Estimated used sale price P18 description inside

[eaglecreeksailor22]

Hello all, I have ran a cross a 1986 P18, no motor, on standard galvanized trailer. Original sails in good condition, with genoa BUT no genoa hardware on the boat. Has never been bottom painted and shows very little use.
I am in an area with three large sailing clubs and most boats are in the 22-27 foot range, very few smaller boats to get a sample of used market. Please tell me your thoughts on fair price in your part of the country. Thanks, Rich P165 currantly.

[Riggerdood]

Hmmm ... good question Rich. Afraid I can't be of much help, because out here in SoCal, Precisions in general are few and far between. And a quick search of the various online marketplaces shows none for sale anywhere near here.

How much is the seller asking?

[eaglecreeksailor22]

The asking price is $4300, here in central Indiana Catalina 22 & 25's are the most common boats on the market and $3-5K will buy a mid 80's. With 3 large sail clubs with in 50 miles and each with 200+ wet slips for rent not a lot of trailer sailors, only ones waiting for a wet slip. Hard to get a feel for used prices, although there Was  Precision dealer in Indianapolis for several years, several 21 and 23's around.

[tjspiel]

Prices can be all over the place. I bought a very similar condition '86 P-18 for $2500 early in the pandemic 3 years ago. But a few months later I'm sure I would have paid quite a lot more as people started buying up any kind of recreational equipment they could get their hands on.

Asking price was $4,000 with an outboard. I offered $2,500 for the boat without the outboard since I can't use it on our lake anyway. He took the deal.

This is in Minnesota. Precisions aren't that hard to find here but they are in demand. A rumor started that I was thinking of selling my boat (which was partly true at the time) and I had people asking me about it left and right.

About the genoa hardware, those early P-18s only had two extra small blocks mounted on the stanchions to accommodate a Genoa. The sheets were routed to those blocks, then back forward to the normal jib sheet blocks, then back to the cleats.

My had the blocks, but not the sail. I thought they were standard but if yours are missing, $50 should get you what you need unless you want high end blocks. Of course you might want tracks and all that.

If I were selling my boat today, with the furler and the new sails I'd ask $5,000 but I'd be content with $4,000.

A local used sailboat retailer has a '91 Precision for $8,600 with an outboard so $5,000 doesn't seem too far out of line.

[eaglecreeksailor22]

Very simple fix for the Genoa hardware, the less holes in my boats the less potential leaks! My Catalina 25 had 4ft tracts and I always kept the cars in the middle when running the 150, either half right or half wrong?

[Captain Kidd]

Hey, Eaglecreek, just curious. Did you make an offer on the boat?

I've bought three pocket cruisers over the years and have done a lot of "window shopping". Precisions seem to go for more than many other makes. I would think their asking price is in the ballpark. You can always offer less. Worst they can say is no.

BTW my daughter lives in Greenwood. They don't sail but sure sounds like they always have wind. She was my crew many times when she young and still at home.

[Brian N.]

Can't advise you on price, as so much depends upon condition. Years ago when I was looking I had a "short list" of boats brand and models that I was interested in, but some were not available on the east coast but most I did look at were real dogs, and I was not looking for a project boat. On one boat I pulled up the hatch board (wood) and it broke in my hand, and the owner insisted I pay for it! Another boat sailed kind of "wonky" and the owner told me he removed the swing keel and glassed over the bottom! So be careful! Soft decks, worn running and standing rigging, rust stains at stanchions, moldy smells, stains on chain plates, bedsheets for sails, are bad signs. Start the outboard too! Take a test sail if you can arrange it, and bring a knowledgeable friend.

[eaglecreeksailor22]

Thanks Brian, all good advice. I really like the one about keel removed and glassed over.

[eaglecreeksailor22]

Captain Kidd small world,
I also live in the Greenwood area! No I did not make an offer on the P18, I decided not enough difference between it and My P165 to make a move. The P165 I bought is a 1996 that had 2 yr old sails, furler and all running rigging replaced and the owner only sailed it a few times. Also has a newer 3.5 Tahotsu LS which I still am trying to learn the temperment of starting the beast. It is in the water at Eagle Creek sail club which I am a 20+ year member who has re-joined after a 10 yr hiatus from sailing.

[johnandcandace]

Prices are hard to determine, and finding any light trailerable sailboat now days is near impossible. You can settle for whatever you find, or if you're picky, you can look, possibly for years.
Historical listings can help give a typical price range.
Sailing Texas keeps such a list. Find it at  https://www.sailingtexas.com/cboats99precision.html
Last Precision 18 we saw listed was in Colorado a couple months ago. Can't remember age or price, but condition was very good.
You just have to keep looking. We looked nationwide for 3 years. Wanted a Montgomery 17, then widened our search to anything from 15 to 20'. Found more Com Pacs than any other boat, but all on east coast. In our third year of looking, Oct 2021, two Precision 18s listed on Craigslist, one in Spokane, one in Boise. We bought the Boise boat immediately. Pulled it home to Yakima WA. Have seen only a couple Precision listings since then.
Good Luck

[Roland of Macatawa]

eaglecreeksailor22:

I've been working through starting/stalling/restarting issues on a lightly used 10-year-old Tohatsu 6hp Sailpro outboard.
If your issues are similar, I'd be happy to explain what I've learned.
The choke & throttle interaction is not very sophisticated and contributed to my problems.

And btw, the first sailboat I owned (nearly 50 years ago) was a Hobie-14 which I sailed on Lake Monroe, Bloomington, IN.
At that time I lived in Columbus IN while working for Cummins Engine Co.
Bought it in the Spring-time, from a guy in Muncie IN who needed $ to pay his income taxes.

If you wish, PM me or start a separate discussion thread (maybe outside of the Precision sub-forum.)

Regards, Roland