After 35 years of sailing very small monohulls, I bought a 1985 H16 a month ago. It does feel like a handful when I'm sailing solo and the wind kicks up! Like you, I feel a bit overwhelmed...but what a blast this little beasty is to sail!

I plan on buying a righting bag because solo righting a capsized H16 is difficult for me. When the wind is strong I sail w/o the jib and have twice reefed the main. I have a feeling as I gain confidence the reef will come out and the jib will stay up!

For what it's worth, when it has become a bit too much to handle, I slip the main to "feather" the sail. It may be tough on the mainsail, but it effectively slows the boat to a crawl, letting me catch my breath and maybe wait for a less gusty patch of wind.