I third that - in that case, a TheMightyHobie18 should be your boat. There's a lot of them, they're available in all levels of shape and expense, good performance, very large trampoline for the boat size, etc. Like all boats however, there are quirks and problematic years / equipment to try and avoid.

On all Hobies, somewhere around '84 (?) Hobie started building masts with a plastic tip a couple of feet long (comp tip) to help reduce injuries from overhead power lines. This is also desireable because it is a prerequisite to race it in a Hobie regatta. However, the comptip does suffer from UV degredation and can break more easily than a solid mast from capsizes. Older boats have a solid aluminum mast that I personally prefer. However, older TheMightyHobie18's also have an aluminum rudder kickup system that gets to be terribly problematic as it ages. There is an upgrade to the rudder system to the newer style for a little over $400. All H18s have had roller furling jibs - which are great if you want to park the boat for whatever reason. Some TheMightyHobie18's have had problems where the beams (primarily the front) attach to the hulls - the hulls had a tendency to develop cracks here. Later boats had more reinforcement added and an update was available to add stainless steel plates to help reinforce. This is just a little off the top of my head, and like you probably already know, you could make a list for any other boat or car of items like this. I liked my TheMightyHobie18 very much.


Jake Kohl