Design and Construction
The Precision 23 measures 23 feet 5 inches overall and has an 8 foot 6 inch beam—the maximum trailerable road width. Listed displacement is 2,450 lbs, making it a substantial but road-legal package.
The hull is hand-laminated fiberglass with an ISO/NPG gelcoat finish and a vinylaster resin skin coat. The deck is a closed-cell PVC foam sandwich, with plywood inserts beneath the mast and all through-bolted hardware. The hull-to-deck joint is bonded and through-bolted.
A reinforced overhead beam carries the mast loads instead of a compression post, leaving the cabin undivided underfoot. Above the waterline, the white hull is trimmed in teak and paired with light gray molded non-skid. The bow has a fine entry and substantial topside flare forward, broadening into wide quarters that taper toward a small transom.
The fixed keel houses an elliptical-profile, airfoil-shaped centerboard. The kick-up rudder uses the same high-lift NACA foil sections, which period reviewers described as among the most efficient on a boat of this size.
Rig and Handling
The Precision 23 carries a simple fractional rig with a single set of spreaders. A tall-aspect mainsail provides most of the boat’s 248 square feet of sail area. The chainplates sit well inboard on the cabin top, tightening the sheeting angles for better upwind performance while leaving the wide side decks open from cockpit to bow.
The mainsail has one set of jiffy-reef points, and the backstay is split with a short bridle. The boat carries a PHRF rating between 225 and 231 and a Portsmouth rating of 93.6. One owner reported reefing at about 15 knots when cruising.
Precision doesn’t recommend offshore passages in this design. The boat is intended for sheltered-water and coastal trailering use.
Accommodations
Without a compression post or compartmentalized forward bulkheads, the cabin has an open layout and better-than-average sitting headroom. Facing mid-cabin settees are joined by a sizable quarter berth and a mid-size V-berth.
The hideaway head is forward beneath the V-berth, with a standard porta potti to port beneath the V-berth. Aft to starboard, the galley includes a stainless-steel sink with a manual pump, an ice chest with a teak step, and a two-burner alcohol stove. The large central companionway provides ventilation for the stove.
A V-berth hatch and Lewmar opening ports provide further ventilation. An anchor locker forward and a separate, ventilated gas-can locker aft keep foul and flammable gear isolated.
Cockpit and Deck Gear
The cockpit is nearly seven feet long, with seats incorporated into the stern pulpit and additional stern perch seats aft. Visibility from the seated helm is excellent.
Storage includes a deep lazarette, a shallow lazarette, and three separate lockers. Single lifelines open at the 7 foot 3 inch cockpit. Hardware is Harken throughout, while an angled molded toe rail with non-skid helps the crew move forward.
A battery box is standard, though the battery itself isn’t included. The transom is ready for an outboard, and the trailer uses a 2-inch coupling.
Verdict
The Precision 23 is a well-resolved trailer-sailer that trades offshore ambition for easier daysailing and gunkholing. Its structure produces a stiff, open interior, while its centerboard and rudder foils perform beyond what its length might suggest.
Pros
- Inboard chainplates and a tall fractional mainsail provide strong upwind bite for the boat’s size
- The centerboard keel and kick-up rudder allow access to shallow coves and simplify ramp launching
- The compression-beam structure creates an open, uninterrupted cabin plan
Cons
- The builder advises against offshore passages
- A single mainsail reef point limits flexibility for deeper cruising
