Hello,
I am new to Hobie Cats and have been scanning and searching for a couple of months now for a decent older hobie. Up until now I have been sailing an older 470 and want to add to the range. I mostly sail with my brother-in-law but sometimes like to take others along like my kids or brother or nephew. The trouble with the 470 is that it really isn't meant for more than 2. 3 is very uncomfortable.
I have looked at some hobie 16s as well as a couple of 18s. Recently I saw a listing for an H18 magnum. Right now I am leaning towards H16 as a good, "easy" to rig, inexpensive boat that should be able to handle at least 3 people on. The 18s I looked at weren't in the best condition and seemed like they would be much more difficult to manage from a rigging/unrigging/launching/docking standpoint. We would have to rig and unrig and trailer each time we sail.
Here's the pros and cons that I am seeing right now and I wanted to see if anyone could lend additional "real-world" insight to help guide me.
H16:
pros: lightweight, easy/quick to rig, can handle 3-4 people, less expensive, parts more available, more out there so more people "help" out learning the ropes
cons: stability, safety?, ability to point, speed, older models lack double trap, more prone to the dreaded pitchpole
H18:
pros: larger more buoyant, more room (especially with mag wings), 4 people should fit, daggerboards make it point better
cons: heavier, harder to rig (don't know if I could do it myself with just the kids), harder to right, parts less available, more expensive, daggerboards make it harder to beach or sail to ramp
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My Tornado is faster than any cat I have been on, but the 21 SE with wings with 5-6 adults is the most fun you can have in the summer. 