Will,

I understand where you are coming from. I bought my first cat when I was a super-senior in college (had to do the extra year, co-op). I had no money but wanted something fun to do on the weekends. My advice to budget cat sailors is to not worry about the aesthetics of the boat. Those can always be improved at a later date as the do not keep the boat from sailing. Invest in new rigging for safety issues. Don't let your trailer condition slide. I did this when I owned my H16. On the way to my camping/sailing vacation the front cross bar of my trailer failed. Fortunately it was only on one side and the boat was stiff enough to keep from dragging on the road or getting gouged by other parts of the trailer. I took some 4x4's and lashed them onto the cross bar to get me through the week and back home.

Speaking of that, attaching 4x4's to the trailer for cross beams works well for light boats like the Wave and H16. You can then attach roller or cradles to the 4x4.

As for using the sea doo trailer, the suspension is designed for a much heavier load. Most cat trailers are rated for about 1000 lbs. If you underload trailers they tend to bounce alot and beat up your load. So keep that in mind.