16 verus 18 Help

I am having trouble trackind down a Newer Hobie 18, so I am looking at new boats. The Tiger is out of my price range, and the 16 seems to fit.

I have sailed a late 70's 18, and was wondering how it would compare to the 16. with respect to the load it can carry, tramp size, fun factor, etc.

I started out on an '86 H16 and moved up to an '82 H18 a few years later.

Here is how I would compare the boats:

1) The 16 is a dryer boat with the rasied tramp.
2) The 18 is faster and has more ways to tune the sail shape
3) The 18 can handle more people with less performance loss (I can put 4 adults on the 18 while the same on a 16 would make me a submarine captain)
4) The 18 has the dagger boards to pay attension to
5) The 16 is easier to set up and sail, especially solo
6) The 18 is heavier and difficult to move around on the beach.

To sum it up, I love the 18 and with 2 people it's a great boat. If I could leave it rigged next to the water it would be perfect. I have been toying with the idea of buying an old 16 so I can sail more often. Since I can solo rig the 16 in about 20 minutes, I won't have to wait for my crew every time I want to go sailing.

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Nick

Current Boat
In the market
Previous boats owned
'74 Pearson 30
'84 H16
'82 H18 Magnum
St. Louis, MO