I had a similar induction into cat sailing as the other who posted. When I was 5 years old my parents had an oday 29 (or sommething like that). It was a "large" mono for the family. I hadn't sailed since that time until I bought my H16.

I decided I wanted to learn how to sail and I wanted to do it on a Hobie. I was in LA visiting a friend and saw a guy sail his H16 trapped out flying a hull onto the beach. That's when I decided what kind of boat I wanted. As luck would have it I saw an H16 on a trailer on my way home from the airport. It looked to be in good condition (I really didn't know what I was doing at the time) and I could "afford" the boat so I bought it. I was in school at the time and probably shouldn't have spent the money on it.

I then bought a book on sailing, read it and got on the water. I was sailing on large ponds that the locals called lakes. I spent many hours righting the boat. I did not have the advantage of other sailors around. I was an engineering student and assumed since I knew about the mechanics of sailing that applying them would be easy. I was humbled, but had lots of fun doing it. And now I am on my second boat and am teaching my new wife how to sail and not just be the figurehead of the boat.

Looking back on it I was very lucky to find a boat in good condition that I didn't need to repair or update too much. Take the time to find a good boat. There are great deals out there. Especially on the H16. You can get a good boat (not for racing) with a trailer for around $1000 depending on geography, condition, and any extras it may have.