Boat shopping time. I’m between the 212 and 242 Limited S

[match308]

I need to upgrade in size and power from my Chaparral Vortex 203. The single 250 is great when its just four riding, but with 8 it doesn’t tow too well. I know the 212 and 243 are similar in size, but quite a difference in price. Is the extra coin worth it to upsize to the 243?

 

[Wisefam22]

The 2018 242 and every other model is on sale right now. I think our local dealership has it at 49k plus fees.

I'd go bigger if you already have a 20ft go with the 24 and love it.

 

[Speedling]

Will you ever want to do the Bimini trip? Do you ever boat on "big" water" Is the "crew" growing? Look harder at the bigger boat.
Is fuel economy a bit of a factor both in towing and filling the boat, along with possibly storage costs (length)?Look harder at the 21' boat.

 

[SupetD]

Sounds like you sometimes take a crowd with you, go with the 24’, you’ll have a lot more room for everyone to stretch out comfortably!

 

[J-RAD]

With 8 people on board I wouldn't question going with the 242. If you buy the 212 I can see you left wishing you'd gotten the 24 ft. Buy the 242 and be happy you got the right boat.

The saying is, "buy your second boat first", right? In your case, buy your third boat second.

 

[Whisky]

We ran the same comparison and ended up deciding on the 212, for us it was three things that really pushed us that way:

1 - size for storage/hauling - The 24 would be an exceptionally tight fit in the driveway
2 - size for people, though more space is no doubt great, we are 70% two of us, 20% 4 of us, and 10% 6 of use, only have 8 on the boat once so when we came up from the AR190 we felt the 212 had lots of room for us
3 - cost, we were able to get a 212X within our budget that included all of the upgrades we wanted from factory. The 242X e-series, though, no doubt a way bigger boat with more great features was out of our targeted spend. We could have gone with a lower spec 240, but for us we wanted the upgraded features more than the extra length.

Hope this helps!

 

[Evil Sports]

Keep in mind the "extra" room in the 242s is not in the cabin area but in the nose or bow seating area. The freeboard is much higher as well. I have been back and fourth on moving from my 21 to the 24 but the fact that I dont gain any cabin space kilt it for me.

 

[merlinjet]

Don't forget to check out the preowned market before you buy...that's where the deals are no matter what you decide. If you're willing to travel a bit and wait for cooler temps you can do well. Those new boat fees and taxes can really add up!

 

[Trevor Shipman]

Keep in mind the "extra" room in the 242s is not in the cabin area but in the nose or bow seating area. The freeboard is much higher as well. I have been back and fourth on moving from my 21 to the 24 but the fact that I dont gain any cabin space kilt it for me.

It’s funny, I’ve always wondered why they add to the bow. Most of the people hang out in the cabin/stern of the boat on my 21’. I’d love a 24’ if they added the space to the cabin.

 

[Whisky]

It’s funny, I’ve always wondered why they add to the bow. Most of the people hang out in the cabin/stern of the boat on my 21’. I’d love a 24’ if they added the space to the cabin.

I agree, this is one of the key reasons I wasn't too sad to stick with a 212. Most of the action happens behind the glass these days.

 

[BlkGS]

It’s funny, I’ve always wondered why they add to the bow. Most of the people hang out in the cabin/stern of the boat on my 21’. I’d love a 24’ if they added the space to the cabin.

Weird, bow seating is first to go on my boat. It's a rush between the girls for who gets to be in the sun up there. The 23 foot has enough room for 2 of them to lay out in the sun.

 

[Mainah]

I am making an educated guess here based on user name for an analogy. Can you hit a pie plate at 600 yards with an 18 inch .308 light hunting barrel? Sure. If your are competing you sure do want that 24 inch heavy barrel and it will still take down a deer just fine although it will be more expensive and heavier to carry.

Get the bigger boat and feel like you got a true upgrade.

 

[match308]

I am making an educated guess here based on user name for an analogy. Can you hit a pie plate at 600 yards with an 18 inch .308 light hunting barrel? Sure. If your are competing you sure do want that 24 inch heavy barrel and it will still take down a deer just fine although it will be more expensive and heavier to carry.

Get the bigger boat and feel like you got a true upgrade.

Lol. I have been competing with a 6.5 Creedmoor for the last decade! Old handle.

 

[match308]

Thank you all for the guidance