BoatsO'day 20

O'day 20

Masthead Sloop · Keel/centreboard · 1973–1979

A masthead sloop with a keel-centerboard configuration, offering a stable 5.57-knot hull speed for coastal cruising

Designed by C. Raymond Hunt Associates & John Deknatel.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.

See her sail

The O'day 20, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Sailing Balachandra

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

TrailerableBeam 2.13 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 1,066 kg of hull, so roughly 1,650 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 1,066 kg of hull, with a keel that raises or a draft shallow enough to float off a trailer — she can go back on the trailer at the ramp, not only into the water.Shoal draftDraws 0.36 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a beamy beam gives 15 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 15
CoastalBluewater

2.11 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.11
LightHeavy

204 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 204
EasygoingPowered-up

15.9 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 15.9
TenderStiff

17% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 17%

A balanced, easily-driven cruiser — comfortable and forgiving for coastal work.

  • Narrower than ~76% of boats her size on file

Compared with 499 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The O'day 20, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The O'day 20 is a 6.0-meter masthead sloop designed by C. Raymond Hunt Associates and John Deknatel, built by O'Day Corp. from 1973 to 1979. It features a keel/centerboard hull, a 2.1-meter beam, a 1.2-meter draft, and displaces 1065 kg, including 600 lbs of crew weight. An alternate fractional rig was available. Aboard *Sailing Balachandra*, Dan and Hadley used a 1970s O'day 20 to gain experience before transitioning to a larger liveaboard vessel, emphasizing its role as a manageable, lower-cost boat for skill development.5:26 The owner of *Life is Like Sailing* also previously owned 20-foot and 27-foot O'Day sailboats for weekend use before moving to a larger liveaboard.1:50

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The O'day 20 on video

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
17.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.9
Displacement / length
204.4
Comfort ratio
15.1
Capsize screening
2.11
Hull speed
5.6 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
431
Hull
Hull type
Keel/Cbrd.
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1973–1979
Units built
949
Designer
C.Raymond Hunt Associates, John Deknatel
Builder
O'Day Corp

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Phobos 196.30 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA lightweight, high-performance fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited daysailing
Until What Age Can You Live on a Sailboat? | #SAL #33123:54from Hashtag Sal
Marshall Marine Corporation Sanderling5.54 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA gaff-rigged catboat based on a 1941 design, featuring a shallow-draft keel-centerboard hull for versatile day sailing
The History of Beneteau Boats11:37from Practical Sailor
Chrysler Marine 226.71 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA 6.7-metre masthead sloop produced as the C-22 and T-22 Sandpiper, featuring a swing keel for shallow-water access
Coast Guard Rescue Man & Dog from Sailboat in Hurricane Helene - Ep 297 - Lady K Sailing6:20from Lady K Sailing
O'day 23-26.93 mSame hull family1.0 m longerA masthead keel-centerboard sloop produced in Brazil and the U.S. for over a decade as a popular coastal cruiser
Juliano and the sailboat Tupã12:35from Podcast Maré Sonora ®
Catalina Yachts 227.26 mSame hull family1.3 m longerA swing-keel masthead sloop with 15,000 units sold, offering a highly versatile and trailerable coastal cruiser
The ZERO KEEL and ALPHA RUDDER - Are Kraken Yachts Really THAT GOOD?9:27from Practical Sailor
Hunter Marine 226.78 mSame hull family0.8 m longerA masthead-rigged trailerable cruiser with a keel-centerboard configuration for flexible draft and coastal access
Why TODAY Is the Best Time to Buy a 22-Foot Sailboat2:24from Lady K Sailing

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

O'day 19A C. Raymond Hunt-designed fractional sloop with a keel-centerboard configuration for versatile shoal-water sailingO'day 26A short-lived 1980s masthead sloop featuring a keel-centerboard design for flexible draft in coastal watersO'day 25A successful decade-long production run defines this 25-foot masthead sloop, built with a versatile keel-centerboardO'day 27An Alan Gurney-designed masthead sloop featuring a skeg-mounted rudder for stable, predictable coastal cruisingO'day 15-2A lightweight fractional daysailer designed by Hunt Associates for responsive, high-performance dinghy handlingO'day 22A prolific production success with over 3,000 hulls built, offering a nimble fractional rig for coastal daysailing

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