Precision 165

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The Precision 165 is a small, trailerable American sailboat designed by Jim Taylor as a pocket cruiser. Built by Precision Boat Works in Palmetto, Florida, from 1995 to 2018, it is now out of production. The boat is fiberglass with wood trim and carries 250 pounds of ballast in a fixed shoal keel with a lead bulb and end plates. It displaces 750 pounds and draws 1.75 feet. It has a transom-mounted rudder steered with a tiller and a three-stay fractional Bermuda rig with no spreaders. The total sail area is about 126.6 square feet, split into a mainsail of 77.3 sq ft and a jib/genoa of 49.3 sq ft.

The Precision 165 is 16.42 feet long overall, with a 15.25-foot waterline and a beam of 7.16 feet. It can be fitted with a small outboard motor of 4–6 hp for docking. It includes foam flotation for unsinkability and sleeping space for two on two straight settee berths, with cabin headroom of 42 inches. The hull speed is about 5.2 knots. Reviews note that Jim Taylor brings Cup-level design experience to a small boat; the 165 offers a relatively wide beam, heavier ballast, and a fixed lead keel with end-plates that add stiffness and speed in a breeze, along with straightforward rigging and compact storage. The main drawback is that the fixed keel makes launching at ramps less convenient.