This particular forum was set up as a discussion group for the sailors who own Formula 18's, but it does not get much traffic. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />
Also, the Hobie 18 is not included in the Formula 18 class.
You would get much better response if you post your questions on our Open Forum, which is VERY active. There are lots of former Hobie 18 owners there, too; and everybody is happy to help everybody else, racer or non-racer.
I will give you my opinions on your various questions, though:
I am considering an older Hobie 18 that is for sale locally (1982). I have never sailed any Hobie, only been a passenger on one. Is an 18ft too big to start on for a beginner sailor? Will I have difficulty righting the boat alone? Does this boat require a two man crew? Would I be better off going with a 16ft or maybe even a 14ft to begin my sailing experience? I weigh about 155 lbs., 36 yrs old if this helps. How many adults or adults/children will the boat accomodate? What is the weight limit? Thank you.
If you are a beginner sailor, yes, I think the Hobie 18 is too much boat for you to start out on. A Hobie Wave is a great starter boat and is extremely easy to right by yourself.
You will not be able to right the Hobie 18 alone. In fact, considering your light weight, you might have difficulty even with two people, unless you have really good righting technique. A masthead bob (float) would help, too, and I think it is a very important safety feature -- especially for non-racers who tend to not be sailing with a group of other boats.
The Hobie 18 normally requires a two-person crew. Once you are experienced on the boat, it sails pretty well without the jib for single-handing. But then, again, there is the problem of not being able to right it alone.
How many people will the boat accommodate? Well, that is a complicated question. In the United States the manufacturers do not designate a maximum weight capacity for the catamarans. The MINIMUM weight for racing is 285 pounds, and the boat can still perform well with up to about 400 pounds of crew weight, depending upon the wind and wave conditions. If you don't care how slow you go, you can probably load it down with 800 pounds. Why it gets complicated is that if there is a lot of wind, too much weight on the boat can put tremendous stress on the mast and rigging and can actually cause the mast to break or fall. In relatively light winds where the boat is not wanting to fly a hull, the weight would not be a problem. In general, I would say you would not want more than four adults, or two adults and four children.
In regard to weight-carrying capacity, the Hobie Wave can carry as much weight as the Hobie 18 and also has a little more seating area than the 18.
Another good feature of Waves is that if and when you want to move up to a bigger, more complex cat, it is very easy to resell Waves, because there is a big demand for them.
The best thing, of course, would be for you to take some learn-to-sail lessons at a sailing center before you buy any kind of boat. Or join a fleet or club and learn to sail by crewing for other sailors -- most are happy to help new sailors.
