The Precision 15, also called the Precision 15 K (for keel), is an American trailerable

sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminolo ...

, that was designed by Jim Taylor and first built in 1995. A

sailing dinghy Dinghy sailing is the activity of sailing small boats by using five essential controls: * the sails * the foils (i.e. the daggerboard or centreboard and rudder and sometimes lifting foils as found on the Moth) * the trim (forward/rear angle o ...

version with a centerboard and no ballast was also built and designated the Precision 15 CB.

Production

The design was built by Precision Boat Works in

Palmetto, Florida Palmetto is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was listed as 13,323. It is part of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. History A post office called Palmetto ha ...

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from 1995 to 2018. More than 800 examples of both models were produced.

Design

The Precision 15 is a recreational

keelboat A keelboat is a riverine cargo-capable working boat, or a small- to mid-sized recreational sailing yacht. The boats in the first category have shallow structural keels, and are nearly flat-bottomed and often used leeboards if forced in open w ...

, built predominantly of

fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass ( Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass clo ...

, with a

vinyl ester resin Vinyl ester resin, or often just vinyl ester, is a resin produced by the esterification of an epoxy resin with acrylic or methacrylic acids. The "vinyl" groups refer to these ester substituents, which are prone to polymerize and thus an inhibitor is ...

skin coat. It has a fractional sloop rig with

anodized Anodizing is an electrolytic passivation process used to increase the thickness of the natural oxide layer on the surface of metal parts. The process is called ''anodizing'' because the part to be treated forms the anode electrode of an electr ...

aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It ha ...

spars and a hinged mast step. The hull has a

raked stem The stem is the most forward part of a boat or ship's bow and is an extension of the keel itself. It is often found on wooden boats or ships, but not exclusively. Description The stem is the curved edge stretching from the keel below, up to ...

, a plumb transom, a transom-hung, kick-up

rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (generally air or water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adve ...

controlled by a wooden

tiller A tiller or till is a lever used to steer a vehicle. The mechanism is primarily used in watercraft, where it is attached to an outboard motor, rudder post or stock to provide leverage in the form of torque for the helmsman to turn the rudder. ...

, with a tiller extension and a fixed

keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in Br ...

. The boat has foam flotation, a

boom vang A boom vang (US) or kicking strap (UK) (often shortened to "vang" or "kicker") is a line or piston system on a sailboat used to exert downward force on the boom and thus control the shape of the sail. The Collins English Dictionary defines it ...

and

jib A jib is a triangular sail that sets ahead of the foremast of a sailing vessel. Its tack is fixed to the bowsprit, to the bows, or to the deck between the bowsprit and the foremost mast. Jibs and spinnakers are the two main types of headsail ...

tracks. The design displaces and carries of ballast. The boat has a draft of , enabling ground transportation on a trailer. The manufacturer lists the boat's design goals as "safety, stability, reliable handling, and sprightly speed under sail". An optional mount may be fitted for a small

outboard motor An outboard motor is a propulsion system for boats, consisting of a self-contained unit that includes engine, gearbox and propeller or jet drive, designed to be affixed to the outside of the transom. They are the most common motorised method ...

for docking and maneuvering.

Operational history

In a 2003 review of the Precision 15 K by

naval architect This is the top category for all articles related to architecture and its practitioners. {{Commons category, Architecture occupations Design occupations Occupations Occupation commonly refers to: *Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role ...

Robert Perry, he wrote, "the target market for this boat could be family day-sailing, but the 15 would also make a very nice trainer. The hull is broad enough to provide stability without acrobatics. At 600 pounds the boat is also light enough to be fast and responsive. The broad and flattish sections aft mean that the 15 will be stable off the wind in a breeze. In light air you can move crew weight forward and get the tail out of the water to reduce wetted surface. The keel is a bulb-end plate-type with a draft of only 1 foot, 8 inches. The rudder is considerably deeper than the keel. I'd like to see a deeper keel, but I realize that Taylor and Precision have become very adept at doing these minimal-draft appendages."

References

External links

* {{Trailer sailers and Trailer yachts worldwide Keelboats 1990s sailboat type designs Two-person sailboats Sailboat types built in the United States Sailboat type designs by Jim Taylor Yacht Designs Sailboat types built by Precision Boat Works

Production

Design

Operational history

See also

References

External links