Look at the manual Matt posted for how to set up the boat. Assuming the sails are in good condition (and I don't know why they wouldn't be) then it looks like you could start sailing right away. You should make getting a righting line a priority, though, since eventually you're going to flip it and then you'll have to get it back up again! Fancy ones are available from the Hobie Cat company ( http://www.hobiecat.com/support/pdfs/16_17.pdf ), Murray's ( http://www.murrays.com/archive/45-46.pdf ), or you can do like me and just get a big thick 25' rope, tie a loop in the middle around the dolphin striker, and run it around each front pylon to the back pylons. Then I used bungee cord to hold the ends in. (Bungee diagram in the Murray's link.) Lots of pics feature the rope setup on my boat at my site. ( www.JaimeZX.com/Boating/Hobie parts 4, 5, & "Random pics.") The type with the internal bungee cord, however, is the best I've used. I might get one of those this season.

Once you guys get used to the boat, you'll want to get a set of (double) trapeze wires and some harnesses, but that may be a month or three into your sailing when you've gained a bit of confidence.

At the top of your list of stuff to buy, however, I would put Rick White's book Catamaran Sailing: For the '90s. Every serious H16 sailor I've met so far has one in his library.

Congrats, good luck, and welcome!