First boat- something to gain practice on mosly

Although I'm not saying it's the ideal boat in this situation, I think the Tres gets a bit too much criticism. I grew up sailing the uno and race, and found them overpowered and badly balanced boats at the time. We've kept the topaz for my parents to sail, and with the Tres rig it's a far better boat. A little cramped, granted, but I can sail that boat with more control than most others. The rig's balanced enough to be able to meaningfully sail rudderless using just sail set, and it's a lovely little boat for sailing around up to a force 4.

Ask the seller of the 405 how long it has been for sale. This will give you an idea of how easy it will be for you to sell on.

You will not be able to sail a hobie 405 unless you have a crew, so it could limit your opportunities to sail unless you are happy to use club boats.  I think what you have to do is work out whether you want a single hander or a double, then make your choice, rather than trying to compromise one way or the other.

If I were you I would look and see what other people at the club are sailing.  That way you always have a good source of advice, plus someone to race against when you're ready to take that step.

I wonder why you haven't mentioned a topper as a single handed choice?  They are just right for your weight, their is a huge amount of training available, boats are very low maintenace and there are always good second hand boats available.  There is also a fantastic racing scene. 

If you do decide to go double handed I would think about a Feva or a mirror before you go into something like a hobie.

A Topaz Uno is a good boat to learn in, or maybe a Laser Pico. I learnt to sail in those boats and I had no problems, they make it very easy. If you're looking for something cheap a Mirror or a Cadet would be a good idea. You can get GRP mirrors now so they require a lot less maintainance than wooden versions. Please, please, please do not buy a Topaz Tres. There is a reason why people hate them. They are horrible boats. The rig is far too top heavy for the hull so they are extremely tippy, they are difficult to trapeze from and you always get a load of weather helm because the rudder doesn't go down far enough. They are so close to the water that you can easily get swept out of the boat by your own bow wave (Believe me, I've done it) and in light weather they won't go anywhere.

Thanks for the advice!  The only problem with those two is that they are wooden, so might be hard to maintain and i worry about their weight, although on shore i would have some help.