Precision 185 CB Buyer's Guide
The Precision 185 CB on the used market is Jim Taylor's 18-foot daysailer built by Precision Boat Works, a centerboard boat whose 6-inch raised draft and 4-foot 10-inch lowered draft make her as happy on a trailer as on a shoal. With production running from 2001, the surviving examples are modern enough to carry sensible rigging, yet small enough that a careful look at the board and deck joint tells you most of what you need before buying.
Layouts on the Used Market
The centerboard model is the one to look for if you want ramp-launched sailing: at 590 pounds displacement with board up she draws half a foot, and the fixed-keel version instead draws 3 feet 6 inches at 880 pounds with about 375 pounds of ballast. Either way the cockpit runs 100 inches along the seat line and a built-in IGLOO 36-quart ice chest serves for cold storage. The deck-stepped mast sits over a fiberglass box-beam with a locker cutout below, and inspection ports give access to rudder gudgeons and forward mast-step storage.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Factory rigging is the headline: Harken hardware with 2-to-1 jib sheets to swiveling jam cleats, adjustable jib tracks, a 4-to-1 mainsheet and boom vang, and jib furling are standard, while a 3-to-1 tackle raises the ballasted board. For buyer consequence, the kick-up rudder's pressure-release Clamcleat line and the Ronstan shroud adjusters for setting jib luff are the items to confirm present and working. A spare halyard was a dealer option rather than a given, so its absence is not a defect.
What to Inspect
The ballasted centerboard depends on steel ballast to stay down and is meant to pivot up in a grounding, so check the board, its steel, and the 3-to-1 tackle and Spectra or Dacron control lines for corrosion or chafe anchor. The hull and deck are joined by an overlap joint with a plastic rub rail, and the vinylester outer skin is there for blister resistance, so look for gelcoat cracks at that seam and any hull blistering. Inspection ports should open cleanly to rudder gudgeons and the forward locker, confirming the under-deck box-beam around the mast step is sound anchor.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are found in the United States. For a shopper, the short list is: confirm the centerboard pivots freely and its steel is intact; check the overlap joint and rub rail for separation; verify Harken hardware and the kick-up rudder release line are complete; and match the trailer to a 2-inch ball with 5.70 x 8 Load Range C tires. A tidy example rewards a new owner with a forgiving, easily trailered daysailer.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Precision 185 CB. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 26 | 1 | $5,000 | — |
Where they're listed
Precision 185 CB listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 1.
Country view
1 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $5,000 | 1 | 0 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beneteau First 18 | 18.04' | $ 19,678 | 6 | 3 |
| Precision 185 CBYou are here | — | $ 5,000 | 1 | 0 |