DaySailer.org Forum

I’m a newbie here, and I really need some basic help. I made a pretty hasty purchase, got it home, and I’m not so sure it’s authentic. It is titled in Pennsylvania as an O’Day DS II, with an original VIN of XDY132220186. There are no identifying numbers anywhere on the boat, other than an aged strip with that number on it from an old time label maker, applied on the edge above the cuddly. There are no labels, name plates or decals. I’ve looked all over the web for any mechanism to investigate how these boats are identified, and I’m coming up empty. I’m really stumped. The cuddly opening is wide open…side to side. There is no barrier separating the cuddly space from the cabin, like I’ve seen in pictures. The transom’s has been repaired with a strip of fiberglass tape from side to side, so maybe that covered an original embossed VIN, if there was one in the original fiberglass? I’ve see pics on line of some sort of wooden crosspiece from side to side on the front of the keel cover, and mine doesn’t have that. It’s a well built boat, and really looks as it should, but I have no way to figure it out. Any help would be greatly app!! There’s apparently no way to leave a pic here, but if someone could help me, I’d greatly appreciate it! Thank you in advance!
Neal Davis

Welcome to the forum.

If you have a raised floor, but no bulkhead at the cuddy opening, it doesn't sound like a DSII. If you have a single hull, then you might have a DS1.

However, check the posts in the "Miscellaneous" section, that's where we put discussion of boats that are DS clones. See whether you recognize any.

Also look over photos to carefully compare the shape of your centerboard trunk, the detailed shape of the cuddy roof/opening or the shape and configuration of the transom. If you can't find complete equivalents when you look through the gallery (and users personal galleries) but find better correspondence in photos from the posts on DS clones, then you have your answer.

Your own photos, with good detail of the areas mentioned (including also the bow) would help other users here identify your boat.

Thank you Greenlake,
This gives me some good information to use going forward. It’s much appreciated.
Neal Davis

The 13222 sail number seems to indicate it is a Precision DSI. Does the centerboard have a handle or control lines?

The centerboard has no handle, just a rope with a ribbed stop to hold the rope in place once raised.

I believe that I have identified the boat as an Annapolis Discoverer DaySailer. Can anyone point me in a direction where I can find more details on this boat? The mainsail had 217 on it.
Thanks

If this is not a DSII, I'll move this thread to "Miscellaneous".

Have you read in the old posts, because we've had some discussions of that type.

Bob Damon wrote:The 13222 sail number seems to indicate it is a Precision DSI. Does the centerboard have a handle or control lines?

Bob, this assumes that the HIN is correct. Big assumption, particularly if the number is not inscribed indelibly on the hull as per regulation.

The original main sail has “217” below a four point mariner compass logo/emblem. There is a well worn, barely legible label on the main, stating the sail was “MADE EXCLUSIVELY FOR ANNAPOLIS SAILBOAT BUIILDERS”, with a handwritten “discoverer” in cursive ink pen next to it. So I have my answer. Thank you all for your input. It is much appreciated.

What you have may indicate a disconnect between your sail number and your boat's registration. Before the modern HIN numbering systems, boat builders would number hulls independently from sail numbers (also known and "class numbers"). Hulls from different classes were counted against the same hull number. (There are several older threads on this issue, if you are curious about the details). After the HIN was invented, you'd expect to see the sail number be part of the HIN.

I know that before HINs were fully adopted many boats were registered with sometimes strange choices of numbers, under the class number, or under the (old) hull number or any combination. Also, the year of registration often is the original year the registration was required, not the build year. That's particularly true for any boats registered as '70 or '71 model years.