cabin, but some people have used it for overnight cruising by rigging a boom tent and making a bed on the cockpit sole, which of course has no centerboard trunk to divide it in half.  Of all of the boats I’ve never had or sailed, this is the one that most calls to me.

Two and a half feet of draft is too deep to land on beaches, so designer Joel White modified the design to make the Haven 12½ which is almost identical to the Herreshoff 12½ from the waterline up.  Down below it has a centerboard, but also a shallow keel.  The Haven 12 ½ draws a foot less than the Herreshoff 12 ½ but weighs about the same.  So it still draws 1’ 6” with the board up and weighs well over half a ton.  It’s not obvious that this is enough of an improvement to make it truly beachable.  The Bullseye has the same hull as the Herreshoff 12½ but has a more modern Marconi sloop rig and a cuddy cabin.  Cape Cod Shipbuilding produces the Bullseye.  The Paine 14 is a scaled-down version of the Herreshoff 12½ that looks similar above the waterline but has a carbon fiber mast and a modern fin keel and less wetted surface area, so it performs with more zip. 

The Cape Dory Typhoon has been called “America’s Littlest Yacht” although maybe the Herreshoff 12 ½ deserves the title more, being even littler and being designed by a famous yachtsman.  But the Typhoon has a proper cabin complete with a bulkhead that separates it from the cockpit and a sliding hatch, sleeping berths below, round portholes in the cabin trunk, teak cockpit coamings, winches for the jib sheets, and all the other details of a much larger keel boat.  Plus, Carl Alberg designed it with elegant, understated lines.  Several thousand of these were made, a few as daysailers without the cabin, but Cape Dory no longer exists as a company.  My uncle Eddie had one of these on Lake Michigan. 

As long as we’re on the subject of keel boats, the Cal 20 is ubiquitous where I live on the west coast.  I learned to sail on a Cal 20 when I was seven years old, in San Diego Harbor, steering a course between the aircraft carriers and the Hobie cats.  The Cal 20 is a stocky little boat with a 7’ beam.  My father always said it developed a “vicious weather helm” when the wind got too strong but I’ll bet this problem can be solved by reefing the main – I don’t remember if he ever did that.  Used Cal 20s are easy to find and the seller is usually motivated to sell because the slip fees at a marina in the San Francisco Bay Area or Los Angeles are often more than the boat itself is worth.  You have to keep it at a marina; it’s no trailer-sailer. 

Traditional Catboats : These are heavy, wide, and slow with deep round cockpits, oval portholes on the cabin trunk and one huge gaff mainsail on an unstayed mast that’s right up at the bow.   They have their origins as utility boats for clamming and fishing on Cape Cod.  They look salty at the mooring but they are not as exciting to sail as more slender sloops.  They have a lot of room for their length, though.  No one model or manufacturer dominates this category.  The Marshall Marine Corporation on Cape Cod makes the 15-foot Sandpiper, the 18-foot Sanderling and the Marshall 22.  Arey’s Pond Boat Yard (also on Cape Cod) makes traditional catboats 12’ and up, with their 14-footer being the best-selling model.  Florida-based Com-Pac Yachts produces a line of trailerable gaff-rigged catboats 14-20’ with less wood trim that are more affordable then the high-end boats that Marshall and Arey’s Pond makes.

Beetle Cats , however, are catboats that are nimble sailers.  The design of this lightweight (for a catboat) 12-footer goes back to 1921 and four thousand of them have been built.  There are plenty of used ones available but you can buy new ones in wood from Beetle, Inc. on Cape Cod and in fiberglass from Howard Boats , also on Cape Cod. 

The Drascombe Lugger and its many relatives are triple-propulsion boats: they can be rowed, sailed or powered by an outboard motor in a built-in motor well.  It should go without saying that design compromises mean that they are not high-performance sailboats, rowboats or motorboats.   They are traditional looking open boats with a Gunter rigged mainsail and a small mizzen.  They are made in the United Kingdom so even though more than 2000 have been produced there are not a lot of used ones available in North America.  Expect to pay top dollar or even to have to buy a new one, unless you live in the UK.  There is no cabin on the Lugger but people use them for beach camping on extended cruises because they have plenty of storage space and shallow draft.  Their design is based on traditional English fishing boats that had to be beachable.  The Lugger is 18’ 9” but Drascombe makes many other models including the 15 ½ – foot Dabber and the 21’ 9” Longboat, all essentially the same except for the size.  The Norseboat 17.5 , “the Swiss Army Knife of boats”, made in Canada, is a modern alternative.  It is advertised as a sailing/rowing boat but with a beam of just 5’ 2”, round bilges and low freeboard it looks tender.  I would sail it in light air; I’m not sure how it would do in a gale. 

Cornish Crabbers and Shrimpers are also based on traditional fishing boats, and are also made in England.   However, most of these are heavy keelboats that violate my “not more than twenty feet and not over one ton” rule.  Even the popular 19’ Shrimper is really over 22’ with the bowsprit and weighs over a ton.  Also, since they are made in England there are not that many of them available in North America, unless you want to pay for a new one. 

Flying Scot: I used to sail one of these.  I single-handed it and found that this boat is really too big and powerful to single-hand very well.  The mainsail was bigger than a barn door.  Mine had no reef points.  I would come screaming back to the dock at the end of the sail thinking “geez, I sure hope I can stop this beast…” It’s not tippy, just has a lot of power.  You could water ski from one.  The company that makes them, Flying Scot, Inc . is located on a small lake in western Maryland; maybe it’s not very windy there.  Also, there is no place in the cockpit or forepeak or even on deck to lay out a sleeping bag for an overnight; it’s strictly a daysailer and racer.  That’s unusual for a boat that is 19’ long and almost seven feet wide. 

Cape Cod Mercury Sloop: Don’t confuse this with the 18’ “Mercury Class” boats; this boat is 15’ long.  It is a favorite with camps, sailing schools and community boating programs but it looks kinda generic and institutional – I don’t think that many people buy these for their own personal use.  At least all the ones I’ve ever seen have been in institutional fleets.  Come to think of it, there are other sailboats like that, the Flying Junior for instance.  Cape Cod Shipbuilding makes Mercury Sloops. 

Whitehalls are rowing boats.   They were originally water taxis in New York City.  So they are light in weight, and have narrow beams and low freeboard.  Today you can get Whitehalls with sail rigs but these light, narrow, low hulls aren’t ideal for sailing.  I would only sail one in gentle conditions, and gentle conditions are uncommon where I live.  Whitehall Rowing & Sail and Gig Harbor Boat Works (both in the Pacific Northwest) are two companies that produce them with sail rigs. 

So there you have it – every boat has a story that explains why it looks the way it does.  Many of the stories have happened on or near Cape Cod.  If you live there, you are lucky to be surrounded by all these pretty boats. 

Poem: Sailing Alone – by Michael Wing

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What are the Best Small Sailboats Under 20 Feet?

Sailing is a timeless and exhilarating activity that allows individuals to connect with the wind, water, and nature in a way that few other pastimes can match.

While sailing often conjures images of grand yachts and vast open waters, there’s a thriving community of sailors who prefer smaller vessels that offer a more intimate and agile experience.

In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at some of the best small sailboats under 20 feet, highlighting their features, performance, and why they stand out in the world of sailing.

The Hunter 17 is a charming and capable small sailboat designed to provide a fantastic sailing experience for both beginners and seasoned sailors. With a length of 17 feet and a beam of 7 feet, it strikes an ideal balance between manoeuvrability and stability.

Key Features:

A. Spacious Cockpit: Despite its compact size, the Hunter 17 boasts a surprisingly spacious cockpit that can comfortably accommodate up to six people. This design makes it an excellent choice for family outings or weekend adventures with friends.

B. Swing Keel: The swing keel design allows for shallow draft sailing, meaning you can explore shallow waters without worry. It’s a versatile feature that expands your sailing horizons.

C. Easy to Rig: One of the Hunter 17’s standout features is its simplicity in rigging. Setting up and launching this sailboat is a breeze, making it accessible to those new to sailing.

D. Stability: The boat’s stable design and responsive handling make it a great choice for beginners. Even when the wind picks up, you’ll feel confident and in control.

Performance:

The Hunter 17 offers a respectable level of performance, with its responsive helm and well-designed sails. While it may not be the fastest boat in its class, it offers a smooth and enjoyable ride, perfect for leisurely cruising and day sailing.

O’Day Javelin

The O’Day Javelin is another excellent small sailboat option, known for its simplicity, reliability, and affordability. With a length of 14 feet and a manageable sail area, it’s an ideal choice for those looking to get started in sailing without breaking the bank.

A. Simple Rigging: The Javelin features a straightforward rigging system, making it easy for beginners to set up and launch the boat. This simplicity is a significant advantage for those new to sailing.

B. Lightweight and Trailerable: The Javelin is lightweight, making it easy to trailer to different bodies of water. This portability allows you to explore a variety of sailing locations.

C. Durability: O’Day sailboats are known for their durability, and the Javelin is no exception. With proper care and maintenance, this sailboat can provide years of sailing enjoyment.

While the O’Day Javelin may not be the fastest sailboat on the water, its focus on simplicity and reliability makes it an excellent choice for beginners and those looking for a hassle-free sailing experience. It’s a forgiving boat that allows you to learn the ropes at your own pace.

Catalina 18

The Catalina 18 is a small sailboat that bridges the gap between compact boats and larger cruisers. With a length of 18 feet, it offers a bit more space and comfort while maintaining the agility and excitement of a smaller vessel.

A. Comfortable Cabin: The Catalina 18 features a small but comfortable cabin, providing a place to escape the elements or even spend a night on the water. This feature sets it apart from many other small sailboats.

B. Self-Righting Design: The boat’s keel design makes it self-righting, which means it can recover from a capsize easily. This safety feature is especially reassuring for novice sailors.

C. Responsive Handling: Despite its slightly larger size, the Catalina 18 maintains responsive handling, making it enjoyable to sail in a variety of conditions.

The Catalina 18 offers a good balance of performance and comfort. While it may not be as fast as some dedicated racing sailboats, it’s a capable cruiser that can handle a range of wind conditions. The inclusion of a cabin adds versatility to your sailing adventures, making it an excellent choice for day trips and overnight excursions.

Conclusion :

Choosing the best small sailboat under 20 feet when you are getting ready to sail ultimately depends on your preferences and sailing goals. The Hunter 17 offers a spacious cockpit and stability, making it an excellent choice for families and beginners. On the other hand, the O’Day Javelin focuses on simplicity and affordability, making it an accessible entry point into the world of sailing. Lastly, the Catalina 18 strikes a balance between performance and comfort, with the added bonus of a cabin for overnight stays.

Regardless of which small sailboat you choose, each of these options provides a unique sailing experience. Whether you’re seeking adventure, family sailing , relaxation, or a way to connect with nature, these boats have something to offer. So, set your sails and embark on your sailing journey with confidence, knowing that you’ve chosen one of the best small sailboats under 20 feet to accompany you on your maritime adventures.

Determining the absolute safest sailboat in the world is challenging, as safety can depend on various factors, including the crew’s experience, weather conditions, and maintenance. However, sailboats designed for offshore cruising, such as those from renowned manufacturers like Hallberg-Rassy or Oyster, are often considered some of the safest due to their robust construction and advanced safety features.

The most efficient sail shape varies depending on the specific point of sail and wind conditions. However, in general, an aerodynamically curved shape, similar to an airfoil, is often considered the most efficient for harnessing wind power and generating forward propulsion on a sailboat.

A sailboat size suitable for two people typically ranges from 20 to 30 feet, with 25 to 30 feet being a popular choice for couples. This size provides enough space for comfortable living quarters and maneuverability while still being manageable for a two-person crew.

The size of a sailboat that one can single-hand largely depends on the sailor’s experience, skills, and the boat’s design. Many experienced sailors can comfortably single-hand sailboats up to 35-40 feet, but with the right equipment and know-how, even larger vessels can be handled solo.

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10 Best Small Sailboats (Under 20 Feet)

Last Updated by

Daniel Wade

December 28, 2023

Compact, easy to trailer, simple to rig, easy to maintain and manage, and affordable, the best small boats all have one thing in common: they offer loads of fun while out there on the water.

So whether you're on a budget or just looking for something that can offer ultimate daytime rides without compromising on safety, aesthetic sensibilities, alternate propulsion, and speed, the best small sailboats under 20 feet should be the only way to go.

Let's be brutally honest here; not everyone needs a 30-foot sailboat to go sailing. They come with lots of features such as electronics, entertainment, refrigeration, bunks, a galley, and even a head. But do you really need all these features to go sailing? We don't think so.

All you need to go sailing is a hull, a mast, rudder, and, of course, a sail. And whether you refer to them as daysailers, trailerable sailboats , a weekender sailboat, or pocket cruisers, there's no better way to enjoy the thrills of coastal sailing than on small sailboats.

There are a wide range of small boats measuring less than 20 feet available in the market. These are hot products in the market given that they offer immense thrills out on the sea without the commitment required to cruise on a 30-footer. A small sailboat will not only give you the feel of every breeze but will also give you the chance to instantly sense every change in trim.

In this article, we'll highlight 10 best small sailboats under 20 feet . Most models in this list are time-tested, easy to rig, simple to sail, extremely fun, and perfect either for solo sailing or for sailing with friends and family. So if you've been looking for a list of some of the best small sailboats , you've come to the right place.

So without further ado, let's roll on.

Table of contents

{{boat-info="/boats/hunter-15"}}

The Marlow-Hunter 15 is not only easy to own since it's one of the most affordable small sailboats but also lots of fun to sail. This is a safe and versatile sailboat for everyone. Whether you're sailing with your family or as a greenhorn, you'll love the Hunter 15 thanks to its raised boom, high freeboard, and sturdy FRP construction.

With high sides, a comfortable wide beam, a contoured self-bailing cockpit, and fiberglass construction, the Hunter 15 is certainly designed with the novice sailor in mind. This is why you can do a lot with this boat without falling out, breaking it, or capsizing. Its contoured self-baiting cockpit will enable you to find a fast exit while its wide beam will keep it steady and stable no matter what jibes or weight shifts happen along the way.

This is a small sailboat that can hold up to four people. It's designed to give you a confident feeling and peace of mind even when sailing with kids. It's easy to trailer, easy to rig, and easy to launch. With a price tag of about $10k, the Hunter 15 is a fun, affordable, and versatile boat that is perfect for both seasoned sailors and novices. It's a low-maintenance sailboat that can be great for teaching kids a thing or two about sailing.

Catalina 16.5

{{boat-info="/boats/catalina-16-5"}}

Catalina Yachts are synonymous with bigger boats but they have some great and smaller boats too such as Catalina 16.5. This is one of the best small sailboats that are ideal for family outings given that it has a big and roomy cockpit, as well as a large storage locker. Designed with a hand-laminated fiberglass sloop, the Catalina 16.5 is versatile and is available in two designs: the centerboard model and the keel model.

The centerboard model is designed with a powerful sailplane that remains balanced as a result of the fiberglass centerboard, the stable hull form, and the rudder. It also comes with a tiller extension, adjustable hiking straps, and adjustable overhaul. It's important to note that these are standard equipment in the two models.

As far as the keel model is concerned, this is designed with a high aspect keel as the cast lead and is attached with stainless steel keel bolts, which makes this model perfect for mooring or docking whenever it's not in use. In essence, the centerboard model is perfect if you'll store it in a trailer while the keel model can remain at the dock.

All in all, the Catalina 16.5 is one of the best small sailboats that you can get your hands on for as low as $10,000. This is certainly a great example of exactly what a daysailer should be.

{{boat-info="/boats/hobie-16"}}

There's no list of small, trailerable, and fun sailboats that can be complete without the inclusion of the classic Hobie 16. This is a durable design that has been around and diligently graced various waters across the globe since its debut way back in 1969 in Southern California. In addition to being durable, the Hobie 16 is trailerable, great for speed, weighs only 320 pounds, great for four people, and more importantly, offers absolute fun.

With a remarkable figure of over 100,000 launched since its debut, it's easy to see that the Hobie 16 is highly popular. Part of this popularity comes from its asymmetric fiberglass-and-foam sandwiched hulls that include kick-up rudders. This is a great feature that allows it to sail up to the beach.

For about $12,000, the Hobie 16 will provide you with endless fun throughout the summer. It's equipped with a spinnaker, trailer, and douse kit. This is a high-speed sailboat that has a large trampoline to offer lots of space not just for your feet but also to hand off the double trapezes.

Montgomery 17

{{boat-info="/boats/montgomery-17"}}

Popularly known as the M-17, The Montgomery 17 was designed by Lyle C. Hess in conjunction with Jerry Montgomery in Ontario, California for Montgomery Boats. Designed either with keel or centerboard models, the M-17 is more stable than most boats of her size. This boat is small enough to be trailered but also capable of doing moderate offshore passages.

This small sailboat is designed with a masthead and toe rail that can fit most foresails. It also has enough space for two thanks to its cuddly cabin, which offers a sitting headroom, a portable toilet, a pair of bunks, a DC power, and optional shore, and a proper amount of storage. That's not all; you can easily raise the deck-stepped mast using a four-part tackle.

In terms of performance, the M-17 is one of the giant-killers out there. This is a small sailboat that will excel in the extremes and make its way past larger boats such as the Catalina 22. It glides along beautifully and is a dog in light air, though it won't sail against a 25-knot wind, which can be frustrating. Other than that, the Montgomery 17 is a great small sailboat that can be yours for about $14,000.

Norseboat 17.5

{{boat-info="/boats/norseboat-17-5"}}

As a versatile daysailer, Norseboat 17.5 follows a simple concept of seaworthiness and high-performance. This small sailboat perfectly combines both contemporary construction and traditional aesthetics. Imagine a sailboat that calls itself the "Swiss Army Knife of Boats!" Well, this is a boat that can sail and row equally well.

Whether you're stepping down from a larger cruiser or stepping up from a sea kayak, the unique Norseboat 17.5 is balanced, attractive, and salty. It has curvaceous wishbone gaff, it is saucy, and has a stubby bow-sprit that makes it attractive to the eyes. In addition to her beauty, the Norseboat 17.5 offers an energy-pinching challenge, is self-sufficient, and offers more than what you're used to.

This is a small, lightweight, low-maintenance sailboat that offers a ticket to both sailing and rowing adventures all at the same time. At about 400 pounds, it's very portable and highly convenient. Its mainsails may look small but you'll be surprised at how the boat is responsive to it. With a $12,500 price tag, this is a good small sailboat that offers you the versatility to either row or sail.

{{boat-info="/boats/sage-marine-sage-17"}}

If you've been looking for a pocket cruiser that inspires confidence, especially in shoal water, look no further than the Sage 17. Designed by Jerry Montgomery in 2009, the Sage 17 is stable and should heel to 10 degrees while stiffening up. And because you want to feel secure while sailing, stability is an integral feature of the Sage 17.

This is a sailboat that will remain solid and stable no matter which part of the boat you stand on. Its cabin roof and the balsa-cored carbon-fiber deck are so strong that the mast doesn't require any form of compression post. The self-draining cockpit is long enough and capable of sleeping at 6 feet 6 inches.

The Sage 17 may be expensive at $25k but is a true sea warrior that's worth look at. This is a boat that will not only serve you right but will also turn heads at the marina.    

{{boat-info="/boats/laserperformance-laser-sb3"}}

Having been chosen as the overall boat of the year for 2008 by the Sailing World Magazine, the Laser SB3 is one of the coolest boats you'll ever encounter. When sailing upwind, this boat will lock into the groove while its absolute simplicity is legendary. In terms of downwind sailing, having this boat will be a dream come true while it remains incredibly stable even at extraordinary speed.

Since its debut in 2004, the Laser SB3 has surged in terms of popularity thanks to the fact that it's designed to put all the controls at your fingertips. In addition to a lightweight mast, its T- bulb keel can be hauled and launched painlessly. For about $18,000, the Laser SB3 ushers you into the world of sports sailing and what it feels to own and use a sports boat.

{{boat-info="/boats/fareast-18"}}

As a manufacturer, Fareast is a Chinese boat manufacturer that has been around for less than two decades. But even with that, the Fareast 18 remains a very capable cruiser-racer that will take your sailing to the next level. In addition to its good looks, this boat comes with a retractable keel with ballast bulb, a powerful rig, and an enclosed cabin.

Its narrow design with a closed stern may be rare in sailboats of this size, but that's not a problem for the Fareast 18. This design not only emphasizes speed but also makes it a lot easier to maintain this boat. Perfect for about 6 people, this boat punches above its weight. It's, however, designed to be rigged and launched by one person.

This is a relatively affordable boat. It's agile, safe, well-thought-out, well built, and very sporty.

{{boat-info="/boats/chuck-paine-paine-14"}}

If you're in the market looking for a small sailboat that offers contemporary performance with classic beauty, the Paine 14 should be your ideal option. Named after its famous designer, Chuck Paine, this boat is intentionally designed after the classic Herreshoff 12.5 both in terms of dimensions and features.

This is a lightweight design that brings forth modern fin keel and spade rudder, which makes it agile, stable, and faster. The Paine 14 is built using cold-molded wood or west epoxy. It has varnished gunnels and transoms to give it an old-time charm. To make it somehow modern, this boat is designed with a carbon mast and a modern way to attach sails so that it's ready to sail in minutes.

You can rest easy knowing that the Paine 14 will not only serve you well but will turn heads while out there.

{{boat-info="/boats/wd-schock-lido-14"}}

Many sailors will attest that their first sailing outing was in a Lido 14. This is a classic sailboat that has been around for over four decades and still proves to be a perfect match to modern small boats, especially for those still learning the ropes of sailing.

With seating for six people, the Lido 14 can be perfect for solo sailing , single-handed sailing, or if you're planning for shorthanded sailing. While new Lido 14 boats are no longer available, go for a functional used Lido 14 and you'll never regret this decision. It will serve you well and your kids will probably fall in love with sailing if Lido 14 becomes their main vessel during weekends or long summer holidays.

Bottom Line

There you have it; these are some of the best small sailboats you can go for. While there are endless small sailboats in the market, the above-described sailboat will serve you right and make you enjoy the wind.

Choose the perfect sailboat, invest in it, and go out there and have some good fun!

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I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

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11 Best Small Sailboat Brands: How to Choose Your Next Daysailer or Pocket Cruiser

12th oct 2023 by samantha wilson.

Sailing is a relaxing, invigorating pastime that allows you to harness wind and waves in a unique and historic way without requiring a 50-foot yacht to enjoy what’s special about the experience. In fact, small sailboats allow a delightful back-to-basics experience that often gets lost on larger, systems-heavy sailboats.

On a small sailboat you can connect with the sea, feeling the boat move beneath you. The boat is typically easy to rig, simple to sail, and can even be sailed solo. Small sailboats give you the freedom to trailer your or car-top your boat and go anywhere, and they’re perfect for learning the nuances of sailing. There are many excellent brands and models of small sailboat, each with their own appeal, and here we narrow down some of our favorite in the daysailer and pocket cruiser categories under 30 feet. 

Difference Between a Daysailer and a Pocket Cruiser

While there are many different types of sailboat on the market and there is no single definition of either a daysailer or a pocket cruiser, they are used in a particular way, as the names imply. The term daysailer covers a huge array of sailboats, smaller and sometimes larger, and is generally defined as any day boat used for local sailing, with a simple rig, and easy to get underway. A pocket cruiser typically offers a cabin and head, and adequate accommodations for an overnight stay and sometimes longer cruises. Having said that, there is a large overlap between the two in many instances, so the lines may become blurred. 

What Size is a Small Sailboat?

Small is a relative term of course, but in general—and for the purposes of this article—a small sailboat is one that could be sailed by a small crew, often with one or two people aboard. It will have a simple rig and be trailerable, and it might be either a daysailer or pocket-cruiser style vessel as above. Within those categories, there are many models and styles, but when it comes to length we consider a sailboat as small when it’s under 30 feet in overall length. 

The Best Sailboats Under 30 Feet

Pocket cruiser: Beneteau First 27.  The Beneteau First 27 is a modern example of a pocket cruiser, earning Cruising World ’s Boat of the Year award in the Pocket Cruiser category in 2022. With space for up to six people accommodated in a separated bow-cabin and open saloon, it offers families the chance to go farther, explore more, and cruise in comfort. There is a galley with freshwater and a head, adding to the interior home comforts. The sailboat itself is modern, fast, and stable, designed by Sam Manuard, and has been designed to be incredibly safe and almost unsinkable thanks to its three watertight chambers. The handling is also refreshingly intuitive, with a well-designed cockpit, simple deck controls, and double winches allowing it to be sailed solo, by two people, or a small crew. 

Beneteau sailboats for sale

Photo credit: Beneteau

Daysailer: Alerion 28.  You’ll certainly turn heads cruising along in an Alerion 28, a daysailer whose forerunner by the same name was designed by Nathanael Herreshoff in 1912 and then updated with a modern underbody for fiberglass production by Carl Schumacher in the late 1980s. This pretty daysailer manages to combine a traditional silhouette and classic feel, with very modern engineering creating an excellent package. Over 470 of these sailboats were built and sold in the past 30 years, making it one of the most popular modern daysailers on the water. With a small cabin and saloon, complete with miniature galley area, it offers respite from the sun or wind and the option for a night aboard. The cockpit offers a beautiful sailing experience, with plenty of space for the whole family. 

Alerion boats for sale

Photo credit: Alerion Yachts

The Best Sailboats Under 25 Feet

Pocket cruiser: Cornish Crabber 24.  British manufacturer Cornish Crabber has been producing beautiful, traditional style small sailboats for decades, ensuring they honor their heritage both in the construction style and appearance of their boats. The Cornish Crabber 24 is the most iconic of their range and dates back to the 1980s. It offers a simple yet surprisingly spacious interior layout with cabin, galley, and head, and a good sized cockpit, as well as seating for up to six people. It’s the perfect family sailboat, with clever use of storage as well as just under 5000 pounds of displacement providing stability and easy tacking. Aesthetically the 24 is simply beautiful, with a traditional silhouette (combined with modern engineering), finished in hardwood trims. 

Cornish Crabber boats for sale

Photo credit: Cornish Crabber

Daysailer: Catalina 22 Capri.  Catalina sailboats need little introduction, and are one of the world’s best-known, most-respected brands building small sailboats. The Catalina 22 Capri (also available in a sport model) is a great example of what Catalina does so well. While we’ve classified it as a daysailer, it could easily cross into the pocket cruiser category, as it offers excellent sailing performance in almost all conditions as well as having a small cabin, galley, and head. Loved for its safety, stability, ease of handling and simple maintenance, it makes for a good first family boat for getting out onto the bay or lake. 

Catalina boats for sale

Photo credit: Catalina

The Best Sailboats Under 20 Feet

Pocket cruiser: CapeCutter 19.  This is another model that combines the beauty of the traditional silhouettes with modern-day advancements. The design originates from the classic gaff cutter work boats, but today offers excellent performance—in fact it’s one of the fastest small gaffers in the world. The interior is cleverly spacious, with four berths, two of which convert into a saloon, as well as a simple galley area. With quick rigging, it can be sailed solo, but is also able to accommodate small groups, making it a capable and hugely versatile pocket cruiser. 

CapeCutter boats for sale

Photo credit: Cape Cutter 19

Daysailer: Swallow Yachts’ BayRaider 20.  Classic looks with modern performance are combined in Swallow Yachts’ beautiful BayRaider 20. This is one of the most capable and safest daysailers we’ve seen, but also incredibly versatile thanks to the choices of ballast. Keep the ballast tank empty and it’s light and fast. Fill the tank up and you’ve got a stable and safe boat perfect for beginners and families. While it’s got an eye-catching traditional style, the engineering is modern, with a strong carbon mast and construction. While this is a true daysailer, you can use the optional spray hood and camping accessories to create an overnight adventure. 

Swallow Yachts for sale

Photo credit: Swallow Yachts

The Best Sailboats Under 15 Feet

Pocket Cruiser: NorseBoat 12.5.  Can we truly call the NorseBoat 12.5 a pocket cruiser? Yes we can! The sheer versatility of this excellent little sailboat has convinced us. These beautiful hand-crafted sailboats offer exceptional performance and are described by the manufacturer as ‘the Swiss Army Knives of sailboats’. The traditionally styled 12.5 can be sailed, rowed, and motored. It can be trailered, easily beached, and even used as a camp cruiser, allowing for overnight adventures. There is no end to the fun that can be had with this easy-to-sail and easy-to-handle boat, which makes it a dream to learn in. With positive flotation, lots of clever storage, and a full-size double berth for camp cruising, it really is the perfect mini pocket cruiser. 

NorseBoat for sale

Photo credit: NorseBoats

Daysailer: Original Beetle Cat Boat 12: All across the bays of the US east coast cat boats have long been part of the ocean landscape. Able to access shallow rocky coves yet also withstand the strong coastal winds, these traditional New England fishing boats have an iconic shape and gaff-rigged mainsails. Beetle Cat have been producing elegant wooden cat boats for over 100 years – in fact they’ve made and sold over 4,000 boats to date. Their 12 foot Cat Boat 12 is one of their finest models, offering lovely daysailing opportunities. It has a wide beam and centerboard that lifts up, allowing it to access shallow waters, as well as a forward mast and single sail gaff rig in keeping with the traditional cat boats. To sail one of these is to be part of the heritage of New England and Cape Cod, and to honor the ancient art of hand-made boat building. 

Beetle Cat official website

Photo credit: Beetle Cat

The Best Small Sailboats for Beginners

When it comes to learning to sail, it’s important to have a boat that is easy to handle. There’s no quicker way to put yourself or your family off sailing than to start off with a boat that is either too big or too complicated. When choosing your first boat we recommend the following characteristics:

• Small: The benefits of starting off with a small boat are many, as we’ve seen above. They’re easier to control as well as to moor, and they react more quickly to steering and sails. They can be trailered and launched easily, and the loads generated are much lower than on bigger, heavier boats.
• Easy to sail: You want a boat that is stable and forgiving of mistakes, doesn’t capsize easily, and isn’t too overpowered in a stronger breeze. Keep things simple and learn as you go.
• Simple sail configuration: Choosing a boat that can be rigged by one person in a few minutes, and easily sailed solo, makes it easier to take along inexperienced crews. With regards to the rig, all you need are a halyard to hoist the mainsail and a sheet to control the mainsail.
• Tiller steering: We recommend boats with tiller steering over wheel steering when starting out. The tiller allows you to get a real feel for the boat and how the rudder works as it moves through the water. 

For more information on choosing the best beginner sailboat check out our full guide. There are many popular brands of beginner boats including Sunfish, Laser, and Hunter Marlow. Some of our favorites include;

Hobie 16: The classic Hobie catamaran has been a well-loved beginner sailboat for years, and the Hobie 16 started life back in 1969. Since then they’ve made and sold over a staggering 100,000 of the 16s. It has twin fiberglass and foam hulls, a large trampoline, and a pull-up rudder so it can be sailed straight onto the beach. The basic package comes with an easy to handle main and jib with plenty of extras available too such as a spinnaker and trailer. The Hobie 16 promises a great learning experience and lots of fun in a very nifty and inexpensive package. 

Hobie boats for sale

Photo credit: Hobie

Paine 14: You’ll immediately fall in love with sailing when you step into a beautiful Paine 14. Made from seamless epoxy cold-molded wood, the P-14 is simply beautiful and offers the classic sailing experience with the design and innovation of a more modern hull and rig. Two people will be able to enjoy getting out on the water together and learning the ropes. The Paine 14 has a lead ballast keel that accounts for nearly half her weight, giving her the feel of a much larger boat, but is still trailerable and easy to manage offering the best of both worlds. 

Chuck Paine boats for sale

Photo credit: Chuck Paine

High-Performance Small Sailboats

Small sailboats generally become high performers if they are light, have a lot of sail area, or they have more than one hull. More recently, some of have been designed with foiling surfaces, as well. For the purposes of this article, we’d like to close by pointing out one model that is super fast and has versatile pocket-cruising capabilities.

Corsair 880 trimaran : The Corsair 880 trimaran is the grandchild of the company’s F27, a model that launched the popularity of trailerable leisure trimarans about 40 years ago. The 880 has taken the model to new heights and exemplifies the incredible space benefits you can achieve in a 29-foot sailboat. We’re talking an aft cabin, room to sleep 5 people, an enclosed head, and standing headroom in the galley and main saloon. It brings many of the opportunities that a much larger yacht plus the ability to cruise in extremely shallow water. Whether you want to cruise to the Bahamas or enjoy a high-adrenaline race, the Corsair 880 offers incredible performance and unlimited adventures in a truly pocket size. 

Corsair boats for sale

Photo credit: Corsair

Written By: Samantha Wilson

Samantha Wilson has spent her entire life on and around boats, from tiny sailing dinghies all the way up to superyachts. She writes for many boating and yachting publications, top charter agencies, and some of the largest travel businesses in the industry, combining her knowledge and passion of boating, travel and writing to create topical, useful and engaging content.

More from: Samantha Wilson

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Are O’day Sailboats Any Good? (Here’s What You Need To Know)

Sailboats have been used for centuries to explore the world’s oceans, lakes, and rivers.

Whether youre a beginner or an experienced sailor, an O’day sailboat may be the perfect choice for you.

In this article, we’ll explore the advantages, types, performance, durability, affordability and uses of O’day sailboats.

We’ll also look at some of the considerations you should take into account when deciding if an O’day sailboat is right for you.

So if youre looking for a reliable, affordable, and versatile sailboat, read on to learn more about O’day sailboats.

Table of Contents

Short Answer

O’Day sailboats are generally well-regarded for their quality and performance.

They have been in production since the 1960s and incorporate modern designs and materials to ensure excellent sailing performance.

The quality of the craftsmanship is reliable and the boats are known for their comfort and ease of use.

O’Day sailboats are a great choice for beginner and experienced sailors alike.

Overview of O’day Sailboats

O’day sailboats are a popular choice among sailing enthusiasts for good reason.

They offer a great combination of performance, durability, and affordability.

The vessels feature an easy-to-use design, with plenty of options to choose from for both recreational sailing and racing.

O’day sailboats are generally known for their stability and speed, and the smaller models are perfect for beginner sailors.

The boats are also very durable, making them a great choice for those looking for a reliable and affordable vessel.

In addition, O’day sailboats are easy to maintain and repair, and are available in a variety of styles and sizes.

From larger vessels suitable for coastal sailing to smaller boats perfect for lake sailing, O’day sailboats have something for everyone.

With their wide range of features and benefits, O’day sailboats are a great choice for those looking for an enjoyable and affordable sailing experience.

Advantages of O’day Sailboats

When it comes to sailboats, there are many different options available and O’day sailboats are one of the most popular choices.

O’day sailboats provide a great balance of speed and stability, making them a great choice for both recreational and competitive sailors alike.

O’day sailboats are also known for their durability and affordability, making them a great choice for those looking for a reliable and budget-friendly vessel.

One of the biggest advantages of O’day sailboats is their performance.

These boats offer excellent performance, allowing sailors to take on challenging conditions with ease.

They are also designed with an easy-to-use layout, making them accessible to beginner sailors.

O’day sailboats are also known for their variety of options, allowing sailors to choose the perfect boat for their needs.

Another great advantage of O’day sailboats is their durability.

These boats are built to last, providing sailors with a reliable vessel that can handle the toughest conditions.

O’day sailboats are also known for their affordability, making them a great choice for those looking for an affordable boat.

Lastly, O’day sailboats are a great option for those looking for a reliable and affordable vessel.

Whether for recreational sailing or racing, O’day sailboats are a great choice for those looking for a reliable and affordable vessel.

Types of O’day Sailboats

O’day sailboats come in a variety of sizes and designs, making them a great choice for sailors of all levels and abilities.

From smaller, more beginner-friendly models to larger racing vessels, there is an O’day sailboat for everyone.

The most popular models include the O’day Mariner, O’day Daysailer, O’day Javelin, and the O’day Rhodes 19.

The O’day Mariner is a great choice for those just starting out in sailing, as it is smaller and easier to handle.

It is also lightweight, making it perfect for daysailing and light cruising.

The O’day Daysailer is a great choice for those looking for a larger sailboat with a more traditional look and feel.

It is perfect for recreational sailing and daysailing.

The O’day Javelin is an ideal choice for racers, as it offers excellent performance and speed.

It is light and easy to maneuver, making it great for competitive sailing.

Finally, the O’day Rhodes 19 is a great choice for those looking for a larger sailboat.

It is known for its durability and reliability, making it perfect for long-distance sailing.

No matter what type of sailing you are interested in, O’day sailboats are an excellent choice.

With a variety of models to choose from, there is an O’day sailboat for everyone.

From smaller beginner-friendly models to larger racing vessels, O’day sailboats provide a great balance of speed, stability, durability, and affordability.

Performance and Stability of O’day Sailboats

When it comes to performance and stability, O’day sailboats have a lot to offer.

The vessels are designed to be fast and agile, making them perfect for a variety of sailing styles.

The boats are also designed with stability in mind, which makes them an excellent choice for both beginner and experienced sailors.

With their wide beam and large keel, O’day sailboats provide great stability in a variety of conditions.

The boats are also incredibly durable, making them ideal for long-term use.

Additionally, the boats are designed to be easy to maneuver, allowing for quick changes in direction when needed.

O’day sailboats are a great choice for those looking for a reliable and responsive boat that can handle a variety of sailing conditions.

Durability and Affordability of O’day Sailboats

When it comes to sailboats, durability and affordability are two of the key factors to consider.

O’day sailboats offer both of these features, making them a popular choice among sailing enthusiasts.

The hulls of O’day sailboats are constructed from a lightweight yet strong fiberglass material, which helps them to last through years of use.

Additionally, the sailboats are designed with an efficient and streamlined shape, which helps to reduce drag and improve performance.

When it comes to affordability, O’day sailboats are one of the most cost-effective options on the market.

The sailboats offer a variety of models to choose from, which makes it easy to find one that fits your budget.

Additionally, the boats come with a variety of features and options that can be customized to meet your needs.

This makes the sailboats a great choice for those looking to get the most value for their money.

Overall, O’day sailboats offer a great combination of durability, affordability, and performance.

With their lightweight yet strong construction, efficient design, and variety of features, O’day sailboats are an excellent choice for those looking for a reliable and affordable vessel.

Whether you’re looking for a recreational sailing boat or a competitive racing boat, O’day sailboats are a great option that won’t break the bank.

Uses for O’day Sailboats

ODay sailboats are incredibly versatile vessels, making them ideal for a variety of uses.

Whether youre a recreational sailor, a competitive racer, or looking for an economical and reliable boat, ODay sailboats are an excellent option.

For recreational sailing, ODay sailboats offer both speed and stability.

Their lightweight construction and easy-to-use design makes them ideal for beginner sailors.

They also come in a variety of sizes, from small day-sailers to larger boats that can be used for week-long trips.

For racing, ODay sailboats offer excellent performance and maneuverability.

Their lightweight construction makes them fast and nimble, and theyre known for their ability to handle rough and choppy waters.

ODay sailboats are also popular in competitive sailing circles, as they are reliable and affordable.

Lastly, ODay sailboats are known for their durability and affordability.

The boats are designed to withstand the rigors of sailing, and are made with quality materials that will last for years.

They are also very affordable, making them a great option for those looking for a reliable and economical vessel.

Overall, ODay sailboats are an excellent choice for anyone looking for a reliable and affordable vessel.

They offer a great balance of speed and stability, and are known for their durability and affordability.

Whether youre looking for a recreational vessel or a competitive racer, ODay sailboats are a great option.

Considerations for Buying an O’day Sailboat

When considering purchasing an Oday sailboat, there are several important factors to keep in mind.

First, budget is a major consideration.

Oday sailboats are typically more cost-effective than other sailboat models, but the features and size of the vessel can greatly affect the final price.

Second, consider the performance characteristics of the boat.

Oday sailboats are known for offering excellent performance, but you may want to consider the size and weight of the boat and the type of sailing you plan to do before making a purchase.

Third, consider the ease of use of the boat.

Oday sailboats are designed for easy handling and come with a variety of options to choose from.

Finally, consider the durability of the boat.

Oday sailboats are known for their ruggedness and reliability, but certain areas of the boat may need more frequent maintenance than others.

Doing your research and considering all of these factors will help ensure that you make the best decision when selecting an Oday sailboat.

Final Thoughts

ODay sailboats offer a great balance of performance, stability, durability, and affordability, making them an excellent choice for all levels of sailing.

Whether youre looking for a recreational sailboat or a competitive racing vessel, ODay sailboats provide a great range of options to suit your needs.

If youre considering buying an ODay sailboat, consider the type of sailing youll be doing, the size of the vessel, and the features and options youll need.

With the right research and some careful consideration, you can find the perfect ODay sailboat for your sailing needs.

James Frami

At the age of 15, he and four other friends from his neighborhood constructed their first boat. He has been sailing for almost 30 years and has a wealth of knowledge that he wants to share with others.

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Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere

John Vigor turns the spotlight on twenty seaworthy sailboats that are at home on the ocean in all weather. These are old fiberglass boats, mostly of traditional design and strong construction. All are small, from 20 feet to 32 feet overall, but all have crossed oceans, and all are cheap.

Choosing the right boat to take you across an ocean or around the world can be confusing and exasperating, particularly with a tight budget. Vigor sets out to remedy that in this book. He compares the designs and handling characteristics of 20 different boats whose secondhand market prices start at about $3,000. Interviews with experienced owners (featuring valuable tips about handling each boat in heavy weather) are interspersed with line drawings of hulls, sail plans, and accommodations. Vigor has unearthed the known weaknesses of each boat and explains how to deal with them. He rates their comparative seaworthiness, their speed, and the number of people they can carry in comfort. If you have ever dreamed the dream this book can help you turn it into reality.

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Pacific Seacraft 25

Albin Vega 27

Cape Dory 25D

Contessa 26

Morris 26 Frances

Catalina 27

Falmouth Cutter 22

Pacific Seacraft Dana 24

Pearson Triton

Contessa 32

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Bristol Channel Cutter

Nicholson 31

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Revealed: UK-funded French forces putting migrants’ lives at risk with small-boat tactics

Exclusive: newly obtained footage and leaked documents show how a ‘mass casualty event’ could arise from aggressive tactics employed by border forces

French police funded by the UK government have endangered the lives of vulnerable migrants by intercepting small boats in the Channel, using tactics that search and rescue experts say could cause a “mass casualty event”.

Shocking new evidence obtained by the Observer , Lighthouse Reports, Le Monde and Der Spiegel reveals for the first time that the French maritime police have tried physically to force small boats to turn around – manoeuvres known as “pullbacks” – in an attempt to prevent them reaching British shores.

Newly obtained footage, leaked documents and witness testimonies show that the French authorities have used aggressive tactics including circling a migrant boat, causing waves to flood the dinghy; ramming into a small boat while threatening passengers with a large tank of pepper spray; and puncturing boats when they are already at sea, forcing migrants to swim back to shore.

The French authorities have previously refused the UK’s requests for them to carry out interceptions at sea, stating that they contravened international maritime law. But evidence indicates there has been an escalation in the use of these tactics since last summer.

Rishi Sunak has pledged to “stop the boats” crossing the Channel and has promised hundreds of millions of pounds to France to pay for more surveillance and border guards to prevent people making the journey. Last Wednesday the government’s safety of Rwanda (asylum and immigration) bill suffered several defeats in the House of Lords, delaying the prime minister’s plan to see flights for Kigali take off until after Easter.

Ministers claim that the bill will act as a deterrent to all those crossing the Channel from northern France to the UK. In the first video obtained and verified for this investigation, a police boat in Dunkirk harbour circles close to a dinghy holding about 25 people, creating a wake that floods the boat.

The police vessel is seen advancing towards the dinghy at speed, before turning sharply to create waves, circling and coming back again. Migrants are seen wearing foam-packed lifejackets and attempting to bale water out using their shoes.

Sources confirmed that the police patrol vessel used to carry out the manoeuvre seen in the video was bought by the French authorities with funding provided by the UK government under the “Sandhurst treaty” , a bilateral border security deal signed at the royal military academy in 2018.

“This is a textbook pushback – exactly the same as we see in Greece,” said one search and rescue expert who was shown the footage. “That one manoeuvre alone could cause a mass casualty event. The water is deep enough to drown in. I’ve seen this in the central Mediterranean many times, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen anything like this happening in the Channel.”

Previous evidence has shown how the Greek coastguard has forced boats carrying migrants back into Turkish waters in the Aegean Sea, in some cases by manoeuvring around them at high speed to create waves.

Two senior UK Border Force sources confirmed that the tactic could lead to multiple deaths and injuries. “If the blades [of the French boat] make contact with the vessel, it will slash right through it,” said one operational Border Force official.

“The other thing is a collision. The weight and the force of that vessel could ride straight over the top of the rib. It would knock the passengers out, knock them unconscious and into the water. It could potentially lead to death. I can’t believe any mariner could condone that.”

Maritime experts added that they would be “very surprised” if Border Force and HM Coastguard were not aware of these tactics being used, with one adding: “One hundred per cent, someone high up will definitely be aware of this.”

In a second video, members of the French gendarmerie drive alongside a dinghy in a speedboat about 12 miles from the French coast, threatening to use a large tank of pepper spray against a boat carrying migrants. They then proceed to ram their vessel into the dinghy. “They don’t even know who’s on board – whether there’s someone asthmatic that you’re using pepper spray against, or pregnant women,” said a Border Force official. “That could really harm people.”

In evidence of a third attempted pullback, a complaint filed by a member of the French customs coastguard to the public prosecutor in Boulogne-sur-Mer alleges that on 11 August 2023 police officers ordered a National Society of Sea Rescues (SNSM) crew to puncture a small boat that had already set sail. In an email seen by this investigation, the complainant, Rémi Vandeplanque, states that the SNSM crew “obviously refused” to do this, adding that the risk of drowning if they had done so was “obvious and imminent”.

Testimony from several sources who boarded small boats bound for the UK supports the claims that French police have used such tactics. “There were four of them [French gendarmes] on the boat,” said one man, who was from India. “They went round the boat in a circle and then they stabbed the boat and left. We had to swim for about 10 minutes … We nearly died.” On 9 February 2024, the man lodged a complaint with the French human rights ombudsman. The incident is under investigation.

Sources within France’s interior ministry have described the UK government’s “enormous pressure on a daily basis” for the French maritime police to prevent small boat departures, with one French civil servant describing the pressure as “intense” and “nonstop”.

Another senior civil servant, who was in post until the end of 2020, added: “As far as the British were concerned, the boats had to be caught at sea. They sometimes insisted on it.”

In September last year, then immigration minister Robert Jenrick said in the House of Commons that “there is clearly more that we need the French to do for us”, pointing to a recent trip to Belgium, where he said the authorities had “been willing to intercept in the water small boats leaving its shores”. He added: “That has proven decisive. Small boats from Belgian waters are now extremely rare, so that is an approach that we encourage the French to follow.”

In August 2021, during a visit to the Greek island of Samos , then home secretary Priti Patel went out on patrol with the Greek coastguard, which is known for its use of aggressive pushbacks in the Aegean.

“She came back invigorated,” said a Home Office source with knowledge of the trip. “They were very aggressive, had a good success rate of detection and were swift in how they processed them [asylum seekers]. She liked their posturing of ‘protecting borders’ and working with the military, though there was recognition that a lot of this wouldn’t be lawful in the UK.”

Britain has allocated more than £700m to France to prevent irregular migration since 2014.

At a summit in March 2023, Sunak announced that Britain would give France £500m over three years to fund additional border guards and a new detention facility, as well as video surveillance cameras, drones and night-vision binoculars, among other equipment.

The package was, according to several sources at the French interior ministry, a turning point. “This has really put the relationship between the two countries on a contractual footing,” said one senior official.

Last month the UK signed a working agreement with the European border agency Frontex to bolster intelligence sharing and deploy UK Border Force officials to coordinate the Channel response.

When contacted by this investigation, the prefecture for the north of France confirmed that a police boat had circled a dinghy and that the aim of the intervention was to “dissuade passengers” from approaching the open sea, adding: “It’s the only time we’ve been able to intercept a small boat using this manoeuvre and it was a deterrent. All the migrants were recovered and the smugglers arrested.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “An unacceptable number of people are crossing the Channel and we will do whatever is necessary to end these perilous and fatal journeys. We remain committed to building on the successes that saw arrivals drop by more than a third last year.

“Not only have we introduced tougher legislation and agreements with international partners, but we continue to work closely with our French counterparts, who are working tirelessly to save lives and stop the boats.”

• Immigration and asylum
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Home Office launches social media ads in Vietnam to deter small boat migrants

According to the government, an increasing number of migrants arriving illegally in the uk via the channel are from vietnam..

Monday 25 March 2024 00:19, UK

The Home Office is launching social media adverts to deter Vietnamese nationals from travelling to the UK illegally in small boats.

According to the government, an increasing number of migrants arriving illegally in the UK via the Channel are from Vietnam .

New ads, building on similar ones already used in Albania, will be written in Vietnamese and feature testimonies from people who were misled by the claims of people smuggling gangs.

One migrant, referred to as K, recalls sleeping in a camp in Calais for five nights under the supervision of armed guards before crossing the Channel in a small boat.

He says: "Never again would I risk my life in a small boat even if you bribed me."

Another, G, says: "I was lying to my family back home. I'm still in debt."

Someone referred to as A adds: "We still owe £5,500 for the journey."

More on Migrant Crisis

Video appears to show French police using aggressive tactics against small boats carrying migrants across Channel

More than 500 migrants cross English Channel on Wednesday, provisional statistics show

Barges and RAF bases more expensive than hotels to house asylum seekers - watchdog

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• Migrant Crisis

Provisional figures have revealed 514 migrants travelled in 10 small boats across the Channel in a single day on Wednesday.

So far this year, illegal small boat arrivals stand at 4,043 - 10% higher than at the same point in 2023.

It comes as video footage , released by the charity Lighthouse Reports, appears to show a French border force boat using aggressive tactics to physically force a migrant boat to turn around.

Debunking myths about life in the UK as an illegal migrant

The new Home Office adverts aim to debunk myths circulated by criminal gangs - both about the journey and living illegally in the UK when they arrive.

They warn that the Channel is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, so small boats often risk being hit by larger vessels.

They also say that many boats disintegrate during the journey, leaving passengers at risk of dying by drowning or of hypothermia within minutes.

Read more from Sky News: 'Historic moment' as Ukraine destroys Russian ships King 'frustrated' by speed of cancer recovery Four die after rally car crashes into spectators

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On life as an illegal migrant in the UK, they say those who make the journey risk getting into debt with criminal gangs, being forced into modern slavery, and living in inhumane accommodation.

Immigration enforcement and Border Force employee testimonials are also included.

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Home Secretary James Cleverly said: "This is a powerful campaign which demonstrates first-hand that life for people arriving here illegally is a far cry from the lies they have been sold by the gangs on the other side of the Channel.

"Last year, similar work contributed to a 90% reduction in small boat arrivals from Albania, and overall numbers are down by a third, but there is more to do.

"Expanding our campaign to Vietnam, another key partner in our work to tackle illegal migration, will help us to save more lives and dent the business model of the criminals who profit from this vile trade."

Moment French police boat closely circles migrant dinghy headed for British waters causing it to flood - as experts warn 'pushback' tactics could cause 'mass casualty event'

• Videos from Oct 2023 show police trying to force the small boat to turn around
• They ram the dingy, threaten the migrants with pepper spray and flood the boat

A video has emerged showing the moment a French police boat 'dangerously' circles a migrant dinghy headed for British waters, causing it to flood.

The two clips from October 2023 were obtained during a joint investigation by The Observer, Lighthouse Reports, Le Monde and Der Spiegel, and show officers trying to physically force a small boat to turn around.  

The aggressive tactics, used by British-funded French police, involved circling a migrant boat and creating waves to fill the dinghy with water, causing panic among the passengers. 

Another method sees officers ram into a small boat while threatening migrants with pepper spray and puncturing dinghies when they are already at sea.

Experts have now warned that these 'pushback' tactics could cause a mass casualty event.'

An anonymous search and rescue expert told The Observer: 'This is a textbook pushback – exactly the same as we see in Greece .

READ MORE: More than 500 migrants reach the UK in small boats on busiest day of Channel crossings so far this year

'That one manoeuvre alone could cause a mass casualty event. The water is deep enough to drown in. I've seen this in the central Mediterranean many times but this is the first time I've ever seen anything like this happening in the Channel.'

In 2020 another video was leaked of Greek authorities performing similar tactics.  

A coastguard officer was seen prodding a large dingy full of migrants repeatedly with a large stick before shots are later seen hitting the water around the boat. 

Senior UK Border Force sources confirmed that these dangerous methods could likely lead to death. 

'If the blades [of the French boat] make contact with the vessel, it will slash right through it,' one said.

'The other thing is a collision. The weight and the force of that vessel could ride straight over the top of the rib. 

'It would knock the passengers out, knock them unconscious and into the water. It could potentially lead to death. 

'I can't believe any mariner could condone that.'

READ MORE:  Dozens of migrants take advantage of the spring weather to cross the English Channel - as the number of asylum seekers illegally reaching Britain tops 3,200 this year

The second video allegedly shows members of the French gendarmerie drive alongside a dinghy and threaten the passengers with a large tank of pepper spray, before ramming their boat into the dingy.

France and Britain signed a declaration in November 2022 that saw then-home secretary Suella Braverman and French interior minister Gérald Darmanin commit to improving their cooperation in tackling illegal migration.

France has been tasked with stepping up efforts to prevent Channel crossings in recent years by deploying more police and drawing on extra equipment and facilities in the wake of deals with the UK worth £191.3 million between 2018 and 2022.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak has also promised to spend £480 million on policing the border between 2023 and 2026, which includes a contribution towards the creation of a detention centre in France.

Mr Sunak's Rwanda deportation plan has been hit by further delay after defiant peers dug their heels in and inflicted fresh defeats on his flagship immigration policy earlier this week.