for $500 what do you have to lose? Oh yea, $500...

If you have sailed it and it 2x and all seems in order... i say go for it. Even if you only get 1 season out of it... it sounds worth it. I look at the cost to rent a plastic trimaran at $140 for 4 hours locally... so for the cost of 9 hours of rental.. you will own a boat.

I had a $400 TheMightyHobie18 that i sailed about 100 times. Sure i had to dump money into it after i cracked a rudder off, broke the rudder castings, shredded a sail... etc.. but it was all worth it.. Then i upgraded to a Mystere 5.5 and have been hemorrhaging money ever since.. i now need new main and jib... (OUCH$$$)