| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Jim Taylor |
| Location | United States |
| Year | 1984 |
| No. built | 500 |
| Builder(s) | Precision Boat Works |
| Role | Cruiser |
| Name | Precision 18 |
| Boat | |
| Displacement | 1,100 lb (499 kg) |
| Draft | 4.25 ft (1.30 m) with centerboard extended |
| Hull | |
| Type | monohull |
| Construction | fiberglass |
| LOA | 17.42 ft (5.31 m) |
| LWL | 15.42 ft (4.70 m) |
| Beam | 7.42 ft (2.26 m) |
| Engine type | outboard motor |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | stub keel with centerboard |
| Ballast | 350 lb (159 kg) |
| Rudder(s) | transom-mounted rudder |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | Bermuda rig |
| I foretriangle height | 19.00 ft (5.79 m) |
| J foretriangle base | 5.50 ft (1.68 m) |
| P mainsail luff | 20.00 ft (6.10 m) |
| E mainsail foot | 8.25 ft (2.51 m) |
| Sails | |
| Sailplan | fractional rigged sloop |
| Mainsail area | 82.50 sq ft (7.665 m2) |
| Jib/genoa area | 52.25 sq ft (4.854 m2) |
| Total sail area | 134.75 sq ft (12.519 m2) |
| Racing | |
| PHRF | 275 |
The Precision 18 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Jim Taylor as a cruiser and first built in 1984.[1][2][3]
The design was built by Precision Boat Works in Palmetto, Florida, United States from 1984 until 2018, with 500 boats completed.[1][3][4][5][6][7][8]
The Precision 18 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a fractional sloop rig, a raked stem, a plumb transom, a transom-hung, kick-up rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed stub keel, with a NACA airfoil 68 lb (31 kg) fiberglass centerboard that retracts into the keel. It displaces 1,100 lb (499 kg) and carries 350 lb (159 kg) of lead ballast.[1][3]
Early boats produced have a single non-opening port on each cabin side, whereas later production models have two opening ports per side.[3]
The boat has a draft of 4.25 ft (1.30 m) with the centerboard extended and 1.50 ft (0.46 m) with it retracted, allowing operation in shallow water or ground transportation on a trailer.[1][3]
The boat is normally fitted with a small 3 to 6 hp (2 to 4 kW) outboard motor for docking and maneuvering.[1][3]
The design has sleeping accommodation for four people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin and two straight settee berths in the main cabin. There are no galley provisions, nor a table provided, but there is a 40 US qt (38 L) cooler. The head is located on the port side, amidships, under the settee. Cabin headroom is 48 in (122 cm).[1][3]
The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 275 and a hull speed of 5.3 kn (9.8 km/h).[3]
In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote, "this is an attractive, well built modern trailer-sailer with a keel-housed centerboard—what used to be called a "wholesome" boat. Below is a 40-quart cooler, and a space for a porta-pottie, but no sink, stove, or table ... Best features: Solid, neatly laid-up construction, good attention to detail ... Worst features: The basic boat comes without boom vang, backstay tensioner, reefing lines led back to the cockpit for easy singlehanding, and other small conveniences. For example, the end-boom mainsheet tackle is attached to a fitting on the backstay, an awkward reach for a singlehander sitting forward in the cockpit to balance the boat, Some owners complain that the cockpit scuppers are too small for proper draining,"[3]