[quote=yurdle]For YOUR situation, my advice would be a Nacra 5.5. Don't even think about adding a spin, buying sails, or changing anything except the standing rigging and sheets. Sail it for a year, with and without your wife/crew, and figure out what you would change if possible. Sell it and buy a boat that has incorporated those changes.
Considering YOUR location (ie not the north pole like some ppl on here), swapping boats yearly isn't too daunting of a task with a little driving. Driving to Cali and back for you won't take more time or money than adding a spinnaker...neither is recoverable, granted, but, as someone that's dumped lots of time and money into upgrading boats, I'm speaking from experience when I say you're better to find the best fit for right now, sail it, then sell it and get the best fit at the time again.
To address the boats you did:
N5.5 - pretty damn good fit for your weight (boat is a hair smaller than optimum), can be solo'd by you either with or without jib depending on skill/conditions. Quick to rig, solid stiff boat for its age, very fun, and 8.5' beam is pretty stable. Also, the tramp is extended a foot farther aft than on the 5.2, so it's quite a bit larger.
H18 - solid as a tank (don't get an '84), cheap, simple enough and great for you and crew. Huge jib means solo isn't going to always be an option, and if a situation arises, your crew might have to pull her weight.
I18 - Unless you know you want a spin right this instant, I can't imagine a good reason to get this over the 5.5. More lines to pull, work to rig, danger, money to buy, money to fix, concepts to learn, when compared to 5.5. For the price, though, probably an awesome entry to F18s, but you last sailed a h14 3 decades ago? Wait a year. Next season, the market value for 5.5 will be the same, I18 will be lower.
N5.2 - Great for you to learn on, and even if you sink it you're not out much more than gas would cost to go hunt down the boat of your dreams. Would be a dog with you and crew (could be a good thing at first) but will teach you how to pull every line you need to know when solo (as it's set up for 2 ppl.) Probably the single wettest ride there is, which in Oklahoma in the summer is awesome. I imagine Tuscon is the same.
N5.8 - Tall rig, narrow boat = hull flying beast. Large jib (like the H18) means you ain't soloing it for the first season without some scars to show for it. Would likely be a blast for you & crew starting second season. I've seen two early thirties guys get their asses handed to them by starting out on a 5.8, though. IMO it's just too powerful for most ppl to learn on the job (ie first season w/out someone teaching them.)
I17R/F17 - If you get one with a sloop rig, it would be a good boat for you. The tiny handkercheif jib adds a ton of power to the main, and obviously you just leave it off to solo. Without the jib, it would be a dog for you and anyone else (even a dog...it's pretty weight sensitive) I'd guess that the boat is still a little technical for someone their first season...I'd be shocked if anyone could master uni rigs quick enough not to have some horribly boring or even frustrating days on the water when the wind lets down. Great second season boat again, though, IMO, with a small and very simple, but modern enough, spinnaker setup. Value seems to be plummeting on them as well (to my dismay), but don't buy one. Seriously. I want them to end up here so I have someone to race straight up. And good luck figuring out that whole F17na thing btw.
P18.2 - No idea why you seem to be against this. Just think of it as an N5.5. IIRC the only noteworthy major differences are 18.2 has a boom and kickup centerboards, 5.5 has daggers and is boomless. I'd consider them fairly interchangeable for your situation. I haven't sailed an 18.2 though, just seen a few of them.
I20 - No idea why you even brought this up. Too much everything for your situation.
Also, keep in mind that Prindle specific parts are going to be fairly interchangeable. Nacra 5.2 & 5.5 parts are almost all interchangeable. Inter parts are almost all interchangeable. The Inter parts are going to set you back quite a bit more than the others, though. Think of this and the likelyhood of breaking a rudder or dagger. It's not a small difference...maybe twice the cost at the least.
Hope that helps, apparently I'm feeling chatty...sorry it's so long. All just my opinion, based on my experience, for you considering the situation you laid out in the original post.[/quote]
