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 sawhorses or other supports. When the boat is shipped, most rigging parts are identified with removable tags.

Spreaders
The spreaders are shipped taped to the mast. Attach each spreader by placing the open end of the spreader over the tank on the mast. Fasten each spreader in place with the machine screw and nut provided, with the screw going in from the top. The rounded edge of the spreaders face forward, the tapered edge aft.

Shrouds
There are two sets of shrouds, tagged "uppers" (longer) and "lowers" (shorter). Each has a T-ball fitting at the top and a turnbuckle at the bottom. The shrouds are attached to the mast by inserting the T-ball fittings sideways in the upper and lower sockets on each side of the mast and then turning the shrouds downward to lock the T-balls. Rubber mast plugs are then inserted in the sockets above each T-ball to hold them in place. The upper shrouds are led down through the slots in the outer ends of the spreaders and held in place with retaining wire wrapped run through the small holes in the spreaders and wrapped around the shrouds. The wire should then be covered with sea-tape or spreader boots to avoid snagging the sails. Note: When tape or other protective wrapping is used to cover fittings, be sure to inspect under it for corrosion from time to time; water may collect there.

Backstay
The backstay has a swaged eye fitting at the upper end and a turnbuckle and jaw fitting at the lower end. Place the eye fitting in the masthead fitting, lining it up with the outer hold. Secure it with the clevis pin and cotter pin.

Topping Lift
Place the eye at one end of the topping lift inside the masthead fitting just in front of the backstay, lining up the eye with the holes forward of the backstay holes. Secure it in place with the clevis pin and cotter pin. The topping lift is used at the aft end of the boom to hold it up out of the cockpit when bending on or removing the mainsail. The topping lift can be left attached while you sail; it will loosen up when the mainsail is raised.

Forestay
The same procedure is used for the forestay as for the shrouds. Insert the T--ball at the upper end of the forestay sideways into the socket in the front of the mast above the jib halyard block. Turn the forestay downward to lock the T-ball and insert a rubber mast plug above the T-ball to hold it in place.

Main and Jib Halyards
Untie the main halyard messenger line at the masthead fitting and tape it to the free end (not the shackle end) of the main (longer) halyard. Being sure the halyard is pulled from back to front over the block in the masthead fitting, pull the messenger line out from the bottom of the mast,bringing the halyard down through the mast and out the starboard slot at the bottom. Keeping the shackle end aft of the spreaders, secure both ends of the halyard to the starboard mast cleat. Discard the messenger line. Untie the messenger line from the jib halyard block located in the front of the mast just below the forestay fitting and tape it to the free end (not the shackle end) of the jib (shorter) halyard. Pull the messenger line and the halyard down through the mast and out the port slot at the bottom of the mast. Keeping the shackle end forward of the spreaders, secure both ends of the halyard to the port mast cleat. Discard the messenger line.

Backstay Bridle
Fasten the two lower jaws of the backstay bridle to the two tangs on top of the transom of the boat at either side of the rudder. Secure them with clevis pins and cotter pins. When the bridle is correctly installed and held upright, the big hole in the triangle plate will face forward. If the rudder is already installed, make sure the tiller passes through the two parts of the bridle.

Positioning the Mast on the Boat
Before moving the mast into position, make sure that the shrouds, forestay, backstay and halyards run freely to the bottom of the mast, and are not twisted around each other. Temporarily secure them by tying them with line or tape around the lower end of the mast. Lay the mast on top of the boat, if you have done the first steps on the ground, with the foot of the mast over the bow on the bow pulpit and the masthead on a stern pulpit, and the jib halyard block facing up.

Attaching the Shrouds to the Chainplates
Loosen both shafts of each turnbuckle at the lower end of the shrouds, backstay and forestay equally. About one-half inch of top and bottom screw thread should show inside the turnbuckle. Upper shrouds are secured to the outer hole in each chainplate and lower shrouds are secured to the inner hold. Be sure the shrouds are free and not twisted, then fasten their turnbuckle jaws to the chainplates on the deck on each side of the mast with their clevis pins, from front to back, secured by cotter pins. Cotter pins should be at the after side of the chainplates to avoid catching on the sails.

Connecting Backstay and Bridle
Fasten the backstay turnbuckle jaws to the top hole in the triangle plate of the backstay bridle with a clevis pin secured by a cotter pin.

Stepping the Mast
Unless you have a trailer prepared for the Precision 23 mast-raising system, two people may be needed to step the mast. Make sure that the backstay cannot catch on anything as the mast goes up. Also be sure that the shrouds are looped aft along the side decks, including the turnbuckles, so that they will not kink or tangle with anything. The upper shrouds should be fairly taut between the spreaders and the tangs on the mast. 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 just aft of the tabernacle mount on the cabin top. One person at the rear of the boat (or a mast crutch secured at the transom) should support the rear (top) end of the mast as the mast is moved aft. Slide the step pins at the foot of the mast all the way forward into the slots in the tabernacle mount.

Raising the Mast
As the mast goes up, do not let it lean to either side. Keep it lined up with the centerline of the boat. Watch to see that none of the rigging gets kinked or tangled. When mast is vertical, the step pins at the base of the mast will slide to the lowermost position in the tabernacle slots and the mast will sit squarely in the tabernacle. One person holds the mast forward, keeping the shrouds and backstay taut, while the other frees up the forestay and the shackle end of the jib halyard, taking them forward to the bow, making sure they are not tangled with other rigging.

Caution! Be sure to keep the mast supported by pushing or pulling it
forward against the tension of the shrouds and backstay until the
forestay is attached or the mast will fall.

To facilitate this operation and make it safer, the forward person
fastens the jib halyard to the bow pulpit by taking it around the top rail near the bow light and clipping it back on itself with the shackle. Make sure the other end of the halyard is secured before you do this, either to a cleat low on the port side of the mast, or through the port turning blocks on the cabin top, back along the hatch sliderails through the halyard clutch. Tie a figure-eight knot in the bitter end of the halyard. Take up snugly on the jib halyard and cleat it again. The forestay can then be easily and safely fastened to the stem fitting (bow chainplate). Make sure that the forestay turnbuckle is taken up the same number of turns on each end, with just a thread or two showing on each end inside the turnbuckle barrel. Fasten the lower end of the turnbuckle to the forward strap on the stem fitting with the clevis pin and cotter pin provided. Turn the barrel until the rigging is tight -- as you tighten the forestay, the backstay will become tight, too. Be sure to keep the forestay end of the turnbuckle from turning as you tighten. Tighten firmly, but not so much that the mast bends. You can check by sighting up the back of the mast from the side. To make the last few turns, you may have to sue a wrench or vice-grip pliers at the flat spot on the upper turnbuckle screw, and turn the barrel of the turnbuckle with a fid or screwdriver. Insert a cotter pin in each screw of the turnbuckle and open the cotter pin. Take everything up snug, but not bar tight. See Tuning the Rig below.

Installing the Boom
Remove the aircraft nut and bolt from the after end of the gooseneck on the mast. Holding the boom with the sail groove on top and the gooseneck forward, place the boom gooseneck jaws over the gooseneck fitting on the mast. Replace the bolt through the boom jaw holes and the gooseneck holes and snug up with the aircraft nut. Tighten the nut securely. The boom may be held up out of the cockpit by passing the topping lift line through the after hole in the rear boom cap and belaying it to the nearby cleat on the starboard side of the boom.

Rigging the Mainsheet
Attach the upper fiddle block shackle to the swivel tang at the aft end of the boom, using the clevis pin and cotter ring to secure it. The larger sheave should be uppermost. Attach the jaws at the bottom of the lower fiddle block with a cam cleat to the large hole in the triangle plate on the backstay, using the clevis pin and cotter ring to secure it. The large sheave and cam cleat should be lowermost. Secure the mainsheet to the upper end of the lower fiddle block by passing the pin and plastic sleeve through the eye splice in the mainsheet. Secure the pin with the cotter ring. Feed the free end of the mainsheet from front to back over the small sheave in the upper fiddle block, down and from back to front under the small sheave in the lower fiddle block and through the cam cleat eye strap. Tie a figure-eight knot in the bitter end of the sheet so it can't run out. To cleat the mainsheet where you want it, pull it up through the jaws of the cam cleat. To release it, pull it down out of the jaws. the cam cleat bracket can be turned over so that the cleat jaws face up, if you find that suits your sailing style better.

Rigging the Boom Vang (Optional)
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 in 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 with the jam cleat facing aft. Insert the pin at the top of the jam/fiddle block through the eye in the line and make it fast. Lead the bitter end of the line up and from back to front through one side of the double block on the boom, down and from front to back through the upper sheave of the jam/fiddle block, up and from back to front 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 in the blocks. Tie a stopper knot in the end of the line so it cannot run back through. Some people prefer to reverse the vang, so that it is tightened by pulling down from the boom. Try it both ways to see which you prefer.

Previous owners, Fred Eldridge and Robert Lunsford cleaned up and upgraded the boat's equipment before it changed hands. The boat was sanded and new ablative blue bottom paint was applied in 2005. 

The bottom looks great and has no blisters. 

There was some minor blistering on the rudder, but that is normal on P23's, they concluded.  

The plywood bulkheads were removed for inspection since there was evidence of rainwater getting in around the chainplates. The bulkheads were solid with no rot, and the edges of the plywood were sealed with WEST epoxy to prevent damage in case of future leaks.  The cabin saloon was in excellent condition. The cushions are all good and the covers are clean and unstained.  There are no funky or moldy smells in this boat.  The foredeck hatch was removed and resealed with silicon sealer.

The main switch panel and the battery were replaced. All the electrical lights & components function, including the newly installed Apelco marine radio. A new antenna was mounted on the masttop.  A new, Hummingbird depthsounder was installed.  The sensor was installed internally to the hull since the hull is solid fiberglass (so there is no thru-hull for that). The Nissan motor has a charging circuit for the main battery. The outboat motor is a Nissan 8 hp, 2 cycle, long shaft, electric start about the same age as the boat.  The previous owners replaced the starter solenoid, and put in new plugs and generally cleaned and serviced the motor in 2005 and claimed that those Nissan motors were built by Tohotsu and may be the best 2 cycles on the market. We found that although the electrical start was not always effective due to high humidity or low battery power the pull start never failed and the motor always worked.  This engine runs flawlessly, indeed. There are some scratches on the engine hood but this only adds character to this powertrain.

All the wood work on the outside of the boat was removed, sanded and refinished with epoxy and spar varnish in 2005.  It looks great.  The newly replaced companionway drop boards are made of nicely grained plywood, WEST epoxy coated and spar varnished.  The hull was machine buffed and polished and still looks good.

The boat has now a galvanized Performance Trailer that was built for Precision 23's.  It has dual axles with surge brakes on one axle.  From my observing slipping the boat to and from and comparing to some other trailers on the marina - I don't want to have another one; it works effortlessly, does not put any strain on the boat or operator.  It fits like a glove.

The sails are original, but good with no rips or tears. The spars are in excellent condition, and the running and standing rigging are excellent.  The main and jib halyards run aft to the cockpit.

The boat has 6+ personal flotation devices, a horn, a 2-way radio, a small fire extinguisher, and a manually operated, built-in bilge pump. These things are all that is needed for lake sailing unless one wants to go sailing on one of the Great Lakes like Lake Erie.  Flares, dye markers, epirbs, dinghies, etc, are not needed for lake sailing. A small mirror is always useful on a boat for signaling if all the other signaling devices fail and it is still daylight. A flashlight serves many purposes on a small boat, too.  The boat also has six fenders, dock lines and an anchor & anchor rode ( 3/8 " nylon rope).

P-23 is a well designed boat. It has a large cockpit and the roomy open cabin.  The boat sails and handles well in light breezes or a hard blow, although we found that crew of 4 is optimal for good balance in tougher conditions.

Any small sailboat such as this one can be sailed single-handed without any special rigging or equipment.  Our boat has a "tiller tamer" device installed.

Having the jib halyard led to the cockpit allows one to rig the jib and leave it on the deck until well clear of the dock or launching ramp. To hoist the jib simply pull on the halyard.  Some prefer the main halyard is better cleated to the mast, but this boat has the main halyard led aft, as well. 

A new mast-top with additional pulley has been added in 2008 allowing to fly our new gennaker sail.