Does anyone here sail? I'm looking to buy a catamaran - Help needed

[SavaUte]

Here is my situation


I have little to no sailing experience (I've been out once or twice with a friend), but am a quick learner, so I'm not too worried about that.


We have a small lake here by my house (about 6 feet deep, 120ish acres) that I will do most of my sailing on.


I also live near the great salt lake and will go there a few times a month.


I am 6'4", 200 lbs, so I'm a decently big guy in good shape (I run marathons, so not big and bulky)


I want to be able to sail around and just enjoy being on the water, and I want to be able to sail with one hull in the water going fast (the small lake will be just for chilling, the great salt lake will be for speed/one hull stuff).


These are examples of what I'd like to do
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc8GI6RR_f0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RtdKC3eCek


I will primarily sail alone, but want to have the capability to take my wife, neices/nephews, and other family members.


I've been watching the local classifieds for a hobie 16 for the last few months, but all the good ones get snapped up pretty quickly, so I still am empty handed.


Thinking more about a hobie 16, I've read you don't want to sail them with more than about 280 lbs, so me and a child. Maybe I should look for a bigger cat. My big thing with going bigger is that as I said I will be sailing alone quite a bit, so I don't want something too overwhelming. I also don't want to lose maneuverability and speed, and want to be able to go with one hull up in the air


Now I'm thinking maybe Nacra 5.8. Would I be able to handle it alone? I have a friend that will teach me to use it, so I'm not overly concerned about how hard it is while I'm still learning, and as I said, I hope to become an advanced beginner/intermediate pretty quickly (a couple months?)


What does everybody think?


Thank you

[NorthwestUteFan]

I have been sailing off and on for 35+ years now. And I own a Hobie16 with my cousin, although I only have one week of experience on it, three years ago (I am in Seattle, the Hobie is at Bear Lake).

The Hobie 16 is an all-time classic, and they sold somewhere over 24k of them.

I am 6'6" and 250#. Scampering under the boom on a tack is kind of a challenge. The boat is super light and maneuverable so it accelerates immediately and is very responsive. But balance is critical and at times it will easily to bury the bows or suffer a knockdown.

If I had to do it again I would try to find the Nacra 5.8, 5.2, or 18. It is a more modern design and should be quite a bit newer than any Hobie. I would also try to find a boat with the trapeze platforms instead of just the trapeze wires. I think the Hobie 17 came with them as an option.

The Nacra cat has quite a bit larger volume in each hull and are significantly more buoyant when you force the bow down, so they are more forgiving and are somewhat less critical of weight and balance.

There are tons of Hobie 16s on Craigslist. The better ones should run around $2k with a trailer. There are plenty on the market for $500-$1000, but you need to look very closely at the rigging, trampoline, condition of the sails, and look closely for soft spots on the hulls. Soft spots are indicative of water intrusion and delamination, and can be very difficult to repair. These 'bargain' boats will cost significantly more to repair and replace items than to just buy the higher quality boat up front. New sails and a trampoline will cost at least $1000, and add at least $500 more for new standing and running rigging, halyards, sheets, etc.

Be sure to go for a test sail before you buy.

Good luck! And keep us posted.