I am 6'2" and 250lbs. I learned to sail on an H16. I did not take lessons, instead just read a book. It took me a while to learn all the little tricks so I would reccommend finding someone who knows catamarans to give you some pointers. My crew was also my size and at time we had a third person on board who was 5'10" and 180 lbs. Granted we didn't go really fast with the three of us on board, but it still worked.
With just me and my crew in a good wind (about 18-20 kts) with the crew on the wire we could still fly a hull.
The H16 is a great boat to learn on. It is very simple, very sturdy, and almost every cat sailor has sailed one. There is lots of free advice and low cost parts out there.
You will probably be able to sell that H16 in a few years for the same price you bought it at.
The main difference betweenthe Getaway and the H16 is the typr of sailing you want to do. The H16 is a performance boat. It goes fast and can be very challenging to race. The Getaway is a "crusing" boat. You can still go faster thatn the monos but not as fast as the H16. You can still fly a hull and even have one person trap out. The getaway is a more comfortable boat that is designed to take a group of people out. The Getaway's hulls handle beach rash better than the classic fiberglass, but if damage does occur are harder to fix.
My advice is to get the H16 now, learn to sail it. In two years look again at the Getaway. If the H16 doesn't fit your sailing needs, sell it for about $1000 then move to the Getaway or another boat that fits your needs. I would not start on an H18 unless you find a really good deal on it. It is a more technical boat than the H16 and not as sturdy.
Bottom line, get on the water ASAP.
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