[quote=DamonLinkous][quote=cleanlivin]
Therefore, open to your guidance based on your PERSONAL experience.[/quote]
Cleanliving, you've gotten some good input here, of course advice based on personal experience is always limited because most of us (except Dave Farmer) have not owned every beachcat!
I single hand a Hobie 18 a lot of the time, even racing. I am quite a bit bigger and slightly younger than you are without the joint problems.
That said, I can only launch and retrieve it solo when using a boat ramp. When solo on the beach I need lots of help dragging that beast (on beach wheels) across soft sand. I can even move it around pretty well on hard ground but actually getting the boat onto the wheels either needs help or a LOT of effort.
So my advice to after reading this thread and your previous replies is to go with a Hobie 16. In the 3-5K price range you can get a really nice late model boat that will be ready to sail. The H16 has less parts and lines to assemble, weighs a manageable amount and is ubiquitous as to availability and easy to resell.
There is not a better beach/surf boat and with all the modern spin boats people forget how over-powered a Hobie 16 really is. If you still lack for thrills (unlikely!) then add the Hobie Europe spin rig that was developed for the Hobie 16 Youth boat. That should put the scare back in!
Grab one and get on the water.[/quote]
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