Precision 18 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used Precision 18 means looking at a Jim Taylor-designed, Precision Boat Works-built trailerable sloop produced from 1984 to 2019, about 500 of which were built. It is a 17-foot 5-inch boat with a self-contained centerboard in a lead-ballasted shoal keel, built for sailors who launch, camp, and day-sail without a marina slip. On the brokerage trail you are buying a small cruiser that can dry out or ramp-launch yet still carry 145 square feet of sail and sleep two to four in a real cabin.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every used Precision 18 shares the same core layout: a 76-inch-long roomy cockpit, a cabin with 44 inches of headroom, two 68-inch quarter berths, and a V-berth running 76 inches on centerline and 81 inches along the hull side. A large cooler serves as the step into the cabin and doubles as food storage. The head is a dealer-supplied Thetford Porta Potti. The spring to the sheer and sharp bow entry are consistent across the run; what changes is rigging hardware, not plan.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Two items show up often on boats in the market: a spinnaker and an autopilot. The spinnaker matters because the rig is built for it — the pole is 5 feet 6 inches and the sail area matches the whole working wardrobe at 145 square feet, so a boat already carrying one is ready for downwind fun without a search for poles and rigging. An autopilot is a meaningful short-handed aid on a 17-footer where the crew is often one person managing led-aft lines. Beyond those, expect a standard battery box without a battery, so any buyer should budget for house power.
What to Inspect
The clearest production split to verify is the standing rigging. Older boats carry a fixed-eye forestay with upper shrouds 18 feet 6.5 inches long and lowers 10 feet 1 inch, while newer hulls use a toggle-fork forestay, upper shrouds of 17 feet 10 inches, and lowers of 9 feet 4 inches toggle-fork forestay on newer hulls. Check the turnbuckles — 1/4 inch with 1/4 x 3/4 inch clevis pins — for corrosion and free operation, and confirm the centerboard pennant (1/4 inch, 8 feet) and its trunk are sound, since the board is self-contained and any water intrusion is internal. The led-aft line runs should be traced for chafe where they turn into the cockpit.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are found in the United States. For a buyer, the short checklist is: confirm which rigging generation the boat represents, look hard at the self-contained centerboard system, and expect to add a battery and possibly a spinnaker or autopilot if the example you find lacks them. A well-kept Precision 18 is a complete little trailerable cruiser, not a project.
- Verify old vs new forestay and shroud configuration
- Inspect centerboard pennant and trunk for water entry
- Confirm battery box and plan for house battery
- Note spinnaker or autopilot as common bonuses, not guarantees
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Precision 18. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 7 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 25 | 1 | $14,800 | — |
| Jul 25 | 1 | $5,500 | -62.8% |
| Mar 26 | 2 | $5,500 | 0.0% |
| Apr 26 | 2 | $6,250 | +13.6% |
| May 26 | 1 | $5,750 | -8.0% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $4,900 | -14.8% |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $4,900 | 0.0% |
Where they're listed
Precision 18 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 7.
Country view
7 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $5,750 | 7 | 2 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
2 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swift Craft 18 | 18' | $ 3,787 | 11 | 5 |
| Precision 18You are here | — | $ 5,750 | 7 | 2 |