Sounds like we started up the holy wars...

Living in Salt Lake City, which isn't completely in the sticks but sure isn't an international hub of cat sailing, I can say parts aren't a problem for either a Hobie or Nacra - and this is coming from a Nacra owner who frequents a shop that services and sells Hobies.

I will agree that a Hobie 16 rides "drier" than my Nacra - it sits about half a foot higher off the water. On the other hand, that same design leads to easy pitchpoling. As for Nacra construction having "its own issues", any boat will need regular maintenance and will have its weak spots.

From what I can tell, the newer Hobies are great. If I had $5000+ to spend on a new boat, I could think of worse ways to do it than get a recent-model Hobie 18. If there are a lot of Hobies in your area and you want abundant, fair racing above speed/comfort/ease of sailing, it makes sense to look for a Hobie.

That said, when looking for a 70's or 80's boat, I'd personally stay away from Hobie 16's and especially Hobie 14's. Obviously they're fun boats that will beat a Sunfish any day, and there are a lot of very happy H14/16 owners out there. But for the price, they don't handle nearly as well as a Prindle or Nacra (or a Hobie 18) - especially with the pitchpoling issue.

This is just my opinion; I acknoweldge I am a relative cat newbie who has sailed a H14, H16 and Prindle 16 as rentals many years ago before buying a Nacra.