Kind of nice to hear the favorable feedback on the H-18. I've been sailing mine for the last ten years and have watched five of my friends upgrade to the Tiger. We've done some racing on the Tiger and it is a blast; but we've seen the best racers just continue to get better while we're just happy to be on the water and enjoy the moment.

The TheMightyHobie18 with wings is absolutely the perfect cruising boat around Lake Erie because you sit on the wings and stay semi-dry when the winds crank up and you start charging through 4 foot swells. I added a square top for light wind days and I'm perfectly happy to only have to handle the jib and main sheets.

I really think that the sailors that upgraded to the Tigers and are not on the racing circuit have actually DECREASED their time on the water because it's more work when you are out there. Flipping it over when trying to fly the spin and sailing solo is not fun.

My boat is a 1990 and I'm still happy with it. I keep the tramp covered with a tarp during the summer and have a snorkel for the jib to reduce UV damage. During the winter I store it in a dry corner of a car port. While I'm not afraid to run the TheMightyHobie18 up on the beach, I like to reduce beach wear and tear by normally dropping it in the water by backing the trailer to the water's edge and pushing it in. We then hook it up to a small mooring pin while we get dressed and make sure our cooler is filled with the essentials for the day.

I sure hope it lasts for a long time.

Wyatt on Lake Erie.