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What
Sets a Precision Sailboat Apart from the Rest?
(from a handout at the Annapolis Boatshow)
The Company:
- Precision
Boat Works –
A family-owned business since 1978, Precision has flourished making
quality “trailerable” sailboats in an industry where more
than 100 other companies have come and gone.
- Construction
– Each boat is hand-laid fiberglass and assembled one boat at
a time under the daily supervision of the company owners. Precision
has such a good reputation for construction, other companies come to
them to build their prototypes, molds and/or boats.
- Design
– Precision is the only current small boat builder who has gone
outside to a high-profile professional boat designer to have their entire
line designed from the ground up. Jim Taylor is a five-time winner of
Sailing World’s “Boat of the Year” award. No one else
has won it twice. His current projects include re-designing the entire
Sabre Yacht (sailboat) line.
The Boats in General:
- Performance
– For each of the models, Precision’s design goal was a
well-mannered, good performing, family boat. The well-balanced rig,
hull shape, keel/centerboard (for the P-18, P-21 and P-23), and lead
ballast make them the best performing family sailboats in production
today.
- Style
Outside
– The entire Precision line has the traditional sailboat lines
and styling. A fine-looking boat that will turn heads at the dock or
sailing across the water.
- Comfortable
Sailing –
Each cockpit was designed for comfort and uncluttered maneuvering as
you sail. Lines, cleats, and winches have been placed where they are
most useful for both crewed and single-handed sailing. The seat bottoms
and seat backs are angled back for long-term comfort.
The Daysailers:
Precision 15 & Precision 185
- Beam
– The nice wide beam of the daysailers give it more stability
and cockpit space.
- Deck
– The deck above the seats are wide and comfortable enough to
sit on for additional ballast and helmsman visability.
- Safety
– There is a generous amount of non-skid surface on the deck,
seats, and cockpit floor—making it much easier and safer to move
around when the boat gets wet.
- Enclosed
Centerboard Trunk – Precision has enclosed the centerboard
trunk on both boats. This allows a deeper cockpit, no splashing water
across the cockpit floor, and a cleaner look.
- Keel Option
– Both the P-15 and P-185 come with keel versions of the same
boat. A keel would allow for more stability in heavy weather and/or
for those just learning to sail.
Precision 165
- Cabin
– The P-165 daysailer allows families to make a day out of sailing
by providing a small cabin for porta-potty, storage, and a place for
the children to get out of the sun.
- Keel
– With 250 pounds of lead in a fixed keel, the P-165 is extremely
stable for its size and weight.
- Rigging
– With its 3-stay dingy rig and simple mast connection, the P-165
is just as easy to set up as the other daysailers.
- Trailering
– At just 1000 pounds of trailering weight, the P-165 can be pulled
behind just about any vehicle.
The Cabin Boats:
Precision 18, Precision 21 & Precision 23
- Deck Safety
–
While bringing the cabin top to the edge of the boat would give more
interior room, it does affect safety on deck (high step from cockpit,
no handholds, etc.). The side decks make it much easier and safer to
go forward.
- Inboard
Shrouds
– Precision has placed the shrouds inboard so you can easily walk
around them on your way forward as well as allow you to pull your jib/genoa
in closer to centerline for better windward performance.
- Keel/Centerboard
– The keel/centerboard is the most practical solution for “trailerable”
sailboats. The combination gives you the benefit of fixed lead ballast
below the hull of your boat—providing stability and off-wind performance
while the centerboard can be dropped for superior windward performance.
In addition the keel serves as the centerboard housing so the cabin
floor is not encroached upon.
- Swing keels
are heavy moving objects that require maintenance to the pivot pin,
cable, and winch. They also don’t sail well when the keel
is up for shallow water (sailing characteristics and balance change
as the weight moves up and back and sail area might have to come
down).
- Shallow draft
fixed keels perform off the wind but sacrifice windward performance.
- Water ballast
is not ideal because water in water weighs nothing and only as the
boat heels and the water lifted does it begin to act as ballast.
At most, you are only using 50% of your water ballast weight to
your advantage. The rest of the weight is slowing you down.
- Backstay
– With the inclusion of a backstay, there is less stress on the
shrouds as well as making it unnecessary to have them swept back at
extreme angles.
- Mainsheet
– The positioning of the mainsheet attachment and proper use of
the boom vang makes the inclusion of a traveler more of an obstacle
not worth the small benefit that it would bring. Consider placement
of a traveler:
- A traveler
forward impedes moving from cabin to cockpit.
- Traveler mid-cockpit
grossly impedes all movement in cockpit and becomes a safety issue.
- Traveler aft
severely hampers helmsman ability to move tiller around cockpit.
- Style
Inside
– When sitting inside the cabin of a Precision, you can see the
attention to detail from the complete fiberglass cabin liner, the teak
trim, the fabric cushions, covered cabin ceiling, and opening ports
(with screens).
- Dry Storage
– The molded cabin liner includes storage bins that hold your
gear away from the hull. Gear stored against the hull will become damp
and mildew.
This is not meant
to be a complete list of features for the Precision models (see each of
the brochures or ask a representative for more information), rather this
is a checklist of items that make the Precision boats stand out when compared
to other manufacturers and designs of similar size and class.
Challenge
Precisions sailboats
are designed and built for people who truly enjoy good sailing characteristics.
They are boats that are designed to be comfortable while sailing—not
just pretty at the boat show. We challenge you to sit in each prospective
sailboat (both Precision and competitor’s boats) with the actual
number of people you plan to sail with on a regular basis and go through
the motions of actually sailing the boat. Additionally, picture the boat
heeling over 10-15 degrees and you be the judge whether the boat is designed
for true sailing conditions. If you are not allowed to sit in the boat,
move on to another brand.
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