Brokenhips,

Given that a little over a year ago, I was in a similar situation; I thought I might go through how I arrived at my decision in buying a new boat. Sorry for the long post but I thought it might help.

My background is Hobie sailing with an 80/20 sailing mix of recreational to racing. Like you, I am in the 230 lb range. I sail mainly in Michigan with a mix of flat water inland lake sailing and Lake Michigan sailing.

My primary decision criteria included: single handed sailing, but the option to sail with crew, sail plan versatility (especially want to learn to fly a spinnaker), boat speed, boat weight (I don’t want to horse a 300+ lb boat around), and racing options.

My sources of information included any articles or boat reviews I could find on the web, multiple forums, manufacturers specs, regatta pictures & results, Portsmouth ratings and a factory visit.

Here are the single handed boats I looked at seriously.

Hobie 17 – I started here given my history. Lots of cheap used boats available, spinnaker option, some Midwest racing. I ruled it out due to weight (320 lbs) and after I looked around, I decided I wanted a modern hull design.

Hobie FX-One – this is the boat that started me down the modern hull design, performance cat track. Very cool looking boat that met nearly all of my decision criteria. Boat weight (326 lbs), limited availability and limited racing in the Midwest ruled it out.

A-Cat – introduced me to the box rule concept which I think is great. This is the boat I would have if I were a pure racer. Lots of good used boats available, light weight (165 lbs), some racing in the Midwest. Single handed only and lack of spinnaker sailing were the key factors.

F17 – met all my criteria except weight (343 lbs) and versatility as it is sailed single handed. Very strong racing in the Midwest. This boat would have been more of a contender if I were more of a racer.

F16 Blade – met all my criteria. Could be sailed single handed or with crew, lightweight (230 lbs), fast, and has a spinnaker. I also liked the looks of the boat more than any of the others I considered. The only negatives were limited used boat market, and Midwest racing. I could only find one or two boats in any Midwest Regatta.

I was also intrigued by the Blade home build concept. I contacted Phill, one of the designers, but it was too many hours given my schedule (200+). He encouraged me to contact Matt McDonald at Vectorworks. I did and Matt answered a lot of questions about the Blade via e-mail. Coincidentally, I had a business trip in Florida last November, so, I visited the factory in Titusville. Matt spent a considerable amount of time with me, not only showing the boat and answering more questions, but also showed me the hull manufacturing process.

What sealed the deal was Matt had a used boat that he had reconditioned and offered the same warranty as the new boats. While I wanted to do more research, especially sailing multiple boats, I felt that I should jump on the used boat. I was pretty certain at this point and they seemed to go very fast when they hit the market.

I would encourage you if you have the time to talk to the people mentioned above and sail the boats.

I have a table that compares all the boats on each factor including Portsmouth, but it gets garbled in the post. I would be happy to e-mail it to you.

Hope this helps.