Thanks to everyone that replied for your good words of advise. I have a feeling that many of you know how difficult patience becomes while waiting for your boat to find you! I'll continue looking for a mast for the Prindle 16 until something else comes along. If anyone out there knows of a good, straight P-16 mast for a reasonable price (under $500) please let me know.

The Nacra 5.2 sounds like a very viable option and I intend to keep a watchful eye in the classified's.

Can anyone shed any light on the handling and "single-handed rightability" of a Hobie 17 sport with wings? I can't find any info on a good combined crew weight for it. If this is a wise choice, I might be willing to stretch the budget a little ! As you can probably tell, I expect to do a fair amount of solo sailing as well as family time on this boat.

Gracias,
TRowe