Important

As you know, blistering is a problem plaguing the boating industry today. Precision Boat Works is extremely careful to use methods and materials which reduce the chances of blistering, yet there seems to be no material or method that completely insures freedom from blistering.
Precision Boat Works recommends that you apply an epoxy barrier coat and bottom paint to your hull BEFORE use if your boat will be in the water for any period of time. It is equally as important that you follow paint manufacturer's recommendation for proper surface preparation prior to painting.

Caution

Do not begin rigging or operating your boat until you have read and understood all of the following instructions.

Safety Information

You must comply with all US Coast Guard rules and regulations while sailing. Obtain details from your dealer, USCG or Coast Guard Auxiliary office.
The mast, stays, and all other parts of sailboats, following general boat industry practice, are not grounded. Should your sailboat be struck by lightning or make contact with power lines, substantial injury may result to the occupants. We recommend that if you wish to be protected from possible lightning injury you have your sailboat grounded by a reputable boatyard as recommended by the American Boat and yacht Council of New York. Whether or not your boat is grounded, when lightning is present in your boating area, contact with the mast, stays and other metallic objects should be avoided.
When operating your sailboat on waterways, charts should be regularly consulted for presence of navigational hazards. Keep an eye out for the presence of overhead power lines when launching and trailing your boat.
A standard textbook, such as Chapman's Piloting, Seamanship and Small Boat Handling will furnish information on boating rules safety and procedures.

Mast and Rigging Assembly

Before assembling the mast and rigging, lay the mast horizontally on saw horses or other supports.

Spreaders

Shrouds

The Precision 15 has two shrouds, port and starboard. Each shroud has a jaw fitting at the upper end and an eye fitting at the lower end. The shrouds are attached to the mast by placing the jaw fittings over the tangs on each side of the mast and fastening them in place with clevis pins and cotter pins. The cotter pins should be located on the under side of the tangs to prevent tearing the sails. Loosen the set screw at the outer end of each spreader, lead the shrouds down through the slots in the outer ends of the spreaders, then tighten the set screws to hold the shrouds in place.

Forestay

The forestay has a jaw fitting at the upper end and a screw adjuster with a jaw fitting at the lower end. Place the upper jaw fitting over the forestay tang on the front of the mast above the jib halyard block, and secure it in place with a clevis pin and cotter pin. The cotter pin should be located underneath the tang.

Main Halyard

Pull the free end (not the shackle end) of the main halyard from back to front over the sheaves in the masthead fitting and down forward of the mast and spreaders to the foot of the mast. Keeping the shackle end aft of the mast and spreaders, tie both ends of the halyard to the starboard mast cleat.

Jib Halyard

Pull the free end (not the shackle end)of the jib halyard from front to back over the block attached to the front of the mast just under the forestay tang, and down to the bottom of the mast. Keeping both ends of the halyard forward of the mast and spreaders, tie them to the port mast cleat.

Preparing to Step the Mast

Two people are needed to step the mast. Before moving the mast to the boat make sure that the shrouds, forestay and halyards run freely to the bottom of the mast. Lay the mast along the top of the boat with the masthead at the stern, the foot of the mast at the bow and jib halyard block facing up.

Attaching the Shrouds to the   Chainplates

Find the two shroud adjusters in the equipment package. slip the jaws of one shroud adjuster over each chainplate ring (located on each side of the deck aft of the tabernacle mount) so that the open ends of the adjuster face up. place the eye fitting at the lower end of the port shroud adjuster and fasten it in place with a clevis pin and cotter ring, using the third hole from the top in the shroud adjuster. Do the same with the starboard shroud and starboard shroud adjuster. Be sure that the shrouds are not twisted around the mast, spreaders or other rigging. The clevis pins may have to be relocated later in different holes in the shroud adjusters, for proper tuning.

CAUTION! MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO UTILITY WIRES OVERHEAD OR BETWEEN THE BOAT AND THE LAUNCHING SITE. RIGGING OR MAST CONTACT WITH ELECTRIC WIRES CAN BE DANGEROUS AND POSSIBLY FATAL.

Attaching The Mast to the   Tabernacle

Move the mast aft until the foot is even with the tabernacle mount on the deck. One person on the ground at the rear of the boat should support the rear (top) end of the mast at this point. slide the step pins at the foot of the mast forward and down into the slots in the tabernacle mount.

Raising The Mast

One person standing in the cockpit can raise the mast to a vertical position while the other person watches to see that none of the rigging is kinked or tangled as the mast goes up. Do not let the mast sway to either side while raising it. When the mast is vertical the step pins will slide to the lowermost position in the tabernacle slots and the mast will sit squarely in the tabernacle. While one person holds the mast upright, the other pulls the forestay to the bow, being sure it is not tangled around other rigging, and attaches the forestay screw adjuster jaws to the center hole in the bow chainplate with a clevis pin and cotter ring.

Note: If the mast cannot be raised because the shrouds are too tight, move the clevis pins in both shroud adjusters to the next higher hole. The pins should always be in matching holes in port and starboard shroud adjusters.

Installing the Boom

Holding the boom with the sail track uppermost and the gooseneck forward, insert  the gooseneck blade into the entry slot in the mast track and let it slide down into place. The downhaul ring on the gooseneck should be lowermost. The end of the boom may then be held up out of the cockpit by shackling the main halyard to the cap at the after end of the boom. Pull the bitter end of the halyard until the boom is high enough, then tie it to the starboard mast cleat.

Downhaul

Attach the downhaul line to the ring on the under side of the gooseneck with a bowline and tie the lower end to the cleat at the bottom of the mast.

Rigging the Mainsheet

Using a bowline, tie one end of the mainsheet to the pin located on top of the forward mainsheet block on the centerboard trunk. Lead the other end of the mainsheet up and from back to front over the forward mainsheet block on the boom, then down and from front to back under the mainsheet block on the centerboard trunk, then up and from front to back over the after side of the mainsheet block on the boom, then down under the block on the mainsheet cam cleat on the centerboard trunk and through the cam cleat which will hold it in place. To release the mainsheet from the jaws of the cleat, pull it back and up. Tie a stopper knot in the bitter end of the mainsheet to prevent it from running back out through the blocks when released from the cleat.

Assembling the Boom Vang

The vang assembly consists of a double block at the upper end, a jam/fiddle block at the lower end and a line with an eye splice at one end. Shackle the double block to the eye strap on the under side of the boom. Shackle the jam/fiddle block to the eye strap at the bottom of the mast. secure the line eye to the pin in the top of the jam/fiddle block, up and from back to front through the other side of the double block, down and from front to back through the lower sheave in the jam/fiddle block and out through the jam cleat. Be sure the line is not twisted and runs freely through the blocks. Tie a stopper knot in the bitter end of the line so it cannot run back out through the blocks when released from the jam cleat.

Tuning the Rigging

When properly tuned the mast should be vertical and the shrouds and forestay fairly taut but not bar-tight. If, after the mast is raised, the shrouds are extremely slack, move the clevis pin in each shroud adjuster to the next lower hole. The screw adjuster at the bottom of the forestay may be turned to tighten or loosen the forestay if the mast leans forward or backward.

De-Rigging

Two people can lower the mast for tailoring. Remove the mainsheet from its blocks, leaving it attached to the lower block and coiling it in the cockpit. Remove the boom vang assembly. Untie the downhaul from the mast cleat, slide the boom gooseneck up out of the slot in the mast track and place the boom in the cockpit. Holding the mast, unfasten the forestay from the bow chainplate, leaving the clevis pin and cotter ring in the screw adjuster jaws. Lower the mast to the rear and remove the step pins from the tabernacle. Tie or tape the shrouds, forestay and halyards to the main mast and secure the mast on top of the boat.

Re-Tuning

Occasionally recheck the tuning since rigging tends to stretch slightly over time. Loose shrouds or forestay will result in poor sailing performance.

Mounting the Rudder

The rudder and tiller are factory-assembled. Mount the complete rudder assembly on the boat by placing the top and bottom gudgeons of the rudder cheeks over the pintles on the transom of the boat. Insert the hairpin cotter pin into the hole in the upper pintle to lock the rudder in place. The rudder blade can be held up or down by tightening the locking bar on the port side of the rudder cheeks. It should be in the up position when launching or loading the boat on the trailer. Turn the swivel bolt so that the locking bar faces away from the transom when locked.

Operating the Centerboard   (Centerboard 15 only)

The centerboard is held in the centerboard trunk by a pin that permits the board to swing up and down. The centerboard pennant runs up through a hole in the top of the centerboard trunk and is secured to a cleat just aft of the hole. Pull the pennant to raise the centerboard and cleat it to hold the board in the up position. Ease out the pennant to let the centerboard drop to its lowest position. To avoid damage, do not let the centerboard drop without tension on the pennant. The centerboard may be adjusted to any positioning between, and must be in the up position while launching or loading the boat on the trailer, or while sailing in shoal areas. The centerboard must be fully down for most efficient sailing, particularly to windward.

Bending On the Sails

Always raise or lower the mainsail with the boat facing into the wind so that the sail does not hang up in the mast track or on the spreaders. The jib can be raised or lowered on any point of sail.

Rigging the Mainsail

Unfold the mainsail, remembering how it was folder so you can easily rebag it later, and slide the battens into the three batten pockets sewed into the leech of the sail. The short battens go in the upper and lower pockets and the long batten goes in the center pocket. Be sure each batten sits in the elastic loop in the front of the batten pocket, and is fully seated in the rear of the pocket so that it cannot fall out. Remove the battens before refolding and bagging the sail. There is a boltrope running along the foot of the mainsail. Put the after end of the boltrope into the forward end of the track on top of the boom, then slide the sail back until the entire boltrope is in the track and the sail is secured to the boom. Run the tack shackle pin on top of the gooseneck through the tack cringle on the forward end of the sail foot and secure it with the cotter ring. Using a bowline, tie the outhaul line to the clew cringle in the after end of the sail foot. Run the bitter end aft through the outhaul block on the boom cap then forward to the cleat on the starboard side of the boom. Pull the outhaul line tight until there are no wrinkles in the foot of the mainsail, then secure it to the cleat with a figure 8 hitch.

Note: While rigging sails, always hold on to both ends of the halyard until both shackle and bitter end are secured to sails and/or cleats. otherwise you may have to lower the mast to retrieve or re-rig the end that flew up to the masthead.

The main halyard is secured to the starboard mast cleat with the shackle end falling aft of the mast and spreaders. Be sure the halyard is not twisted around the mast, spreaders or other rigging and attach the shackle to the cringle in the headboard of the mainsail. Hold on to the bitter end of the halyard. Fasten it to its mast cleat if you are not immediately raising the mainsail.

Raising the Mainsail

Release the mainsheet from its camcleat and release the boom vang and downhaul lines. Raise the mainsail with the main halyard, feeding the luff boltrope into the mast track as the sail goes up. Raise the sail as far as it will go to the top of the mast and tie the halyard to the starboard mast cleat with a figure 8 hitch. Pull the boom gooseneck down in the mast track with the downhaul line to the after mast cleat. If the mainsail does not go to the top of the mast, the mainsheet, boom vang or downhaul may still be cleated or the boltrope not properly set in the track.
The boom and mainsail can be trimmed in or out by pulling or releasing the mainsheet and cleating it in the desired position.

Rigging the Jib

Using the tack shackle, secure the jib tack cringle at the forward end of the jib foot to the rearmost hole in the bow chainplate, then attach the snap hanks on the jib luff to the forestay starting with the bottom hank. Do not skip a hank or twist the jib.
Bring both ends of the jibsheet together evenly. Push the resulting loop at the center of the jibsheet three or four inches through the clew cringle at the after end of the jib foot. Pull the two sheet ends together through the loop to form a knot. Pull the knot tight so that the sheet cannot slip out of the clew cringle. Lead the two sheet ends aft, one on the port side and one on the starboard side, aside the shrouds and through the jib fairlead and cam cleat located on each side of the cockpit. Put a stopper knot on the end of each sheet to prevent it from running back through the fairlead when released from the cleat. The jib halyard is secured to the port mast cleat with both ends forward of the mast and spreaders. Be sure the halyards is not twisted around the mast, spreaders or other rigging and attach the shackle to the cringle at the head of the jib. Hold on to the other end of the halyard. Fasten it to its mast cleat if you are not immediately raising the jib.

Raising the Jib

Pull the jib up the forestay with the bitter end of the jib halyard as far as possible until the luff of the sail has no wrinkles, then secure the halyard to the port mast cleat with a figure 8 hitch. When sailing, the jib is trimmed in or out with the leeward jibsheet which is then cleated in the leeward camcleat. The windward jibsheet should be uncleated and slack. When tacking, release the cleated end of the jibsheet from its cleat as the bow of the boat comes through the wind, then pull it in and cleat it in and cleat it on the opposite (leeward) side.

Sail Trim

Proper sail trim will give your boat better performance. Trim your sails for your point of sail (your course with reference to the wind) by letting out the mainsheet and jib sheet until the flutter stops and the sail is full, then do the same with the mainsheet. If both mainsheet and jibsheet are pulled in tight (close-hauled) and the boat is not moving well, slack off the sheets until the boat starts moving.

The jibsheet cleats are mounted on cars which can be moved inboard or outboard on tracks. In general, they should be moved inboard when beating into the wind, outboard when running  with the wind behind you and about midway on the track when reaching with the wind on your beam. They should be adjusted so that there is no twist near the top of the jib.

For more speed going downwind, slack off both the outhaul and downhaul as well as the sheets. Pull everything tight again as you beat higher into the wind. The boom vang can be adjusted to hold the boom level when sailing off the wind, or to let the boom rise and the upper part of the mainsail twist and spill air in heavier wind. In really heavy air, drop the jib sail with the main sail alone for better control of the boat.

Telltales (optional)

These are six-inch signal lengths of yarn or tape tied to the shrouds about six feet above the deck, to determine apparent wind direction. A wind pennant or vane on the masthead is also useful . Six inch pieces of yarn taped to both sides of the jib eight inches back from the luff and sixteen inches above the deck are excellent trim guides. If the boat is pointing too high into the wind the windward telltale will flutter upward and if the boat is pointing too low the leeward telltale will flutter. Both jib telltales should stream back evenly. If they don't, adjust your sail trim until they do. Telltales are essential for sailboat racing, and can also be used on the mainsail.

Cockpit Drains

The Precision 15 has a self-baling cockpit which permits any water taken aboard to drain out through two holes in the transom. These holes should be open at all times. there is also a third drain hole with a plug to get rid of any water that seeps in between the double hulls. This  plug should be inserted and locked in place before the boat is put in the water.

Fiberglass Repairs

Although fiberglass is a relatively simple material to work with, we urge that you familiarize yourself with the proper procedures in order to get good results. The surface color (gel coat) should be cleaned and waxed at least twice a year to maintain its luster. The color may fade due to weathering, and if ordinary cleaning does not bring the color back, apply a regular automotive compound followed by waxing.

Leaking

In the course of normal use, should leaks develop through hardware fastenings or hull and deck joints, they can be easily fixed by applying a good marine sealant and tightening all screws.

Sails

Dry and fold all sails carefully after each use and, if used on salt water, always wash them with fresh water. Fold by stretching out the sail on a clean surface, and starting at the foot with someone at both clew and tack, make one-foot folds by bringing the head down towards the foot gradually and evenly. Finally, fold from clew to tack or vice-versa. Keep the sails in their sailbag when not in use.

Woodwork

Teak can be either oiled or varnished, and should be oiled at least once a month to prevent splitting.