John, Welcome to this wonderful list! Glad to hear you are on the recovery end of your illness! Sailing can be a great healer, and is great therapy for most ailments. There are a lot of good cat silors in Connecticut, and quite a few come up to Fleet 448 events in R.I. and MA. I will hope to see you on the water next season! As far as the hitch goes, I've always pulled my cats with V.W. Rabbits, and a Honda Civic with the smallest hitches.I sailed an 18 for the first time last Summer, and loved it. They are a great boat, but a lot heavier than a 16 on the beach! Good luck! And let us know how your search is going! Brian McCarter, H17 Sport conversion, Westport, MA -- - In [EMAIL PROTECTED], JOHN FLINTER <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > good day fellow sailors !!! > I've lurked long enough. My name is John Flinter and I live in Waterbury, Connecticut. > I first sailed / raced Hobies way back in 1972 when Jose Rodriges opened the first Hobie shop in Isle Verde, <a href="http://www.srch- results.com/lm/rtl.asp?k=puerto%20rico" onmouseover="window.status='Puerto Rico'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Puerto Rico</a>. I crewed for Juan Torruella in the '73 16 Nationals in Key Biscane, Fla. We finished a respectable 19th. We sailed in the 1st Culebra race (where we met and competed against the great Sandy Banks. Every time I see a picture of a cat "flying" off the back of a wave I remember doing that on 14's and 16's off the barrier reef of Isle Verde almost daily back in the 70's > Well then I was 17 years old, now I'm 48. I sailed 16's every chance that I'v had over the years, mostely on vacation at <a href="http://www.srch-results.com/lm/rtl.asp?k=cape%20cod"; onmouseover="window.status='Cape Cod'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Cape Cod</a>. I recently survived 2 nasty attacks of a neurological disease named Guillian- Barre Syndrome and while laying paralized for 3 months, the memory of sailing and racing in Puerto Rico helped me to survive. > I made a vow that if I ever walked again I was going to get a boat. I recovered with only minor risidual numbness. So now I'm in the market for a boat. While my heart is with the 16, I want to get a Hobie 18. The less I pitchpole the more often my wife will sail with me. > I've spent a lifetime preparing for this. But how to start? Obviously the boat will need to be trailored. Also before I find a boat I need to get "hitched". > Any recommendations on trailor hitches and trailors? I drive a 1988 <a href="http://www.srch-results.com/lm/rtl.asp?k=mercury% 20cougar" onmouseover="window.status='Mercury Cougar'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Mercury Cougar</a> with enough oomph to pull anything. But I think I heard that Trailor hitches come in Classes? > How much weight will I be pulling with an 18? > Any advice is welcomed. I look foreward to being a part of the group and can't wait to start racing again. > > See you on the race course. > John Flinter > (insp12) > If anyone is interested I can send a copy of my book, "Moonshadow" about my experiance with GBS. E-Mail me @ [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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