by GreenLake » Sun Jul 19, 2015 2:40 pm
I've sailed on both, have not capsized either. My DS1 is considerably older than the 1984 you are considering, so I don't know whether there weren't any changes in later DS1s that I don't know about.
CB control via lines vs. a handle seems to cause more problems than it solves. Would be a reason for me to avoid it. As would a shallower seating position. But as far as sailing the boat, other things matter more, and some of them (like getting better sails, foils, line handling) are things you can retrofit to your taste on either model.
All things being equal otherwise, I would think that any purchase decision would normally be based on the relative condition and price of the two boats you are considering.
I know, I myself didn't approach this that way when I started out, but given that at that age most boats neither gain nor lose value dramatically if maintained in the same condition, you might consider that you are not really "locked in" (as you would be with a larger sailboat). If you find that you didn't get it right, you can "upgrade", by switching to another boat when you know better what your personal preferences are.
The advantage of giving yourself permission to not stick with your first choice forever means that the benefits of over-analyzing your current decision diminish considerably, and that the opportunity cost of not being out on the water while pondering how to get there will dominate.
In other words, I gently want to nudge you to consider whether you aren't asking the wrong question. If you really are close to a purchase, you are comparing concrete boats. By all means, show some pix or link the craigslist ads, and perhaps we can advise you which is the better deal. But I'm afraid that a general debate along the lines of "which design is better" will not get you to a decision faster, so will just make sure you miss more sailing days (and perhaps lose the chance to purchase either boat).
~ green ~ lake ~ ~