The centerboard version weighs roughly 590 pounds. Its fixed-keel sister weighs around 880 pounds, including about 375 pounds of ballast. With the centerboard raised, the CB draws just 6 inches; lower it, and draft increases to 4 feet 10 inches. That range suits both trailering and exploring thin water.
Design and Construction
The Precision 185 measures 18 feet 5 inches overall, with a 16-foot 8-inch waterline and a beam of 7 feet 4 inches.
Precision Boat Works built the 185 in hand-laminated fiberglass. The outer skins are vinylester for blister resistance and an improved moisture barrier, while E-glass reinforcements in polyester resin make up the rest of the laminate. The outer skins are vinylester for blister resistance and an improved moisture barrier.
Closed-cell Klegecell PVC foam cores the deck panels and the areas where the hull needs stiffening. The hull and deck are separate moldings joined with an overlap joint, with a plastic rub rail fitted into the seam.
The deck-stepped mast bears on a substantial fiberglass box beam below deck. That arrangement leaves room for a locker cutout directly beneath it. Inspection ports provide access to the rudder gudgeons and the forward storage area under the mast.
Rig and Handling
The fractional sloop rig carries 181 square feet of sail: about 116 square feet in the mainsail and 65 square feet in the jib. A 204-square-foot spinnaker is available. The mast rises 27 feet 3 inches above the waterline.
The CB model has a steel-ballasted centerboard operated by a 3-to-1 tackle. If the boat runs aground, the centerboard pivots up automatically, a forgiving feature when exploring shoal water.
The sailing hardware is simple and largely from Harken. The jib sheets have 2-to-1 purchase and lead to swiveling jam cleats on athwartships adjustable jib tracks. The mainsheet uses a 4-to-1 purchase with a ratchet block and jam cleat, and the boom vang is also 4-to-1. Jib furling is fitted.
A line holds the kick-up rudder down and leads to a pressure-release Clamcleat beneath the tiller. Jib luff tension is set as the deck-stepped mast is raised, with aft-swept shrouds and Ronstan shroud adjusters governing the setup.
In testing, the Jim Taylor design accelerated quickly in puffy air and responded well when the crew shifted its weight from leeward to weather. The mast bend and mainsail were well matched: the sail flattened when sheeted in during the puffs, then powered up when eased in the lulls.
Cockpit and Daysailing
This is a daysailer rather than a cruiser, but its cockpit measures 100 inches long at the seat tops. A 36-quart IGLOO cooler is fitted on the rail for provisions.
The fractional rig helps keep the boat manageable for short-handed sailing. A roller-furling jib and the ability to sail under mainsail alone also broaden the options for comfortable singlehanding.
Trailering and Ownership
Trailering is central to owning the Precision 185 CB. The trailer weighs 300 pounds, uses a 2-inch ball, and rides on 5.70 x 8 Load Range C tires with a 4-lug pattern.
On its trailer, with the winch stand removed, the boat stands 57 inches high. The boat alone is 35 inches high. Width is 88 inches in either configuration.
The builder fully specifies the running rigging, from a 52-foot main halyard to Spectra and Dacron centerboard lines. That allows an owner to reorder exact lengths rather than having to guess.
The Verdict
The Precision 185 CB is a thoughtfully engineered small daysailer. It trades a little ultimate stability for draft that shrinks to 6 inches and a centerboard that protects itself on the hard. Taylor’s hull rewards active crew-weight placement, while the matched mast and mainsail keep the boat lively without making it twitchy.
Construction is substantial for a boat of this size, with vinylester outer skins and foam-cored decks. Combined with its 300-pound trailer, the package makes a practical ramp-and-go daysailer.
Pros
- Ballasted centerboard pivots up automatically in a grounding
- Vinylester outer skins and foam-cored decks
- Well-matched mast bend and mainsail flatten and power up with changing pressure
- 6-inch draft with the board raised
- 300-pound trailer makes ramp launching practical
Cons
- Centerboard relies on steel ballast, and its mechanism adds inspection points
- Daysailer layout limits accommodations to the cockpit and ice chest
