1979 S2 7.3 or 1986 Hunter 23?

[rogerss]

After quite a bit of sailing, tons of research and looking at boats, and thinking about what we really want, we have narrowed the field to a 1979 S2 7.3 and 1986 Hunter 23. Both have been well-maintained. We have sailed the S2 and loved it. (The Hunter is not presently in the water.) We are active 50+ adults who have dreamed of sailing for decades. Now we're ready to "live the dream."

We do not intend to trailer the boat much, if at all. We live within 30 minutes of two terrific bodies of water (Green Bay and Lake Winnebago) and will find a marina slip to keep it in.

We see both boats as "can't lose" (reasonably priced and well cared for by their owners) but...

1) We were planning to have a marine surveyor take a close look at the boat we choose. Some people have told us that's not common for a boat this size, but we'd like to catch any real problems that we may not have noticed? What do you think?

2) Is there a clear cut winner between the two boats assuming they're both in good sailing shape?

Your collective wisdom is most appreciated.