Which boat for getting back into sport?

First of all, welcome to the Beach Cats

The H18 is still a great boat, with lots of parts available, same deal with most all Nacras. The Prindles you will have only slightly more trouble finding parts for. My suggestion is stick with what you know, the H18, cause its a great boat, and word is there is going to be another production run on the 18s out of Australia (should help with boat and parts prices). This said, however, you can't lose with any Nacra, I would go for a 5.2 though, or the newer 500 model.
Now depending on how much you can spend, there are other options, such as a F16, which is practically sex on water. It is an amazingly fast and beautiful cat, but is more money (much more).
The other option outside of the symmetrical hulls is the Hobie 16, but it sounds as if you have the experience that the 16 will end up not providing the thrills.
Best of luck, and any more questions you have there's lots of experience on this forum.

Thanks for the input. I am leaning to another H18 (84 year model or later as these are significantly lighter), however it really depends on what comes up on the market. Most of the boats offered for sale in SoCal and AZ have been exposed to the elements for a decade or more. The extreme UV in our climate really takes a toll on the structural integrity of the hulls and everything else. As such I am looking for a boat that has been stored inside.

That is a nice shot of your H18. Was that taken on Lake Michigan?
Best Regards,
Greeves

Should you be interested in a P19, I have one which I plan on selling. It's in Marina Del Rey mast-up storage, but under a boat cover. Good shape, very fast, MX upgrades (crisp main and good rudders), new roller furling last year, beach wheels, trailer with integral mast-raising accessories. Good boat for 2 people to sail. I'm selling because I seem to have trouble coming up with the second person. I'm asking $2500. Let me know if you're interested.
323-646-1780

Thanks for the offer, however the 19 is more boat than I am looking for.
Regards,
Greeves

The H18 is a great boat. You may also want to consider a Nacra 5.7 though. It has symetrical hulls like the 18, but you don't have to worry about boards, which is nice for lake sailing. I don't think it's as solid as an H18, which might be an issue for sailing rivers though. As far as righting goes, they seem to be about the same. Parts are also pretty easy to come by. Oh, another plus for the 5.7 is that it's more resistant to pitch-poling, which makes for a much more relaxing sailing experience, IMHO.

edited by: rhuntbach, Feb 21, 2009 - 06:34 PM

Thanks for the input Ryan, I am definitely considering the Nacra 5.7.

Glad to hear it! I don't know if a 5.0 would be too small for you and your crew, but I noticed this add for one the other day on craigslist. It seems pretty cheap, which raises some red flags, but it may be worth checking out.

http://reno.craigslist.org/boa/1032142181.html

Oops, I forgot, there were two that I found. This one is a 5.8, which might be too big and it has boards. Good price if it's in descent shape though--$1250. Here's a link:

http://reno.craigslist.org/boa/1022215362.html

Thanks Ryan,
I will look into them.
Regards,
Dennis

I have a Nacra 5.5 that I solo most of the time, but occasionally take my wife. The nice thing about the 5.5 is that it comes in two flavors. The Uni (which I have) is available with a carbon mast and can be run as a two up 5.5 by changing the dual forward stay to a bridal configuration, adding a jib, and a second set of trap wires. The regular 5.5 (non-uni) can be raced without the jib as a class legal uni, but I understand that they are not competetive against the carbon sparred unis.

If you are sailing with a combined crew weight of over 400 pounds, you definately want something with high volume hulls.

The Nacra 5.8 is a great boat and can be found at a good price, but depending on where you launch, the weight may be a problem. Even dragging the 5.5 up a long beach really requires two people.

I am 5'10" 180 lbs and can easily right the boat myself without the need for poles, bags, rocks, other boats or magic.

edited by: rpiper138, Feb 25, 2009 - 12:43 PM

Thanks Rich for the input.
Regards,
Dennis,