I'm trying to decide which would be better for a beachcat for me.

I recently bought a 1983 Hobie 18 in great shape. Then a friend said he is thinking about selling his Nacra 5.8.

HOBIE 18: I was all excited about the H-18 until I found out that it might be one of the heavy ones. I read that 83 was the cutoff but in speaking with a Hobie rep, he was under the impression that it was 82 so my 83 would be one of the lighter ones. The H-18 is in really great shape. It looks like it has been really well cared for. Everything is there, in good shape, and works fine.

NACRA 5.8: The Nacra is all there. It comes with 2 sets of sails, one newer, one used a bit but was original of high quality for racing. It has 2 sets of dagger/center boards. The non-skid has pealed off. It has some minor gelcoat cracks and looks like it needs a wax job real bad. I tapped on the hull and it feels thin, the Hobie rep felt it might be "an eggshell" and not layered glass/foam/glass but rather just glass, but admittedly he wasn't sure. I think that it is a 1984. It needs a bit a TLC.

BOTH: Have good tramps, permanent registration trailers, cat boxes, and beach wheels.

ME: I've been sailing for years and racing monohulls. I'm not that strong and am really concerned about the weight of the cats on the sand. I've sailed cats before and loved it. I'm concerned that I'll wish after a season that I had the Nacra. I live in SoCal and will be using this as a beachcat and racing some. I don't really care if I class race or handicap. I want to be able to sail this with my son or friends who might not have a great deal of experience.

THE QUESTION: Should I buy the Nacra from my friend and sell the H-18 knowing that the Hobie is in perfect shape or what? What are your thoughts?

THE DILEMA: I already bought the TheMightyHobie18 and would have to buy the Nacra 5.8 before I sold the Hobie.