Let me hop in on this thread really quick. I am in a similar situation, in that I have a 5.5 I can not find a consistant crew, and when I go singlehanded, it seems as though it's blowing like stink. I can sail uni, but seeing as though the 5.5sl has some disadvantages sailing uni (shorter mast, less main, etc..), I'm looking to either go A cat, or 18sq. Don't think I have the cash outlay for A cat (arn't they 7k+?), but 18 sq I might be able to manage. Where to look for a used one is my question....