Design and Construction
At 18 feet 5 inches overall with a 16-foot 8-inch waterline and a 7-foot 4-inch beam, the 185 carries her volume high and wide. The builder's standard construction is hand-laminated fiberglass, with outside skins of vinylester for blister resistance and an improved moisture barrier; the balance of the laminate uses E-glass reinforcements in polyester resin, with Klegecell closed-cell PVC foam coring in deck panels and in places needing hull stiffening. Hull and deck are two moldings joined by an overlap joint, and a plastic rub rail is added at that seam. The deck-stepped mast lands on a substantial under-deck fiberglass box-beam, which lets the forepeak locker cutout sit directly beneath it. Positive foam flotation is standard, and the fixed-keel version carries about 375 pounds of ballast inside roughly 880 pounds of displacement, while the centerboard model is a lighter approximately 590 pounds.
Rig and Handling
The 185 is a fractional sloop with an anodized mast and boom, stainless steel standing rigging, and Dacron running rigging. Hardware is simple and primarily by Harken—ball bearing blocks, jib track with cars and cam cleats, a 4-to-1 boom vang, and jib furling gear—with a hinged stainless steel mast step and a 3-to-1 tackle to raise the ballasted centerboard. Sailing World's test in puffy conditions found this Jim Taylor design accelerated quickly and responded well to crew weight shifted from leeward to weather and back anchor. The mast bend and mainsail were well matched so the sail flattened when sheeted in the puffs and powered up when eased in the lulls. She will sail beautifully under main alone when shorthanded or in heavy weather, and her ballasted board plus roller-furling jib broaden the singlehanding envelope. The board relies on steel ballast to hold it down yet pivots up automatically in an accidental grounding. The kick-up rudder is held down by a line led to a pressure-release Clamcleat under the tiller, and a tiller extension is fitted.
Accommodations and Cockpit
The Precision daysailors are built with especially large cockpits and no cuddy cabin, and the 185 takes that brief seriously: a self-bailing cockpit stretching 9 feet 9 inches, with ergonomically correct seats 8 feet 2 inches long. Broad deck beam and high-volume side decks give room to move, and practical under-deck storage plus a large forepeak locker with a watertight door handle gear. A secure spot for a portable ice chest is provided. The stern swim platform is an unusual touch at this size—normally the preserve of large offshore cruisers—and it earns its place: it gets swimmers back aboard easily, lets youngsters trail their toes, can help boarding from a dinghy, and speeds recovery in a man-overboard event.
Known Issues
The centerboard is designed to pivot up automatically in an accidental grounding, and the pressure-release rudder line mitigates impact damage.
Refits and Ownership
For an owner, the 185 is a low-fuss trailer-sailer. Inspection ports give access to the rudder gudgeons and the forward storage area under the mast, simplifying routine checks. The centerboard trunk is sealed and carries the mainsheet block; the fixed-keel version adds four stainless steel lifting eyes for easy handling. With straightforward rigging, high-quality hardware, and a hull-and-deck structure that needs no cored-hull vigilance below the waterline, the boat is suited to owners who want to sail rather than renovate.
The Verdict
The Precision 185 is a thoughtfully engineered small daysailer that punches above its length. Taylor's hull form accelerates and responds, the construction is honest hand-laminated glass with a vinylester skin, and the cockpit-and-swim-platform layout makes the boat as friendly to families as to solitary sailors. The two-version strategy—trailerable centerboard or ballasted keel—broadens her reach without diluting the fun-first brief.
Pros
- Lively acceleration and crew-weight responsiveness in a sub-19-foot hull
- Hand-laminated fiberglass with vinylester outer skin for blister resistance
- Very large self-bailing cockpit with ergonomic long seats
- Transom swim platform aiding boarding, dinghy access, and MOB recovery
- Ballasted centerboard that pivots up on grounding; main-only shorthanded sailing
Cons
- No cuddy cabin—pure daysailer, no belowdecks accommodation
- Centerboard model is crew-ballasted, demanding weight management uphill
