Day Sailer in Australia

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Day Sailer in Australia

Postby Guest » Thu Feb 08, 2001 6:20 am

My wife and I purchased a Day Sailer in South Australia about 12 months ago.From comments in discussion threads it appears to be a DS 1 with moulded seats. We were told it had been in South Australia for at least 30 years.It seems to be the only one about.
We sail at Goolwa (near the mouth of the River Murray)A lot of interest was shown in it when at the boatyard recently with reports of many keen sailors coming to look at it.
I have searched the boat for a plate with a hull number but cannot find anything. Is there any other way to find the hull number? (We had new sails made with the DS letters but no number).
Does anyone have any info on a "renegade" boat escaping to Australia?
Are there any others in Australia?

John Daenke (jdaenke-at-bigpond.com)
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Postby Guest » Thu Feb 08, 2001 10:09 am

Hi John, Glad to hear about you and your story!
You say the boat was in South Austrailia for about 30 years. Was the person you bought it from the previous skipper, or did you get her from a broker? It seems worthwhile to try to talk more to that person about the history of the boat and get any clues from them. I wonder if it was a US made boat. It's possible that it may have been built in Japan, of all places... I did a Google search one day and found this web link which is interesting:

http://www.boatshow.com/ODayJapanCorp.html

According to their web page, this group in Japan builds the Day Sailer:

"...In addition to the three O'Day boats, the O'Day Japan Corporation also build the Day Sailer 17', Javelin 14', "... "All these boats have performed well in very rough water and typhoon-like wind."

- Okay, so who's sailed their Day Sailer in a "typhoon-like" winds???
Bob

Bob Hunkins (rhunkins-at-pdq.net)
Guest
 

Postby Guest » Sun Feb 11, 2001 5:45 am

Bob
Thanks for your response. We bought the boat privately and the previos owner had owned it for a year or two. He told us that he had learned to sail on the boat when he was a teenager and as I guess he was in early to mid 40's it meant about 30 years ago. We live in a suburb of Adelaide and the vendor said that he could also recall the boat at some time being housed on its trailer in our suburb.
I checked out the Japanese site but I think that they have only been making ODays since 1993.
Anyway it has been good to go through the meesages on the talkboard because we have really learned a lot.
Maybe someone will come up with info on the boat so We might get a sail number.
John Daenke

John Daenke (jdaenke-at-bigpond.com)
Guest
 

Postby Guest » Thu Dec 20, 2001 8:02 pm

There's at least one other Day Sailer in Sydney, Australia. A friend and I purchased the boat in July, 2000 and completed a major restoration in January, 2000. Again there were no serial numbers or ID plates, but it is a DS I with moulded seats. The guy I bought it from was equally unsure of its providence.
During January, 2000 we sailed the boat from Sydney to Eden, an open water adventure covering 200 odd nautical miles and created a fair bit of interest in the boat during that time.

Enjoy the sailing,

Adam

Adam Mackie (amackie-at-gmp.usyd.edu.au)
Guest
 

Postby Guest » Fri Dec 21, 2001 6:25 pm

Thanks,Adam, for that info. I thought my boat was a loner. I did have a response from a guy in Victoria who is the official measurer about them
John

John Daenke (jdaenke-at-bigpond.com.)
Guest
 

Postby Guest » Tue Feb 05, 2002 5:32 am

Hi Guys, Speaking of stray Day Sailors, I have a DS111 that was bought to Christchurch New Zealand by the U.S. Navy as recreation for their staff at the Antarctic Research Programme around 1990. It even says NAVY in letters 18inches high on the main sail, I believe the spinnaker had the same but the last owner lost it overboard. The last owner thinks two of them were bought here and sold off when the Navy left, he thinks the other is still around Lyttleton harbour somewhere.

I live and sail in Timaru on the east coast of the South Island, once we get beyond the breakwater we are in the Pacific ocean. I also sail on the lakes inland and south of here.

Everywhere I go other sailors admire the boat, I think they like the simplicity of the type. I havn't raced seriously, but the DS seems to be competitive with New Zealand style trailor sailors(ballasted with cabins)of up to 20ft. I believe the Navy raced with some success in the Christchurch trailer fleet.

I look forward to hearing from any other Day Sailor orphans around the world. On my next trip to the States (mid-west driving to San Francisco) I intend to try and catch up with a fleet to compare notes and maybe cadge a sail(all offers considered).

Gordon

Gordon Collister (topten-at-timaruholidaypark.co.nz)
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