Design and Construction
Taylor's hull form is notably broad for its length, with a length-to-beam ratio of 2.29 and a beam of 7 feet 2 inches, yet the bow carries a narrow angle of entry that the design review credits with speed to windward. There are virtually no overhangs, so the waterline approaches the overall length and the boat behaves like a longer hull than its 16-foot 5-inch LOA suggests. The keel is a squatty fin fitted with an endplate-type bulb that keeps the center of gravity low while improving the apparent aspect ratio of the fin, and the lead is all carried on the lower third of the fin's span. Generous leading and trailing edge fillets at the keel-hull intersections smooth the junction, and full flotation is built in to keep the boat afloat should it be knocked down and fill with water.
Rig and Handling
The rig is deliberately minimal: no spreaders, a single shroud brought slightly aft from the spar, and no backstay, with headstay tension handled dinghy-style through mainsail leech load. The fractional sloop carries about 159 square feet of sail, split into a 101-square-foot main and a 58-square-foot jib, with a 129-square-foot spinnaker available on a 6-foot pole for downwind work. A Portsmouth DPN of 101.1 places the boat among quick small-boat racers, and the sail-area-to-displacement ratio sits at 29.42 light, dropping to 22.9 with a crew of two totaling 320 pounds aboard. The 21-inch draft makes the boat easy to launch and recover and lets it wander shallow coves that deeper keels cannot enter.
Accommodations
Below, the 165 is a pure weekender for two. It offers two berths, each a quarter berth 83 inches long to port and starboard, enough for an adult to stretch out. There is no cabin trunk or standing headroom — this is a decked-over daysailer with sleeping space rather than a cruising interior, consistent with a 750-pound hull meant to be trailered and ramp-launched.
The Verdict
The Precision 165 is a clever small boat that punches above its length. Taylor used the absence of overhangs and a bulb-fin keel to give a 16-footer the waterline and stability of a larger design, while the spartan rig keeps handling simple for a short-handed pair. The narrow entry and low center of gravity make it lively upwind, and full flotation is a quietly serious safety feature for a knockabout trainer or lake-sound cruiser.
Pros
- Waterline nearly equals LOA thanks to minimal overhangs, aiding performance
- Bulb fin with low-carried lead gives surprising stability for 250 pounds of ballast
- Simple spreaderless rig with no backstay is easy for two to manage
- Full flotation built in for knockdown safety
- Shallow 21-inch draft eases trailering and shallow-water sailing
Cons
- Minimal accommodations: two quarter berths only, no cabin
- Light displacement means limited gear and rough-water margin
- Single shroud and dinghy-style headstay tension demand careful rig tuning
